Yesterday, we discussed Prince Charles’ “gift” to Prince George, which was a total media blitz about Charles redoing a gorgeous little treehouse on his Highgrove property, plus adding a child-sized shed, which would be used as some kind of playhouse. Considering Charles and William seem to be constantly taking shots at each other in press, the press blitz seemed like Charles publicly guilt-tripping his son over access to the grandkids. Wonderfully enough, that’s how other people are reading it too. The Daily Beast’s Tom Sykes did a wonderfully gossipy piece about Charles’ latest salvo in the ongoing war between Willy and Chuck – you can read it here. Some highlights:
Charles is not close to his son or grandson: Sykes still maintains that Charles was not invited to George’s birthday party and that Charles’ engagement on the same day was a face-saving appearance. Sykes also says, “The truth, however, is that Charles and William are not particularly close—recent revelations that Charles had exploited his kids for tabloid gain didn’t help matters—and have very different attitudes about almost everything.”
William respects his dad though: “There is no lack of respect on William’s part for his father. But, sources say, William and Charles are not ‘mates’, at least not in the way that William and Kate are close to Kate’s parents, Carole and Mike. And there is little doubt that Carole spends way more time with George than Charles does. It is Carole who gets to take George to the petting zoo or to playdates with friends.
Charles really hasn’t been sitting in the garden with George: “Certainly, George has been to Highgrove, but the visits have been rare. In fact none of the press pack who pursue the royals can recall ever seeing George and Charles in private together.”
Charles is a baby-hater: “Charles doesn’t really like babies, and the idea that he and George have been spending afternoons hanging out in his Shepherd’s Hut having play tea parties is…well, let’s just say the news might be being received with some surprise at Kate and William’s house, Anmer Hall.”
Charles is going to do a well-publicized visit soon: “With Charles in Sandringham this week, don’t be entirely surprised if we hear that Charles has popped round to Anmer himself to deliver a belated birthday gift. There is little doubt that the palace would prefer to see more stories emphasizing the positive relationship between Charles and George.
Is this simply a plain translation of Charles’ motives, or is this William’s way of hitting back at his father? Well… Charles’ moves were incredibly transparent and it was quite obvious (to me) that the original stories about the treehouse were all to promote this idea that Charles is so close to George. I don’t really blame Charles though – I think he is legitimately concerned (and he has cause to be legitimately concerned) about William’s closeness to the Middletons and William’s whole press/work strategy. Basically, this is just all about William and Charles and it doesn’t really have anything to do with Charles seeing George.
Incidentally, it’s still widely believed that Carole is pretty much living at Anmer Hall. There were photos of her this week with George too.
You have to see Prince George's adorable day at the beach with his grandma Carole Middleton. http://t.co/hchWNblwQp pic.twitter.com/BxHGxTYH6s
— POPSUGAR (@POPSUGAR) July 29, 2015
Photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram.
Can I have the treehouse and the shed/hut?
No, I want it. Maybe we can share!
OH MY GOD. That headline, I guffawed, and scared the damn cat!
LOL! Poor kitty. And, Poor Charles. I don’t know why he’s the new target, but somebody’s really got a bead (aim) on him at the DB.
Right? I don’t even like him much and I’m starting to feel bad for him. Nobody “hates babies” do they? That’s a really awful thing to say.
mimif.
Meh, my dad kinds of hates babies. I mean, he likes that they’re his, or his grandchildren, and he likes to play with them for an hour or so but he’s very much ‘how lordly is the life I lead’ when it comes to babies. After age 5 or so, though, he’s your guy to take charge of the brood.
My husband isn’t a fan of babies. Wouldn’t go as far as to say he hates babies, but he much prefers when they’re a bit older and enjoy being flung around and manhandled. 🙂
My husband is scared of babies but he doesn’t hate them. Lol. Hate is going a little far.
Kiddo, does mi if hate babies or just eat them? Where is she, btw? I miss her.
Oops, I meant mimif, stupid autocorrect, what is “mi if” that you decided was better than what I originally wrote? Lunatic.
I kinda Cant really with the Babies-toddler group…. or like beyond???: too much? I mean I don’t know how to deal with them, or their needs, or the drool or their spits or when to feed/or changing diapers and so forth, I only really have fully cared for my sister’s kids full time ( LOL I am the worst Aunt, i never even call them Niblings -correct plural for boys and girls) UNTIL they could pee/poop and feed themselves and I’m pretty strict and bad about keeping kid stuff around, I mean I deliver them alive but I’m very uneasy with little drooly ones in diapers, so I get Charles?
I don’t think he “hates babies” but he doesn’t seem to enjoy young children , I though? Weren’t there rumors and allegations about his lack of involvement with William and Harry when they were babies and toddlers too? That Diana was raising them pretty much alone when they were that young?
He was also having the affair with Camilla, so that would also keep him busy outside their home.
I thought it was pretty well known that Charles dislikes small children – isn’t that the reason that Camilla kept her own house? – so she could spend time with her grandchildren away from Charles
Again, in the War of the Waleses Diana said a lot of things that weren’t true. Charles was always a very involved parents, he just didn’t play for the cameras. Photo and video evidence shows Charles loves little kids.
Pretty sure the feeling would be mutual- can’t see many babies liking Charles, either. He gives me the impression he’d make most babies cry and would have to hand them back pretty quickly.
I don’t hate babies but I sure don’t like them. I think I have a bit of a phobia about them or are allergic to them or something- they totally freak me out. I can pick up spiders or snakes with my bare hands- but don’t put a baby near me, I’ll break into a sweat, wet myself, burst into tears, puke or all of the above. But babies LOVE me, I don’t know why.
And I hate Prince Charles.
I can’t say I hate him, but I would certainly be worried about Charles spending time around my kid. No fan of William and Kate either but ya…. considering everything that’s happened in the past re: Charles, I certainly can’t blame William.
That made me laugh.
Me too, but I didn’t want to be the only 1. 😀
Silly.
Tanna seems upset he wasn’t the pap chosen for these photos. Obvious PR is obvious.
I can’t wait for him to lose it. Curious as to what he has stashed away.
This is great PR for the Midds and a savvy response to the story about Charles and George. The implication is that Charles can talk all he wants about building tree houses and planting trees with George in his beautiful garden, but Grandma Carole has the pictures to prove her closeness with him. She upstaged Charles big time. I’ve got my wine and popcorn all ready for the Clash of the Titans.
