Duke & Duchess Of Cambridge tour … is it just me?

[PodgePie]

I am a huge royalist (obviously not Andrew but definitely William and Kate). However, I am struggling with their current tour, in a time of war, of crippling price rises and also Covid, it seems tasteless to be parading around in the sunshine in a stream of hugely expensive outfits, each one more luxurious than the next. I understand why international tours take place - and agree they have an important role - but shouldn’t this have been postponed given the climate?

The organisation and publicity teams massively fucked this one up

^^ This.

The organisation and publicity teams massively fucked this one up

Agreed.

To be honest, I think the whole concept of royal tours needs a shake up. They've barely changed since the Queen began hers in the 50s- the Royals might be more willing to join in with a dance or bang a drum these days but the fundamentals are the same.

"I don't think Justin Trudeau or Scott Morrison wait for HM's approval before making decisions, do they?"

Possibly not on a day to day basis, but neither is the Head of State in their respective countries - that person is officially The Queen, who is represented in each country by a Governor General. Mary Simon is the GG of Canada, David Hurley is the GG of Australia.

And the PMs do need to think about the approval of HM (or at least, of the British government) when passing laws. The GG has the power to dismiss the PM - as GG John Kerr did when he dismissed the Australian PM, Gough Whitlam, in 1975.

It reminds me of those Comic Relief scenes where you see a celebrity going on safari to see impoverished children. Thankfully phased out now becuase it looks so tacky. Hopefully the Royal Family will be phased out before long too.

So....the enlightened decision of (some/most) MN is that the hosts should have either removed the fence, or stopped W, K and R going over to say 'hi' to the kids.

@Roussette My comment was not aimed at you but @TheKeatingFive, who seems to think that the fact Kate sued for the topless shots makes me naive.

Genuinely, do people think the removal of an existing fence would have been the right thing to do? I assume that most people have the intelligence to understand the context of the situation. It would have been worse if they had dictated that the photos could not be used by the people who took them.

@GreenLunchBox

The optics aren't great

Crikey, I hadn't seen that pic ! I think its rhe beginning of the end for the Monarchy too. About time imo.

I certainly haven't said the fence should be removed! As my last post has said!
Nor has anyone else said that on here that I've seen?

Genuinely, do people think the removal of an existing fence would have been the right thing to do?

Who's talking about removing a fence? .

Either plan the photo op somewhere else, don't invite the press to this venue, stage some shots with the public elsewhere. It's not particularly difficult, someone is employed to do this as their job.

Just as, presumably, they wouldn't have the royal photo shoot beside a Troubles mural in NI, they should have planned this better to avoid the very unfortunate impression these pictures give.

I take your point. I don't believe that I was being xenophobic to say that the optics were still not great, esp added to the official Jamaican comments.
Many respect HMQ for her long reign & (perceived?) Duty. But once The Queen dies the RF is on a less sure footing I think. If William wishes to become King (in say 20 years time) it would be well to appear to be more aware of, and care more about the lives of ordinary people in the UK and around the globe.

@Roussette

I certainly haven't said the fence should be removed! As my last post has said! Nor has anyone else said that on here that I've seen?

But what was the option, if the fence in the photo was so offensive?

Kids had gathered there to see the visitors. Should they have been ignored then?

I get that the optics aren't great, but taken in context, there is no issue - although some people are trying to make it into one.

@Loopytiles

Why are you a ‘huge royalist’

The reasons likely to be behind your discomfort with royal visits apply to many other, bigger aspects of the institution.

For example: the Queen being head of state for countries - direct continuation of imperialism. ‘Honours’ referring to the ‘British Empire’.

What is your point here?

You know that even if the UK decided to get rid of the monarchy, that does not mean that other countries would have to. They can, and some have, decided to become republics.

The extent to which people on this thread seem to think that other countries which have the same monarchy can't deal with their own affairs is pretty staggering. Who gives a shit if you think travel is |inappropriate" at this time? Why should the citizens of Jamaica care what a bunch of people in the UK think? Why would a bunch of British republicans think that they can tut tut the monarch of another country doing their jobs in that country?

It's really condescending.

@IcedPurple

Okay, removed the queen and became a republic now practically owned by China but smart enough to remain in the commonwealth.

How did removing the queen make Barbados 'practically owned by China'? She had only symbolic power as head of state. I don't think Justin Trudeau or Scott Morrison wait for HM's approval before making decisions, do they?

Go research it and you will see?

ajandjjmum

I've said what I think previously. I can't keep repeating myself

@TheKeatingFive

Genuinely, do people think the removal of an existing fence would have been the right thing to do?

Who's talking about removing a fence? .

Either plan the photo op somewhere else, don't invite the press to this venue, stage some shots with the public elsewhere. It's not particularly difficult, someone is employed to do this as their job.

I think this is really bordering on disingenuous.

