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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask what you think of Kate Middleton?

637 replies

Teadrinker11 · 22/03/2022 20:27

Interested to hear some opinions. What do you think of her? I was just reading a Dailymail article where she and William are in Belize and people are complaining about them flaunting their lives and all that. People struggling and Ukraine on fire, etc and Kate and William are rubbing it in people's faces. What do you think? Yes, they definitely have it better than a lot of people but in one sense I also feel that she has to thread on eggshells being in the public eye so much. Say one thing she'll be crucified but if she says something else it will be the same, she can't win regardless of what she says or do. If she acknowledges and openly says that she's got it easy with her luxury lifestyle people will scream down her neck about that too. What do you think? What's your view on Kate?

OP posts:
Elphame · 23/03/2022 10:18

No opinion really.

She knew what she was getting into. Hopefully the monarchy is now on its way out. The Commonwealth is crumbling about it. Maybe one day we'll be allowed to choose too.

CounsellorTroi · 23/03/2022 10:19

@Jamoffmytoast

Don't see why she is being criticised when she's accompanying her husband there.

But I do think it seems very outdated, this tour, and also why are people meant to be pleased or interested when most peoples lives are pretty tough right now.

Yes the idea that they’ll bring a bit of sunshine into the lives of poor people just by being there is extremely patronising.
Nicholethejewellery · 23/03/2022 10:23

I love Kate, she comes across as classy yet down to earth. Plus she's genuinely beautiful in a way that others who have married into the royal family are not (won't name names, but the big three others in the last 40 years).

Contrast her behaviour to how the others behaved (won't name names, but the big three others in the last 40 years) or are behaving, it's no wonder that people have a much fonder appreciation for Kate than they do for other royals. AFAIK she's not had an affair or set out to cause trouble unlike some others have done (won't name names, but the big three others in the last 40 years).

Classicblunder · 23/03/2022 10:25

Yes the idea that they’ll bring a bit of sunshine into the lives of poor people just by being there is extremely patronising.

I agree. William visited the children's hospital that my son was recovering from a major operation in. It actually made me quite angry that anyone could possibly think a privileged prince could actually make anyone there feel better.

95% of the parents on the ward opted out of interacting with him

Chely · 23/03/2022 10:28

Don't mind her. I think the royals should fizzle out though.

Brefugee · 23/03/2022 10:29

How do they behave? Catherine (her lack of a past is very telling, to me it all feeds into my belief that the Middletons really had a long-term game plan. I am sincerely in awe of them pulling it off) is very bland wears very bland clothes, has some interests (her photos aren't brilliant, they are competent given she has top of the range equipment i would expect nothing less) she seems to like shooting, is she any good at it? and did her duty by producing the heir and the spare (and another spare! go her)

But what did the others do? Meghan? I think she underestimated what she was marrying into (no idea how, given how much we hear about the family firm) and walked away from it? Who else? Diana? Well, poor ol' Di seemed to have been bred to marry Charles, then really didn't like it and wasn't supported in any meaningful way. Sophie Wessex? I quite like her, she does her thing quietly.

I do love things like Coronation Street and The Archers and i look on the British Royal Family in a similar way: if you look at it or listen to it for 5 minutes you want to know what happens next. Grin

reesewithoutaspoon · 23/03/2022 10:30

Yes the idea that they’ll bring a bit of sunshine into the lives of poor people just by being there is extremely patronising.

This is what I don't get. It's a really outdated concept. It might have been great last century when seeing royals bought a bit of glamour into people's otherwise grindingly hard and boring lives. When people were raised with stark class differences and 'knew their place' and were supposed to feel grateful that their betters would deign to come to see them and be waved and smiled at.
I just don't get how seeing very wealthy and privileged people is supposed to raise the morale of the country. Feels more like rubbing it on your face. Maybe that's why the backlash to these tours.

trailrunner85 · 23/03/2022 10:36

Likewise, people seize eagerly on the idea that William has affairs . Because it can’t possibly be that they are actually in love and happy with each other can it?

But we know that he has. It genuinely surprises me that people aren't aware of this - when, thanks to the Internet, we can all read world media not under the scope of the injunctions in place here.