I think he’s bluffing. Wouldn’t he have come out with something juicy already if he actually had something. I think it’s all bravado.
Word is he has something on either William or Harry. I don’t know if it’s true or not, as Tanna himself isn’t exactly someone I’d want to have over for dinner.
Maia
Remember when the Midds sued him at the request of William. They maybe didn’t admit to him they were staging for their pap of choice? Anyway, Tanna got right back in with them. The thought was he had something. Otherwise why would they want him back in and give him all the exclusives again if they cut ties?
If he had something on Harry, William would have no problem with throwing Harry to the wolves to save himself. Harry, being the loyal dope that he frequently is regarding William, would go willingly. Charming the pack of wolves the entire way.
Diana condemned Harry in her own unique way, teaching him to think his main job in this world is to support William no matter what.
Agree Nota. If it was dirt on Harry it would have been fairly worthless. William though… Gold. And Harry knows how to handle a scandal. William has yet to.
Well, you don’t know what the dirt is on Harry. It may not be worthless at all. IF there is dirt on Harry. My money is it’s dirt on William. Good dirt.
Well what is he waiting for then ? I can’t wait for it.
I’d like to know why the housekeeper and gardener quit…
It’s been pretty obvious for years that William divorced his blood family and found himself a couple of new ones in the Craigs and the Middletons.
I wish he’d just go the whole hog and get the hell out of the line of succession. You know?
Harry would be ever so much more fun
Yes. Put us out of our misery Bill and step aside for someone who gives a crap. Harry would be a much better King.
Exactly, Sixer. If he wants to leave his birth family, he needs to walk away from the money and status his birth family gives him. Give it all up. The mansions, the majority of $4.6 million allowance from Daddy, the security that doesn’t stop anyone from walking up and taking 57 photos of Granny Carole and PGTips playing on a beach (on the wedding anniversary?).
Um, press pack, of course there wouldn’t be any pictures of Charles and PGTips in the garden. It is a private house on a private estate. He isn’t dragging the kids out to the beach or a farm park for a photo shoot.
You know…. I bet if he really had that choice, he would consider it. But “abdicating” so to speak like that would be horrible on Charles and the Queen and a nightmare for the Royal Family to deal with – it’s more than just the money that’s keeping him in the family. Plus he also has Harry to think about.
And the reality is – even if he did abdicate, he’d still be filthy rich – it’s not like Edward was ever hard up for instance.
I don’t honestly think he cares about them. He wants out, he hates royal life, hates monarchy.
He is NEVER going to put concerns about Harry in front of concerns about himself.
In this day and age, they won’t be able to use taxpayer money to support him as they did with Uncle David. If William walks, he’d get his trust funds but I wouldn’t expect him to get a big chunk of HM’s “private” fortune. They couldn’t support their lifestyle for more than a few years on those trust funds. And if he walks, HM writes him and the kids out of the will.
Ummm – of course they’d be able to continue funding their lifestyles if he quit. Yeah they wouldn’t be able to live at Kensington Palace anymore, but once you’re in that kind of position, you have tons of ways to make easy $$$$.
Really, thinking only about himself, he’d quit – why deal with it?
No taxpayer money would be funneled to them. No Duchy money. None of HM’s “private wealth” would come their direction upon her death. They’d blow through his inheritance from Diana in a few years, and that would be the end of the money.
These are two of the laziest royals in recent history. They’re certainly not going to go out here an earn a living. He doesn’t quit because he wants the perks while refusing to do the work, and he’s too self-centered to value the country that supports him over himself.
ya
William is wealthy, but at the rate he lives and spends not even taking into account Kate or his children, he would only maintain for a few years at most.
And other ways to make money? He’s shown he never takes his work too seriously and usually leaves rather quickly while not having worked that much while there.
Any other way to make money could boarder on scandalous behavior. Unless you have examples of how easy money could be made by him that isn’t going to be frowned upon. Examples… Take bribes for connections to sway opinions. Write tell all.
If William were both cheeky and rationale then he would decide:
a) he wants the inheritance from granny Queen E.
b) he is not fit to become kind judging his character and temperament
Solution:
Wait till Charles is king and till William has inherited and then quietly abdicate. Kate after all did teach William what you can accomplish by waiting quietly.
Hard to do but if I were ‘is Nibs I’d just cut Willy-Boy out & off. Just politely disengage. If William has let go then ‘is Nibs should too. Give everybody some space. William has money from his mother he can use to fund his wife & family.
Sad business.
I’m with you guys. It’s getting a bit old, and Charles is doing himself no favors if he’s playing games like this either.
he has to play it if he wants any kind of influence on his grandsons upbringing.
I dunno; I would think talking to his son might work better.
Not sure if William is listening to any kind of rational talk. Given how his pr strategy (catastrophe) or the cambridge’s personal pr office (dissolved and merged with Charles’ office) panned out …
William can only remove himself from the line of succession, not his son or daughter. That would still leave Harry 3rd in line after Charles. The best Harry could be is Regent for his nephew until he comes of age.
Ya true…… that’s an interesting issue actually – I wonder what that would mean if William did decide to quit… would he still get the royal family money to fund the kids?
Assuming that the Queen has passed away and Charles is King when this hypothetical plays out, William would have no claim to any money on George’s behalf because he will in fact not be the legal guardian of George, this is due to a little known law passed during the reign of George I, it is the Sovereign who has sole legal custody of the minor royal grandchildren (the law is known as ‘The Grand Opinion of 1717).
After the Queen passes away ,legally Charles will have full custody of George and his sister and be responsible for their up keep, education and anything else regarding their lives until they came of age, he could even legally forbid William and Kate any access to them. Not that this would ever happen mainly because William will never ever give up his cushy life and it would be diasterous PR. In British law Sophie and Edwards children are actually in the custody of the Queen because they are still minors.
This law is the reason that there was never any discussion regarding custody of the children at the time of Diana’s or the Duchess of York’s divorces because the Queen had always had legal custody of them not their parents. Strange but true.
Philosophically, I don’t think William could remove himself stating how terrible the life is, but he makes his kids do it. There would be absolutely no sympathy for him if he left his children in line to do a job he refused to do. It leaves things too untenable. PR-wise, Charles couldn’t survive taking the kids away. But W&K (and the Middletons) cannot raise children to respect the institution of monarchy if they have no respect for it themselves.
