Did Harry get the better deal

[Labradorandshiraz]

I can’t even imagine the prison of being Williamsnd Kate and I honestly feel this even though I’ve no staff or palaces. The hours with their children on show during a coronation, their children criticised, security concerns, the time alone coordinating outifts. The hours over the coronation weekend and then a public engagement with kids. Imagine having everyone photograph you when you are bloated with your period or fighting with your husband that day. I sm
not saying women over 40 should be invisible but that the pressure to look hot while playing tennis just shouldn’t be on you as a Mum of 3.

I think the claustrophobia of it is also the weight in their shoulders since the coronation. The royal family rides on the media and without fashion and royals of varying ages and babies and events, the media lose interest. The weight is firmly on those senior working royals.

I just find them utterly claustrophobic to watch especially the kids. I wonder why the British public doesn’t question it. They’re not being poorly treated but doing official engagements at 6 ?

Yes the royal family is steeped in history but so are many things, that doesn’t make it right. It does mean people just don’t question it.

Is it right for children to grow up like that ? We see the end result for child celebrities and the many royals who’ve ended up fairly unhappy and obsessed with their own fragile ego and identities.

I don’t get it and I can’t help but feel the Sussex children got the better end of the deal.

I thjnk if I were Kate I’d ask my husband to give it all up. Why don’t they ? Take a duchy and run !!!!

The children have only been seen at big events in the last couple of years as there have been big events - the Jubilee, the Queen's funeral and the King's coronation - which aren't expected to be repeated any time soon

They are rarely seen otherwise - perhaps sporting events which George is taken too plus some christmas events - and the accord with press means we rarely see unofficial photos of them going about every day events. They go to private school and mix with other children in similar circles, and seem to have a reasonable amount of freedom.

This.

@SallyLockheart @Littlethingsmeanalot

They greet people on walkabouts and are photographed every Christmas, Easter, trooping of colour, funeral, coronation, and the gardening event. This is just the start of it.

It’s also fact that they’re subjected to criticism, an enormous level of attention that will only increase and are essentially being setup for a life of no privacy that is next level and a level of celebrity rarely not chosen. This is also without necessarily the perks or freedoms (eg choosing your career) or wealth (inheriting a duchy if you’re a direct heir). It’s basically a deal forced on them.

I think their childhoods are privileged and happy for the most part but for how long.

They are seen a handful of times a year in carefully controlled situations. At other times, the press leaves them alone. Also, in addition to the usual benefits of being rich, they get to have David Attenborough call around for a visit, hang out with Novak Djokovic and hold the Wimbledon trophy, and all sorts of privileges no other children in the country get to enjoy. When they are older, their connections will allow them to have their pick of careers, however mediocre they might be.

No children get to choose the circumstances in which they are raised. But theirs really don't sound so terrible to me.

@IcedPurple that’s a really good argument actually.

I still think I’d be tellling my husband to get a duchy and retire though.

How does one 'get a duchy and retire'?

You just pass it to the left hand side

Very droll!

It'll be up to them, won't it? If they don't want to be part of the family, they can walk away like Harry. But Harry always says that he misses the family get togethers. And all the RF do look very close and seem to enjoy being together. You could see from how Charlotte and Sophie interacted how comfortable they are with each other so clearly they must spend time together.

They spend practically every day out of the spotlight, with friends and family. We never hear of what the Wales get up to in their own time. They've locked down their private life. But the fact is, George will be king, unless he says he doesn't want to be. He needs to get used to being looked at.

In interviews when they were younger Harry always spoke for William and said that William wasn't going to work as hard as the Queen or Charles. William was more reticent and maybe that was with good reason because it seems, with good support for the Middletons, that actually he's embracing his role. Harry is still living with his resentment but William has matured and got over that. He's certainly put on a good face if he really does feel trapped.

No one knows how the world will look in 20 or 30 years time so we have no idea what George's future will be. But it seems like the Wales children are happy, enjoy their time at official occasions and it's tightly controlled according to how much they can deal with. I think William and Kate are doing a good job.

