To call Kate and William

[ImJustMadAboutSaffron]

Kate and William? If ever I talk about them with anyone, they're Kate and William. I was out last week with three friends and one of them brought them up in conversation "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ...." If she's feeling relaxed she might refer to her as Catherine.

Yes I know it is their official title(s) but it's a job title, not a name. And it feels weird to talk about someone in that way. I wouldn't talk about my boss as "the head of department", I would say Mark. Because that is his name.

I'm roughly the same age as Kate and William too, and I sort of "grew up" with him in the news etc, then when Kate came on the scene, she was just an ordinary person. I can't bow and scrape to either of them, in person or in conversation. That isn't disrespectful. Indeed, at the end of the day, they are simply people just like us (this is not a post to debate the usefulness of the royal family, if they're scroungers or lazy or should be cancelled, that's a whole other debate). William does call her Kate in private and has been overheard saying it at events.

So, Kate and William it will continue to be if I ever discuss them.

Whilst I think you have a perfectly normal and balanced attitude in not really paying much attention to or caring much about Royal gossip, I do find it a bit strange that you would have no idea who these people are from their official titles either. Surely that is just part of general knowledge and awareness of current affairs? It's a bit like saying you don't know who the Prime Minister is or the Leader of the Opposition. Or the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Pope.

She has always been known as Kate so I’m imagining she calls herself Kate, as do those closest to her. Referring to them as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is weird. How often do they actually come up in conversation though? Precisely never in my world 😂.

If you referred to the Duke of Cornwall I would know that it was one of the royals, just not which one in particular. Like if you referred to any Anglican bishop other than Canterbury or London, I wouldn't know who the postholder is at this particular moment but would get that you were talking about a CofE bishop. And I'm Catholic, so I know who the current pope is, but I wouldn't expect a non-Catholic to necessarily keep up-to-date about who it is at all times. I think that's fairly standard.

I thought you meant you had their number?

I was unsure who the pope is, so I googled it and found out I guessed correctly. But yes these are job descriptions.

I don't know the name of, for example, the Duke of Kent, but I know his wife is Katharine Worsley. Don't have a clue what he is called. But he's my grandparents' generation. Same with the Duke of Gloucester.

Interesting. Most people we know talk about how they’re going to pay their bills, or not.

You're allowed have more than one topic of conversation in your life.

Do they? Every time you meet up? And does concern over bill paying mean nobody can chit chat about inconsequential stuff for light relief? Though you will have some good ideas for budgeting from all these discussions, and there's a money boards to post them on isn't there? We'd all benefit from these insights.

You're allowed have more than one topic of conversation in your life.“

Indeed. We do. A couple we do not know are hardly a “topic of conversation”, though. Isn’t that just gossip?

Or Brenda.

Well no, not when you are talking about, for example, the Women's Euro final, and William being there, and whether Charlotte might be going along. Simple stuff. I think we also talked about one friend's cruise she had just come back from, our cats, what we thought about the meal we were having, the weather, our jobs and probably energy bills too!

Its interesting the names and titles people think of them by.
In my head the royals are called:
William and Kate or Princess Kate ( but never Prince William!)
Prince George (don't think I've ever referred to his siblings)
Prince Harry/Harry
Meghan Markle
The Queen
Princess Anne (She's relevant to my work so gets mentioned now and again)
Charles and Camilla

I bet he was gutted @Rottenapples. You showed him!

And nothing else?

That must get tedious.

I call them scrounging parasites that leech off the rest of us, but you do you.

😂😂😂

For example "did you see the Duchess of Cambridge on the telly last night?" "The Duchess of Cornwall is opening a pig farm next week". It feels weird and I have to think about who they're talking about. And it's pretentious.

Oh come on. You don’t know who they’re talking about?

”The Duchess of Cambridge? The Duchess of Cornwall? I can’t think who you could possibly mean! OHHH… you mean Kate and Camilla! That’s what we call them in my house, because I’m not the type who would bow and scrape these people; goodness, no. In fact, when I chat about them to the cousin of the woman whose sister-in-law’s next door neighbour’s auntie is very high up in the Royal household - or as I call it, Lizzie’s place.”

I don't use the Prince/Princess title when talking about K+&W's children, they're only kids. If I was having a discussion about any of them or starting a conversation topic I might say "Princess Anne" for example but it would be Anne throughout the rest of the conversation. Weirdly I always say Meghan Markle never just Meghan. (I'm not a fan). Charles or Charlie, Harry, Edward, Sophie - I can't stand titles.

Not necessarily. You could be talking about the jubilee celebrations, or a royal visit somewhere or the future of the monarchy.

And are you saying you and your friends never gossip about celebrities?

You're trying to be silly and goady. Of course I know who they are. It's just that I have to think a minute because I don't talk about people in relation to their job titles.

If that's the case, isn't it a bit gauche to be talking about them as though they're your friends?

???? Not sure what you mean.

How would you talk about Simon Cowell, Adele, Gareth Southgate, Rishi Sunak, Fred Sirieix, in fact anyone in the public eye? When people watch Strictly, the contestants become talked about by their first names, as do the pro dancers. We say Tess and Claudia. Or even Claud. These people are no different.

I attended the University of London in the late 80s and Princess Anne was the Chancellor of the University. The graduation ceremony was in Royal Albert Hall and she was in attendance sitting on stage with other dignitaries. Each graduate came on stage, collected their degree certificate and then acknowledge HRH. I was determined not to curtsey but wanted to acknowledge her in her role as Chancellor. So when I grew level with her I gave a little gentlemanly bow. The moment was snapped by the event photographer, and I have a memento of us smirking knowingly at each other.

Arbesque · Yesterday 12:15

“And are you saying you and your friends never gossip about celebrities?”

Yes, honestly am. But then I don’t know who most “celebrities” are 😁

I don't talk about people in relation to their job titles.

Duke and Duchess aren’t their job titles any more than Miss, Mrs, Ms or whatever you use is your job title.

Apart from her preferring Catherine not Kate I doubt they'd care