We are not morons. We can see what is going on here, which is they are on a football field, and went over to say hi to the people watching.

The only reason anyone is making anything else of this is because they want to make something of it. They are using those people, who are real people who chose to come to that event and appear rather excited to say hello to Kate, as symbols of something for their own political ends. Yes, all black people are poor sods being subjugated by colonial forces and forced to come out to see the rf at the football pitch.

Right.

@TheKeatingFive

Just as, presumably, they wouldn't have the royal photo shoot beside a Troubles mural in NI, they should have planned this better to avoid the very unfortunate impression these pictures give.

I agree and can not understand why anyone is arguing with you about it - the photos look bad, they pay for PR staff to manage this stuff, those staff failed.

To Jamaica, this visit is very relevant. Lisa Hanna said well what and how I feel. But without anything real to bring to the table, this is just a show.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/24/snub-kate-middleton-jamaica-royal-slavery-prince-william-monarchy-reparations?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

The only reason anyone is making anything else of this is because they want to make something of it.

But of course there are groups that want to make something of it. You can argue with their motives all you like, but they do exist.

It's really not very smart to hand these people ammunition. Especially given the many challenges the royals have been facing over the last few years. It's a huge PR mistake and I think it's a bit silly to deny that.

It's also quite an uncharacteristic mistake, which is why it's so glaring. Their team usually manage to avoid such pitfalls.

Kate has a really hard job. She must look glorious and never say anything stupid. If she wears something expensive she’s profligate. If she wears something from the high street it shows her commoner roots.

I suspect that if she wore cheaper clothes to visit a country like Jamaica, people there may take offence. I’m sure her clothes are expensive but it isn’t as though she only wears them once. Even if she wore cheaper clothes, the actual cost would be a lot more than the hanger price - her clothes are adjusted for her and weights are sewn into the hem of her skirts.

The tour is a bit old fashioned. Presumably it was arranged quite a long time ago.

www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/2548744/kate-middleton-jamaica-minister-snub-racism/amp/

Has anyone seen this video where the Duchess of Cambridge appears to back away or recoil from Olivia grange (minister for culture) reaching out to her - it looks bad - it might not be what it looks like but it looks pretty bad.

Apparently the explanation is that no one is meant to touch Kate or William - I find that unconvincing as I have seen them get up close to people in other photos even in this trip and even if it is a rule it again speaks to the insufferable arrant nonsense of royalty being better than anyone else.

@CruCru

Kate has a really hard job. She must look glorious and never say anything stupid. If she wears something expensive she’s profligate. If she wears something from the high street it shows her commoner roots.

I suspect that if she wore cheaper clothes to visit a country like Jamaica, people there may take offence. I’m sure her clothes are expensive but it isn’t as though she only wears them once. Even if she wore cheaper clothes, the actual cost would be a lot more than the hanger price - her clothes are adjusted for her and weights are sewn into the hem of her skirts.

The tour is a bit old fashioned. Presumably it was arranged quite a long time ago.

It doesn't matter how long ago it was arranged, anything can be cancelled if the prevailing circs require it as covid demonstrated.

@Lilifer

https://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/2548744/kate-middleton-jamaica-minister-snub-racism/amp/

Has anyone seen this video where the Duchess of Cambridge appears to back away or recoil from Olivia grange (minister for culture) reaching out to her - it looks bad - it might not be what it looks like but it looks pretty bad.

Apparently the explanation is that no one is meant to touch Kate or William - I find that unconvincing as I have seen them get up close to people in other photos even in this trip and even if it is a rule it again speaks to the insufferable arrant nonsense of royalty being better than anyone else.

I don’t think it’s arrogance. It’s partly a security issue, partly a Covid issue and partly that if anyone who felt like it could reach out and touch the RF it would mess up timings and create all sorts of issues.

The idea that the people of Jamaica would take offence if Kate toned down the designer labels is ... quite something really 😆

@PodgePie

I am a huge royalist (obviously not Andrew but definitely William and Kate). However, I am struggling with their current tour, in a time of war, of crippling price rises and also Covid, it seems tasteless to be parading around in the sunshine in a stream of hugely expensive outfits, each one more luxurious than the next. I understand why international tours take place - and agree they have an important role - but shouldn’t this have been postponed given the climate?

Why are you a royalist if you can see how crass the whole thing is?

@C8H10N4O2

William wants to profess is "profound sorrow" about slavery?

How about handing back the massive wealth his family built on the bodies of slaves, instead of performance sorrow wearing a designer suit at a banquet before popping off to his next expensive holiday.

Words are cheap.

Did the royal family make "massive wealth" from slavery? I thought it was the rising business & industrial classes of the 17th & 18th centuries.

As long as my taxes don't have to pay it. Am fairly confident that my ancestors were poor agricultural labourers. Not likely to benefit from slavery.