Royal Style: keep the Erdem, but bring on the tiaras!

[Maireas]

A shiny new thread, Royal Style fans!
Keep the wit and wisdom coming!

Ah @justasking111 I just came back to say it definitely wasn't directed at you personally!

We're all entitled to our own views and opinions anyway.

I agree with you on the Duke of Gloucester.

@TangledWebOfDeception it's worrying as to where we're going. So many pulls on a shrinking firm..

Charles - one working son and wife
William - children too young
Anne - children independent adults
Andrew - children independent adults
Edward - one too young, other at uni

Who's left to wear the tiaras looking ahead.

Well that's where a certain 'spare' couple (what an insult to their position, actually!) could have had a huge amount to get stuck into. However I don't think he/she were ever going to be able to cope with not being right at the very top. To which I roll my eyes, tbh. What a pair - honestly how did you think it was going to go??

Anyway...will try to keep that talk out of this thread!

I'm sympathetic up to a point. But there are a lot of people in their forties who juggle both parents working with much less help than the Wales family has.

As to the report of engagements, one thing I learned from reading Spare, if it's true, is that the engagements are self-reported and phone and virtual engagements can count too. There might not me a full picture of the "quality" of an engagement, i.e. the amount of prep needed or other more intangible aspects.

Who's left to wear the tiaras looking ahead.

Or to attend foreign funerals.

Perhaps William didn't go to the Greek funeral as he was ill ?

Sure. I accept that. But it's not a race to the bottom, is it. If I were the Prince or Princess of Wales I think I'd value immensely the privilege of having the choice to keep a balance between home/family life and work, and I'd also take full advantage of it while my children were fairly young.

I also don't get the thing about wanting an heir to the throne and his wife to be just like all the rest of us or pretend they're in a comparable situation work/nanny-wise. They're patently not. If they pretended they were I'd find it hugely annoying and frankly, an insult to my intelligence. So I'm happy to let them manage their working (or non-working) lives differently to how an average couple might.

(Not that my permission matters one bit!)

Also I think sometimes it's forgotten that William lost his mother at a very young age too. I fully understand if he wants to spend as much time with his young family while he can, since he has the means.

I'm sympathetic up to a point. But there are a lot of people in their forties who juggle both parents working with much less help than the Wales family has.

I can see both perspectives, I really can (hence why I was side-eyeing William earlier in the thread). But I also appreciate that the people in their 40s who are juggling careers and young families (I am one!) will be winding down and then retiring in their 60s, whereas William and Kate genuinely have a job for life. And the best way to stop the dysfunction that the family is so often labelled with is surely to have the next generation of siblings brought up in a stable and loving home environment with their parents around as much as possible…

Some lovely photos here

HMQ and Margaret

Historically, Royal marriages were about forging links with other nations, hence all the foreign consorts. It's interesting how slowly this has changed, and how the various European Royal families have moved away from royal or aristocratic spouses. I'm sure Princess Marina would not have approved!
Mathilde is the first ever native born Belgian Queen.

But I also appreciate that the people in their 40s who are juggling careers and young families (I am one!) will be winding down and then retiring in their 60s, whereas William and Kate genuinely have a job for life.

Sadly, there's plenty of people in their 40s who won't be able to wind down or retire in their 60s and don't have half the resources that William and Kate do. While I have some sympathy with their position, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect them to do more than a few engagements a month. I think it'll be interesting to see how they transition to their new roles this year.

And as I said before, I can also see the whole concept of working royals and royal patronages etc being drastically restructured in the coming years. Even if Harry and Meghan had stuck around, they're just two people. Their children wouldn't have been working royals and none of the cousins are. By the time George is king that group of working royals will be even smaller. So something will have to give.

As the years go by, I'm less and less convinced about the value of a monarchy but I'm just on this thread for the clothes.

The value of a Monarchy is a completely different discussion! But it's what we have and whilst we have it I think it's fair enough that it works however is best (including, arguably, but in my opinion definitely so, best for the children) for the individuals in it, within parameters set by government. It's a lifetime job and things will necessarily ebb and flow within that lifetime, but overall people will do the job as required of them to the extent that the system expects of them individually.

I'm not heavily invested, tbf, but it does irk me a bit when people won't accept the way it works. Either get rid of the whole thing or just accept that certain aspects are going to be unfair/not what you want or perceive to be right.

I'm not sure how it's about sympathy either - I've a lot much more sympathy for ordinary working people, obviously. I don't think W & K need my sympathy, nor would they ever be so crass as to whine for it in books/press/etc, for which they have my utmost appreciation!

(I appreciate that I'm not from here so it's all one step removed from me, really)

I love Kate's boots, dress and camel coat ensemble, though I admit that I'm a great fan of camel coats. Her dress looks burnt orange in the photos I've seen, so it all seems to hang together well.

Top marks for abandoning those skyscraper stilettos Kate!

Someone talking about Gina Lollobrigida and others of that time noted that many beautiful women had short hair as HMQ and PM did. Got me thinking. Grace Kelly, Liz Taylor, etc all had short hair. Now it's all long, flowing hair in the royal houses. Yet Margaret especially was stunning with short hair.

Kate's dress today, reminded me of a jacket cape style lurking in the back of my wardrobe. It was that colour and I had long dark hair. So cheery on a winters day

Ohhhh @justasking111 I absolutely love a cape! A proper cape-style coat has been on my list for ages but sigh, I'm terrible at saving! Very envious, it sounds fab.

Oh *jacket. Still, it sounds fab.

Historically, Royal marriages were about forging links with other nations, hence all the foreign consorts. It's interesting how slowly this has changed, and how the various European Royal families have moved away from royal or aristocratic spouses. I'm sure Princess Marina would not have approved! Wink Wink
Mathilde is the first ever native born Belgian Queen.

I think Mathilde is also the only consort around who comes from the nobility, though Stephanie of Luxembourg will be another one once her husband is Grand Duke.

I like the boots on Kate! Great to see some non foot murdering footwear 👍

I dreamt about a certain ‘spare’ royal last night - goodness it was strange. He was demanding all our pound coins that we keep for the swimming lockers, and a lift somewhere random. I gave him a stern lecture about not pinching people’s locker change and he was quite chastened. What on earth is all that about?!

non foot murdering footwear indeed!
Well, this thread took an interesting diversion, I'm going to have to stop going out to work!

I think Mathilde is also the only consort around who comes from the nobility, though Stephanie of Luxembourg will be another one once her husband is Grand Duke.

I think Camilla qualifies. Her mother was an Honourable and her grandfather a baron, although the title is not that old.

Mention of Gina Lollobrigida and her hair style has reminded me that the name of Italian Lollo Rosso lettuce is said to have been inspired by Gina's short fluffy curls.
And on a royal gossip note, Prince Rainier was apparently totally smitten with her.

I like Kate's look today (minus the coat), and YAY for boots!!! The chocolate brown coat in Boston was better with the dress... but I dislike the camel coat anyway so I'm biased!