To find Prince William a bit smug

[strawberriesandpecans]

I'm sure he means well, it's just that he seems to be lecturing everyone on the environment while he travels by helicopter a lot and has a mansion. Also I just find them quite twee and irritating, particularly at the moment when so many people are struggling. AIBU?

It was implied in The crown that the current monarch was "close" to Porchey

He might be a bit but his brother is 1000 times worse, lecturing us from California he can do one.

ancientgran I'm not sure about the current monarch (though there were rumours about her and her horse trainer Lord Porchester). But I definitely think her husband PP famously had had loads - during his year sailing shortly after their marriage, with his Thursday Club lunch set, with Sasha Abercorn etc. Before Covid he was living independently in a house in the grounds at Sandringham and the Queen in Buck House and Windsor except for the holidays in Balmoral and Sandringham. People are naive about the appearance of these relationships but Liz and Phil benefitted from the press in a more deferent age.

There are usually different rules for the men and the women - the latter could produce confusing heirs. But in the aristocracy once they've produced an heir and a spare its usually free for all. Largely because few of them were love matches.

Prince Philip doesn't come into "He'll be the first monarch not to" as he isn't and never has been the monarch.

It was implied in The crown that the current monarch was "close" to Porchey Oh well if they implied it in a tv drama what more can be said.

ancientgran I'm fully aware that Prince Phillip isn't the monarch. I do think most people understand that! I'm suggesting the relationship between the Queen and Prince Phillip is not as fairytale and pure as many people choose to imagine. And actually the rumours about Lord Porchester were well known for many years before the broadcast of the Crown. Kitty Kelley's book The Royals published in 1997 is a good source for these sort of rumours amongst others.

A bit defensive much? Why do you care?

*There are usually different rules for the men and the women - the latter could produce confusing heirs. But in the aristocracy once they've produced an heir and a spare its usually free for all. Largely because few of them were love matches8

I am stunned - you mean people associated with the RF have behaved adulterously - am just gutted. I assumed they were purer than pure like the rest of the population.

Well why does anyone care. A comment was made about previous monarchs and you came back about Prince Philip who wasn't a previous monarch. You claim to know he wasn't a monarch so why bring him up, you could mention Princess Margaret or many other members of the royal family, doesn't mean they were the monarch.

"proving" that the Queen and Prince Philip didn't have a fairytale marriage is also irrelevant unless you reckon everyone who has an affair has a spouse who also had an affair. Total rubbish.

Do you really believe that rumour? I can't imagine Prince William having an affair as he seems so committed to Kate and the children

Easy to seem committed when you’ve got photographers to snap the good times. Only occasionally does the mask slip — like when PW was caught on camera with his arm around some young blonde girl at a ski resort while Kate was home with the kids .... I guess the press was told to focus on the ‘Dad-dancing‘ bit and not the part about getting handsy with a woman who’s not his wife 🙄

www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/03/kate-middleton-prince-william-ski-trip/amp

Andrew and Porchy look very similar from pictures taken around the same age of each; and isn't Harry said to resemble James Hewitt?

I thi k Harry is a good mix of his mum's brother and Prince Philip. He resembles Hewitt but I do think he is Charles'

@Seychelles98

Vanity Fair does great long-form reporting, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss it.

But if you want salacious photos, here we go:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4317340/amp/Prince-William-captured-camera-showing-moves.html

The Daily Mail delivers.

The queen is about the last person I could imagine having an affair, although who really knows what she's like behind palace doors?

William though? I quite like Kate (or what little I think I know of her) so I hope the rumours aren't true, but I think they just might be. He and Kate appear happy but as I say, who knows what their life is really like? And Rose Hanbury seems like pretty much the perfect royal side-piece. She's attractive in that leggy posh gal way, and she and William are practically neighbours insofar as folks living on vast estates can be neighbours. She's upper-class so will be familiar with the 'pragmatic' aristocratic attitude towards marriage - her own marriage is rumoured to be an 'arrangement' given that her husband is decades older and is believed to enjoy the company of men. Given all of the above, and the fact that she's stonking rich, she'd have zero reason to blab to the press about her 'nights of passion with Will' and her discretion would be absolutely assured.

Which doesn't mean there was an affair of course. Just that it wouldn't terribly surprise me if there was.

So ancientgran you said:

I don't think I've ever heard a suggestion that our present monarch has had an affair

You now have heard a long lasting suggestion that the present monarch - LIz - might have had an affair with Lord Porchester, 'Porchie'. Of course it might not be true - he might just be a jolly good friend from way back. But these rumours have been around for at least 20 years or more.

But its also possible that Liz, who according to 'Crawfie' her long term nanny, was totally in love with Phil from the age of 13, was also pretty heartbroken by his many extra-curricular activities which plausibly could have caused her to turn to the friendship of an old family friend.

I did work quite closely with one of the aristo families mentioned in these rumours and I think they are very good at compartmentalising their lives.

All possible, not cause and effect, and totally rumour and speculation. But again, I wonder why you are so defensive about it. None of us know.

Prince William is one of those people who uses his hands a lot when he's talking

If a married man put his hand on my waist, I would be appalled. You can use your hands to gesticulate without being a sleaze.

I'm not defending him but I wouldn't be jealous and jump to conclusions if I saw pictures of my DH like that

Oh yes, your DH goes out partying with the lads while you are at home with the kids. Gets drunk and snapped being inappropriate with a young model at least ten years younger. Sure you wouldn’t be concerned ....

The media likes to make a drama out of nothing

He got off easy imo.

Prince William is genuinely devoted

I showed you actual photos of him being less than devoted. A decent man would not humiliate his wife like that.

I'd say after the upset his own fathers antics caused due to an affair it would be the last thing PW would do to his own family

I find that cheaters often have parents who were cheaters. I think there are studies that show that effect as well. Perhaps the real problem, according to the RF, is that Diana didn’t accept something that was totally normal to them.

Kate is a walkover. She practically stalked and schemed her way into a relationship with William. She will take all the crap willingly.

Seychelles98 I very much doubt that Kate has the upper hand in the relationship. By all accounts William treated her pretty badly over the years at St Andrews and afterwards and she just played the waiting game after he went off with a lot of different women in clubs and in 'pauses' in their relationship. Again, its not as romantic as its played out. When I first read about it it felt very sad - that a clever young woman was so desperate to make the catch. To be what? A pretty clothes horse and brood mare.

What I'm trying to say is please don't romanticise unequal relationships with these incredibly high status people.

Famously Princess Anne's husband got treated like the butler. These are not people like us. Privilege and power is everything.

No sense of reality none of them have. Never had to work a day in their life. Media talks about hard working royals what a load of shite- they have never worked a proper job or worried about if the bills can be paid. Ranting on about environment when they all have multiple massive homes and helicopters.
Royal family needs to go- costs the tax payers enough. Look at the cost of Princess Eugenie wedding in terms of police costs to the tax payer.
Bunch of freeloaders

Perhaps him and Kate should consider volunteering in food banks and such like

The idea that Kate is in charge is hysterical. I don't know what the truth of their relationship is but of course he has all the power.

I don't mind him, but for some reason I've always found Harry a bit easier to warm to.

Actually, I like him. He has grown into the role and comes across well