Whether or not the law exists now, if William walked they’d figure out how to have the under-18 kids go with him. They got rid of Uncle David, they’d figure this one out too.
I’m not fan of Carol or any other Middleton, but she is kicking butts as a grandmother. My grandmother is not an easy woman, she has a domineering personality, but she is the sweetest with me. I believe Charles has enough influence to arrange visits with George if he is in fact close to William.
I’m not a Charles fan, but he is the next in line and seems fairly busy with taking on official royal duties and managing the Duchy. Carole appears to be making a full-time job of helping Kate and William and influencing the public’s impression through PR stunts like this beach photo op.
So blatant with these zoo and beach photo shoots of Carole and George. Will Willie scream his head off and threaten to sue these “candid” shots? By no means, since this is such a set up and he picks and chooses what he stamps his feet about. And Carole has all this free time since she can seemingly delegate any responsibility running her company to her minions, whereas Charles is indeed occupied with his duties.
Neither of my grandmothers lived close to us, so we only saw them once a year. My maternal grandmother was sweet, but distant, and I got the distinct impression that my paternal grandmother found us irritating. So it touches me to see a grandparent make a genuine effort to be a part of their grandchildren’s lives. I can’t find fault with it.
I don’t doubt Carole really cares about her grandson, but COME ON…this kid is the epitome of all her ambitions for her daughter. He’s also a future King of England. I don’t think she deserves any credit for spending time with him.
In fact, if push ever comes to shove, I wholly believe she’d push Mike Middleton into the path of a runaway car to save the kid (as I believe any decent person would, but you get my point)
Well, good point. I hadn’t thought of that. And lol about her poor husband being shoved in front of the car.
There was a newspaper article a month or so ago that said Grandpa Middleton was very upset at Carole’s continued presence at Anmer, he was left alone at home to look after the business and was not at all happy about Carole’s long absences. So it may not be all sweetness and light in that particular area at the moment. Still Carole looks like she is a great grandma, given the standoffishness of the BRF in general I think that’s a very good thing for William.
God, the irritation I feel about Carole being at Kate’s side 24 hours a day is giving me a headache.
I do believe that Charles and William have a frosty relationship. I think Diana over shared information to Will that she shouldn’t. I also believe that there’s some resentment towards Camille. So yes, no question that the Middleton clan are closer.
Why the irritation? Kate wants her mother around.
Exactly. We shouldn’t compare her lifestyle to ours.
I don’t get the irritation either. I was an only child and had a wonderful, close relationship with my parents. So much so that when I had my first child, they sold their house and moved to the state my husband and I lived in and moved into an in-law apartment in our home. I treasure that time we had together before they died.
My husband, on the other hand, had a horrible relationship with his parents and barely had any contact with them.
I think the MIddletons are a very close family and that naturally extends to William and their grandchildren. I do not believe the Windsors share the same familial closeness and I do not find it odd that William and Kate naturally want to spend more time with the Middletons. It is probably a lot closer to “real life” family time than the more formal situations the Windsor clan are subjected to.
I guess my irritation stems from being an adult women, with a family of her own, that she seems to have a need to have her mother with her constantly. I understand that she is close to her mother. I get that, totally. It comes across that she can’t stand on her own two feet and be the leader in her own home, IMO. It’s been discussed here many times. Maybe it’s me. I speak from a place of having had three kids under age of four and never felt the need to have my mother with me constantly.
Sure we’re different people, but sometimes being an adult means having to be independent and figuring out things on your own.
Honestly I feel like it’s completely normal for a new mother to live with her own mother – or sometimes her mother in law – depending on the circumstances. I”m South Asian and it’s very traditional to do that.
The argument of why it’s NBD for Carole to be around and why some side eye her being around are 2 different points that don’t counter eachother imo.
1. Carole is around because Kate wants her around and they’re a close family. Nothing wrong with that. No one is saying Carole can’t visit her daughter and help her with baby tips, bond over memories, etc… That’s totally fine.
2. The other side of Carole being around. She’s always around. It appears she pays more attention to Kate and her son inlaw/grandkids than her husband and other children. If Kate needs Carole around more than the other siblings need their mom that raises more eyebrows. Kate has staff and help in spades. She can want her mother around for all things stated in 1 above, but shouldn’t need her to cope with things she needs to do on her own as an adult.
So, you can’t really argue a WANT with a NEED imo.
And in all the narratives in all the stories/articles why is it always that Kate needs her mother like she can’t function without her? And Carole is always the 1 caring for George. I’m sure Kate does that, but it’s always Carole for some reason. It’s just odd Carole is always lumped into William/Kate/kids things. And Just Carole. Where’s Michael?
I really don’t see the problem either…they’re filthy rich with a huge property, I’m sure that even if Carole would be living in the same house (that I doubt) they would have enough space to not be around each others all the time.
She seems to be a grandma that truly enjoys her grandchildren…photo-op or no photo-op, I’m sure that the little kid also enjoys the moments with his grandma and will one day truly cherish that he had this opportunity. So many people would love to have the opportunity to foster such a close connection between grandparents and grandchildren…I find it pretty cool.
I think part of it is loneliness too. Kate doesn’t have many friends of her own and she has completely stepped into William’s life. Family, staff, protocols. Sure, she knew what she was getting into and it was her mission, but that doesn’t negate the isolation and loneliness it likely also comes with. I don’t know how or when a royal that high up would be able to do that unless they had grown up in the peerage.
Golly gee. She could, you know, get out of the house and work for her charities if she’s so lonely. Instead of spending that time out chatting up shop keepers in all her spare time, she could be building relationships with people who work with her charities.
Time will prove Carole’s intentions and motivations. Will she spend this much time with her other grandchildren, or only the royal ones?
Kate seems to NEED her mother around, which is immature and sad. Carole has a husband and life – go home Carole! Let them figure it out together!
And I think Carole is so invested in George cause he’s her ticket to a title. We’ll see if she spends months and months with Pippa when she has a child. I don’t think so!
Remember – he’s Prince ‘i want to be your tampon’ Charles — I’m Williams age almost exactly, and i remember all of the tabloid attention Charles got back in the 90s as a result of his affair with Camilla. It was horrible – when I think about that combined with the ridiculous documentaries he did showing someone ironing his shoelaces etc, and the way Diana died……. .