I think it's a shame it doesn't seem H&Ms children have a chance to meet their relations on his side (or most on hers as she's estranged from most of them), nor have they been able to be present for the recent ceremonies (even if kept out of sight so not on show) of which are a part of their heritage they've been excluded from through no choice of their own. It'll be interesting as to how they view this forced estrangement and loss of the opportunities they could have had as they grow up. They've had photos released of them (allegedly theirs anyway) and so I don't even know if they'll be afforded privacy to make up for it as they grow up.

I think he for sure could have had the better deal, if he'd have left for Cali but not burnt all of his bridges I'm sure they'd have been welcomed back to pick and choose which parts they wanted to join in with and have more opportunities in their careers. They've pretty much ruined their chances of forging successful paths for themselves as it goes and aren't welcome at historical stuff people couldn't pay to go to.

I think W&K seem to be pretty balanced, the children are present at stuff but they also are afforded privacy too.

Actually I think William and Kate looked incredibly tense at Ascot. She gave him a bottom or back pat and he ignored her. To me it seems they are putting on a brave face.

Or perhaps he was hot, uncomfortable, bored with having to watch the racing, didn't want to be touched up in public at that particular moment....

I'd say its normal for couples to not always be picture perfect. I've seen the tweets about it, but funny enough they have ignored the rest of the footage from the event in which they seem fine.

The wales children always seem happy. The last couple of years have not been normal and we will most likely only see them once or twice a year.
hardly bad considering the reward they get.

Am not sure you can really claim concern about the 'prison' of the Wales', the scrutiny they and their children may face etc when you've just decided to micro analyse one moment in a recent public event.... You're just perpetuating what you appear to be criticising.

Maybe William is not into horse racing

What's your real aim in starting this thread?

Rubbish. So one (misinterpreted) moment suggests their marriage is in trouble? Did you see the way they looked at each other at the Order of the garter last week & the way they generally behave together, very naturally & lots of laughter.

If you compare the Wales' & the Sussexes I know who I'd say looks the happiest

thjnk if I were Kate I’d ask my husband to give it all up. Why don’t they ? Take a duchy and run

Don't think that's how it works 🙄

I think you have to be a certain type of person to want to be in the public eye so much just because of who your family are or because of the family you married into.

I definitely could not be under a microscope like that and I definitely wouldn't allow my children to be, the press intrusion will only get worse for the children as history has shown, and I would simply not set my children up for that.

I would not opt for their lives, and no amount of money, schooling, job role or famous friends would make it a viable option.
But the flip side is, previous generations have been conditioned to this life and know no different. I do think it's only really got progressively worse in the last 40 years or so with the press, but with the power and access the press are being given, no chance would my kids be anywhere near it,

I don't know about Harry having a better deal but I definitely wouldn't want to be Kate. I'm not saying poor them they have such a hard life or anything, but the sacrifices that they do have to make are not ones that I would choose.

Pippa has the best deal of the two sisters. Ridiculously rich and basically private apart from the odd picture. She can do what she likes, without the scrutiny of being a public figure, using taxpayer money.

Yeah I was wondering that, seems very determined ..

William and Kate are doing good stuff with the profile they have - him on homelessness and her on early childhood. They learned from his grandfather on the convening power of the monarchy to make a difference. Their image is incredibly carefully controlled as are images of the children. The extended Royal and Middleton families seem really close - Zara Phillips and her kids, the York girls, Pippa's kids. Looks like the Wales kids are lucky to be growing up with a gang of relatives who will look out for them. Shame Archie and Lilibet are so far away from that.

If William ‘gave it all up’, that would put Harry next in line, and if he didn’t want it, then it would be Andrew. Just saying, be careful what you wish for!

I think Will and Kate made a very wise choice by having three children. The 'heir and spare' dynamic appears to have led to tension and toxicity for William and Harry. Having an heir and two additional 'spare' children who can support each other will hopefully facilitate a better dynamic all round.

(I really hate the term spare... but you all know what I mean!)

No, it would put George next in line. William could abdicate for himself, but not on his children's behalf.