AIBU to think lots of engagements are not "work"?

[babsanderson]

Just reading the Court Circular and I am struck once again by the reality that many engagements can not remotely be called work.
So just looking at January so it is clear I am not cherry picking over many months, there are the following engagements.

1. Anne went to a Dinner with the Caledonian Hunt
2. The Duke of Kent attended a carol service
3. Duchess of Gloucester, Patron, the Arts Society, today held a Meeting via telephone with Dr. Florian Schweizer (Chief Executive). So basically a phone call.
4. Anne attended lunch at the Royal Yachting Association.

It is not even the time of year to attend Film Premiers, tennis matches, football matches and theatre premiers.

Before every engagement they swot up on the attendees ....their history, countries history, political situations, interests, what subjects to avoid or would be controversial etc....if you were meeting 20 people today how would you learn and digest that information? The tomorrow your at a luncheon for a charity....learn all of it again, eat enough not to be rude but not too much so tonight's 3 hour banquet can be managed, know enough about Mr x on the left and miss y on the right plus the 4 other who are near you not to be rude, do the same for the evening banquet plus all the main parties in the recieving line...avoid getting it wrong and causing diplomatic upset. Eat only a few mouthfuls over all course to avoid bloating, belching or having the need for a loo break at the wrong time whilst not being too full to dance with the sweaty creep with bad breath ......god it's all fun

I would find it to be work if I was doing it because of a role I play and it wasn't my choice. You can't cancel because you are tired or have a headache, you have to dress right, talk right, be sociable, be mentally alert. Dealing with people professionally is very different than dealing with people socially. It's the kind of thing some people would find easier than others.

You seem to think the work is just the time at the event not all the research for everyone before hand or the debriefs after not to mention the hours of travel in between.
Of course they also do other work not just turning up, There is the reading of various reports and paperwork involved in the charitable roles plus mail ,it's edited by staff obviously but far more than an hour's reading. Most people do not go to work Ill yes some do but not the majority because most working people get sick pay.

Are you 72 and been doing it all your life?

It's all a bit nepo baby of the highest order. Tbf Brooklyn Beckham could be winging Will's role with a similar don't have an opinion on owt/wear a boring suit/get your wife to grin inanely/don an ostrich feather once a year etc...

What would you have them do that they are not doing now? Who are you talking about the main 2, the siblings?

Really don't think he could.

🙄

YABU. The whole time they have to be conscious of what facial expressions they have, and how photos could be used against them for decades if they stand too far apart / too close / turn their backs on someone. They have to act a fake persona the whole time and not say what they really think while talking to as many as people as possible with fake interest.

I get that you’re jealous but why not just be jealous of the A-list actors or billionaires who don’t have to do this shit?

This is work I've been to beautiful events, exhausting work

Royal engagements are things done on behalf of the monarch...in addition and not included in the number of engagements are anything done by the individuals in their own names ...charities they support and any events to do with their patronages. The working royals are not paid from tax payers money they are paid from the kings purse. So if Anne did 214 royal engagements she also did lots of charitable events and functions as patron to various organisations....more than 300 of them.

Of course it's work. What else would you call it, its hardly a social event when it's people they don't know and they are expected to makes small talk and do some research / study others notes before going.

I used to work with a guy who'd have a round of 'business golf' in the afternoon trying to build relationships with clients then have a round of 'fun golf' with his mates in the evening.
He was adamant they were different and trying to keep conversation going for hours could be hard going.

That's true too, lots of people have highly paid cushy jobs. Wouldn't mind one of those myself.
I think being a royal has its pros and cons, can honestly say I'm not sure I'd want to do it (also not saying I'd turn it down!)

My job may bore me to tears but I go I go and come home and then do normal stuff I wouldn't want to do their job at all

From the last day fully posted, 19 January, copied shamelessly from Court Circular:

Anne:
The Princess Royal this morning planted a tree in Jubilee Wood, Holyrood Park, Queen's Drive, Edinburgh, to commemorate The late Queen's Platinum Jubilee and was received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh (Councillor Robert Aldridge, the Rt. Hon. the Lord Provost).

Her Royal Highness, Member, the Royal British Legion Scotland, afterwards re-opened Lady Haig Poppy Factory, 66 Logie Green Road, Edinburgh, and was received by Brigadier John Thomson (Deputy Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh).

The Princess Royal, Chancellor, the University of Edinburgh, later attended a Reception for Nurses and Midwives at Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh.
Her Royal Highness, Royal Patron, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, this afternoon visited WildGenes Laboratory, Edinburgh Zoo, 134 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, to mark the Laboratory's Tenth Anniversary.

Edward:
The Earl of Wessex, Patron, the Production Guild of Great Britain, this morning visited the MAMA Youth Project at Sky, Grant Way, Isleworth, Middlesex, and was received by Mrs. Rosemary Prescott (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London).

His Royal Highness this afternoon visited the Union Jack Club, 1 Sandell Street, London SE1, and was received by Mr. Christopher Wellbelove (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London).

