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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Kate Middleton

573 replies

WILKO9 · 27/09/2015 13:13

AIBU to find Kate Middleton really annoying ? It's probably just me but I find her so smug. Anyway feel much better for getting that off my chest !!!

OP posts:
MarshaBrady · 27/09/2015 18:34

Maybe it's now that I'm older but I'm remember thinking that Diana and Harry and Wills seemed royal.

With Kate and George they do seem just like anyone else. Not different through royalty - maybe it's something to do with photography back then too.

BoldFox · 27/09/2015 18:35

WEll I find people slagging her off ridiculous. She never says anything that you annoy you. Mostly cos she CAN'T say anything, or do anything. She walks a fine line and she's criticised no matter what she does. No matter what you think of the existence of the monarchy surely you can separate it from the individuals.

Sapele · 27/09/2015 18:40

What a horrible and pointless thread idea. I have nothing against Kate but if I did have, I wouldn't start a thread like this. It's just spiteful. It reflects on the OP rather than the person it's about I think.

BoldFox · 27/09/2015 18:41

sarah if kate had posted that on mumsnet!! then the rest of the post could have been, my DH tb is also smart enough, also conventional, also educated cos it was expected of him, but nor is he a brain surgeon so in that respect we are well suited. A lot of people think he's the son of God cos his family are so la-di-da, and that's kind of annoying - to have people who don't know either of us believing I played a long game to 'bag' him, when in fact I have to put up with a lot of shite.

carabos · 27/09/2015 18:46

I'm a dyed in the wool republican but I don't have strong negative feelings about any of them as individual human beings. I think William and Harry appear to be very normal in the context of their circumstances and remembering them at Diana's funeral could make me want to weep - at that moment they were two kids whose mum had died Sad. None of us would wish that on anyone's children I hope.

As to Catherine - meh.

I agree with the PP who said that they may well disappear from view. I'd like to see Charles as the monarch who transitions us to a republic, leaving W, C and H to live out their lives in peace.

sara11272 · 27/09/2015 18:52

BoldFox yes!

I appreciate she's very priveliged, no money worries, lovely hols, beautiful house - but would I want all those if the price was everyone speculating and having an opinion on your clothes/scheming family/hair/(lack of) personality?

No thanks, I couldn't do her job in a million years.

EddieStobbart · 27/09/2015 18:56

Am a republican but as a person, she seems perfectly pleasant. However, if William had been female and got married (to a man), there is no way "her" male partner would have got away with doing as little as Kate did before she had George. She was allowed to do very little as she was turning up looking acceptable in a frock "flying the flag for British fashion" which is of course a suitable role for a woman.

Mehitabel6 · 27/09/2015 19:04

She can't win- whatever she does someone won't like it.
I can't see why it bothers you OP.

GoldPlatedShitGibbon · 27/09/2015 19:07

I don't feel that she is deserving of her prominent position. I don't think she has achieved enough in life so far to be a respected public figure or a role model.

This is the crux of it, though, isn't it? She and the other young royals are forever meeting people who have actually achieved stuff, often very impressive stuff, who are expected to bow and show deference etc, and they just have to front it out. Fabergé eggs of steel.

As I get older it makes less sense.

ConfusedInBath · 27/09/2015 19:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pinkfrocks · 27/09/2015 19:15

I don't feel that she is deserving of her prominent position. I don't think she has achieved enough in life so far to be a respected public figure or a role model.

This is totally silly.

Is there some sort of 'test' that brides of princes or dukes or anyone vaguely royal have to pass? Must they be doctors or barristers, or whatever in order to 'deserve' their status as a Royal?

She's got a degree, which is more than 60% of the population have for starters.

Diana, supposedly loved by the masses, was pretty hopeless academically by all accounts, hardly a GCSE to her name and worked as a nursery nurse. She did bugger all with her life before landing a prince. No one cared.

Kate doesn't have a 'prominent position'. She is a queen in waiting. There is not test she has to pass and TBH who'd want her life- she's got guts in my opinion to agree to live her life in the public eye until she dies.

Money doesn't compensate for loss of freedom- holidays and nice clothes or houses are part of the package but it wouldn't be for me . (Wills asked but I turned him down.)

Lilipot15 · 27/09/2015 19:18

I can't work out if I respect her for being back at "work" at this point or not. It seems odd to imagine there would be pressure to be back doing engagements when a lot of mothers would still be on mat leave (and some of them, eg Wimbledon and rugby must be jollies) and it's not like she needs the money.

I must say I've felt envious of her looking so put together and being out on her own when her baby is only a few weeks older than mine. In fact sometimes it makes me feel positively inadequate. She just doesn't seem like the rest of us with two such little ones. But then she must have lots of help.

I do think she could have done some good for promotion of breastfeeding but of course it's her personal choice. Difficult. It would have been great for the public health agenda for it to be known that she was breastfeeding (although if she still is, her baby is on a far better "routine" than mine).

SisterNancySinatra · 27/09/2015 19:25

I do wonder if all their up for is a good bit of rugby/tennis in the royal box then how long they will last with the royal privileges and support from the public, I'd like them to do so much more ( for charity for a start) and work much harder .

annielouise · 27/09/2015 19:28

"She did bugger all with her life before landing a prince, no one cared". Diana was 19/20 when she met and got married. What was she supposed to have done in that time. Kate was 29 and basically sat about doing nothing for years.

