To be edging towards an anti-Monarchy position purely because of the Cambridges?

[Buxhoeveden]

As a couple they are starting to grate.

Is it too early to focus on them?

I hope so Freudian, I truly hope so. The royals have more input into policy making than was previously thought and that can't be right. They are part of our history but shouldn't be part of our future.

There is nothing romantic about a royal family, there is just a group of people protected by their birthright that can do whatever they like and would never have to answer for it.

YANBU IMHO. They do seem to love the spoils without the graft. Say what you like about HM and I am no monarchist, she has and does work very, very hard without public complaint. The Idlebridges on the other hand, seem to do silly things and then use lawyers to stop the people finding out and criticizing (think topless shots, knicker flashing and helicopter landing in her garden) rather than realizing that their fabulous lifestyle is as a result of public interest and acknowledging when they've messed up. I also think, the normal young couple crap is wearing a bit thin too. They are far from it, and it's galling that they try and make out they are just like the majority of the population, they are not. Re photographs of the kids, they could and should decrease the market for 'candid' shots by releasing more formal pictures taken by themselves. The public will end up keeping their children in clover for life and are entitled to see what they are paying for.

There's also something irritating about Kate, she always seems very smug and insincere (I have met her) and she seems to spend money like a leaking bucket looses water. Yes, she has wealthy parents now but they have not always been so rich, so she knows that there is another side, yet she happily spent of public funds millions doing up a property not to live in it, whilst the living standards and services of the general public are being cut and squeezed. It's obscene!

Hypothetically speaking, if William wants to be 'normal' so badly, is there actually anything stopping him saying "hang on, this isn't what I want" and giving up his right to the throne and becoming a private citizen? It's almost unheard of but if it's something he really wants then why not? He certainly has enough money of his own to not rely on the Civil List. Diana's fortune was massive and left to him and Harry.

Yes as we saw with Charles's letters and of course we didn't see all his letters and the fawning of David Cameron claiming he gets treated as anyone else who writes to the PM what utter rubbish.

I'm with you OP. The Cambridge's and in particular the Cambridge in-laws have cheapened what was already a difficult concept for modern times.

I think when the current Queen goes we should re evaluate whether the monarchy is relevant and fit for purpose going forward.

Prince Charles would be devastated not to be King but with the decision taken out of his hands he probably would enjoy a quiet retirement pottering around the garden like many 70+ year olds.

We could phase out the state up keep and gave them a one off redundancy style payment on a sliding scale of actual public works - Charles and Anne would get a bit more then lesser sums for William & Harry followed by much smaller amounts for Andrew and the York daughters hangers on the Wessexes and payments for these irrelavant 'royals' should be capped at about £150,000 like suggested for other public sector/civil servants.

The palaces and other property given over to National Trust or English Heritage or a newly created Historic building trust for us all to enjoy for a visiting fee.

They could buy what they wanted if they really wanted it from the redundancy payments and carry on raking it in from celebrity endorsements, book deals, party hats and paper napkins just like the Beckhams, the Rooneys, the Trumps and the Kardashians.

I think what is starting to grate on many is Kate, Carol, Pippa and the brother - the dad less so as he spends most of his time looking suitably embarrassed by the whole unedifying pantomime that the royal family is being turned it.

It really is now just scripted reality like Towie or MiC - 'The Brenda Bunch' would be a good title ... But instead of advertisers and the big business who benefit from them paying - we all are.

I don't think Kate deserves a holiday in Mustique at even 30p of my expense any more than you would think you should contribute to send my Nurse daughter there with her family. William, her husband is 'working' in the NHS yes, but any other NHS worker who took so much time off for extracurricular charity and family events would be sacked. It's not real. They are no better than Joey Essex & Gemma Collins. It's embarrassing that we are somehow meant to respect them.

By taking back the palaces, getting all of them off the books, reinvesting the profits from the property visits and land use we could make life happier and easier for many of our pensioners, or our cancer patients or maybe more of our children could go to bed at night having had a great day in an excellent school and a decent meal.

Let the Cambridges make their own way - they can then decide whether to have family snaps taken for a price to help support their lifestyle and if not they can use their private funds to sue those who breach their privacy.