The Earl of Wessex, Colonel, 1st Battalion London Guards, this evening attended the Colonel's Dinner at the Cavalry and Guards Club, 127 Piccadilly, London W1.

Sophie:
The Countess of Wessex this morning visited Connaught Junior School, Manor Way, Bagshot, and was received by Mrs. Johanna Hamilton (Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey).

Her Royal Highness afterwards visited Heatherwood Hospital, London Road, Ascot, and was received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire (Mr. James Puxley).

The Countess of Wessex, Patron, Shooting Star Children's Hospices, this afternoon held a Meeting.

Her Royal Highness, Patron, later held a Meeting for Disability Initiative.

William and Kate:

The Prince of Wales this morning visited Depaul UK, Sherborne House, 34 Decima Street, London SE1.

The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron, the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, this morning held an Early Years Meeting.

Her Royal Highness, Patron, the Rugby Football League, this afternoon held a Reception at Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey, to celebrate the World Cup win of the England Wheelchair Rugby Football League team.

Charles:
The King this morning held a Meeting at Dumfries House, Cumnock, Ayrshire, for The Prince's Trust and The Prince's Trust International.

His Majesty afterwards received Dame Susan Bruce (Chairman, The Prince's Foundation) and Ms. Emily Cherrington (Acting Chief Executive Officer).

The King this evening received the Ambassador from the United States of America (Her Excellency Ms. Jane Hartley).

His Majesty later held a Dinner at Dumfries House for representatives from the Diplomatic Corps.

---

Sounds like work to me.

PS: for most of those events you mention, it's not the only thing they did that day. Anne's lunch with the yachting association was followed by two meetings with officials leaving and entering their posts, followed by a reception for "Insights: Women in Sport" Panel Discussion at the British Olympic Association as the patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Well for a start if you watch any news, you can see what they are doing. And it’s really easy to see in passing that William has done more than 3 engagements this year. That’s how I know he has done more than 3.

Is there a legal obligation for them to have everything detailed on there? If not, then no one should be taking it as all they have done. Most people don’t need to see proof of what the RF are doing with their days.

The point I was making is, you said he had only done 2. I pointed out it wasn’t correct, so maybe the entire thing isn’t correct. But you took personal offence to the court circular not being accurate. Which I find odd. I didn’t make an opinion on wether William is working hard or not. But it’s clear the CC isn’t accurate. That’s what I said, you decided I must be making comment on how hard he works.

I have no idea if they work hard, like you have no idea. I did 11 teams calls last week. All of them still considered as work. All of them in my diary. Some with people who work in remote offices that I now consider friends as well as colleagues so actually enjoyable. But also work. Some were harder work than others. Most people have things in their job that are harder than others. Weeks they work harder than others.

But if you need the CC, to make a point knowing it’s not accurate, have at it. But people will point out it’s clearly incorrect.

They don't do the research themselves! They have staff for that, Private Secretaries and aides... huge resources at their fingertips to do all the preparation for them. And the travel is in luxury... helicopter, back seat of a limousine, royal train (like Charles has used this week so he could have a nap on it)
For all you know, they are given a bullet point brief they digest before a short visit, smile, nod and move on if you've had enough.

Bellalalala Why do you keep saying I took 'personal offence', such a strange point to make! Unless someone personally insults me on here or calls me names, I take nothing personally. What's the point of that, ife's too short.
I said 2 engagements as per CC, I then corrected it to 3 on the CC.

So exactly like most CEOs then.

3 'engagements' in 3 weeks

Not work

But the 'royals' are on borrowed time and the young know it

Royalists can commission all the unreliable polls they want . The younger generations see through the facade .

I'm a teacher and I've met PoW in a work capacity. She really knows her stuff. Are you involved in their research at all, Roussette? You're claiming to know how much research they do or don't do themselves and I wonder if that's just the musings and opinion of someone with little knowledge, or if you have first hand experience.

No one has first hand experience, neither you, nor me. We can have opinions though. We're allowed those on here!

Unless their huge army of staff are sat twiddling their thumbs doing nothing, one can assume they do some research for them. If not, they should be made redundant and the whole organisation slimmed down. It's hard to find how many staff they have... some reports say over 150, who knows, it's very opaque.

If we look at the Princess of Wales, she doesn’t just turn up for a visit in whatever she threw on, to take the children to school, does she? I imagine she spends a fair amount of time with her stylist and designers, choosing clothes and having them fitted; keeping fit, doing her hair, nails and make up (I’ve never seen her on a bad hair day), etc. Some people might think it’s bliss - for all we know, she and Camilla don’t? They might prefer to wear jeans every day? It’s still work to turn up everywhere, looking that good?

They don’t get a private life - who wants a photograph of them topless, splashed on practically every tabloid? Everything they say in public is analysed, and often criticised?

Being a royal is far more than going for a dinner, once a week! How many people would honestly hold their hands up, and say they want to do it?

They obviously don't research facts but they have to learn them ...you try learning facts about people so as soon as your introduced to any of 20 or more their name recalls something about them....then do it for another event this afternoon and evening one tonight. That's like saying revision for a test is a bit of light reading.

Already established it's not 3 in a week.