How much work goes on behind the scenes?

[auberginefortea]

I guess this has been done before, but I couldn't find it.

How busy do we think the Royals are beyond the list of engagements we see?

My BIL is a diplomat and I know a lot of his job is hosting people, having receptions, giving an opening talk at some event. But he's also busy managing people, writing reports, doing project management of some sort. I'd guess that the actual physical attendance at events is say 20% of his time.

How do we think that compares for the Royals?

Or do we think their staff carry much of the burden (writing the speech) and the work is reading a one pager in the car on the way to the event?

A very good question. I would say a lot more than the public realise or give them credit for.

The behind the scenes BBC programme on Boxing Day gave an indication just how many rehearsals were done.

It is clear they have briefings to read ahead of events etc For example at investitures they seem to know what every recipient has done to be awarded a CBE, MBE, OBE etc. I always think of the scene from the Devil wears Prada where the two assistants have memorised everyone attending an event and whisper in Meryl Streep ear. The RF seem to learn the book themselves.

There is also the time spent managing the two Duchy’s as well as their Royal Households. Both KC and PoW are responsible for a large number of employees and properties.

I don't suppose unless you've seen Royals lounging around watching Jeremy Kyle on a Wednesday, or reading briefings at 10pm ahead of an important meeting, no-one can directly know. But I wonder if there are biographies, etc that give a clear picture of their typical working life.

King Charles' former press secretary did a run down of a typical day, starting at 8 am and usually working until midnight, with breaks for afternoon tea and dinner. Apparently he doesn't eat at lunchtime but goes for a walk instead!

Charles is apparently a workaholic (and of course now he has kinging to do, like his red boxes)

That's fascinating. I think the new book by Robert Hardman on King Charles would be a good read. Do we think it's the same for William?

Quite the opposite, I imagine.

The rehearsals were for the coronation, something other European monarchies often handle by simply having the new king or queen sign a document in parliament, but which was considered necessary in the UK, even at a time of widespread poverty and inequality, chiefly to reconcile the public to the monarchy at a transitional time after a widely-respected queen died and a much less popular figure took the throne.

Chancy times for the monarchy, when there’s a transition from a safe pair of hands to a man whose life has been spent waiting for his mother to die, interfering in politics, marrying unsuitably, being a notorious adulterer, who then compounded his sins by marrying his affair partner, who is being crowned by his side, at a time when his brother is widely suspected of having sex with underaged trafficked girls, and his son has defected and gone public about his treatment by the RF.

Of course they needed rehearsals, the state coach, horses, soldiers, the Archbishop of Canterbury, pageantry etc!

I don’t think we should be congratulating people for showing up to rehearsals to ensure they retain their privilege.

If Edward VIII and Wallis Sampson and the death of Diana (and even Harry/Meghan) taught them anything, it’s ‘be careful who royals fall for/marry — it’s lethal if they’re too popular or too unpopular. And manage transitions carefully.

As regards the day to day ribbon-cutting and speeches, they just show up, wave and smile, and read a bland speech someone else wrote for a carefully-vetted, undivisive charity, surrounded by staff and security who arrange everything from transport, loo breaks, carrying tissues, make-up repairs, to who is in the curtsying lineup and presenting bouquets. There will be no hostile press questions, no requirement for an in-depth knowledge of the charity’s work, no requirement to be anything more than a body to be looked at while making the right noises.

I think they do rather less than the sycophants imagine, particularly William and Catherine. Neither of whom ever seem to do very much (illness not withstanding). William when he was doing search and rescue appeared busier than he is now and I think he only did that part time.

He's got a CEO in to manage the duchy of Cornwall, so unlike his father he doesn't even do that. I imagine the PoW's staff do the grunt work.

It was interesting that the papers were reporting that Kate would be working from bed in the hospital . I wondered if that was a response to some public criticism of her for having so long in hospital to recover and the not ‘working’ till after Easter . Charles is renowned for working very long hours, and Camilla seems very busy and involved in lots of initiatives. There must be lots of prep ad briefings in advance of engagements . Also lots of behind the scenes meetings.

I do think the RF work at an even pace with regular breaks but realistically this is because they will be working much longer than most of us. KC became PoW officially at 20 and so has been a working royal for at least 55 years.

How many 75/76 year olds are still working? It’s obvious the late Queen did less in her later years but she was in her late 80s and 90s.

If reports are true the late Queen was still doing red boxes less than 24 hours before she died.

I wondered if that was a response to some public criticism of her for having so long in hospital to recover and the not ‘working’ till after Easter.

I thought this exactly as well! I think they originally released the timeline as a way of gaining sympathy or implying the severity of the operation. But without more detail, it became a target for criticism of the monarchy or assumption that they were trying to throw the press off the trail. People didn't forget with Meghan when the official birth "updates" were downright lies. Archie was already born when the press release said she was on her way to hospital (or something along those lines).

Though I definitely believe the RF work a lot more behind the scenes than anyone gives them credit for. However people are going to believe what they believe. Eg. The vast majority of people think influencers get paid for doing nothing but the actually nitty gritty of having a successful social media presence requires far more work that an average person is capable of. But that will still never change the image of influencers/Tiktokers/Instagrammers as a ridiculous job for lazy people.

