Do you think William and Kates tour was 'tone deaf'?

[oovetolove]

I'm interested to hear from people about this.

FWIW I think it's been an odd tour - almost an unnecessary flaunt of wealth and power.

I don't understand the point of the tour tbh and whilst I don't know if I'd consider it tone deaf as the papers suggest, it's definitely pointless and a reminder for me why the monarchy are becoming so outdated and more irrelevant, though I'm interested to hear others opinions on this.

@moonbedazzled- well, that explains my then; I've always taken flouncing about to mean prancing about and showing yourself off to your best; not necessarily in an impatient or grumpy way. You learn something new every day!

Anyone can leave the commonwealth but I'm not sure if any country has.

The Gambia did, but has since rejoined. I think there was only about 5 years between leaving a rejoining. I don’t think it was a democratic decision to leave though and they rejoined after that president was gone.

Not really the same, but Zimbabwe was suspended, and then withdrew completely when the commonwealth refused to lift the suspension. I think they now want to rejoin but not sure.

www.theafricareport.com/71058/the-commonwealth-why-does-it-exist-and-does-it-help-its-members/

Quite an interesting read

@SickAndTiredAgain. That's interesting. I knew some countries had been suspended but I thought they'd all had their suspensions lifted. I didn't realise Zimbabwe had left. But it does sound exactly what Mugabe would do! Apparently they have reapplied to join and the 54 countries are being consulted. I can't see it not going ahead

I don't think people really understand what the Commonwealth is, how big it is, or how much money is concentrated within those countries. Mind you, I remember Harry talking about the Commonwealth and he didn't seem to understand it either.

The hosts didn't want them there and made that clear

So why agree to have them there (or actually invite them if that's what happened) in the first place?
I get a PP's point about it offering the antis a wider audience, but they hardly need it since HM's not likely to refuse independence to any who want it

Definitely agree the media spin's interesting though, when it's so different to their usual treatment of W&K, and I'd love to know what's behind that

Flounce is what you do when you're 14 and your mother's told you off and you hate her and you go out, slamming the door behind you.

@Puzzledandpissedoff
Definitely agree the media spin's interesting though, when it's so different to their usual treatment of W&K, and I'd love to know what's behind that

THIS. This is the big thing here. They've pissed off the Rota journalists somehow and they are letting it be known. But you are right -why? And why now? 🤔

@upinaballoon I can't believe that I am 41 and I have only just learned this is what it means! I think I'm getting mixed up with flounces the noun and thinking that it's a verb to describe the act of swooshing around in fancy, frilly clothes.

I guess the Mumsnet flouncers corner makes more sense as a concept now!!

THIS. This is the big thing here. They've pissed off the Rota journalists somehow and they are letting it be known. But you are right -why? And why now?

But why should they always have positive press whatever they do? Surely that's not the way it works....

They get the good press most of the time so maybe this tour wasn't the right thing at the right time?

Why? And why now?

I don't know, Angelica - but I'd like to

After the Martin Bashir/Princes and the Press things and William's remarks I'd get it if it was just the BBC. There's also the usual media thing of building 'em up just to tear 'em down, but overall I still think there's a story behind the story and maybe more will become clear in time

I felt very sorry for both of them, tbh.

They walked into a hornets nest of wokeness.

@Puzzledandpissedoff

The hosts didn't want them there and made that clear

So why agree to have them there (or actually invite them if that's what happened) in the first place?
I get a PP's point about it offering the antis a wider audience, but they hardly need it since HM's not likely to refuse independence to any who want it

Definitely agree the media spin's interesting though, when it's so different to their usual treatment of W&K, and I'd love to know what's behind that

Definitely it does seem odd that the press have jumped onto the negatives - I'd love to know who is pulling strings behind them

They walked into a hornets nest of wokeness

Maybe times have just changed? Labelling it as 'wokeness' is a bit much.

I think they've got new staff who haven't organised a Royal tour before, it's been a couple of years.

I don’t think they’ve annoyed anyone in the press particularly. I think that when the first engagement had to be cancelled due to the protests over the land issues, the press got a whiff of the possibility that this tour may not go smoothly and were on the lookout for negative angles. Plus it is true that the world has changed a lot over the last couple of years 🤷‍♀️

I like W & K and feel they do a reasonably good job in promoting the charities in which they are involved. However the Caribbean tour seemed off. It's also a bit much when K is wearing £1500 shoes and £2500 dresses when half the people at home are struggling to pay their fuel bills, food banks are expanding and there's a war in Europe. Toning down the dresses and promoting British brands like m & s or JL would be a very real positive in much the same way the Spanish consort wears Zara. It all just seems a bit blind to reality. I can't comment on the cost of William's clothes because they haven't been priced out in the media that I could see, but I'm sure much the same applies.
Re the Caribbean, I've always found the people lovely, it's the visitors, mostly Americans that aren't so great.

