Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Could a royal become a teacher?

33 replies

raindropsandmiracle · 05/02/2022 19:43

This might be a weird question but I' going to ask it anyway, could a member of the royal family be a school teacher? I am on my PGCE this year and it made me think if I was a royal I would still be determined to become a teacher and not let obstacles to get in my way.

OP posts:
WinnieTheW0rm · 05/02/2022 19:45

Yes. I don't know if she had PGCE, but the Duchess of Kent was a peripatetic music teacher In Hull

XenoBitch · 05/02/2022 19:45

I got the impression that a royal would have too much else going on to have the time to devote to being a teacher.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 05/02/2022 19:46

Yes, I suspect so, with the appropriate security etc. in place.

Ionlydomassiveones · 05/02/2022 19:52

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

maggiecate · 05/02/2022 19:55

Probably not a senior working royal but there’s no reason why the York girls couldn’t have gone into teaching or one of the Wessex kids could if that’s what they wanted to do. Even if you were the heir you could probably do it for a few years - William did his air-sea rescue stuff - or do it part time. The long summer break might make combining it with royal duties more doable than some other jobs.

Fridgeorflight · 05/02/2022 19:55

It probably depends on whether a school could accommodate random days off for royal stuff. I suspect many schools would find that distracting and disruptive. And the terms are a bit long to fit all of their holidays into.

filka · 05/02/2022 19:55

I was taught by a viscount about 48 years ago

BorisKilledMyHusband · 05/02/2022 19:56

I’m not sure Prince Andrew would pass the DBS check.

TracyMosby · 05/02/2022 19:57

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

Yes, I suspect so, with the appropriate security etc. in place.
This would benefit so many teachers in England. Grin
Madcats · 05/02/2022 20:09

Prince Edward turns up at DD's ££ school to open things, every so often.

Does that count?

Georgeskitchen · 05/02/2022 20:18

Princess Ann would make a great head teacher!! Who would dare disobey her!!🤣

DdraigGoch · 05/02/2022 20:24

@Georgeskitchen

Princess Ann would make a great head teacher!! Who would dare disobey her!!🤣
I think that she'd rather be running a riding school though. If it doesn't fart or eat hay, she isn't interested.
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 05/02/2022 20:27

Not the 'direct line' but Edwards children for example, or Annes grandchildren maybe.

WomanStanleyWoman · 05/02/2022 20:29

And the prize for the most bizarre question of the year goes to…

StoneofDestiny · 05/02/2022 20:30

Can't imagine there is too much of benefit to learn from a royal - besides, perish the though they do a properly useful job

NatashaBedwouldbenice · 05/02/2022 20:31

The Duchess of Kent was my first thought too.

ddl1 · 05/02/2022 20:33

I don't see why not, if they had the time and the qualifications. And could get through a DBS check (i.e. not Prince Andrew).

VladmirsPoutine · 05/02/2022 20:34

Obstacles notwithstanding would a royal even want to be a teacher. Perhaps it's just me but if I were royal I'd be dancing through my castle wearing my diamonds every morning.

FelicityPike · 05/02/2022 20:38

Well the King of The Netherlands was a pilot for KLM for years.
As someone said above The Duchess of Kent did it too.

LadyRoughDiamond · 05/02/2022 20:40

There are several very junior royals (think the Kents and the Gloucesters) who have quite normal jobs. At least one is a university lecturer, one’s married to a doctor, there’s a former architect and the Duchess of Kent was a part-time music teacher, so I guess it’s not a huge leap to think that one of the more senior royals may go down the teaching route. Considering Prince Charles’s plans to slim things down, I guess it will be even more likely in the future.

IcedPurple · 05/02/2022 20:48

Define "member of the royal family". Obviously you're not going to see William or Kate teaching Geography at your local Comprehensive because their security needs and press attention would make it impossible.

No reason, however, that less high profile royals couldn't work as teachers. If, say, Edward and Sophie's kids took it into their heads that they wanted to be teachers, can't see why not. On the other hand, given that with their connections they could have their pick of jobs, I'm not sure they'd want to.

angstridden2 · 05/02/2022 22:37

It always annoys me that with the best education available none of the royals seem to do real jobs. I’m afraid I don’t count being a director of an art gallery or partnership director for a U.S company as a ‘proper’ job; but then having to turn up every day apart from five weeks annual holidays would be a bit of a block to the frequent breaks they enjoy.

RavenclawDiadem · 05/02/2022 22:40

Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo, the older sister of King Felipe of Spain is a trained teacher and taught in Madrid. She also has a postgrad (?) from Exeter in education.

www.unofficialroyalty.com/infanta-elena-of-spain-duchess-of-lugo/

Lunde · 06/02/2022 12:59

@angstridden2

It always annoys me that with the best education available none of the royals seem to do real jobs. I’m afraid I don’t count being a director of an art gallery or partnership director for a U.S company as a ‘proper’ job; but then having to turn up every day apart from five weeks annual holidays would be a bit of a block to the frequent breaks they enjoy.
Well Prince William worked for East Anglia Air Ambulance for several years as a helicopter pilot (he did donate his salary back to the service). He had to give it up to be a fulltime Royal when Prince Phillip retired. The Queen's nephew Viscount Linley built up a furniture business,

It is a difficult balance if Royals continue to do ordinary jobs they risk being accused of exploiting royal connections like Prince Edward and the theatre or Sophie who tried to continue her PR job but got got outed by the New of the World and the "Fake Sheikh". Or the problem when security becomes a nightmare as was the case for the then Lady Diana and her part time job as a nursery assistant before marriage. The problem is that it is difficult for senior royals and the distant Royals you won't have heard of them anyway.

If you look at the Swedish RF the current generation who married into the Royal family have worked but were forced to give up if they were going to be working royals.
Prince Daniel (husband of Crown Princess Victoria) was a personal trainer and gym owner
Princess Sofia (wife of Prince Carl Philip) was a model and Love Island contestant
Chris O'Neill (husband of Princess Madeleine) chose not to be a working royal and works in finance in the US. She decided to step back from royal life as well and they live in a gated community in Florida