Our media had a lot of fun with it at the time but were very careful not to breach the law. The "rural rival" and "turnip toffs" stuff is all still there for all to read.

I'm ambivalent towards KM. I wouldn't want her life and wouldn't last 10 minutes in it,
but I think she does her "job" well.

TreatTrimTame · 23/03/2022 10:42

I think the Catherine we are shown is nice and fulfils the role. She is very vanilla, a good wife and mum and very amiable. She is what we needed. I like her.

Frollop · 23/03/2022 10:43

Her parents must be proud of her. The education, her beauty and connections paid off.

VanCleefArpels · 23/03/2022 10:51

@trailrunner85 we don’t KNOW that PW has had an affair. We KNOW that the media has speculated about it based on anonymous “sources”.

anotherbloodyyearofcovid · 23/03/2022 10:52

@Brefugee

I love the Queen and I like having a monarchy. I don't want President Johnson or President Blair.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
boring. Really. Idiotically boring. There are SO MANY other people who could be a president.

Trump, putin, Sarkozy, Clinton....
Brefugee · 23/03/2022 10:55

Trump, putin, Sarkozy, Clinton....

so Don't. Vote. For. That. Type. Of. President.

trailrunner85 · 23/03/2022 10:57

we don’t KNOW that PW has had an affair. We KNOW that the media has speculated about it based on anonymous “sources

Ok, that's fair. But we do know there was an injunction in place, and we do know the people involved.
Maybe he was just visiting her to play Pictionary/watch The Sopranos/ help with the gardening, and nothing physical went on.
I mean, an injunction would seem like overkill in those scenarios, but who knows eh.

VanCleefArpels · 23/03/2022 11:02

Where’s the evidence fur the injunction?

CounsellorTroi · 23/03/2022 11:02

William comes from a background where it’s accepted, perhaps even traditional, for men, at least, to have affairs once heirs have been produced. Why should he be any different?

ValerieCupcake · 23/03/2022 11:08

@Crabjuice

I think she's a complete mug, given the amount of affairs her husband has had, that are constantly hidden by the UK press.

That aside, no other opinion.

How do you know about who William has been shagging?
Blossomtoes · 23/03/2022 11:23

@VanCleefArpels

Where’s the evidence fur the injunction?
There isn’t any. It’s pure speculation presented as fact.
ValerieCupcake · 23/03/2022 11:25

willowhilson.com/products/coral-turquoise-vintage-1950s-striped-coral-turquoise-print-dress-matching-shawl-uk-10-us-6

This link to the dress she was wearing is in the Daily Mail. Did Kate really buy a one off vintage dress online?

Brefugee · 23/03/2022 11:30

Oh dear. The no context photos from Jamaica today are baffling and hugely bad PR.

Blossomtoes · 23/03/2022 11:32

@ValerieCupcake

willowhilson.com/products/coral-turquoise-vintage-1950s-striped-coral-turquoise-print-dress-matching-shawl-uk-10-us-6

This link to the dress she was wearing is in the Daily Mail. Did Kate really buy a one off vintage dress online?

How can it be? If it was a one off it wouldn’t still be for sale.
ValerieCupcake · 23/03/2022 11:37

@Blossomtoes - there was only one in a size 10. It is sold out. To Kate I think.

Blossomtoes · 23/03/2022 11:39

It’s not a one off if it comes in a variety of sizes, is it? One off means there’s only one garment.

NellGwynne · 23/03/2022 11:58

@trailrunner85

Likewise, people seize eagerly on the idea that William has affairs . Because it can’t possibly be that they are actually in love and happy with each other can it?

But we know that he has. It genuinely surprises me that people aren't aware of this - when, thanks to the Internet, we can all read world media not under the scope of the injunctions in place here.

Our media had a lot of fun with it at the time but were very careful not to breach the law. The "rural rival" and "turnip toffs" stuff is all still there for all to read.

I'm ambivalent towards KM. I wouldn't want her life and wouldn't last 10 minutes in it,
but I think she does her "job" well.

No we don’t know anything of the sort. Pure speculation in tabloids.
ValerieCupcake · 23/03/2022 12:16

@Blossomtoes

It’s not a one off if it comes in a variety of sizes, is it? One off means there’s only one garment.
It said vintage?
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