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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

The Duke of York wants his daughters to be full time Royals?

918 replies

MidnightVelvetthe7th · 23/10/2016 14:45

www.express.co.uk/news/royal/724136/prince-andrew-requests-princesses-beatrice-eugenie-kensington-prince-charles-queen-william

This is a Sunday Express link, not a Fail one.

So Andrew wants both of his daughters to have full time royal roles funded by the public & have larger apartments at Kensington Palace. Given that the only time I ever see them in the news is for dreadful outfits & holidays, to me they are embarrassing & a bit cringy.

Andrew is complaining that they are overshadowed by William, Catherine & Harry. But if you believe & support a system of privilege by birth such as the monarchy, then it stands to reason that the direct heirs are more important than the rest.

Does Andrew have a point & IABU?!

OP posts:
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raisedbyguineapigs · 27/10/2016 18:14

Yes I wonder if Anne and her children have turned out the best because they are so far out of the line of succession or just because they is what they were like. Was she not in the Royal Navy?

Peregrina · 27/10/2016 18:22

I don't think Anne ever had what could be called a proper job. She's been Colonel in Chief of this, that and the other, and patron of various charities. By all accounts she takes her duties seriously. But that is how it used to be for women generally, once married, their career, if any, went onto a back burner.

raisedbyguineapigs · 27/10/2016 18:26

Yes I think we should have a more Scandinavian Royal Family. Even better, Id like an elected ceremonial Head of State, similar to the Republic of Ireland system. I think the Queen and Phil have done enough to command respect actually despite both of their backgrounds. I don't think by the time Charles gets a go, he will have much impact, but the goodwill will die with the Queen and the older generation, who cared about them. I'm 40 and was a child when Charles and Di were married. I don't know anyone my age or younger who cared enough about the Royal Weddings or babies to go and stand outside cathederals and hospitals for them. When William is King, most likely his subjects will just see him as an anachronism. I'd be surprised if he is King of Australia or Canada.

BillSykesDog · 27/10/2016 18:29

So hope considering Prince Philip actually fought against the Nazis and the Queen was part of the war effort I assume you liberated half of Europe and won a few battles in WW2. Because if you didn't you have no right to accuse someone who did far more than you to fight the Nazis of being one.

VanillaSugarandChipSpice · 27/10/2016 18:31

Been out all day, not avoiding you!

Sorry! It wasn't REV it was the Ambassadors or something - the series with David Mitchell & Keeley Hawes. Tom Hollander (Rev) played a Duke of Something character who liked to play golf and swan around. Apparently HRH was unimpressed and leant on the producers. Shame, because the series was very funny.

Roussette · 27/10/2016 18:34

The next person in line to be marginalized when Charles becomes King is Harry. As it stands now, his children will not be princes and princesses and likely won't even when he moves up a notch

Something tells me he will be very glad about that!

VanillaSugarandChipSpice · 27/10/2016 18:35

Thanks for clarifying BillSykesDog - i thought you literally meant that Phil wouldn't pick up and carry Andrew as he wasn't his son!!!!!!!😲Shock

BillSykesDog · 27/10/2016 18:39

I don't think Anne ever had what could be called a proper job.

Well if you're not going to count the whole being an Olympic athelte thing and winning golds and silvers in the European championships. Or being the President of Save the Children. Or having her own trust for carers. Or being on the IOC committee and being involved with the organisation of the London Olympics. And the business of Gatcombe Park with all it's events and farming.

BillSykesDog · 27/10/2016 18:40

Vanilla GrinGrin

Peregrina · 27/10/2016 18:42

I think the Queen's war effort was rather nominal e.g. she went home to Windsor Castle each night. No other ATS woman would have been allowed to do that. However, like Prince Harry when he was serving in Afghanistan, her position may have prevented her from being as active as she might have liked.

Peregrina · 27/10/2016 18:48

You needn't get at me BillSykesDog by taking things out of context. I think everyone agrees that Anne has set a good example in her charitable work and has earned respect. I am sure if she had been born a man she would have gone into the military and earned a high-ranking post through her own efforts.

Roussette · 27/10/2016 18:53

But Harry can't earn a high ranking post so I'm not sure Anne or a male of her era could. There is so much they can't do and I honestly don't think it's anything to do with gender. If so, Harry would be out in Afghanistan like he wanted to but it's too much of a security risk

hopetobehappy · 27/10/2016 18:59

Billskesdog obviously I didn't fight the nazis, (unless I did in a previous life) but that doesn't mean I haven't got the right to say that the Royal family had Nazi leanings. It isn't an opinion, it is fact.

I don't understand your point, are you saying they didn't support nazism? the fact that Philip fought against them and Elizabeth helped the war effort (like everyone had to, it would have looked bad if she'd done nothing) cannot alter the facts.

Peregrina · 27/10/2016 19:04

I imagine that Anne as a woman would have had more of a desk job, because women didn't see active service in the same way.

VanillaSugarandChipSpice · 27/10/2016 19:11

In Andrew's defence, he went to the Falklands....

diddl · 27/10/2016 19:25

"The next person in line to be marginalized when Charles becomes King is Harry. "

Why do you think that?

SenecaFalls · 27/10/2016 19:47

diddl I'm just following the logic of how Andrew and Edward and their families have been treated. Andrew is the monarch's younger son, and his children are given no royal role. Edward is the monarch's younger son and his children do not even have a royal title. So if precedent means anything, when Harry becomes the monarch's younger son, he will have a similar position and so will his children.

VanillaSugarandChipSpice · 27/10/2016 20:16

Harry will never have children so this isn't an issue gazes into crystal ball

OlennasWimple · 27/10/2016 20:31

I loved Ambassadors and wondered why it hadn't been re-commissioned.... (the "Andrew" character was very very true to life...)

diddl · 27/10/2016 20:33

But B&E have never requested a royal role, Edward & Sophie both do & he requested Earl -I don't think that it was a "snub" by HM.

Harry already does Royal duties & I can't see why Charles would stop that if he becomes king.

If Charles becomes king & Harry doesn't have children until then, they are automatically as GC of the King & male-line GC, HRH Prince/Princess.

DanGleballs · 27/10/2016 20:34

Anne did the most public engagements last year out of the royal family, now that the queen is scaling back a bit. 544! That is a lot of ribbon cutting. She seems to take her role seriously and is bloody hard working considering she is 66. She had a bit of a scandal being the only member of the royal family with a criminal record but I can't help but like the woman.

DanGleballs · 27/10/2016 20:37

Harry's kids wouldn't necessarily be princes and princesses because they are the great-grandkids of a reigning monarch. The precedent has already been set with Edward's kids being the grandkids of a reigning monarch but not taking the titles.

diddl · 27/10/2016 20:41

I thought they would be if he didn't have any until Charles was king.

But I suppose Charles could restrict HRH to just those in kine when he's King?

DanGleballs · 27/10/2016 20:45

I think it depends on whether Harry wants his kids to have titles. Anne clearly didn't give a shit, Charles didn't really have a choice being heir apparent and all. Edward's kids took lesser titles, leaving Andrew the only one who seemed to care.

diddl · 27/10/2016 20:47

Yes, I would have thought that he could reject titkes.

Peter & Zara weren't entitled were they, as GC from a daughter & it would be up to HM?