To think seeing an older lady curtesy to KM is sad to see

[Julia2016]

Just saw a photo of an older lady curtesying to Kate Middleton, I felt so sad to see it. Sad as to why anyone would feel the need to bow down to another human being.

Every day I shake my head with who people admire in this world and how the general public swallow all these pr machines. 😒

How would you feel if we had a President and everybody in the room has to stand until they sit? That is the US tradition.

Again, there are other options. A republic with a presidency doesn't have to follow the US or French model.

I wouldn't curtesy to anyone -commoner or royalty - nothing personal against Kate Middleton, I just don't believe in abasing myself before others of supposedly 'higher social rank'.

To be fair - I don't think they are that bothered if you don't bow or curtsey - I doubt if they notice - too busy bitching on about how rude the Chinese are

How the hell do you spell curtsey/curtesy? - spell check doesn't like any of my attempts.

Exactly Hazel or the queen mother saying "now I can look the East End in the face" during the blitz when the Luftwaffe knocked a gargoyle off the corner of Buck House. They have no idea how most people live.

Or even Charles carping on about architecture and plants no matter what fresh financial/housing/healthcare crisis we are struggling with at any given time.

I just find it utterly boggling.

Personally I have no problem with honouring outdated traditions, as long as they don't offend or demean anyone, they're just a nod to past tradition and they no longer retain the same power and symbolism. Just as my dad didn't own me before he 'gave me away' at my wedding, if I curtsey or bow to the Queen I'm not being deferential or offering myself up as her humble subject, I'm just paying homage to traditions of old. It doesn't offend anyone, and no-one is being forced to do so as a sign of respect - it's optional.

Hardly 'snobs' derxa But we don't have these attacks on members of the Royal Family whose mothers weren't cabin crew and didn't come from a working class background. Mumsnet posters and the DM website posters are completely in tune here.

OP not sure about the older lady bit

but while I understand why the Royals don't refuse their privileges, I have met them, would never have curtseyed, I just shook hands if it seemed they were doing that or said hello.

I would definitely have a republic. I don't see Kate as being better or worse than any of them really, as I say I understand that if you have privilege you don't throw it out of the window. But I don't think bowing and scraping to anyone makes sense.

newlife no I don't think so. I'm from a working class background and wouldn't dream of curtseying to anybody. I think I can say the same about other people I know from the same background.
Bowing/curtseying is outdated. It's 2016, most of us see ourselves as equal human beings nowadays, not serfs.

just5mins

Actually it's the broodmare that hit a chord with me. But the consequent posts, that suggest that she isn't worthy as a woman because she's 'thick' are misogynistic. That there's something wrong with her marrying a man and having children and not being the superwoman younggirl wants her to be.

She's being used as a scapegoat for people's feelings on the royal family. Much easier to throw insults at a young woman isn't it.

I did not mean to be patronising calling the lady an older lady. It was not meant as a negative, just how I described the lady.

Some people really need to stop picking on every word, my posts show the spirit in which I used that description!

She's being used as a scapegoat for people's feelings on the royal family. Much easier to throw insults at a young woman isn't it
Exactly

KM did get a job after she graduated university, luxury fashion brand office job . She somehow managed to keep the job for a yearish, as I recall,

6 months, part time.

before the hounding and constant presence of journalists made it impossible to continue.

Is that heck why she left.

As a company employing the long standing GF of our future King the practicalities, unless employing her to represent/model, would be a massive headache.

Massive cachet, more like.

What was KM meant to do?

Something charitable, something creative, something sporting, something academic.

Develop her photography properly (what happened to that?), Complete a PhD, Run marathons for charity, Run a Guide pack in her village, Intern, anything

Zara Phllips et al seem to manage.

They have no idea how most people live.

You could say the same about many middle-class MNers who buy £1k+ handbags, have nannies and privately educate their kids

YANBU

Actually it's the broodmare that hit a chord with me. But the consequent posts, that suggest that she isn't worthy as a woman because she's 'thick' are misogynistic. That there's something wrong with her marrying a man and having children and not being the superwoman younggirl wants her to be.

Well personally I don't see that she's 'thick', but either gender can be thick and it is a hinderance to either, so it's not a sexist jibe.

Besides, it's the DECADE of indolence between graduation and marriage she gets justified stick for.

I admire Carole middletons work ethic, fair play to her and being self made. Don't know how the kids didn't pick up on her traits.

You could say the same about many middle-class MNers who buy £1k+ handbags, have nannies and privately educate their kids

Ha. Just imagine the uproar if we were required to provide security for and meet expenses for THEM

But she is a brood mare. All Royal brides are and have been for centuries. Even Diana herself alluded to this. The "heir and spare" is the woman's end of the bargain and twas ever thus!

I don't care whether or not she is "superwoman" (although personally I would be disappointed if my DD wasted the best years of her life and her education waiting for some bloke to propose). I just don't agree with mindless deference for no good reason, which is what seems to be expected of we proles, simply because she married bloke A instead of bloke B? Now THAT is misogynistic!!

I don't think Catherine (because that's her name, not Kate!) is stupid. She got into a very good university and she wasn't getting in through connections or anything.

William also does have a proper job. A Rescue Ambulance pilot is a very noble job, public duties aside!

I don't think that lady needed to curtsy, but she obviously chose to. I'm guessing that since she was from a different generation, she believed that was the right thing to do. Personally I probably wouldn't, mostly because Catherine's about my age and that seems weird. I would for the Queen though.

I wouldn't say I'm particularly a royalist, but I do think they have a place, providing they continue to use their names to highlight issues and support causes.

AIBU - for liking the word curtsy? Just realised how much I like saying it. Very underused word now!

"Older lady" republican here. I wouldn't cutsey to anyone. I do not think being anti monarchy entitles me to be nasty to KM though.

Yes either gender can be 'thick' but in the context of the posts it was used to attack a woman and her worth as an individual, it was used alongside 'broodmare'. It was used to attack a woman because apparently a woman being unintelligent, choosing to have babies and not being in a high flying job is a crime to humanity

I remember the press attacks on Diana after she had effectively been kicked out of the Royal Family. Constant press intrusion and vicious attacks.
No wonder William is protective of his family

It was used to attack a woman because apparently a woman being unintelligent, choosing to have babies and not being in a high flying job is a crime to humanit

I don't think she needed to do anything 'high-flying' to avoid this bad PR. If she'd done anything at all during her long twenties, she wouldn't have this image problem and could settle down to baby-making and ribbon-cutting much more admired.

Not a crime to humanity Grays just not someone that I would particularly see any reason to look up to, much less bow and scrape before.

YANBU. We don't need a monarchy, we don't need curtseys and anyway, I don't know why women can't bow.