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AIBU?

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Original poster

to think William and Kate's Christmascard this year was badly judged?

625 replies

tinkywinkyshandbag · 10/12/2021 19:36

So not only has William been hectoring us about climate change and sustainable travel, but there's been a pandemic which has been a pandemic which for many people has been financially devastating, and for most of us a holiday seems a distant pipe dream. So this year of all years they have chosen a photo of themselves all looking tanned and relaxed on a (presumably free) holiday. Just feels a tad ill judged?

OP posts:
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ClaudiaJ1 · 12/12/2021 01:05

FWIW, I've had 2 miscarriages. But I don't expect someone to not announce their pregnancy in some silly novelty awareness day, for my sake. That would be the height of batshit crazy selfishness. The world goes on. Babies are born every day, babies die every day. Elderly people die every day. Every day someone is having a birthday, while at least 1000 people elsewhere are diagnosed with cancer at the same time.

It's called life. Life doesn't stop for anyone. And I don't spend all day in bed under a doona with the tv turned off in silence, avoiding the human race on the days of my miscarriages.

In fact, I would be happy for a pregnancy to be announced on either of the 2 days, because it signifies regeneration.

ClaudiaJ1 · 12/12/2021 01:07

But it is a novelty day! It's just a 'day' someone got together with someone else and created. It has no real meaning to the rest of the world who are running to catch a train to work or are getting on with their lives. Stopping for an arbitrary 'day' doesn't prove empathy. It doesn't prove anything.

ThrobbingToothacheOfTheMind · 12/12/2021 01:18

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mathanxiety · 12/12/2021 01:46

Agree with Claudia, and I have had multiple MCs.

Significant events deserving of attention, discussion, and deepening of understanding are now reduced to the level of Hallmark Holidays.

mathanxiety · 12/12/2021 01:50

You are way out of line, distasteful and very offensive. Australians have the right to enjoy our Christmas regardless of how our country was colonised. Please keep your racist and offensive ignorant thoughts to yourself.
@ClaudiaJ1
Please read a little more carefully before you heap insults on other posters.

My criticism is of W&K, whose appallingly un-self aware Christmas photo this year is reminiscent of images of colonials in colonised lands, complete with local props, dead tigers, bears, etc.

mathanxiety · 12/12/2021 01:53

William and Kate are trying to evoke the country they are in not evoke a colonial past. Why on Earth would they want to do that? It makes no sense.

@derxa
Why would the heir to the British throne want to evoke Jordan in a Christmas card?

The props and the setting evoke a colonial past. Maybe take a look at some photos of the Raj, Burma, colonial Africa, and you'll see what I'm getting at.

The entire image most definitely makes no sense.

Ceramide · 12/12/2021 02:12

If you are hurt by the announcement of someone else's pregnancy, then you have very, very serious issues going on other than just a loss of pregnancy.

Have you experienced infertility or loss? Are you a qualified psychologist?

I think it's a normal reaction to sadness and loss, as it's such a sharp reminder of what you are missing, and doesn't indicate any 'issues'.

mathanxiety · 12/12/2021 02:27

It's not really a normal reaction - surely on some level you must realise that even as you are experiencing your loss there are other parents - even in the same hospital - experiencing the joy of a baby's birth?

ShinyHappyPoster · 12/12/2021 05:05

I can't believe people care this much about Christmas cards but then I realised it wasn't about Christmas cards at all. Just another excuse by the usual posters to moan about the members of the RF they always attack whilst complaining if anyone mentions any other RF members.
As always with these threads, I hope the prolific posters at least get a card from Sunshine Sachs. It's the least they deserve.

gofg · 12/12/2021 05:39

For most people Christmas is snow

Really, "most people"??? How often do you even have snow in the UK for Christmas? What about all the people in the southern hemisphere - do they have snow? What a ridiculous statement.

The evoking of the colonial past that is implicit in references to sunny Christmas weather (as you believe this card is all about) is distasteful since the colonial past was a time when indigenous peoples were victimised on a massive scale, when slavery was practiced, when transportation of hundreds of thousands of convicts and orphans was a means of populating vast open spaces owned by others, and where cultures were destroyed.

Oh do get over yourself!!!!

HeronLanyon · 12/12/2021 05:59

I haven’t seen images but that does seem bizarrely tone deaf !

JakeyRolling · 12/12/2021 06:52

He looks like he's fallen on an artillery shell. It's a long way from Jordan to Gloucester.

madisonbridges · 12/12/2021 07:00

The props and the setting evoke a colonial past.

Blimey. That just looks like a standard tourist picture to me. The rock behind them looks like Petra and they have all sorts of little caves there that could be set up for photos. Camels are common round Petra so I'd think the camel chairs would be interesting for tourists to sit on. And better the people are on the seats on the ground rather than on the seats on the camels. There's a lot of animal welfare issues around the camels, horses and donkeys at Petra. And that there's a suggestion that a sheepskin rug evokes a colonial past...sounds like you're really scraping the barrel to find a criticism of them there.

Seymour5 · 12/12/2021 07:14

@madisonbridges I agree. I can’t believe the reactions. The card is not to someone’s taste? Fair enough. Whatever picture W&K had chosen, some people would have found something to criticise.

littlebilliie · 12/12/2021 07:34

Lovely picture, as a family they seem very decent. I'm sad that all that is focussed on rather than the charitable work and causes they champion.

gofg · 12/12/2021 08:04

And that there's a suggestion that a sheepskin rug evokes a colonial past...sounds like you're really scraping the barrel to find a criticism of them there.