@Urcheon what absolute drivel! As someone who has two relatives who work for the RF i can tell you that very much goes on behind the scenes! The just showing up bit is about 10% of what they actually do! They will have been fully briefed on what they are attending and done lots of reading of facts etc! As a pp stated the king is a workaholic who is always busy with one project or another! It always makes me laugh when people call them lazy because they probably make your average 9-5 worker look far more lazy! They work until they die as well, as our late queen proved, do you know any other 96 year olds still working full time?

As you say yourself, someone else will have done the research, fact-checking, and will provide the precis used for the briefing, and whatever reading is needed. All the royal has to do is show up, presentably dressed by someone else, be able to read a speech, remember a page or two of key facts and not actually doze off during the lineup or confuse the British Sub-Aqua Club with the Football Association or the Crieff Highland Gathering.

Of course Charles had to find causes, otherwise his subjects might have been resentful of the unignorable fact that he hung about waiting for his mother to die so he could have a job at the age of 73. As you would expect in a man looking for something to do, his causes were rather more tailored than some other royals, who just get handed ‘themed’ stuff to do with their title — ie the Kents getting Kent-related stuff.

Don't be ridiculous, of course the Queen wasn't working full time up till her death.

No one but the most fervant sychophant would believe such nonsense.

As for Catherine working whilst in hospital - I really hope not. She's in there for a while, and working is not what you're supposed to be doing after major surgery.

Didn't the queen have a photo call with the new prime minister about two days before she died? Does that not count as woek?

I think you need to redefine your definition of "work".

But if not I'm willing to step up. Luxury home, servants, huge income, for going to dinner or shaking hands occasionally with people. I'm up for it...

She was 96 with advanced bone cancer and 2 days from death.

I can confirm I would not be doing ANY photocalls in those circumstances, and at that age I also intend to be living off of taxpayers in a building I don’t own being fed by staff thank you very much 😆

The king & previously the queen needed to spend an insane amount of time going g through possible new laws & legislation to make sure none of it affected them & if it did they had to make sure it was amended to preserve their bank balance & property portfolio.
i expect they spent a lot of time making sure their wills were kept secret & inheritance tax completely unpaid.

The reason the Royals can 'work until they die' is precisely because what they do is not onerous in the slightest. Of course the average person cannot work until they are 96. Because anyone who has had to work 40 hours a week as well as bring up children/ care for the house/elderly parents etc cannot do that. They would collapse from exhaustion. The Royals can hand shake a couple of days a month to their hearts content, because it is very, very easy. Particularly when a proportion of their 'work' involves going to film premieres and sporting events. Something others have to do in their spare time. And saying they make the average person working 9-5 look lazy? Really? Is that the same time as they are 'prioritising their children by both working part time, term time only' as if people who work to keep a roof over their kids heads and food on the table cannot be 'prioritising their children? I don't think insulting their subjects is the best way to keep the Monarchy going!

@Urcheon As you say yourself, someone else will have done the research, fact-checking, and will provide the precis used for the briefing, and whatever reading is needed.

Something that I and many others do for Manager’s, Directors, CEO’s, MPs, Ministers, COO’s, CFO’s etc.

Such people have other aspects to their jobs. The royals’ ‘job’ is purely a matter of showing up, reading the speech unchallenged by alternative views, and doing a bit of smiling and waving. Posters on this thread appear to be labouring under the delusion that they write their own material, or slog through large amounts of research in order to arrive at a position of highly-informed understanding of each organisation, when they’re just symbolic bodies to be looked at.

You've no idea what they do day to day

This is kind of the point. They pretty much seem to do sweet FA throughout the day compared to other people, especially because they’re so secretive about it.

Nor do you. It doesn't mean they are very stretched and don't have a minute in the day

You've no idea what they do day to day

The closest we get (why?) is the sparsely detailed Court Circular.

But we do get some way to filling in the extensive gaps in that when we retrospectively read about the glam breaks alleviating the slog.

I think the Rf are trapped in the situation they are in and probably hate it. Anyone who has had a job where they have to do a lot of socialising and appear to be interested, engaged and informed the whole time would know how incredibly draining it is. As would anyone who has been the spouse of someone with a job like that. It isn't fun, it isn't possible to relax . They have hundreds of cameras trained on them in public so can't ever look grumpy, tired, unwell or bored. They also have to read the briefings they are given in great detail and remember the facts . They have to be well informed, engaged and interested all the time. In addition, they need to think up initiatives in order to look like they are doing something useful. As HM supposedly said, they don't own their houses, the art work or anything else. They are there on sufferance, and history clearly shows what happens when the public tire of their monarchs. They can't retire, they can't ever really have a private life.
All the holidays in the world and all the houses don't make up for any of that in my view. Poor George is condemned to that life too, even though he might want something completely different. For those who say he can just walk away, no he really can't. Not without causing a scandal and going down in the history books as someone who betrayed his whole family. We have one of those already, and one in the past who caused the Queen to lose her right to a life of her own and caused a lot of heartache.