Maybe wearing an m & s dress for the day and donating the other £2,460 to a favourite charity could become a thing.

It felt that they were set up a bit in Jamaica. The negative press started very early too. I was surprised at the amount of criticism in The Telegraph particularly. It made me wonder what's going on.

@AngelicaElizaAndPeggy

I guess the Mumsnet flouncers corner makes more sense as a concept now!!

😂😂😂😂 👍

Well it was far less of a PR disaster for Wills than his uncle's last (reported) trip to the Caribbean, so he can console himself with that while he considers his future.

AngelicaElizaAndPeggy I don't know Mumsnet flouncers corner but you have reminded me that flounce is a noun too, and it's a thing on a skirt. I have just looked up the meanings in the little dictionary. Now I'm wondering what is the difference between a frill on a dress and what is a flounce, which leads me off to Jane Austen, so I'll get into mighty big trouble from the regulars on here, for going off piste.

@Lineofconcepcion

I like W & K and feel they do a reasonably good job in promoting the charities in which they are involved. However the Caribbean tour seemed off. It's also a bit much when K is wearing £1500 shoes and £2500 dresses when half the people at home are struggling to pay their fuel bills, food banks are expanding and there's a war in Europe. Toning down the dresses and promoting British brands like m & s or JL would be a very real positive in much the same way the Spanish consort wears Zara. It all just seems a bit blind to reality. I can't comment on the cost of William's clothes because they haven't been priced out in the media that I could see, but I'm sure much the same applies. Re the Caribbean, I've always found the people lovely, it's the visitors, mostly Americans that aren't so great.

Maybe wearing an m & s dress for the day and donating the other £2,460 to a favourite charity could become a thing.

Brilliant post and if they followed your advice in the last paragraph it would certainly be a great start!

*Kate not they . You can pick out a nice M&S suit William.

@SplashinginPuddles1

Just as inappropriate and out of step with current times is Harry complaining about his lack of security in the UK.

2/10

Now I'm wondering what is the difference between a frill on a dress and what is a flounce

A frill is something that used to adorn some of Diana's dresses in the early days.

A flounce is what Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen tends to have on his shirts...

@SquirrelG

According to the The Times today William and Kate were actually very well received on the ground - lots of crowds and they met and charmed a lot of people. The PR has been disastrous though - so the Range Rover open-top for example was seen as a colonial anachronistic mis-step was actually organised and insisted on by the Jamaican government. As always, unless you see things first hand, and you know the whole picture, you can’t always judge based on what is in the media. Whilst these countries are active paid up members of the commonwealth, how would it look if the RF actually didn’t visit them?

Exactly. I live in a Commonwealth country, and while there are always a few protesters many, many, people actually make the effort to get out and see the Royals because it is a big deal to them. Why do people living in the UK think they know it all

It's just as horribly patronising as those claiming that tours are horribly patronising, ironically! "We're the UK, we know better than you silly colonials" is how it reads to me. Very unfortunate. Jamaica, along with any other nation in the commonwealth is free to decide that they don't want HMQ as head of state whenever they like. It's interesting that so many haven't. Also of note; a couple of non empire countries have chosen to join the commonwealth, Rwanda is one of them. Why would that be? Maybe they like the idea? As for the Cambridge's tour, I have no big thoughts on the matter. Some of the optics seemed a bit questionable, perhaps. W+C bore the hell out of me and their work ethic seems somewhat lacking but that is just a personal opinion. All of that being said I don't thnk the monarchy is in quite the danger some might hope, recentish history suggests otherwise, look at the beginning of the 20th century. When Queen Victoria died Edward the VII was expected to be a disaster. He was not. Then along came George VI, dull as ditchwater but just the man for the job. Edward VIII nearly ballsed the whole thing up by being 1) charismatic and 2) a Nazi. Luckily he buggered off to be followed by George VI, a shy, diffident and decent man who was just what was needed in WW2. Things have a way of sorting themselves out.

So ... Edward and Sophie are due to take their own Royal Tour of the Caribbean later this month. (Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.)

Is this a good idea, I don't think so. But apparently they are frantically changing plans and have knocked the open top Land Rover on the head. Quite right too.

I am just not sure that this time is good for ANY royal tour for all the reasons we know.