Also laughing at that comment! I have three sheepskin rugs on my floors - nothing whatsoever to do with "evoking a colonial past", we just used to have a lot of sheep here.

Gingembre · 12/12/2021 08:19

[quote gaslady14]@PriamFarrl Jordan is where Bethlehem is located...[/quote]
No it's not. Bethlehem is in Palestine. You can't enter Bethlehem without going through a number of Israeli checkpoints.

They're almost certainly in Wadi Rum. It's lovely.

I also think it's Ill-advised. Too many people have lost loved ones, been separated from family. While I actually don't mind if they went to Jordan on holiday, a grinning photo makes it look like they're flaunting it. Of all times in history, right now is one of those where it's not a good look.

Also, fed up of rich white people wearing khaki-sequence colours in the desert. Very unoriginal. And harks back to colonial times.

As for Kate living there..yes, but she was basically in reception. I'm not sure she can really remember all that much of life as an expat 4 year old in Jordan...

They went on a secret holiday. They had fun. They're telling us. I'm not sure what's Christmassy (or Christian) about that message.

thereisonlyoneofme · 12/12/2021 09:30

The animal skin ? Do you mean the sheepskin.Im assuming no one commenting has sheepskin slippers thenGrin

Justheretoaskaquestion91 · 12/12/2021 09:38

I’ve read that Harry and Meghan don’t actually use a PR firm because they prefer to do everything themselves. Which explains why so much of what they do is tone deaf/rubs people up the wrong way. I haven’t suffered any pregnancy loss but I think they could have waited a day. But then I also think since she was clearly not showing she could have worn something else to Eugene’s wedding rather than trying to steal the spotlight. Don’t even know why they’ve been brought up on this thread as a stick to beat Wills and Kate with as it’s not comparable. Kate and William are actually members of the royal family. Harry and Meghan have now been reduced to the status of embarrassing celebrities who take part in cringeworthy shows snd try to make money off their connections.

I can’t believe so many people take umbrage with a fairly bland Christmas card.

As a side note I think Charles’ card is fantastic

OutwiththeOutCrowd · 12/12/2021 09:44

There was gentle humour in the card from Charles and Camilla - and at least it alluded to the pickle we still all seem to be in.

I would have liked William and Co to push beyond bland.

ShirleyPhallus · 12/12/2021 09:44

I’ve read that Harry and Meghan don’t actually use a PR firm because they prefer to do everything themselves.

I mean, this just isn’t true. There is no way they’d possibly be able to do all their PR themselves and a quick google confirms they do have several agencies

Nyz9213 · 12/12/2021 09:47

YABU. They went on holiday. Like a lot of other families. What do you want, a photo of them queuing outside Poundland or waiting for the whoops stickers to go on the almost out of date food at Asda?

ClaudiaJ1 · 12/12/2021 09:59

@mathanxiety

You are way out of line, distasteful and very offensive. Australians have the right to enjoy our Christmas regardless of how our country was colonised. Please keep your racist and offensive ignorant thoughts to yourself. *@ClaudiaJ1* Please read a little more carefully before you heap insults on other posters.

My criticism is of W&K, whose appallingly un-self aware Christmas photo this year is reminiscent of images of colonials in colonised lands, complete with local props, dead tigers, bears, etc.

Ok but you said The evoking of the colonial past that is implicit in references to sunny Christmas weather

which indicates to me that you think places with sunny Christmas weather shouldn't be represented on a Christmas card by the RF.

since the colonial past was a time when indigenous peoples were victimised on a massive scale, when slavery was practiced, when transportation of hundreds of thousands of convicts and orphans was a means of populating vast open spaces owned by others, and where cultures were destroyed.

All of this happened in Australia but the Royal Family is still our royal family, and it seems to me like you are suggesting we therefore don't belong and don't have the right to represented by our RF. Correct me if I'm wrong @mathanxiety but that is how your posts come across. That you don't believe colonial countries deserve representation and that our own RF (via William and Kate) have the right to be on an RF Christmas card.

The irony of this, is that I'm actually in favour of us (Australia) becoming a republic.

ClaudiaJ1 · 12/12/2021 10:03

@gofg

And that there's a suggestion that a sheepskin rug evokes a colonial past...sounds like you're really scraping the barrel to find a criticism of them there.

Also laughing at that comment! I have three sheepskin rugs on my floors - nothing whatsoever to do with "evoking a colonial past", we just used to have a lot of sheep here.

Yes, entirely odd comment. If sheepskin rugs are 'colonial' then all Australian sheep farmers should be persona non grata. It's so ridiculous. It's a rug. That's all. Probably keeping a farmer in business and putting food on his table.
madisonbridges · 12/12/2021 10:05

Gosh, I can't believe what people are complaining about.
You shouldn't go on holiday because people have died. And if you do go, don't enjoy it. And if you do enjoy, don't tell anyone. Brcayse that would be pushing in our faces that they had a lovely holiday. And smiling on the card is just flaunting it. - Well yes, how dreadful to enjoy a holiday.

That it's evoking colonialisation to wear khaki and have a sheepskin rug. And if you're going to sit down, stick to a school chair and definitely not a camel seat, because, well, colonialisation.

They've just taken a nice picture where none of the children are pulling a face and have decided to make it their Christmas card. Lighten up!