It’s got to be difficult for William and Harry to have a great relationship with their father after all of that, especially considering their father’s background and his (and the Queen’s) stiff upper lip & difficulty with emotions etc. Not to say that William and Harry aren’t over-privileged, ignorant twits – I’d bet that they are. But they were raised in pretty ridiculous surroundings.
They are welcome to walk away at any time. But they have to leave the money and privilege behind.
What ya said. Could not have put it better myself.
notasugarhere – there is no way they would leave the money and privilege behind if they walked away. THey’d still be filthy rich and upper class – with all of the connections that come with that kind of status – whether they’re officially part of the monarchy or not.
No, ya, they wouldn’t. If he walks away and refuses to be the heir, he loses all the money that goes with it. Kensington. Anmer. The Scottish property. No more allowance from Charles. None of it. They’d be “rich” but only until his inheritance played out. See Linley, Sarah Chatto, Zara and Peter Philips making a living as examples.
Much of the British upper class are struggling to make ends meet. Converting family homes into hotels or blocks of condos. Working in the City 70 hours a week to try to raise the money to fix the square miles of roof. See the PBS Series Great Houses of Scotland for some examples of what it takes.
The type of status they would have would be similar to Uncle David and Wallis Simpson — famous people without a country. Except the government wouldn’t be able to do things like arrange a governorship of the Bahamas or a French country home for William.
If they walk, all they get is the inheritance he has now. Some fame. The new PR gems would be hard-working Harry and whatever charity/military type he might marry. W&K would fade fast, both in influence and popularity. PR-wise, they’d rank somewhere around Sarah Ferguson.
He’d try to spin it as, “I walked away for love of my mother”. That would play only until Harry said, “I reluctantly accept this responsibility for love of my mother and her dedication to her royal role.”
ya
Much of your argument hinges on William having wealth that would last. It won’t. The amount he spends on just himself is crazy. And much of that is covered by public funds. Not private. If he was out of line he would be hurting for cash very quickly.
And the press would destroy him! Not just because William has made their job increasingly tough and trying to strip their rights of freedom away in court. He’s also the heir currently. He’s been able to get away with a lot and the press couldn’t report on it without that becoming their swan song. Meanwhile Harry has been treated as the trouble in the family to boost William’s image. Just like David and Bertie. David was the honorable leader while Bertie was the lazy spare always being a waste. When Bertie became the heir David was trashed and Bertie was seen as the hero coming to save England. Never another mention of his spare ways.
William would have to be torn down if he left. And the press might enjoy that a bit too much. William knows his protection doesn’t extend that far.
Nota,
I think you’re being a bit shortsighted. If he wants to make money like regular people, he could and do so successfully. They have endless connections and that is what matters in the real world. Networks and connections will take you Very, very far on this earth. Nepotism is real and prevalent, and He come’s from privilege and is considered a celebrity. He’s be just fine.
He cannot make the kind of money they spend, neither of them can. No amount of connections is going to earn them north of $5 million a year they seem to require, and that doesn’t count the costs of security.
Their connections can only carry them so far. Many aristocrats are struggling to keep the family piles together through inheritance taxes and the expense of living a 19th century life in the 21st century. See Cressida’s step-father as an example of what that stress can do to a person.
W&K would have to be willing to WORK and they’ve proven they aren’t willing to do that.
Nota, the Spencer family is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The Middletons themselves are very wealthy.
Ya they probably couldn’t blow $5mil a year on stuff – and who knows if they actually are spending that much – but they certainly could have an extremely luxurious lifestyle, with no need to deal with Charles & Co.
The other issue though are the kids – they’d still be in line to the throne, even if Wills pulled out.
YA: what has the Spencer money got to do with William and Harry?
That money belongs to Charles Spencer and his bajillion children and will be inherited in full by his own eldest son. His daughters will be lucky if he leaves them any money or trusts.
That’s how it works with aristocratic families. William and Harry have no claim or entitlement to the Spencer millions nor did their mother and aunts. Any money they receive from the Spencer coffers is a bonus and a gift. Considering Charles Spencer has barely been in their lives, wouldn’t help out his own sister when she asked for a cottage on the Spencer Estate, it’s highly unlikely he would help out her sons.
Further, William’s wealth is tied into his position. Right now he is funded by Charles, HM and the tax payer. His personal wealth comes from his mother’s will and his royal family trusts as does Harry. None of the royals are vastly wealthy in their own right, royal family trusts and their own hard work aside. His personal fortune is estimated at £20M which isn’t much considering he lives an annual £3M lifestyle, but he is clever enough not to touch it and instead rely on using Charles, HM and tax payer and MIddleton money to pay for it.
Should William walk away, he would lose entitlement to Charles, HM, Tax payer funds. He would have to vacate all the tax payer homes, lose the security, etc. His circumstances would be greatly reduced.
The Middletons’ wealth is also vastly inflated. At the time of the wedding, estimates were that they were personally worth £5M which swiftly inflated to £30M yet they’ve never appeared in the annual sunday rich list which that sum would mean an automatic entry.
They do abscure their finances, but the last time we had a peak, when they were purchasing their current home, it turned out that they had mortgaged their previous home several times. For a family who bought their children’s flat for cash, that was an oddity and didn’t compute given the modesty of their home.
They have a lot of borrowings, including those bi-annual Mustique holidays, it’s all a house of cards.
They struck both Uncle David AND Uncle David’s possible line from the succession. If William walks, they’ll find a way to remove his line as well. That’s the thing about laws, they can be changed. As someone pointed out in another post, the throne has gone sideways more than it has in a straight line.
He cannot walk away saying the job is horrible – but force his kids to do it. Absolutely no public sympathy for the golden child there.
I truly don’t understand the questioning of Carole’s involvement with Kate’s family. In my social circle it is quite common for daughters to see their parents often – kids are picked up from school by grandparents and taken care of after school till parents come home from work. Kate and William’s friend Natasha of Beulah fame said that after her baby was moving in with her mother. So it is pretty common in their circle too.
