Thoughts on Prince William's speech?

[Aspiringmatriarch]

I've been musing on this, I'm not sure I agree with the idea that the Bashir interview created a 'false narrative'. Obviously Diana was lied to, which is appalling, and I'm sure that fueled some of her paranoia but isn't it true that she was spied on at times e.g. with the squidgygate tapes? And she'd already collaborated with Andrew Morton saying many of the same things, and apparently wanted to do an interview after Charles gave his.

I don't know... it just feels odd to me that William is essentially asking for it to be struck from the record. He was apparently angry with her after the Bashir interview and was teased about it at school, which must have been horrible. Is he trying to protect her memory or is there an element of trying to tidy it all away?

I do find the Cambridges' PR a bit obvious. Like the time Harry was being slated for taking private jets so they arranged for photos to be taken of them boarding a budget flight. Cringe 😬

I wonder if they choose to do it. Or someone says you will do it.

I would imagine they are totally micro managed and the 'advisers' make that sort of thing happen.

This is a very interesting read....

thegrio.com/2021/05/22/meghan-harry-mistreatment-why-we-should-care/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

I don't think Price William is allowed to do anything by himself tbh, he's just the puppet.

I haven't seen any real passion from William for any project or cause. That said, I don't envy his position at all

For all her faults, perceived and otherwise, his mother hugging AIDS victims was the most groundbreaking and worthwhile thing the RR has ever done. The rest of them are a lazy entitled lot.

I don’t think you could possibly say that, for example, Princess Anne or Sophie are lazy or lack commitment to the causes they represent.

@oneglassandpuzzled

I don’t think you could possibly say that, for example, Princess Anne or Sophie are lazy or lack commitment to the causes they represent.

You could say it. You wouldn’t be right though.

I've no idea what Sophie does, more now there aren't as many of them there but I was referring to the senior royals. . I hardly know who Sophie even is. All I remember about her is she sold stories to a newspaper tbh.
Ann does plenty I'm sure as its continuously trotted out how hard working she is. Edward and Andrew do nothing (thankfully in the latter's case) so if dragging Ann's name into it, all her brothers need to be included in the same comparison.
However I was talking about the heirs, the 'slimmed down' version.

Edward is the second hardest working member of the royal family. Inconvenient isn’t it?

Edward is the second hardest working member of the royal family. Inconvenient isn’t it?

I wouldn't say inconvenient particularly rather than astonishing.

Anne is the hardest working. Followed by Edward?

Leaving Charles and Camilla and William and Kate (the heirs to the throne) in their wake. Its laughable.

The problem with William, in addition to his low engagement numbers, is that he doesn't come across as especially passionate or dedicated to anything, and at nearly 40 has no major projects or causes strongly associated with his name.

Charles is clearly a man with many deeply held passionate interests - to pick just one his long-held passion for organic gardening and organic food long before it was popular, leading to the behemoth that is the Duchy Organics product brand.

Philip had his Duke of Edinburgh scheme which he was clearly dedicated to.

Harry, whatever you may think about him, is clearly extremely passionate about and dedicated to helping military veterans, and also has a deep love of Southern Africa.

Anne is obsessed with horses, a former Olympic athlete, and works hard all round.

Camilla has her campaign to support rape victims which isn't glamorous and gets little attention, so it's clearly a labour of love.

Even Kate (despite being pretty work-shy) clearly loves and cares about children, is interested in photography and gardening, and loves certain sports.

William... what are his interests and passions? Yes he has patronages he visits, but there's no one thing that defines him the way organics and architecture define Charles, Invictus and Sentebale define Harry, and children and being sporty define Kate. He occasionally talks about racism in football , or mental health, or announces some bigshot environmental award, but none of them have resulted in anything major and none of them come across as issues he's genuinely passionate about or committed to.

Sophie has consistently aligned herself with eye health and blindness charities and research all over the world.

William is passionate about football and sport. He is passionate about his own little children and being a family man, and he relates with interest, empathy and recognition humour to the families and children he meets.

