To ask why all of the Queen's adult grandchildren have chosen to have kids?

[itsbeen4minutes]

Out of the Queen's 6 adult grandchildren, all of them have had children. AIBU to ask whether this is normal in terms of pretty every member of a family having chosen to have kids?

I have chosen to not have children so feel like if I was a member of the royal family I would be judged quite a bit on my choice to remain childfree.

My dad has 40 first cousins (but no surviving siblings). My mum has 9 cousins and three siblings. All of them had kids, with the exception of my auntie, who wanted them but was unable to have them. Then all of the cousins' children (my generation) have had multiple kids. My brother recently got married and can't wait to be a dad.

I'm the only person in the entire extended family who vehemently doesn't want children. I'm in my 30s and have been married for several years so the chorus of BuT wHeN aRe YoU hAvInG a BaBy has reached fever pitch but I have a dog and many houseplants - that's the best I can offer you

Gosh! Most of my friendship circle have chosen to remain child free, with one couple where I don’t know if it was a choice or not and I’m not about to ask. Of my close friends (in my age group) only one has a child, we’re all mid 40s. None of my younger friends have children, but about half of those who considerably older (60+) do. My cousins are a few years younger but neither has any plans to procreate - I didn’t realise it was considered unusual by so many people! Maybe my views were shaped partly from being a small family (I’m only child with one uncle and aunt and two cousins).

But also if I had unlimited wealth and resources without needing to work I would have loved to have a huge family…got my 3 but would have had 5-6 if economics allowed

All my parents siblings have children. I have 49 first cousins. Big families on both sides. Of the 49, 4 don't have children. One had years of ivf and was never successful. Another I am fairly sure is gay but not out. Another has severe learning difficulties. The other is early 20s stoner, can't see him ever getting a bird.
Of the girls I went to school with, 10 of us, we are late 30s. Only 2 have kids. Can't see any of the others ever doing it.
Also, when I think of people I know who have no children or maybe 1, they are often only children with tiny families themselves. I think it is a surroundings/ pocket thing mentioned upthread.

My guess would.be to carry on the bloodline to future generations

Interesting, just reading through the rest of the thread and saw this. It’s a good point. Most of my team at work (City professionals) are child free. Most of my friends too. All 30s/40s, all are or were living and working in London, all middle class. The only two of us with children are the two ‘working class made good’!

DHs grandparents had three children, all had children resulting in 10 grandchildren. 9 of those 10 have had children (the 1 with no children is NOT by choice), so 20 great grandchildren, so far only 3 great great grandchildren (but there will be many more as the great grandchildren grow I’m sure).

My parents had two children, I have two children, they both tell me I will never have grandchildren. My brother is childless through choice.

Just gone through the list of colleagues in my office - mostly educated professionals with associated admin support, probably at least 60% women in total.

25 have DC, 10 are child free and likely to stay that way as well over age 40 at least and 3 are in early 20s so too early to call.

So that's at least a quarter child free, likely mostly by choice - we're quite close and there's been lots of babies so there's been a lot of 'rather you than me' type comments.

I think it's more odd that there are no (publicly) gay members of the Royal family or any SEN.

For such a massive group. Its odd. It's hidden surely.

I wondered if Freddie Windsor was gay but he married big suse.

Ditto. None of my closest friends in London have children, incl me. Wouldn’t call myself a ‘career woman’ either!

What a completely insane assumption to make. Someone very close to me suffered a total of twelve miscarriages but has three living children. Having miscarriages wouldn't mean you don't want to have children...

"dont think a royal would be judged for not having children so long as they aren't a direct heir"

I think the press would judge the absolute daylights out of them. Harry and Meghan- hmmm they hate her more than him so it would be implied to be her "fault" either by portraying her as too vain to have a pregnant body or at best "Meghan's (implied infertility) heartbreak as Kate (who we have designated her rival) announces 3rd pregnancy" . If Harry was single it would be "Peter Pan playboy, eternally damaged by his parents' breakup and mother's death and thus unable to commit".

If any of the male grandchildren were single and didn't have women draped over them there would likely be repressed gay rumours. Beatrice and Eugenie would be made out to be idiot party girls too feckless and selfish to have children.

I don't really understand why parents of only children are in the same category as childfree parents. I don't have a child but hope to have an only child. The decisions I make in preparation for having a child i.e. looking at school catchments, looking at childcare options, looking at prenatal vitamins are not any different to my friends who plan to have 2 or 3. The difference is they have to go through childbirth multiple times, plan for more bedrooms (possibly), juggle more children and have more sleepless nights?

I don't think its comparable at all to not having children.

how old are they though. I am 30 this year and people tell me 'I have plenty of time'.

Lady Louise is an adult grandchild who has not had any children. It remains to be seen whether she will have children or not , or indeed her brother.

it is not unheard of for royals to remain childless. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor had no children. Prince William of Gloucester died aged 30 without having children. Prince Albert of Wales a similar fate.
Princess Victoria (sister of George V) reached aged 67 without children

so YABU to assume it never happens

Lady Louise is an adult grandchild who has not had any children

She's only 18 - give the girl a chance!

@LittleGreenBeetle
you only quoted half of my paragraph relating to her
🙄

Why not?

She is an adult but she's unmarried and barely out of school so a bit early on the "Lady Louise has decided for not have children"

Yes statistically you'd think someone in there is gay - there's certainly been rumours and Louise and James are still young so who knows.

I'm not really sure how much they could hide a child's SEN or disability though

For the same reason your mother chose to have you.

My family is quite large I'm one of 17 grandchildren ranging from 25-40 and none of us have had children yet.

Everyone old enough on both sides of my family to have children has them. So I think fairly normal? Obviously a legitimate and reasonable choice to stay childfree and some people sadly cannot have children, but I think the overwhelming majority do still.

😂