If you like your parents and your parents have time and resources and live close to you why would they not be involved in your lives as much as you would permit ? Coming down for a visit on the day of the birthday party is obvious – why wouldn’t she ? And as for Pippa and James: once their kids come along Carole will be older and will still have the older grandkids. It is always the older grandkids that get incommensurate amounts of grandparents’ time. Was like that in my family and every family I have seen.
….”kids are picked up from school by grandparents and taken care of after school till parents come home from work….”
Kate works? 😉
In your social circle, do you have two rent-free mansions, a dozen staff, and two nannies?
@nota : Ummm .. no 🙂 But Natasha probably does 😉
Look, I just think that if you are close to your parents they will be involved in raising your kids. Period. No matter what your income or your social status. Even the Obamas have Michelle’s mother live with them in the WH. Hilary’s mother was famously close with Chelsea. I am sure that if I think about it I can find other rich people who had the same arrangement. I don’t get why that does not apply to Kate and William. There is a lot to criticize about them, but this one I can’t get on board with.
Maia
You can’t truly compare the 2. Yours and theirs. Because they’re not the same at all.
This topic is beating a dead horse.
Let’s get in 1 more kick. Carole being around Kate demonstrates more dependence. Like Kate can’t function without her mother. And Carole will swoop in to save her daughter from lifting a finger. It’s not healthy. I’m not saying her mother can’t visit and help and spend loads of time with her. Kate just needs to be able to carry out a day to day without relying on Carole. She needs to be working. Not vacationing. And when Carole is at AH she absorbs extra tax payer funds.
The the grand design of this lot it’s a lesser evil. It’s more of why Carole is always around. Can Kate survive if Carole was only able to see her on weekends?
As it stands the future queen consort appears to eed her mother on top of her staff to get through the day of no work.
Just saying.
But again. This isn’t a huge issue. It’s just not balanced to compare your situation with theirs. There’s little that can accurately match up.
I think if Diana were around, she’s probably be as involved as Carole is. Though, I don’t think it would have anything to do with at least some of why Carole is there all the time.
Carole being around NOW makes sense or is justifiable because of the babies. It’s the same with Kate’s current justifiable excuse not to work. We all predicted she would use babies as her reason not to work years before she had them.
The fact is that Kate has barely been away from her mother from the start of the marriage. She barely lived alone with her own husband and was spending weeks in Bucklebury. The difference now is that babies are involved which is used as the excuse for Kate and Carole’s co-dependency.
It’s very odd indeed that this is a 3 person marriage and no one blinks anymore because babies!!!
@LAK. “It’s very odd indeed that this is a 3 person marriage and no one blinks anymore because babies!!!”
This comment is very very true considering there were 3 people in his parents marriage. As i’ve said before this is history repeating itself and this marriage will go the same way as his parents – Willy is too stupid not to repeat his father’s mistakes. It’s well known that Carole was the one that kept the relationship going during the GF years but advising Kate’s on her campaign strategy and press manipulations.
Some people have referred to the Midds as the Bolyens 2.0 – well look how things ended for that family. They were ruined after Anne’s fall and like the Midds (who are funded by Uncle Gary), they were funded by the Howards (their wealthier relatives).
I have a feeling George is going to be closer to Carol than he is to his father, mother and Charles. Carol occupies his time and sets his schedule (if gossip that she runs the house so kate doesn’t have to get stressed are true).
The photographer was super close. Right? Why didn’t the RPOs, who take cameras away from beachgoers in Mustique, not shut this down in the UK?
Is this the House of Middleton’s response to Charles’ tree house PR? You “say” you spend time with him, but here’s proof he’s a Middleton?
Realistically in most families who will spend the most time with a grand-baby: the maternal grandmother or the paternal grandfather?
My mom was no longer alive when out son was born.My dad came to visit, by MIL stayed, thank God as my husband and I were ignorant about babies.
In my family the maternal grandparents were much closer to the grandkids than the paternal grandparents. Much. My mother was the Carole Middleton of her day in that regard. Couldn’t see them enough.
What’s interesting to me: throughout the history of the British monarchy the kings have never liked/approved of the Prince of Whales. That tradition seems to be sadly perpetuated here with Charles and William. Its so strange and interesting. Go back as far as you want, and it’s universally true.
I don’t follow the royals closely, so I am asking this question in earnest. Why do people assume that each time the royals hit the news, it is because they deliberately planted stories in the media? Not saying they don’t do that, but surely it is just as possible that all these supposed “insights” into their family dynamics all come from a bunch of tabloid journalists sitting behind computer screens and making shit up?
Or they’re being fed information from someone and the person in question does not know.
Because history repeats itself and that’s how the royals used to fight their fights.
Plus their RPO (security) threatened and took cameras away from (very rich, and private) people on Mustique beaches. But in a public beach in England, the photographer can just walk around with the family with the security no where in sight? They smell planted.
@Karen
Oh I agree the beach photos look suspicious, I was referring more to the main content of the article, i.e. the Daily Beast piece. I mean surely if Charles were to launch a supposed media blitz to guilt-trip William over access to his grandchildren, he wouldn’t have sanctioned a piece that calls him a “baby-hater”!
Beth 2: where stories are PR plants, Charles works with British media, William and Kate use american media.
I’m still unsure about Tom Sykes, the author of this particular story because as recently as last year he was writing negative stories about WK, but perhaps he’s been brought into the fold because he has reversed his stance on them.
As to why these stories are treated as PR plants, that’s how the royals work their issues and their PR images.
They don’t sell their intellect or talent, they sell an aspect of their personal life and or character and they work against each other if necessary.
There is a big PR machine in place to spin whatever the royal wants. After awhile, you learn to recognise the spin vs the journalistic fabrications.
Time for Charles to stop using his personal money to fund W&K. Time to give up the tax exemptions as a business expense for Kate’s clothing budget. Time to stop giving them money for their eternal remodeling of AH. Time to stop donating to pay for William’s salary for non-Royal duties when he allegedly works only 2.5 days out of 8 days anyways. Time for QE2 to take back some of the 22 rooms at KP. Rent them out to the charities again and cancel the copter lease. Time to realize that W&K, as grown up 30-somethings, truly believe what they’re talking about when they’ve told you what they’re going to do in life. When someone tells you who they are, believe them.
Have W&K live on the $17 million that Diana left them. He basically told the world that he doesn’t think he should work in the family firm, denied that the work even exists, and then said he doesn’t worry about it since grandma and grandpa can keep working.
