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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think William should have made more effort

435 replies

michaelmacrae · 06/05/2023 17:38

To learn that one line pledge to his father? He read from a card looking sideways most of the way through it, and he looked like he was bored and rushing through it. Looked terrible on screen.

I know he's lazy but it wasn't too much to ask for, was it - to memorise that line and at least fake a bit of sincerity?

OP posts:
Sunraes · 06/05/2023 21:51

the80sweregreat · 06/05/2023 21:41

Kudos to the women today.
Penny Mordaunt for having to hold two heavy swords for ages in heels
Princess Anne for riding her horse.
Kate for carrying off a strange outfit
Charlotte for keeping her little brother in check ( I bet she did at times)
Women actually walking in heels , I wished I could !

Don’t forget everyone not being able to go to the loo.

Jl2014 · 06/05/2023 21:53

My 6 year old managed to memorise more for their nativity. There’s a pretty low bar set that we don’t think William could have just learnt it.

CurlewKate · 06/05/2023 21:54

"They had one job....."

MathiasBroucek · 06/05/2023 21:55

DW and I both thought it seemed half-hearted

Coxspurplepippin · 06/05/2023 21:55

Jl2014 · 06/05/2023 21:53

My 6 year old managed to memorise more for their nativity. There’s a pretty low bar set that we don’t think William could have just learnt it.

Wow, your six year old had the eyes of the world on them, including many who would love any opportunity to deride their performance. Amazing.

mixedrecycling · 06/05/2023 21:59

Jl2014 · 06/05/2023 21:53

My 6 year old managed to memorise more for their nativity. There’s a pretty low bar set that we don’t think William could have just learnt it.

And if they had got it wrong everyone would have just said 'ahhh! how cute!!!' rather than be ripped to shreds by people like the OP on MN.

The Archbishop of C must have said the communion service words thousands of times, and still read them rather than recited them from memory - probably for the same reason. Even a minor stumble or mistake would have been picked up and endlessly rehashed.

CurlewKate · 06/05/2023 22:17

I do think-all that expensive education. All that training. And that's what you get for it? And these are the people we're supposed to look up to?

SecretsIWouldNeverTell · 06/05/2023 22:18

🙄

Emeraldrings · 06/05/2023 22:22

I thought it was quite heartfelt actually. Charles looked quite emotional after pledge by William so what if he read it off a card?
And the Queen didn't think William and Catherine were lazy. They took over quite a lot of her duties and they still do engagements and tours etc. You can't say reading off a card makes him lazy. FFS!

Jl2014 · 06/05/2023 22:22

Didn’t say anything about number of people watching so unsure why you’ve made such an obnoxious comment. Simply that such a young child managed to memorise more than a grown adult who is the future king. And yes it is a low bar that people don’t expect him to learn what to say. He needs to step up. Anyone can just read from a card.

CurlewKate · 06/05/2023 22:23

What you do is have the words where you can see them in case of brain freeze. But you have to LOOK as if you know them by heart!

CurlewKate · 06/05/2023 22:24

Prince Phillip didn't have a visible cue card!

Inkpotlover · 06/05/2023 22:26

Has it also not occurred to anyone that this was an incredibly bittersweet day for them – Charles was only being crowned because his mother died, after all, and they've had to endure months and months of stress because of Spare – so that when the moment came, William couldn't look at his dad for fear of getting emotional, so looking at the card was a diversion? If it had been my dad I'd have blubbed!

CurlewKate · 06/05/2023 22:27

@Inkpotlover This is their JOB!!!

Inkpotlover · 06/05/2023 22:29

CurlewKate · 06/05/2023 22:27

@Inkpotlover This is their JOB!!!

It's a monumental family occasion too, on the back of a bereavement. God forbid we cut any of them any slack.

fryanddry · 06/05/2023 22:31

I think the queen made hers look so easy that everybody had high expectations

Transmummy · 06/05/2023 22:34

MrsTerryPratchett · 06/05/2023 18:02

This. It's fucking weird. Imagine having to pledge allegiance to your DAD? I'd look shifty as well. I would have learned my lines though. If I had to go through that nonsense.

And why can't they have those see through prompt screens like on telly? So much less ridiculous looking than cue cards.

After his brothers antics pledging allegiance doesn’t seem too unreasonable.

Emeraldrings · 06/05/2023 22:46

CurlewKate · 06/05/2023 22:24

Prince Phillip didn't have a visible cue card!

Had Prince Philip lost his grandmother recently? Was his brother behaving like a cunt? If not then it's not comparable.

PollyPeptide · 06/05/2023 22:54

CurlewKate · 06/05/2023 22:24

Prince Phillip didn't have a visible cue card!

How many people watched the queen's coronation? No one had tvs for a start. It couldn't be televised round the world. And no one pored over every word to check if it was correct. If he made a mistake, no one would have noticed or cared. If William made a mistake, there'd be memes everywhere and websites would be set up over it!
Times have changed a lot in 70 years.

Offthexmaslist · 06/05/2023 22:54

You may not have your mind made up about monarchy or republican but you sure as hell aren't a fan of W&K who I happen to think are extremely hard working and the modern face of the monarchy.

You sound like a cheer leader for his disrespectful younger brother and his batshit bonkers wife ...

BMW6 · 06/05/2023 23:00

Prince Philip DID have the pledge written on a card exactly the same as for William.

I've just played the video and you can see the cleric leaning down with the card for Philip to read to his left side.

AskMeMore · 06/05/2023 23:02

@Offthexmaslist Extremely hard working? The Royals who for years have had far less engagements than a very elderly lady?

Inkpotlover · 06/05/2023 23:03

BMW6 · 06/05/2023 23:00

Prince Philip DID have the pledge written on a card exactly the same as for William.

I've just played the video and you can see the cleric leaning down with the card for Philip to read to his left side.

Well spotted! He's looking at the card rather than her too. Maybe all those 'but it's their job!' whiners will shut up now.

michaelmacrae · 06/05/2023 23:06

Offthexmaslist · 06/05/2023 22:54

You may not have your mind made up about monarchy or republican but you sure as hell aren't a fan of W&K who I happen to think are extremely hard working and the modern face of the monarchy.

You sound like a cheer leader for his disrespectful younger brother and his batshit bonkers wife ...

Um I said I don't like W&K... I don't think they are hard working at all, I think they are both rather lazy and do the absolute bare minimum they can get away with.

I didn't mention Meghan at all but you royalists can't stop talking about her - this is a thread about William and his performance today. M has nothing to do with it. The obsession is real!!

OP posts: