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

[Poetrypatty]

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. Doesn't portray the Royals in a good light to me. AIBU?

I don't think William and Kate are doing anything particularly wrong. Norfolk has not been a success for them (i.e. William's infidelity) and moving their base closer to London makes more sense for schools and their increased workload when Charles becomes King and they're left as the only working royals under 70 (besides the lovely Sophie Wessex).

But is "but the tourists!" literally the only thing royalists can offer as a reason to keep the monarchy on? Few people would regard France (well...) or Italy (referendum to abolish the monarchy in 1946) as economic wastelands so far as tourism is concerned.

10 million people visit Versailles a year alone, and the TOTAL visitors to royal properties has never topped 3.2 million.

And for all Prince Charles' "slimming down" of the monarchy, the cost to the nation of maintaining the family is going up every year - www.statista.com/chart/18569/total-cost-of-the-uks-royal-family-by-year/

When you add up the Sovereign Grant, security, and the incomes from the Duchys of Cornwall and Lancaster, it's about £345m a year.

You're not exactly going to reform the NHS on that, but it's a LOT of money to spend on an asset that people can only justify with "but tourism" when the things tourists come to see (and give money to) would quite literally be there if the entire royal family disappeared in the Rapture tomorrow.

You can have your opinion but as you can see people are voting that YABU.

If people like you have their way we all be poor as anybody would be able to aim for prosperity. I do not judge people in poverty but I do not judge people who are better off either. Live and let live.

Wasitworthita
I can’t get excited about it. They are Royal and bring in a lot of tourism. People expect a certain amount of grandeur from Royals surely?
There's no proof they bring in tourists. In fact we might even get more tourists without them..

Good point. We probably would get more tourists if Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Windsor were all properly open to the public lime any other tourist attraction.

Windsor can be a tourist attraction.

One of the main attractions is that Windsor is a living working castle and a royal residence and has been for over 1,000 years; so few castles and palaces across Europe can claim this.

Reducing Windsor to a tourist attraction, rather than home of the monarch where she receives foreign dignitaries, confers honours, reviews groups, hosts receptions would be to leave an empty shell.

Can I ask MN HQ why there are numerous posts still on this thread which quote a deleted post? Thanks!

I would move there too. I don’t understand why it is ‘tone deaf’?

I’m moving soon, should I not mention it in case it offends someone?

@wordler

It would make more sense for them to move to Windsor - then move the last of the Queen’s cousins out of Kensington Palace as well and rent it out for office space - it’s prime London real estate and would help pay for other Royal estate upkeep.

That’s what I would do if it were up to me.

I don’t think they’ll give up KP. I also think Edward & Sophie and Anne, the ones that have space at Buckingham Palace currently, will end up there as well so that Buckingham Palace can be opened more.

If Charles and Camilla stay at Clarence House, as he’s rumoured to want to do, then Windsor can be set up for the Cambridge’s and then once William takes over there isn’t another change to be made there to accommodate.

It is not weird at all that she is using this point in her reign, given her age and the fact she is fairly recently widowed to clearly set out her wishes for what she wants to happen when she is gone - my Nan is older and her wishes are clearly set out and she has a lot less to do.

I see it as her making decisions that she thinks could be controversial when she is gone so setting out her stall.

Realistically she has to be aware that it is coming to the end of her reign as surely everyone is

MaskingForIt

Most people their age (40s) have bought a home. It’s only the ne’er do wells and shysters or people who repeatedly make bad choices who are still renting by then.

Not all of us grew up in a council house with right to buy, but hey, congrats on successful trolling.

@Quartz2208

It is not weird at all that she is using this point in her reign, given her age and the fact she is fairly recently widowed to clearly set out her wishes for what she wants to happen when she is gone - my Nan is older and her wishes are clearly set out and she has a lot less to do.

I see it as her making decisions that she thinks could be controversial when she is gone so setting out her stall.

Realistically she has to be aware that it is coming to the end of her reign as surely everyone is

Exactly. Don’t most people think about their mortality in advance? We certainly are and we’re younger than the Prince of Wales, let alone the Queen.

Most people their age (40s) have bought a home. It’s only the ne’er do wells and shysters or people who repeatedly make bad choices who are still renting by then

YOU sound like the village idiot.

Would you rather Windsor being left empty?

What do you expect? 3 bed semi in Runcorn? They're the Royal family and it's pointless being outraged by their privilege.

I agree with a pp that it'd be more tone deaf to talk about empathising with people's financial worries and struggles when they don't have them. I doubt it's a particular shock to people that they have the chance to live in an amazing and expensive property.

Do you expect them to sell their excess houses, or should they all sit unoccupied?

They belong to a rich family.

No one blinks an eye about rich celebs with loads of houses so I don't see what's wrong with using one of the many properties the family has.

They only have two palaces OP. Of course it is not enough. And they are rumoured to have their eyes on Fort Belvedere which is already occupied on a lease by a recent widow.

www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/kate-williams-next-home-could-6515214

It's not actually confirmed though. I don't think they expect anyone to be pleased for them, I don't expect they've really given it much thought.
It's annoying that some have so much while others have nothing but unfortunately that's the way it is.

@Applesonthelawn

Do you expect them to sell their excess houses, or should they all sit unoccupied?

The majority belong to the crown estate i.e. us. Maybe they could be sold of instead of being given to various royal minors for free or way below the market rent.

[quote Monopolyiscrap]They only have two palaces OP. Of course it is not enough. And they are rumoured to have their eyes on Fort Belvedere which is already occupied on a lease by a recent widow.

www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/kate-williams-next-home-could-6515214[/quote]
Don’t think that’s correct.

Fort Belvedere was home to Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. It is currently home to Canadian billionaire Galen Weston, who has leased the property since 1976

I guess he won’t have too much trouble finding somewhere to live if he’s kicked out.

They are Royals, anybody looking to them for a portrayal of ordinary life is a bit silly. Who actually cares?

the British Monarchy

The monarchy is run like a business - it pays all its taxes (voluntarily)

Wow wish I had the option to "volunteer" to pay taxes. But apart from that, the tax the royals pay is from what we give them. Not quite the same as the majority of us.

Ok need to change my op…. Must be kissing at least friendly

If people like you have their way we all be poor as anybody would be able to aim for prosperity. I do not judge people in poverty but I do not judge people who are better off either. Live and let live.

No idea how you reach that conclusion.

I'm upset that the troll on this thread has made renters feel crap and I hope MNHQ delete all the posts that refer to that ridiculous troll post.

Fair to say that if W & K were trading in the Norfolk place that would be fair enough. But having three lavish homes at taxpayers expense not so much. Others are fine with it though so no doubt this will all carry on for generations to come and we'll continue doffing our caps.

I thought the whole point of being royal was to be completely out of touch with the common people?

I can understand not wanting any royal family at all, but I’m bemused at wanting them to embody the zeitgeist or, judging them by their work ethic of all things.