Time to let go and use tough love. If grown ups want to act this way, then let them and let them go. Whether or not that means they’re be even closer to the Middletons and start depending on Uncle Gary’s money, it’s time to initiate the growing pains stage in their lives that they should have been put through over a decade ago. The odds are that they’re a lost cause when it comes to loyalty and duty to the BRF that have sustained their income, position, and perks.
+1,000,000 (except Duchy money ultimately belongs to the people)
They need to be kicked out of Anmer and have the Scottish home taken away too. Let’s see them try normal (as normal as you can be with $17 million).
Is that £17 Million POUNDS?
Because that would be more like $ 34 Million Canadian Dollars.
I think it was 10 million pounds, or 17 million USD after inheritance taxes.
First of all, the Royal Family, Charles and William included, gets a ton of public money to live on. Secondly, there is absolutely no way Charles would ever want to encourage William to ditch his role as future king — it would cause a huge crisis in the Royal Family, and it may threaten the monarchy itself. And the reality is that they’re already facing an upcoming crisis – when the Queen dies, I think there will be a lot more questioning in the public re; their value as an institution.
As I said earlier – there is no financial incentive for William to stay with his role as future King. You all note this – he’s filthy rich already, and Kate’s family is wealthy too. But he does have huge obligations keeping him with that role, even if he doesn’t want to deal with it. Those obligations go far beyond making appearances at a few charity events & cutting some ribbons here and there. Ultimately the Royal Family wants to stay in power, they are willing to use media attention to do that, and William knows that very well.
William clearly does not want those obligations. For the majority of his life he has fought against them, spoken out against them, and refused to live up to them. Many of us seem to value those obligations more than he does.
William isn’t filthy rich. If he walks, he gets the $17 million (or less) he has now. That’s it. No Kensington Palace. No Anmer Hall. No Scottish retreat. No majority of $4.6 million annual allowance and all the staff that allowance pays. They would blow through that $17 million in a couple of years.
If the BRF wants to stay in power, they will cut ties with whomever threatens their position, William included. See Uncle David example.
@ ya
From what I’ve read from other posters, William doesn’t live on or spend his $17 million while he can live on other people’s money.
Since William has already made known to the world in his press conference recently, that he doesn’t believe that full-time royal duties even exist even though he’s being funded as if he is doing them, then what’s the point of indulging him further? Obviously it’s not encouraging him to do the work anyways.
IIRC, he’s complained in the past about being born into his position with no real choice in what’s expected of him and his life.
Ok. Then give him a choice. Do the work, get the money. Pretend that there is no work, then live on your own money.
You said > there is no financial incentive for William to stay with his role as future King. <
Ok then. There it is. That's the financial incentive.
ya
I commented to you above regarding William’s finances, but reading your post brought up another point.
William hates the press. He’s tried to strip them of their rights and restrict public property access. his history with them is littered with him making passive aggressive attacks and promises not fulfilled making his word junk to them.
He does need them, but unless he learns how to work with them he will be open season.
And his duties as POW and later King would go far beyond ribbon cutting. He’s going to have to work full time just to keep up with the ceremonial stuff. He needs to get much better at his diplomatic duties and working more.
William so far has neglected his royal duties. Cancelling some or failing to schedule them. And he’s spoken of his role as a burden in video interviews. Even to prep for his POW role he has slacked. Harry and some other cousins have been helping Charles with those duties while he takes on more of the Queen’s duties. William has not and that’s unfortunate.
He makes time for the perks of the position he’s in, but not the work required.
Lastly. The Midds finances are shady. They applied for a loan to buy their current estate, but their finances were open for a hot minute. They had significant personal debt. Then they bought the house paying cash. It was largely thought William gave or loaned the difference for the home. And he loaned them palace furniture that was in storage to furnish. Any renovations done on that home so far have been tax payer funded also. They’re rich, but not as wealthy as their lifestyle would seem. Not even getting into Uncle Gary drug and young girl trafficking.
@ ya
>Secondly, there is absolutely no way Charles would ever want to encourage William to ditch his role as future king — it would cause a huge crisis in the Royal Family, and it may threaten the monarchy itself<
I don't think it's do or die for the monarchy if William doesn't become king. Who wants a king who's told the world that royalty doesn't really require any full-time responsibilities? That there are no such expectations as there's no such job? Who wants a king who's been shown to be work-shy and is never too busy to go on vacations and other self-indulging past times? Who wants a king who if you expect him to do more for those less fortunate and less privileged in the citizenry, says that's not any of his business?
I think at this point, Harry has proven himself to be more suitable to the position. He's doesn't believe he's above it all. He's not announced that he wants to run away from what's expected of him, like William has. And I think the British public isn't going to go into a major uproar if he does become King.
@ ya
And adding to FLORC’s comment about William cancelling his engagements, I want to mention the comment by a charity worker whose charity has been stood up numerous times by Kate as well. Kate would cancel visits but when she finally came, it was a quick 30 minutes or so.
If William had been as duty-bound in proportion to the money and perks he’s getting, then he would have taught Kate that such disrespect to her charities is a no-go.
But they both have a sense of entitlement that they seem to believe that all should be given to them because of who they are. They seem to believe that they are doing the charities a favor by showing up and that the latter should be grateful.
But W&K don’t realize that it’s them who should be grateful to the charities because without W&K having any validating their BRF existence, then what’s the point of them in the first place?
And like FLORC said, it’s more than cutting ribbons. They have so much power and influence and use of the media that they could raise loads of money and awareness for their charities, and not just for those that cater to rich folk.
“But W&K don’t realize that it’s them who should be grateful to the charities because without W&K having any validating their BRF existence, then what’s the point of them in the first place? ”
anne_000, that is a brilliant point.
@ notasugarhere
Thank you.
(I saw my mistake in that sentence. That’s what happens when I edit then re-edit without reading the whole thing over before hitting the submit button. LOL. 😛 )
@nota – I don’t know why you keep bringing up Edward – yes, he abdicated. But that was a completely different time – nearly 80 years ago now – with completely different public pressures.
The media is be all end all right now, and William abdicating would create a huge scandal, with mud-slinging all over the place. The reality is, Charles is not popular. Once the Queen dies, people will be questioning his role as King. William leaving would add to that.
