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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To find Prince William a bit smug

534 replies

strawberriesandpecans · 08/10/2020 12:42

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?

OP posts:
TheKeatingFive · 08/10/2020 22:54

It’s the age old paradox.

If they’re just there to smile and wave, why are they so goddamn expensive? Surely there are more cost effective candidates out there?

If they do bring something personally to the table, what is it? Why are their qualifications on paper so mediocre? Why aren’t we putting genuinely talented and accomplished types in the role?

Or does anyone genuinely believe they are divinely appointed to rule over us all? 😳

Nomnomarrgh · 08/10/2020 22:55

Of course he’s smug. Have you not seen the family he comes from?

NativityDreaming · 08/10/2020 22:58

YANBU I have turned the tv or radio off every time he was on talking about the environmental prize or his children were on asking question to Attenborough.

IcedPurple · 08/10/2020 22:58

@TheKeatingFive

It’s the age old paradox.

If they’re just there to smile and wave, why are they so goddamn expensive? Surely there are more cost effective candidates out there?

If they do bring something personally to the table, what is it? Why are their qualifications on paper so mediocre? Why aren’t we putting genuinely talented and accomplished types in the role?

Or does anyone genuinely believe they are divinely appointed to rule over us all? 😳

I think the best compromise would be as outlined above: get all the hangers-on off the public purse and reduce the royal family to just the monarch, consort and heir, as has been done in Denmark and Sweden. Yes, monarchy is still an inherently anti democratic and archaic institution but I think a lot of people do like the pageantry and history of the royals. Provided they have no real power, something like this might be sustainable.
JustoldLondonme · 08/10/2020 23:02

@strawberriesandpecans rds.

"I do appreciate the royals need police protection Renting the mansion was just an example, off the top of my head, of doing an actual action to back up his campaign."

So you really haven't thought about this? You have not
thought about a family with 3. young children that need protecting.? You post your ideas" off the "top of your head"

JustoldLondonme · 08/10/2020 23:15

Can @LynetteScavo and @strawberriesandpecans reply ?

grumpycivilservant · 08/10/2020 23:16

I've nothing against them generally, although it does seem quite an artificial/1950s ish set up.

Not 1950s really, that would have involved at least 1 job between the pair of them

ReeseWitherfork · 08/10/2020 23:17

You're going to have to explain to me how a woman who is famous mainly because of the males she married and gave birth to could ever be a 'feminist icon'.
Just because people know who she is, they’ve heard of her. Her opinions would make headlines. Her voice wouldn’t get lost. She’s immune to this “cancel culture”. She doesn’t lose points in my book because she decided to marry to a prince; it all depends what she does with the marriage.

I get your point, I really do. They should be seen and not heard. But that isn’t how William and Harry are living their lives so it disappoints me that she is.

JustoldLondonme · 08/10/2020 23:32

@strawberriesandpecans how do you propose the Cambridge's are protected while their Norfolk home is handed over to those in need as you suggest ?.

How do you propose security is handed over ? Who will pay for that security detail? ? Who will pay for the security clearance of the home you have asked them to BNB out ??

LadyWithLapdog · 09/10/2020 00:17

Don’t change the anthem to Jerusalem. Change it to Jerusalema. That would bring some joy and I’d like to see the Q dancing to it.

I agree with the vast majority of the posts. The whole RF is an ongoing exercise in hypocrisy and pointlessness. As for unity. Are you kidding me? In which way are they uniting the nation?

StrawBeretMoose · 09/10/2020 00:22

He's smug as a bug in a rug as is his gormless wife.
I so hate when they do their 'dien with the real people thing' as you can smell the bullshit emanating from the TV news bulletins. Smug, useless, probably mean no harm but the embodiment of patronising.

Anordinarymum · 09/10/2020 00:33

He always comes across as being insincere. He tries too hard.

LynetteScavo · 09/10/2020 03:33

[quote JustoldLondonme]@LynetteScavo

Your mum died when you were 15 and your whole life is mapped out and pre determined ahead of you. You are born to be a king and your life is not your own.

If you were William and this had happened to you, through no choice of your own and you had to live this in the public domain for all to see, you would be smug?

You would really be smug at your life events ?

[/quote]
So sorry I did not reply to your post immediately. I was asleep.

If I had a beautiful wife and thee incredible children no financial worries; able to afford almost anything for my children, I would be a bit smug.

No ones life if perfect, but I think a Williams is slightly more privileged and therefor easier than most people's.
Is William smug? I actually don't think he is, but I damn well would be in his shoes.
@JustoldLondonme - hope you can acknowledge reading this ASAP Grin

LynetteScavo · 09/10/2020 03:35

@JustoldLondonme

Can *@LynetteScavo and @strawberriesandpecans* reply ?
@JustoldLondonme I couldn't reply before because I was asleep. Now I can- there you go. I'm not sure my response was with waiting for.
Ghosts2020 · 09/10/2020 03:41

I seem to have to reiterate this time and time again, there is a significant difference between Harry and William, Harry is the one that's been appalling and William (and family) have truly committed to their roles. Not smug at all just cares about the planet, at least they have essential travel for safety compared to other ridiculous royal family members

LynetteScavo · 09/10/2020 03:51

"You would really be smug at your life events?"

@JustoldLondonme What I'm trying to say is, yes, I would be damn smug if I were a major Royal. Being pleased with your lot is a much better attitude than constantly feeling hard done by.

squeekums · 09/10/2020 05:02

The whole family is a heap of smug wankiness.

Insaneinthemembury · 09/10/2020 05:07

My DH worked with him and said he was great, really hard working and didn't expect to be treated any differently. Good sense of humour and took banter well. They mostly forgot he was a royal day to day.

SuzieQQQ · 09/10/2020 05:28

The royal family serve absolutely no purpose. Completely outdated and unnecessary.

Notsayingnothin · 09/10/2020 05:37

I find Will and Kate to be quite contrived, nothing remotely appealing about them. Uptight but trying oh so hard to appear in touch and connected, you can see the pain of it all in their faces.

Hydrate · 09/10/2020 05:44

I haven't met Prince William so I have no idea what he's really like.

AngelicaElizaAndPeggy · 09/10/2020 06:17

I went to university with wills and Kate and they weren't very keen to be leading normal lives there - they were proper stuck up and grand!

I think they are truly pointless and that they are hyperaware of this. They bash out the odd appearance to keep the Court circular numbers up and then trot out their perfectly nice but totally unremarkable children as a forcefield to deflect any possible criticism or controversy.

LynetteScavo · 09/10/2020 06:45

@Hydrate

I haven't met Prince William so I have no idea what he's really like.
I did meet him once many years ago. He wasn't smug or twee.
Rosebel · 09/10/2020 07:22

You can be happy with your lot and not be smug about it. Thing is none of them have a bloody clue what life is like.
I have more sympathy for Harry (wait to get blasted). Everyone goes on about poor William loosing his mum and seem to forget Harry dealt with the same thing a lot younger and was more ignored because his brother was heir. I'm not surprised he went off the rails when he was younger or ended up with someone like Megan.

shartsi · 09/10/2020 07:25

I think he and his wife are very lazy. They had the cheek to moan that Harry had thrown them under the bus with his decision to leave royal duties as they wouldn't be able to do the school run. Have they not heard of after school clubs that the rest of us masses that they preach to have no choice but to use?

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