And let the Cambridge in-laws fade back into obscurity - they have no talent, personality or interesting ideas that warrant continued public exposure.

Ha at the Yorks being hard-working, particularly Beatrice and Eugenie. They have personal protection officers which cost a lot but do no public duties.

William was a search and rescue pilot and is now an air ambulance pilot. Kate has two small children, one of whom was born three/four months ago. Give them a break.

It's not the Cambridges so much as Prince Philip, he's been banging round the globe making racist and misogynistic remarks for decades and being paid for the privilege, not on.

I find it quite ironic that posters complaining of all the public exposure the royal family get are the ones who seem to know all the ins and out of their lives- where they have been on holiday and the clothing they wear. You do realise by buying and reading about them in magazines you are the ones feeling the media circus.

Me, I quite like the royals, but I don't feel the need to know everything about them or see their pictures all the time (and the same appies to all 'celebs') so I don't buy and read these magazines.

The royal family is totally irrelevant

how can it be that we don't mind giving money to an already very rich family so they can swan off and do things that others could dream of yet take money from the poorest in society?

what is the actual point of them?

do people really believe they're better than us?

Magazines? If only it were contained to magazines.

All the main newspapers report on the royals as does the news on the radio and TV I like to keep up with the news

I pay along with yourself towards their lifestyle and I have no choice in the matter what they are wearing holds no interest to me their influence over politics and the media does

I know what...let's all jump on a bandwagon and berate a pleasant young family born into wealth and with great obligation. They have hurt nobody and have said and done nothing offensive unlike many so called celebrities. Our Queen has devoted her life to service and her children and grandchildren will try to emulate her. As figureheads the Royal family never indulge in unseemly backstabbing like 'elected' politicians do. I imagine Catherine reads mn sometimes. How horrible to be confronted by jealous bitchiness expressly directed at herself. It is shameful.

Jealous? No, not in the slightest

William was a search and rescue pilot and is now an air ambulance pilot.

When it suits him, no other person would be given so much time off, it's not a real job, it's something he enjoys, something he wants to do.

What are either of them interested in, other than holidays and spending money

Here we go again. Whenever anyone dares criticise the Cambridges someone inevitably comes out with the "you're all jealous" line. There should be some sort of Godwin's Law equivalent for it!

I dont usually like the royals but i like kate and william.

And for all those that say we pay too much for them you do realise that the queen pays income tax and capital gains tax. The royal family only costs 56p per person thats not really a great deal when you think about. The tax she pays covers probably the majority of their upkeep and as she is a tax payer she is paying her own wage

Well he isn't paid for itGriphook and I imagine the air ambulance service in East Anglia find it useful having a fully trained pilot to get critically ill people to hospital. The patients he flies probably don't mind either.

Heaven forbid he enjoy his job.

I'm with you - bland boring wastes of space. Much prefer Anne, Charles who have a point of view.
Kate is optimised by nude shoes and is a poor role model for women.

As a child I was taught the maxim: of those to whom much is given, much is required

I see that the royals are given much and some of them give a lot back. I genuinely don't think Catherine gives much back. Yes, she has two small children but in recent months I can recall her attending Winbledon and 'the polo', going on hols to Mystique but not much else. I might be wrong as I don't follow her closely but I would expect her to be able to attend some type of charity event in between the enjoyable stuff such as tennis tournaments.

thegreylady I want a a republic for valid political reasons, I actually think in the long run it would be healthier for the children being born into the firm. Don't dismiss criticism of the royals as jealousy and bitchiness.

Completely agree OP - Marmiteandjamislush and Mumbehavingbadly summed up my thoughts on the Cambridges perfectly.

Waity Katie... they don't seem to do much charity work. when Wills do hop into a helicopter to do 'charity' work (salary donated to charity?) it's some big thing.

and what annoys me further is they're not even English - Germans...

which I am too partly German

thegreylady Katherine by her own admission went to St Andrews purely for the sole reason of snapping up the heir. so she wasn't born into the monarchy she married in. and her family probably prepped and primed her.

Do they really only cost 56p per person though? I think that's excluding their security bill, which costs far more.

Griphook - exactly re Wills career/charity choices.

at least the Queen and Prince Phillip etc actually DO proper charity work. even Charles does...