I am glad Kate is feeling much better,however

[portocristo]

Watching the news about the horrendous rubbish problem in Birmingham,this was followed by Kates film clip rambling about Windermere saying we need to connect with nature and couldn’t help thinking it was inappropriate.I bet cancer sufferers in Birmingham would love to do this instead of holding down a job worrying about col doing chores that I bet she never does and have stinking rubbish with rats in the streets. I have no problem with her video but thought the timing was so off. They sometimes need to read the room.

Good points, @LaMarschallin

Thank you @LaMarschallin

Thank you @Serenster for setting out some factual information about William's attendance at the Easter service. Clearly there is no tradition, expectation or compulsion, let alone obligation embodied in some nebulous notion of William's "duties". And clearly the public has not kicked up a fuss about non attendance or even seemed to care in the past. As I have said repeatedly yesterday, I think this is simply the tabloids getting their noses out of joint because they won't have a Catherine outfit/cute Wales kid/Royal Easter Parade all united against the Sussexes pic to publish. It's a nothing-burger. And I very much doubt an "increasing" number of the public cares a jot.

(I do now have Judy Garland singing Easter Parade and an image of William in an Easter bonnet stuck in my head though).

As an aside, I wish people will stop banging on about William attending Villa matches. As I'm from a football mad family (typing last night whilst flicking between all the thrilling internationals), I find it really endearing to see him and the kiddo at the matches showing all the passion that my own family experience. He's supporting a sport that is very much part of the national identity, and it seems like genuine support rather than the performative kind from some of our MPs. I am sure many members of the public find his going far more relatable than offensive. My sports mad teens (who hate Villa, but appreciate passionate fans) certainly do.

@RandyRedHumpback excellent points.
Plus I agree with you about the football 👍!

@LaMarschallin thanks for the reminder.

He does seem genuine in his support of Villa. According to my lot you’re normal if you support a team 🙄

Luckily he didn’t go for a big team either as that could be divisive.

Best bit of commentary last night was about the Man U fans - who had started to leave the stadium - running back in when their team started scoring in the dying minutes. Absolutely hilarious!

😂
I think also, it's a national sport really. I'd be more critical if he just watched polo, to be honest.

Just like how the other pair also restrict what pictures of their children are made public. So we all.agree it perfectly ok to stick two fingers up the media and control what pictures are released, regardless of who it is.

What you do think about all the endless threads about the other pair finding any reason to have a pop? Don't you think they are also deeply unpleasant

That’s not what I really meant. More along the lines of she doesn’t release the photos to the media and just keeps releasing them on her social media platform, but I can see why you thought that, I wasn’t clear in my post.

I don’t really mind if any royal releases photos of their children or not, I respect people’s wishes to protect their children’s privacy. I’m just not impressed when they tease photos of their back of heads or far off shots. If you don’t want to show the kids, don’t show them at all.

@RandyRedHumpback I totally agree with you about the football. I come from a football mad family and my dcs have been very impressed when they have heard W talk about football. He seems to be a genuine fan.

We are very much a rugby family, but I absolutely agree that William is genuine in his passion for his football team and I totally appreciate it even though the ball is the wrong shape 😆

Which one presumably has to book online? Another obstacle to many older and low income residents.

I really do think that some posters have not the faintest inkling of how other families have to live.

A message I received from my footy mad dad who isn’t remotely a supporter of the Royal family and yet still respects William in spite of him being a Villa fan 🤣 (We were talking about his trip to Wetherspoons if that makes for better context, my dad loves a ‘Spoons)

edit: hmm, I guess I know where I get my emoji obsession from (very introspective) 🤣

Let’s be clear: football might be his hobby, but that doesn’t earn a line item on the ledger of royal duties. If, for argument’s sake, Kate enjoys jigsaws—like Queen Elizabeth II reportedly did—then hours spent on a 1,000-piece puzzle full of sky doesn’t count as public service either.

The Royal Family is funded—literally royally—from the public purse. With that comes the expectation of public accountability, not just when it’s convenient or flattering. The notion that speculation or scrutiny is somehow distasteful belongs in a bygone era of deference and lèse-majesté.

If the spotlight is too much, they are entirely free to step away. No one is forcing them to remain in their gilded cages.

I think it does when he’s there in an official capacity as President of the FA?

And notwithstanding the obvious security risk, he’s regularly attending Aston Villa matches — seemingly sitting in the stands with little attempt at discretion. That’s not a one-off; it’s a pattern of behaviour that surely won’t go unnoticed by anyone with malign intent.

Whereas I take your point, doing jigsaws is a private, home based activity.
William supports football, has spoken to footballers about mental health and has shared conversations about this. I think it's broader in that aspect, really. Plus I think footie has more of a following.

That's different and we with long memoreis remember when he missed the Lions in the World Cup Final in Australia. Card marked !

Does your Dad support another West Midlands team by any chance @PrettyFlyforaMaiTai ? Possibly one with a bird on their crest?😂

I do and find William's passion for the Vile sorry Villa a mixture of touching, amusing and rather great.

I'm sure that RAVEC will assess the risk, they seem very capable.
However, I think it's good to not be completely limited by security fears. Be sensible, take advice, but lead your life.

You will be surprised by the level of security going into a football stadium. Metal detectors, checking bags, pat downs. I’m sure he will be just fine. It’s probably one of the safer public events for him to attend in all honesty.

Lionesses, I think you mean. Obviously not a football fan yourself….

The British monarch is absolutely not Head of the Church of Scotland. The Church of Scotland is Calvinist and has no earthly leader, just a Moderator of the General Assembly. When the royal family attend church services in Scotland, they do so as ordinary parishioners. Wars have been fought over this!