Kate and William - what are they doing? Thread 2

[Pelleas]

A continuation of the thread discussing the Cambridges' contribution to the pandemic.

She seemed a nice enough person but she was living a very privileged life off the taxpayer. She was far from perfect too.

I read an extract from Patrick Jephson's book which described how Diana would get back in her limousine and laugh away about some of the people she'd seen.
Things like complaining that the smell of urine in an old people's home made her eyes sting.

Gaw bless 'er.

When you look at the level of Diana's personal extravagance it's simply not credible that she could have had any genuine concern about the charities she supported. No one with a conscience could lead that kind of life, come face to face with poverty, and still be able to sleep at night.

It's worth noting that she binned off her charity patronages whenever it suited her to.

Of course, her death was tragic but it didn't merit the hysterical outpourings of half the country.

On a lighter note, I had to laugh when I was watching that '50 Years of the Corner Shop' programme - they recreated the Royal Wedding celebrations of 1981. The teenage children of the shopkeeper assumed that the Royal Wedding of 1981 was that of Charles and Camilla!

Britain went collectively mad when Diana died.Totally bizarre but it's only with the distance of time that it's been possible to look more objectively. She was an absolute expert in image projection. She would manipulate the press for her own ends then whine when they went too far or in directions that didn't suit her.

At the time of her death she wasn't even that popular. People were sick of the endless pap shots and reports of her frolicking round Europe with playboy Dodi in tow. Had she lived I don't doubt she'd have found a way to stay in the limelight while sniping at the royals from afar. Sound familiar?

I remember being verbally attacked shortly after her death because I didn’t sign this “ book of remembrance” (whatever it was called) in a church. I was waiting for a bus and this woman demanded I go in to sign it. She actually shouted at me because I said no.

I remember that I seriously thought that something was wrong with me, because I wasn't 'devastated' by her death. Even the non-tabloid papers went mad. Of course it was a shock, but I couldn't believe the amount of weeping and wailing that the nation succumbed to.

A friend of mine was asked if she was going to cancel her (big, white, long-in-the-planning) wedding because it was on the day of Diana's funeral.

I’ve never been able to understand all that wailing. How can you cry for someone you don’t know. She was certainly not the saint they made her out to be.

What I find particularly odd is that it must have been people who are/were very pro-royal who were the ones who slept on the pavement before her funeral, doubtless felt very sorry for William and Harry (who couldn't back then?), but who, presumably, were the ones mentioned in a documentary marking her death as behaving incredibly selfishly: "the two princes describe being in a state of shock as people grabbed and wailed at them".

Yeah it was like they thought their grief had to outshine the two sons. But really it wasn’t grief, it was all a show. Somehow I think they thought it made them seem more caring and better than the rest of us, itms.

That's shocking twirlycat

I can remember wondering at the time wtf people were queuing for hours to sign the books of condolence. It's got me wondering where they all are now especially the more local ones.

We were due to have the last tweaks to our newly fitted kitchen on the day of the funeral. I can remember being when it got put off because of it.

The funeral was bizarre. I don't remember W&H being grabbed at but there was this eerie silence broken by the odd bit of show-wailing. Ferrreakeh stuff

Can you imagine the mass hysteria when the queen goes.

Can you imagine the mass hysteria when the queen goes

The Diana years were of a different time. There has been a democratization of many of the hierarchies in society such that most people no longer believe in the royal fairy tale, their expertise, or their leadership. Many have married “commoners”, thereby negating the whole concept of royalness. They are now a brand, performing a role, working for GB plc. I can’t see mass hysteria when the queen goes. More like subdued mourning.

One thing that upsets me is the mountains of gifts sent to the Royals when they marry or have children

I read years ago that unwanted presents sent to the Queen were burned round the back at Buckingham palace because giving them to charity wasn't possible and would be an insult to the giver! I don't know how true that was but I don't understand why you'd want to give a gift to an incredibly wealthy person who you are never likely to know.

It just shows how people get their priorities wrong doesn’t it. I bet those same people would ignore a hungry homeless person on the street too.

BarleylemonPenguin

Can you imagine the mass hysteria when the queen goes?

The Diana years were of a different time.

And Diana was a very different person from the queen (to say the least!) and, hence, I suspect attracted very different "fans".