Apart from that Diana had two part-time jobs - one at a nursery the other as a childminder, both of which reflected her interests at the time.

I'm with those that think Kate is a disappointment and no role model to look up to.

AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore · 27/09/2015 19:42

.........graduated in 2005, from the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland, with an undergraduate MA (2:1 Hons) in the history of art. In November 2006, Middleton accepted a position as an accessory buyer with the clothing chain Jigsaw, where she worked part-time until November 2007. She also worked until January 2011 at Party Pieces; her role within the family business included catalogue design and production, marketing and photography.......

I imagine she was working throughout for her family's business. I don't see where this is a problem (frankly don't see where it's a problem even if she didn't work). Married in 2011. I doubt her parents would be "employing" her if she wasn't doing work - no shame in working for family business, is there? Why do people just dismiss it like she was doing nothing? It's not a corner shop, it's a business with a decent turnover so presumably she was expected to earn her pay.

I imagine for her it was the most sensible option. No issues with publicity or media, as she knew her parents (as her employers) would protect her privacy. A lot of businesses would consider the publicity attached to her name due to her relationship with William as detrimental. Publicity yes, but also the concern of media hanging about trying to get pictures and such. Nightmare for business owners to manage, I would think.

MrsHarveySpecter · 27/09/2015 19:48

Is there some sort of 'test' that the brides of princes or dukes or anyone vaguely royal have to pass?

Why yes. They have to sleep on a huge pile of mattresses, and see if they can feel the small green vegetable hidden in the bed...

ImperialBlether · 27/09/2015 19:51

They've been married for 4 years. In that time she's had two children. Given her age, it was reasonable for her to have those children quite quickly.

What exactly are people hoping she would do to become a role model? In what way is she a disappointment?

Those of you who had two children in quick succession, who were you a role model to by the time your second child was a few months old?

There's nothing to say she won't become a role model. Diana was still as daft as a brush for years and years - she only came into her own later on in her marriage.

Ta1kinPeace · 27/09/2015 19:52

Hmm.
Just LOVING the hypocricy of people expecting Kate to be more than any other well heeled SAHM who gets the media following her every move.

She's a WAG / sleb / whatever

and she and her hubby laugh at you lot every evening over a cup of cocoa

pinkfrocks · 27/09/2015 20:05

"She did bugger all with her life before landing a prince, no one cared". Diana was 19/20 when she met and got married. What was she supposed to have done in that time. Kate was 29 and basically sat about doing nothing for years.

Err...maybe not got married so young, had a career, spread her wings, got rid of her virginity with a hoorah henry and generally been more mature so she could cope with life as a Royal- though if she'd been older she might not have married C anyway as she'd have seen how ill-suited they were for each other.

I hardly think marrying at 20, living beforehand in a flat bought by daddy and having no serious boyfriends or a job other than some low-key nursery asst is setting the bar high.

annielouise · 27/09/2015 20:06

Well for some funny reason I suppose I expected her to do more for charity for a start, take on some causes, like Diana did. Obviously my expectations were too high. But how do they expect respect if they don't do this, if they're just seen as airy fairy fluff?

That's why I'd like an end to royalty. If they're not doing anything worthwhile, why have them? She's nothing special, and so many have this opinion of Kate. Surely that perception is not good for the royal family, whether it's accurate or not?

In her position I expected her to have taken on more, like Diana did. Kate did 34 engagements in her first 7 months as Duchess of Cambridge. Given they often do 3-5 a day (an engagement can even be turning up for a cup of tea somewhere) that's very few days of work. Am I wrong to expect her to work? And to not count work as watching the rugby or sailing. If I am wrong to expect this then I'm even more clear that I don't want a royal family.

If they don't work why should the public respect them? They're not outstandingly clever or beautiful or kind of anything that elevates them above you or I, so why they there - merely an accident of birth.

annielouise · 27/09/2015 20:08

No, it wasn't setting the bar high but it was a different time and world then. Kate had the time, got the degree but did nothing with it but hang around for a man. Diana was too young to know any different, Kate wasn't.

chicaguapa · 27/09/2015 20:08

What I find difficult to stomach, and this pushes me more towards an anti-monarchy stance, is that she is a normal girl whom members of the public queue up to meet and curtsy to because she married Wills.

Much of their privileged lifestyle, such as their 10-bedroom house in Norfolk, may come from the Royal family's personal wealth but they seem to me to enjoy the trappings of being in the RF (tickets to the Rugby, Wimbledon etc) whilst at the same time enjoying the privacy. They seem to want their cake and eat it.

But I accept that my perception is largely based on the meeja's portrayal of them. And they're probably no different to any other celeb couple.

Scremersford · 27/09/2015 20:16

The Royal Family have effectively been sanitised by fear of public opinion into boredom. The Middleton family are a perfect example of fitting into this mould - the children doing very little, thus avoiding doing anything offensive but also nothing noteworthy.

An actual job of some sort, perhaps based on her degree, while she was waiting for the proposal, would have been interesting.

Sadly, Britain is full of Waity Kaitys and Konrads, who base their entire lives on the family business and marrying respectably.

StillFrankie · 27/09/2015 20:21

I like her, she comes across to me as being a nice genuine person. yes she's a royal with all the perks that brings but I do not think she's smug.

mathanxiety · 27/09/2015 20:23

Twas ever so. If everybody was noteworthy then nobody would be noteworthy. I don't think she should be faulted for being very ordinary to all intents and purposes.