William and Catherine are interested in the forms of monarchy and in executing their duties with as much efficiency and precision as possible, so that they are not using royalty as an opportunity to prattle on about their own pet interests, like architecture, nor playing the clown by having a wonky tie or dishevelled hair, as if saying: " Hey! Look at me - I'm the royal you could have a pint with - "Mate"!".

William and Kate are interested in looking back to tradition and working on effacing their own personas as much as possible, so as to highlight and ' centre-stage' the work of the wonderful private citizens who volunteer in charity shops and help their elderly neighbours - the true heroes of our communities. So W and C are looking back to the Queen's long-lived example and seeking to embellish what the country has which is good, by deploying their style and elegance, but never making it about themselves. They are not going to say that they are upset about something and retire from public life, as Queen Victoria did, nor are the going to act the playboy, like some monarchs in history. They both just work on being quiet and proper, understated and serious, and just dignifying those causes which are dignified in their moral worth but divested of any kind of showiness or glamour.

@Devlesko

I don't think Price William is allowed to do anything by himself tbh, he's just the puppet.

And I think this is what Harry sees and actually feels sorry for his brother about

I think William and Kate are just both more reserved types of people.Doesnt mean they don't think and feel as passionately about things.But as Diverse sad I think moving forward with the monarchy by they want to emulate the Queens example duty ,and are conscious of the need for a streamlined ,slimmed down operation where the focus is on others.Then retreat to bring up their family .
Something weird happened in this country when Diana died.The huge outpouring of public emotions that both W and H experienced in the raw,and very personally.No one wants a return to the stiff upper lip but the oppoesite-baring your soul and emoting to the whole world- as Harry is doing now- I don't think is necessarily ideal either.And can be pretty self indulgent.Just as some people feel they have to 'share ' every experience and opinion on Instagram FB etc some of us keep a quieter profile.It is just in our nature.Plus look how ridiculed Charles has been in he past for his passions for organics,farming, architecture etc.Turns out he was being on the money about many things.

Interesting, if tangential, that Harry admitted that the wailing women in the crowds on that funeral walk upset him. Emoting all over the place isn’t always the kindest way to behave.

I have no idea what they think or feel, but Charles does make lovely biscuits.

But even then HMQ has a passion for horses. So I'm not sure if it's because he is emulating the Queen. If that's the case PC will be King before PW and PC has lots of interests.

I think PW sometimes tries to show passion in football but he is quite reserved so comes across as a little Out of place even on a night in with the football lads having a curry at KP.

Somebody mentioned he is a passionate about his children - that's great most of us it so it we don't have carefully staged glossy photos to evidence and I can't see me why he shouldn't be especially looking at his and his fathers experience. I would be more surprised if he wasn't.

@eddiemairswife

I have no idea what they think or feel, but Charles does make lovely biscuits.

agree - wish they weren't so expensive though -

He is passionate about his own little children and being a family man, and he relates with interest, empathy and recognition humour to the families and children he meets.

Diverseopinions I accept your opinion of W&K, that is your opinion. But on the above, surely every good Dad is passionate about their own children?

And we know nothing. We have no idea what he is like as a Father. We only have a carefully curated few clips and photos suggesting that. Could be totally wrong! He could be distant and authoritarian for all we know (I doubt it, but we just dont know)

Snugglepiggy K&W and the stiff upper lip and reserved manner of the Queen just will not work in these days and times I agree.
If they are to survive we need a modern relateable monarchy.
A hell of a lot of people think they are irrelevant and so far removed... and W&K at the moment are more on track for that than a modernisation.
But I suppose the youtube channel is a start.

'K&W and the stiff upper lip and reserved manner of the Queen just will not work in these days and times I agree.'

It will work perfectly fine, many people don't want to see the Sussexes LA style oversharing and embellishing.

It isn't so much a stiff upper lip more a dignified silence and a focus on their service and duty, not their feelz.

There is happy medium you know Janiie?

It doesn't have to be either/or.

“ being a family man”

Turnip-fancying is a bit inconsistent with that.

the behemoth that is the Duchy Organics product brand

Charles offloaded Duchy Originals to Waitrose when it stopped turning him a profit.

William is passionate about football and sport

Arf.