Also, there was the drama of a beautiful woman in her 30s dying suddenly and violently.
Everyone has had a lot more time to make their peace with the queen's eventual demise in her 90s. And it's much more likely to be after a period of illness, so people can prepare.
Even if sudden, it's very unlikely to be in a high-speed car chase!

I agree, Barley, I think it will be a subdued period of sadness and much more dignified.

Yes it won’t be the same as it was for Diana but I still think there’ll be some very over the top out pourings of grief, the like we’ve never seen.

Everyone has had a lot more time to make their peace with the queen's eventual demise in her 90s.

Or even in her 100s - I don't want to kill her off prematurely

The Queen Mother was a very popular Royal but there was no mass hysteria when she died - lots of 'mourning' media coverage, but she'd lived to over 100 so it wasn't unexpected - it was the dramatic nature of Diana's death that inspired the public histrionics. As a pp said, at the time, she was being heavily censured by the press for her frolics with Dodi on his yacht and then overnight, she was effectively canonised. Lots of tabloid journalists with red faces where their salacious articles had already gone to press on the morning after she died. It was the ultimate exercise in media hypocrisy.

It was the ultimate exercise in media hypocrisy.

That's very true.
The Guardian had quoted "Mrs Blair's Diary" from (I think) Private Eye saying re Diana "If she was any more stupid, they'd have to water her" the day before and had to back-pedal frantically after the news broke.

Then ghastly articles about how everyone had always adored her.
Particularly remember Jeremy Clarkson writing that he'd "always been a little bit in love with her"

Yes - Diana had recently said in the Bashir interview, when asked about whether she still intended to be Queen, "I want to be the Queen of Hearts - the Queen of people's hearts" so after her death the "Queen of Hearts" epithet was everywhere. Even Dodi, who had previously been branded a playboy and a questionable candidate for the role of future king's step-father, was suddenly reinvented as Prince Charming. It was surreal, and vast swathes of the public swam along with the new narrative, flocking to waste money on flowers and buying 20 copies of Elton John's 'English Rose' record which was so nauseating as to be unlistenable to.

In fact, I think Diana's death was what started the concept of 'grief tourism' in the UK. Before that, if a slight acquaintance died, people would express their condolences and get on with it. Diana's death opened up the possibility of being able to wallow in emotion and sentimentality without having to suffer any of the real devastation of losing a loved one

it was the dramatic nature of Diana's death that inspired the public histrionics

Also, the fact that she was a 'people's princess', down with the oiks, as it were in a time where the mystique of royalty/celebrity/wealth/glitz still prevailed. Since then, we've had the explosion of celeb culture to the point where fame and wealth have become accessible to many more people than in her day. In addition, the power relationship with 'those above us' has somewhat changed so that the deferential treatment meted out to royals by the press, the public, etc. are now a thing of the past (I've never understood why grown men and women would happily want to be called a 'Prince/ss'. Degrading and infantilising). We seem more mature now when it comes to that sort of thing. We read and follow celebs/achievers/glitz/talent, but we are much better at separating out the wheat from the chaff. I think that the Queen will get a genuinely respectful treatment from all corners. The others - meh.

In fact, although I was no fan of the Queen Mother, I found her funeral far more moving than Diana's.

Also, the fact that she was a 'people's princess', down with the oiks, as it were in a time where the mystique of royalty/celebrity/wealth/glitz still prevailed

Again, Barley, very much agree (I'm sounding such a sycophant).

Diana's approach of holding hands, stroking cheeks and deep emoting totally depended on the rest of the royals being their formal selves: their "greyness" causing her to sparkle more.

Now everybody's in on the act, it doesn't look so amazing. Don't know how she'd have felt about beautiful, younger women marrying into the family and possibly eclipsing her with their populist, "caring" behaviour.

buying 20 copies of Elton John's 'English Rose' record which was so nauseating as to be unlistenable to.

Oh good grief, Pelleas, yes!

Actually, it was funny - a colleague who was very dry, intellectual and rather formal in manner, came into work on the Monday. When the funeral was mentioned, he said, "I didn't really like it, but think I might get the music".

we all went.
"Didn't think you'd like Elton John" we said.

He looked briefly puzzled then said, "What? Bloody hell, no! I meant the Taverner!".

Only time I ever heard him swear.