To be furious that no-one from our Royal Family will be in person at Sunday's WWC Final

[jennyvax]

I really feel that if this was the National Men's Team, the RF would be out in force. The Lionesses have really championed women's football and I am astonished that The Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte won't be at Sunday's final, to support them. It is an amazing achievement to get to the final. The Queen of Spain and her daughter will be there !!! AIBU to think our RF should be heading straight to Australia?

Furious?

I mean, bit of an overreaction, no?

I very much doubt anyone will miss them.

Oh that's right, taxpayers subsidise many of these extremely wealthy people's lifestyles on the understanding that they will represent the UK at events and build the country's profile overseas.

Who? Who are all these 'many' who are supposed to be available to fly round the world at a day's notice?

Anne? (73 this month)
Edward and Sophie?
William and Catherine?
Who else?

The Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte won't be at Sunday's final, to support them why have you just singled out those two?

Yes.

The Royal Family make use of scheduled trains from time to time. I'm sure that Cameron used the Underground at least once. Many PMs have taken trains, or used official cars. It's only Rishi who seems quite so keen on helicopter transport for such straightforward journeys as London-Southampton.

Im pleased they’re thinking of the carbon footprint personally.

Im pleased they’re thinking of the carbon footprint personally.

Doesn't worry them too much when they pop everywhere in a helicopter

Wouldn't it be a bit much to expect the Australians to host and police a proper royal visit (complete with everything that involves) at the same time as hosting and policing a major sporting event?

Oh grow up!
the itinerary for them is done months in advance.
furious ? Childish is more appropriate.

I never said they were in the final. I said Prince William didn't travel to Qatar for the world cup finals, as in the tournament, and it's only 6hrs flight.

I don't think it's fair to suggest it would be too much for them. I'm sure a country like Australia is more than capable of hosting VIPs alongside large events. It would largely be guided by the prince's staff anyway I imagine @DdraigGoch

I think the wider point being made is we wouldn't even be discussing this if it was the men's game. He'd be in Oz already.

<facepalm>

Surely the issue here is not 'the Royals would go for the men's team'. The question should be 'why do we give free tickets to hugely wealthy people to attend prestigious events?'.

Seriously. I've worked at several World Championships and Olympics, and the amount of freeloading is just embarrassing. If you're selling tickets for regular fans to attend, then the way for royals, politicians, celebs etc to attend is to buy those same tickets. And book the same flights to get there. The only people getting in for free should be the competitors and the people actually doing a job of work in the arena (plus, if appropriate, tickets made available to local schools, community organisations etc who may be interested in attending). Not Queens, princesses and PMs.

Somewhat of a straw man fallacy there @andyindurham

I think the original point is an important one. Women's sport, regardless of how many celebs and politicians stick out a tweet saying "go lionesses", isn't seen in the same regard as men's sport. Actions speak louder than words.

And yes, I wouldn't be paying for the royals at all if it was my choice, but they do receive vast sums of tax payer's money so the least they can do is represent us and show support to UK sports teams when on a world stage such as this one. Isn't that their job? Not least when one of them is the president of the FA! instead of taking 8 week summer holidays.

@Meecrowavay - not sure you're being fair with the 'straw man' thing. One of the arguments that I hear about women's sport is that it represents a better way of doing things than men's sport (often suggested in discussions of Lionesses in threads here). In particular, that it isn't dominated by money. From my own experience of working and following women's sports (not just football), I'm encouraged by the sense that it's a participation culture as opposed to a 'sit on the sidelines and opine about someone else' culture.

To say that there should be a royal presence watching England on Sunday 'because they'd be there for the men's team' risks suggesting that we want women's sport to be more like men's - specifically to adopt more of the negatives of the men's game with its freeloading, celeb-obsessed, cash-driven culture - rather than trying to change men's sport to be more like women's.

On a specific point about the royals watching and supporting GB teams, earlier this year I was working at an international tournament in Nottingham where GB men won gold and qualified for the elite division of their World Championship. No royal attended (OK, it finished the day before the coronation, so they were busy). No senior politician attended. AFAIK, no local MP attended and I'm not aware of any senior figure from Nottingham City Council turning up (could be wrong about the latter, I wouldn't know them). Earlier in the year, same sport, I worked at a Women's U18 international tournament in Dumfries. Nobody more senior than the local mayor attended (GB won bronze, with Australia getting gold in a sport that has almost no tradition in AUS). It's a very low level, but if we're talking about supporting British teams in international sport, surely we're not only going to bother when it's a World Cup final or the Olympics or similar? If the royals (and others) are not turning out to watch grassroots, why should they jump the queue to go to the World Cup final? Apart from innate privilege and a 'jolly up for the chap(esse)s mentality'?

Did you say it’s in Australia?!
Good heavens, I think that in this world of television and internet it would be quite mad to fly to the other side of the planet just for a game of football!!

William has gone up in my estimation for not going in for such ridiculosity.

There’s a massive difference between the Queen of Spain going to a commonwealth country and William or Kate going.

If he goes for just the match he’d cop it for the environmental impact and also certain sections in Australia would jump on it “our future king and can’t even spend time with any Aussies”.

But equally he can’t just organise a last minute quick tour as that’s the governments choice on where they go.

It’s not got the same issues as the Spanish Queen and Princess going.

The sort of security required for a formal visit of a royal, including engagements (as opposed to just going to the match) is considerable. In the UK it would certainly involve mutual aid vans going between police forces across the country. Trying to police a major tournament at the same time is a considerable stretch for any police force.

You don't know that he would have flown out to Aus for the men's final.

As a republican I don't want them there. Let the focus be on the fantastic ladies.

If they cite the reason for non-attendance as 'carbon footprint,' it will be almost hilarious.

So you have decided it is easy so you know this all this as you have worked with the royals? Or some have other inside knowledge of how it all works and know for an absolute fact they would fly half way across the world if it was men's?

You actually know all this and am not some random person who has decided it 'course it's easy' 'they had a meeting and said to each other its for them women but if it was men course we would go' type thing

I personally think seeing as he's President of the FA and it was held in another Commonwealth country, he should have been there all along.

Is Harry closer to Australia, they could ask him to go!

William didn't go to the men's World Cup in Qatar. As Prince of Wales, it would have been quite difficult diplomatically to be here supporting England when Wales were also in the competition. He did go to the Women's Euros final at Wembley and made a personal visit to the squad at their training ground before they left for the Women's World Cup. I think he is just as enthusiastic about the women's team as the men's.

It's much easier for the Queen of Spain to go when no-one expects her to do anything else than fly in and fly out. If William did this he would be criticised in some quarters for disrespecting Australia by not going for a proper royal visit. He would also be criticised by republicans questioning why he was visiting Australia.

This. Honestly "furious", what a ridiculous reaction.

Exactly. Helicoptering around at the drop of a hat. Private planes. Multiple private residences each.