I’m sure there are huge perks to being a part of the Royal Family….. but…. as you said – those perks come with obligations – mainly media obligations – that William likely doesn’t want. Diana ultimately left them. I bet doing the same has crossed William’s mind.
ETA: Though on the other hand – William was raised to believe that he has a god-given right to be King. I’m sure he believes that. whatever being ‘King’ means ultimately.
Uncle David was forced to abdicate because that’s what the government wanted. They were convinced he was a lousy king, they could do better, so they threw him out. They did it before, they could do it again. An entire government with a nation to save against one ManChild.
William has already flung much of the mud from his side of the argument. There is too much on record, straight from William’s mouth, about how much he doesn’t want the job. He’s the one who has protested his life for 3 decades. If he walks, he’s getting what he’s always said he wanted. Where’s the scandal?
The reality is, many people in the UK have no sympathy for a whinger who hates his privileged life. W&K have done nothing to endear themselves to the public. They haven’t worked for charity, they vacation copiously, they spend someone else’s money like there is no tomorrow.
PR spun the York Family (Bertie, Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret) as the saviors of the UK after Uncle David. And it worked. It would work again. Charles is very popular with certain groups, country folks and those he has helped with Princes Trust and The Duchy.
They roll out the PR push on Humble Harry living in a 1-bedroom flat in Kensington. Harry the War Hero. Harry of Walking with the Wounded. Harry of InvictusGames. Harry of Sentebale. Harry, the son Diana used to call Good King Henry behind his back.
W&K the spendthrift whingers, their kids, and her family fade out of the picture. They become historical footnotes living out their lives in Switzerland and Mustique.
Willy loves the money and protection that being within the ‘fold’ provides – the press would rip him and his lazy wife apart (and am sure they have a lot stored up on both). He has openly shown disdain for the sacrifices of his grandparents, parents etc.. with his recent comments – he a liability for the Monarchy and this battle with his father will end in tears for him, the family and the country even. He cares for no one but himself.
When the time comes from him to step up – I believe he’ll walk away -as he has done throughout his life; when the going gets tough, the Princeling runs away. He doesn’t have the backbone to step up and if he does become King he will be a pathetic excuse for one.
The press will turn on him (her and her family too) and when it happens, it will be nasty and the fall out epic. He’s someone who needs a does of humility.
I remember how shaky things were for the BRF when Diana died. QE making a televised statement. William walking with his head down, C. Spencer’s eulogy … Hard to believe that was basically a generation ago (18 years).
I don’t see how William can keep milking the sympathy and hands-off-me-and-mine stuff forever.
William and Harry had a loving mother, whom they adored. Neither will ever, ever, ever forget how their father treated Diana, with complete entitled disrespect and cruelty, nor will they ever forget Camilla’s gleeful role in that torture. Ever.
Will you marry me? Ha! we might be the only ones who feel that way, so don’t dismiss it too fast.
It is possible that William’s resentment stems from this – the treatment of his mother by his father and Camilla. But in years following Diana’s dealth, when William and Harry were teenagers, they were pretty much left alone at their schools and on vacations, with Tiggy their nanny while Charles occupied himself with bringing Camilla into the fold. This may not have gone down all that well with the two brothers either. I think that they grew up feeling rather rootless and homeless after Diana was gone. When she was alive, despite the warring and the ugliness W&H had a home to return to (and by home I don’t mean a house, I mean a place where someone takes care of you emotionally). They have said that she was their rock and I do believe that – she was the place where they felt safe. Charles was a great fun father, but probably never provided the safe haven after Diana’s death because he was probably slightly detached emotionally from his sons. Charles was looking for his own mother-figure all his life (later known as Camilla) and once Diana was gone, was free to legitimize her. He was probably more than a bit preoccupied with himself. So the boys felt that after she was gone they had rooms in Highgrove and Clarence house, but no home, no person to come home to. And these rooms were already “tainted” by Camilla’s footprints already.
I also feel that William and Harry have doubts about Diana’s death and lurking suspicions about his father’s role in it. There was a line Harry said a few years ago “No one will know exactly what happened in that tunnel”. Why would he say that if he actually believed what the official reports are on what happened ? Maybe they don’t even realize it but part of William’s resentment could be stemming from unresolved anger and denial about Diana’s death. I don’t know… maybe I am reading too much into that one sentence.
On a lighter note, this media war is absolutely fascinating to me. Charles playing this transparent game with his own son through the media. And William retaliating by sanctioning these pictures with Carole to show where his loyalty lies. And the Queen burying her head in her goose feather pilllows.
Charles was very involved and very protective of his sons post Diana and before too. To avoid a very long post i’m going to sum, but you can find a very nice summation of this at the 1st question and comments in reply here…
http://www.celebitchy.com/439642/prince_charles_publicly_guilt-trips_william_over_access_to_george_brilliant/
I am not saying that Charles was a bad parent. I am saying that William may *feel* that Diana was the better parent, especially after she was gone. Basically what Ya said: you can’t compete with a memory.
I don’t want to get into any argument on who was the better parent, but William and Harry have both eulogized Diana publicly on her parenting, but never said a word about Charles’ parenting. Maybe *they feel* that she was more present for them? And that feeling could be stemming from her death, but it is still real for them.
This was put forth as an explanation for William’s feud with his father. Obviously it may be completely hogwash and I may be completely wrong. What are the alternate explanations though – I’d be interested to hear everyone’s thoughts on that.
Maia
Maybe they speak of Diana because they’re asked and ofcourse will share the happier memories. Who wants to share the bad or sad ones.
And they do speak of Charles in a positive light. They’ve done this numerous times. Speaking of what a good father he is. How they’re happy he’s happy. The fun they have and have had with him. I think many people haven’t bothered to remember or know this. And in informal settings they all appear to enjoy eachothers company. Informal is a bit tough to catch and especially with Harry involved since his good press is often buried.
As far as being more present. That’s tough. Presence of Diana was something William had a lot of, but it wasn’t always in a good way with William trying to console his mother. She did stage more photo ops, but Charles spent a lot of quality time with his boys. They both had their parental gains and losses.
If there’s any feud with W and C I bet it’s this. Charles wants to streamline the BRF post Queen. William has to step up and do more. William in his early 30’s and still not having stepped up might worry Charles and there’s a bitter back and forth? All while Charles still funds William’s and his family’s lifestyle.
