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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

It feels tone deaf William and Kate talk of moving to Windsor

312 replies

Poetrypatty · 08/02/2022 12:20

With most people their age unable to buy any sort of home of their own, it just annoyed me. What's wrong with Kensington Palace and a Norfolk mansion. Confused Doesn't portray the Royals in a good light to me. AIBU?

OP posts:
Blossomtoes · 09/02/2022 10:50

@Lockdownbear, you’ll get nowhere with this argument. This poster doesn’t realise how little £90 million is in the great scheme of things. When you look at the eye watering sums this government has thrown at its mates recently, it fades into insignificance.

CathyorClaire · 09/02/2022 10:51

How interesting

That's one thing we can agree on Grin

not to mention she signs off every bit of legislation, including the tax stuff!

Not just signing it off either. She also gets what doesn't suit changed in her own interests.

Monopolyiscrap · 09/02/2022 10:55

The argument seems to be because our government commits fraud and wastes money, it is fine for others to have masses of taxpayers money for no real reason.

CathyorClaire · 09/02/2022 10:58

people are justifying incredibly cheap leases on palaces by talking about the amount of money they paid for renovations

In Andrew's case paying extra for the renovations led directly to his being able to buy the 75year lease on his 31 bedroom pile for a one off payment of £1m

Blossomtoes · 09/02/2022 11:02

@Monopolyiscrap

The argument seems to be because our government commits fraud and wastes money, it is fine for others to have masses of taxpayers money for no real reason.
No, I’m saying get angry about the things you can change. But if you’re happy for Dido Harding to be handed many multiples of what the royal family costs … 🤷‍♀️
Monopolyiscrap · 09/02/2022 11:06

You do know we can complain and campaign about more than one thing at a time?
And the government will be voted out. The Royal Family cant.

Lockdownbear · 09/02/2022 11:23

Too much power in one person's hands is not a good thing. Having a Monarch and a PM dilutes the power a bit.

I couldn't have cared less about having a Monarch until I've seen how power hungry SNP are, they are frightening, really frightening.
The UK is suffering from not having a strong Labour Party. And no where is it more obvious than in Scotland.

Monopolyiscrap · 09/02/2022 11:24

The Monarchs power is used to protect the Royal Family. Not to help poor people you know.

Blossomtoes · 09/02/2022 11:28

@Monopolyiscrap

The Monarchs power is used to protect the Royal Family. Not to help poor people you know.
Of course the Tory government is renowned for helping “poor people”.
Ciaram55 · 09/02/2022 11:31

@Monopolyiscrap

The Monarchs power is used to protect the Royal Family. Not to help poor people you know.
But people always go on about how the queen has dedicated her life for the country. Herself and extended family more like.
EmpressCixi · 09/02/2022 14:44

@Monopolyiscrap

The Monarchs power is used to protect the Royal Family. Not to help poor people you know.
Really?! And who doesn’t use their power to protect their family? Everyone does this.

And insofar as also helping poor people, the Queen has done much much more than all of the PMs combined during her reign.

EmpressCixi · 09/02/2022 14:46

“Government will be voted out”

True, but then replaced from the same selection of corrupt rich politicians. Has voting out a government ever really changed things for the better? Not that I can see.

Ciaram55 · 09/02/2022 14:54

@EmpressCixi

“Government will be voted out”

True, but then replaced from the same selection of corrupt rich politicians. Has voting out a government ever really changed things for the better? Not that I can see.

But how does that justify having a "royal" family, why are we giving so much to one ordinary family.
Ciaram55 · 09/02/2022 15:03

Really?! And who doesn’t use their power to protect their family?

Well the rest of us certainly can't because we have to fend for ourselves.

And insofar as also helping poor people, the Queen has done much much more than all of the PMs combined during her reign.

Like what exactly?

EmpressCixi · 09/02/2022 15:27

@Ciaram55

It justifies a monarch as much as it justifies a PM as politicians are notoriously corrupt. The royal family isn’t an ordinary family, they are key part of British culture and history predating the Roman invasion. It’s a fixture that has outlasted waves of invaders and colonisers, I think it is worth continuing instead of binning it so we can become just like every other stupid but more corrupt republic, France and USA...is life any better there for having no royal family? You think they’re so much better than we are?

As for “what exactly” the Queen is a patron and key donor to 510 charities. The royal family as a whole over 3,000 charities. Now tell me how many charities Boris Johnson supports? Hmm? Other than being a card carrying member of the Conservative party.....and “donating” booze to wild parties at no 10 while millions were dying.

Monopolyiscrap · 09/02/2022 15:48

@EmpressCixi no not everyone behaves in a greedy and entitled way. Of course I ensure my family have enough to eat and live a reasonable life first. But we volunteer, donate to charity and help neighbours out. We both earn below the UK average wage, but probably average for the area we live in. Both DP and I were also brought up to consider and help those who need it, not to simply embrace greed and selfishness.

I have come across this attitude before on mumsnet though. The assumption that everyone is equally greedy and selfish, rather than decent human beings.

Monopolyiscrap · 09/02/2022 15:52

@EmpressCixi have you looked at those charities they support? I have. It is eye-opening. Along with the relatively small numbers of hospices and decent charities, there are a lot that are basically about the hobbies of the wealthy.

Blossomtoes · 09/02/2022 15:55

Here’s a list of the 90 charities for which the Duchess of Cornwall is patron. They all look pretty decent to me.

www.princeofwales.gov.uk/patronages

Ciaram55 · 09/02/2022 16:02

The fact the queen supports charities doesn't justify them. Just because they effortlessly put their name to charities doesn't make them worthy of all the huge privilege we give them. The fact that we have corrupt governments doesn't either. Boris Johnson and his cronies give not a damn for any of us, nor too does any of the royals. To believe they do is delusional.

Ciaram55 · 09/02/2022 16:08

giving-evidence.com/2020/07/16/royal-findings/
The charities they support often mean little.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 09/02/2022 16:11

Just because they effortlessly put their name to charities doesn't make them worthy of all the huge privilege we give them

Especially when many of them see nothing of "their" royal from one year's end to the next - which is odd given how few engagements many of them have (and no, a 5 minute phone call doesn't really count, however much the court circular pretends it does)

As for them "helping the poor", just how much of their personal money do people think they're donating?

Puzzledandpissedoff · 09/02/2022 16:16

Interesting report from ThirdSector, Ciaram - I hadn't seen that one

Doubtless we'll be told about intangible benefits such as "boosts for the staff", but it becomes ever clearer that the real benefit it to the royals themselves, in pretending they actually have a purpose

CathyorClaire · 09/02/2022 16:18

the Queen is a patron and key donor to 510 charities. The royal family as a whole over 3,000 charities

Another tired old argument that's invariably trotted out on these threads.

Royal patronage has been shown to have no effect on the level of income to their charities.

www.charitytimes.com/ct/Royal-patronage-fails-to-boost-charities-income-report-finds.php

Not surprising when 74% of them haven't seen their patron darken their door in a year:

giving-evidence.com/2020/07/16/royal-findings/

CathyorClaire · 09/02/2022 16:25

there are a lot that are basically about the hobbies of the wealthy

Or their own.

Prince Andrew was patron to a disproportionate number of golf clubs and charities.