Why wasn’t any member of the RF present at the women’s rugby World Cup final yesterday?

[Dustyhem952]

Honestly, I think it was a disgrace!

And an insult to our female players! And the entire team who worked so hard to get to be champions!

If the England’s men’s team had reached the final of the the World Cup, against a Commonwealth country no less, I bet someone would have turned up!

No doubt the team members will be invited to Windsor at some point but I think it’s a huge mid-step that no member of the RF could actually be bothered to travel to the stadium, sit in the stands, and actually cheer the Red Roses on!

Princess Anne often attends Scottish rugby matches. It would have meant so much to the women there if someone in the RF could have turned out for them. People clocked Mark Carney for Canada and could be seen literally looking around to see who was there for us!

Princess Catherine sent a message of support in advance and I have every sympathy with her if she is not well enough to attend a match, But if that was the case, someone in one of the offices at St James’s palace, to which we all collectively contribute a lot of money, should have clocked this situation and made other suitable plans!

Sorry Catherine and William, you can’t just pick and choose the events you want to attend like Wimbledon and Aston Villa matches!

Fergie’s got lots of spare time now

I’m not howling but can you honestly see Meghan at a rugby match? She looks bored shitless at the polo and that’s when H is playing.

Edited to say I wondered if there was something in it being a match between England and a Commonwealth country so maybe poor optics to have them actively supporting one side against another.

Unfortunately it's the senior royals that are doing the majority of engagements at the moment, King Charles - obviously, then Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

You stop doing the routine engagements and you stop being relevant. Apparently William was hosting a shooting party for his friends at Balmoral this weekend. For someone who says they want to modernise royalty "with a small 'r' " this seems a very Edwardian type of activity!!!!

So regarding Catherine's attendance, on the one hand of course she should have attended, as patron - but on the other hand if William was away enjoying himself, she probably wanted to be with the children. They need to find a better formula for their engagements and stick to it. More stuff like the silk mill visit would be great - it was so lovely that she platformed their silk by wearing it as a scarf on her engagement with Melania Trump.

Either they're being very poorly advised, or they don't take any notice anyway.

OP - you missed another genuine reason- it’s not considered to be important.

William and Catherine only do engagements they absolutely have to, only the most important.

Someone decided that women’s rugby was something that looked good on Catherine’s list of patronages, but there should be no obligation to show up to the important games.

She and William do the bare minimum- the staff who set their diaries probably have to constantly make tough decisions about what does and what does not matter, they can’t expect them to do anywhere near half what the generation up did at the same age/family stage.

if William was away enjoying himself, she probably wanted to be with the children

How on earth do ordinary families manage?! For goodness sake, the couple have just had 8 weeks of not doing anything but be with the children!

Why could Kate not have taken Charlotte to it, what a great message that would've been for womens sport. At most it would have been a few hours out of Kate's weekend, it was literally round the corner
George and Louis could have gone to their Grandparents, we keep hearing incessantly about how close the Middletons are to them all. Or, of course, there are nannies.
I find this no show quite pathetic to be honest.
K&W certainly do pick and choose their attendances... yes to Taylor Swift, Football finals and Wimbledon... no to anything that doesn't interest them.

Indeed, I agree with you. Personally I thought it was insulting that William didn't attend the VJ day commemoration either. I would have thought that should have been considered important - but obviously not.

Bad optics.

I think Kate and William will do less and less as time goes on. They are slowly priming the general public as to what it will be like when they get the top jobs. And there is nothing absolutely nothing we can do about it. We can hardly vote them out can we?

You think they will do less because they didn't go to the rugby ? I am no royalist but they seem to do a fair share of public engagements and I think we forget Catherine had or may still have cancer so she isn't allowed a break or rest.

Well she missed a cracking game. I agree they should have sent someone in an official capacity. We won the World Cup! The king should have been there.

I was there though, Mumsnet was represented.

No, I didn't say that did I.? I am talking in general. A slow reduction of duties and I am talking before Kate's illness. Kate has said twice she is in remission. Of course she is allowed a break/rest... she had 8 weeks in the summer!

They really do not do their fair share of public engagements. The 76 year old King who has cancer does far far more than his 40 something year old son. Ditto all the more elderly members. That is why my opinion is they are getting us used to the idea of less appearances

There’s no point comparing the number of engagements the younger royals do with the older ones, times are changing and William has made clear he wants to do things differently. You have no idea what work he does that isn’t being out on public view, nobody does except him and his team.

I have my reservations about his approach, I think being seen is a very important part of royalling, and the obsession with making an impact looks too much like personal vanity, but maybe it’s me who’s stuck in the past.

Maybe having a royal patron at sporting events isn’t gong to be part of the future.

William doing things differently = getting the public used to them doing less. In my opinion

I dont think he will give up his beloved football attendances

They might well be priming the public they will do less. But really thats what a slimmed down monarchy will be.

A decade ago there where about 10 senior working Royals, HMQ, PP, C&C, Ann, Andrew, E&S, W&K, H actually thats 11 now I've added them up, plus the minor Royals, Kents & Gloucesters

You are now down to 7, Charles has cancer and Kate is probably still recovering from treatment.
Some people seem to bounce back from chemotherapy others its a long slow recovery to get strength and endurance back.

Simply less people means less visibility. For a while I've thought William is going to need to drum up support from his cousins, Peter, Zara, Bea & Eugene.
Andrew has made that pretty hard. Its like what else is going to come out that cupboard.

or shock horror, she could have taken all the children, im sure she would have had staff to help. can boys not go to women's sport?

They might well be priming the public they will do less. But really thats what a slimmed down monarchy will be.

I disagree. Those that are present should be working hard and very visible. Not doing less and less.

I am all for just the king queen and heir to be doing duties. I don't want to see any of the wider family. But and it's a big BUT ...slimmed down/less royals should mean less money
It's beyond ridiculous that the sovereign grant is increasing by 52% to £132M from £86M 2025/26

Yes but if they want to slim down the monarchy, why did the Sovereign grant (taxpayer gift to the royal family) not start decreasing? We are literally paying more, for less people on the payroll and less attendance and Charles and William just take an increasing cut of the grant

We feel the same!!

Yes I can see that as a possible explanation for their absence to be fair.

But I also think in a way the fact that Canada was playing makes it more important they turned up! Not one but two countries within their realm ifyswim.

This

If Catherine had attended, the Canadian fans would have booed her for being so nice to Trump. Big anti-America sentiments in Canada these days.

They both also have at least 9 months when they are not working, use the kids half terms and school holidays to say the can't possibly have an afternoon away from them. So why are we paying for their nannies? I wish I could sack off an extremely part time job to spend time with my kids. Maybe, as they will be expected to be future ' working Royals' their parents should be demonstrating some work ethic.

i doubt it. but im sure she could have coped.

He wants to do less but still keep the numerous houses, not decrease the Sovereign Grant and not declare his tax returns so we dont know how much he or the apparently commercial private company Duchy of Cornwall pays. Hes basically as entitled as Harry, Andrew and the rest, but with better PR.

That's a very feeble excuse, sorry! very inventive though!

Think of all the Commonwealth countries that play rugby, does that mean no Royals can attend if it's against England?

As an American, I have to say that I would never criticize my elected officials for not attending a sports event. I don't find them a priority. @BemusedAmerican US elected officials have actual jobs running the country ( badly but still) The Royals job is basically to show up to things and show support. Kates job as patron of English rugby is to turn up to a world cup final 15 minutes down the road.