The rest is just fallout.
@Florc: Hmm… definitely a plausible explanation. I guess that we will just have to wait and see what happens. I do have to say that I am watching all this with great interest.
Why live at Anmer then, when Charles and Camilla were said to have carried out their affair there?
The thing is, Diana is dead….. and she was killed in a paparazzi chase after years of dissing Charles in the media – in a weird way, I bet William may see her as a martyr. I don’t see how Charles can compete with the kinds of memories their children must have of her.
William and Harry, I’m sure, miss Diana dreadfully every day.
I think there is plenty of parenting blame to go around, Diana included.
I don’t know why but this got me thinking about how this all story would develop in a “Game of Thrones” narrative…ye ye…off-topic
Yes, how bad is it (the manipulation) when it took Diana years to muster the courage to confront Camilla in the basement of a house during a party?
Charles and Camilla are lowlifes. I mean, Charles is not King material at all despite the work he’s done re- Prince’s Trust etc….. many of his closest aides later described him as a short- tempered, difficult loner. I wonder if he’s actually Autistic (Asperger’s)?
Those traits have been linked more heavily to William.
And Diana must have had the same about of courage to confront Tiggy during a party on her miscarriage and how gladd she was over it….
I’m just over this glorifed memory. Both sides to keep it balanced. No one was a saint. Not 1 of them. And no one was pure evil.
Anmer Hall is famously a house that was the scene of many trysts between Charles and Camilla, yet William chooses to live there……
William so dislikes Camilla that he chose her grand daughter to be in the wedding as a flower girl.
William dislikes what was done to his mother so much by Camilla and her party YET is close with the Van Cutsem family who sheltered and encouraged AND facilitated the Charles/Camilla trysts. He dislikes this so much that a Van Cutsem girl was in his wedding as a bridesmaid AND a Van Cutsem brother is PGtips’s god father.
Whatever beef William and Charles have, I doubt it’s about his mother to extent everyone imagines it is. Why be selective about the fact that he willingly hangs out, lives in the house various factors that caused his mother anguish?
William’s own history of unfaithfulness would indicate that cheating isn’t top on his list of complaints.
I guess the papers are getting desperate so they have to make this crap up. pathetic!
It is very interesting that in the same article which says that Charles plays with George also highlights the fact that Highgrove now bears undeniable signs of Camilla’s handiwork : the Shand gate. This is an homage to Camilla, another move in the process of legitimizing her, another step in granting ownership of Highgrove to her. In doing so Charles made it obvious that that particular article was completely sanctioned by his PR team. I was skeptical of these reports of Charles planting stories and using the media to reign in the Middletons. But now I am not: I am now quite convinced that he IS indeed playing a game with William through the media.
And William releasing Carole’s pictures on the same day : a giant FU right back at his father.
She is his wife you know. I believe that “legitimized” her, not any gate he might put in at Highgrove.
I think both of them (Charles and William) are being unbelievably stupid and petty if they are sanctioning all this crap, I really do.
@bluhare: Sure she is his wife. But given Camilla’s unpopularity (her ratings are rock bottom consistently and she has very very few supporters statistically speaking) I think that Charles does have to take steps to show that he stands behind her and she is a non-negotiable part of his life. That is the legitimizing I am talking about.
You and some others may feel that she is as entitled to Highgrove as much as Diana was, but the overwhelming public possibly don’t – and Charles does have to pander to that.
Whether she owns Highgrove or puts in a gate there doesn’t have anything to do with what the public thinks. And as his wife he can give her whatever he wants. Whether that’s Highgrove, I don’t know, as I don’t know if he owns it personally and she also has her own house close by.
This stuff happened over 20 years ago, and my opinion’s changed with time. I used to be staunchly in Diana’s corner. Now, I can see both sides. But I think I’m out of the Camilla’s a raging bitch conversations.
@Maia – Camilla isn’t as hated as you think. She’s actually been accepted for the most part by the British public (i’m a Brit) – while there is no love their is acceptance of her as Charles’s wife. Her as Queen is another issue – Charles will make her his Queen regardless and it may not be popular but who knows how people will react – i suspect with a shrug of their shoulders. The only people who make a big deal of it are the die hard/rose tinted Diana fans, who can’t see past the saintly image the press painted of her.
Bluhare, I agree. It would be incredibly stupid for father and son to play this type of game in the press.
Wasn’t there a report that Charles didn’t like being around Camilla’s grandchildren? Either way, I believe that Charles and William aren’t close–after Charles did that staged meeting with him and Camilla, if I was William, I would have a very guarded view of my father. And Charles was the last royal to be raised old-school, with little parental contact, and most of it being fairly formal, so I’m sure he finds Kate and William’s choices not entirely to his standards.
Having said all that, Carole is thirsty, and I think it’s tacky. Be a loving grandmother, but don’t do pap walks.
I’m wondering if the truth isn’t somewhere in the middle and maybe a bit more mundane. My guess is that Charles is like a lot of men, particularly in his generation, in that they just don’t know what to do with babies and toddlers. It’s usually when the kids are 6+ and more “interactive” that they get more involved.
Ah the Carole and George pap stroll – whenever there is a story about Charles and the kids, papped photos of Carole always appears a few days later. People, we are being played by Willy and the Midds – he doesn’t give an eff about his blood family and is using the kids and the Mids as his weapon to hit back at his father.
Willy will have known about these and probably approved them. And yes Carole was always going to be living there – we all know Kate can’t raise those children, be a wife and run a household on her own, even with staff doing it all for her. Carole’s presence is the reason that marriage is till working and he hasn’t strayed, yet.
And folks wonder why there is a lot of negativity toward Waity and her family.
I think that Carole’s presence has been necessary for the marriage. I also believe that Carole has great sympathy for Diana. She may wear rose colored glasses, which would also explain William’s dependence on her.
It’s because he eats babies for youth and to honor Satan!
I’m most curious as to Carole’s whereabouts. Does she live at Anmer? Maybe Mike M. likes it that way? She’s much more interesting than Will, Kate, Charles, or even the children, IMO.
Vava
Agree! There’s a lot of layers to Carole. Her mindset, ambition, methods, sacrifices, etc. And now her personal goals. What is her end game? Does she want a title? Comfort? Fame?
And Where is Michael? Unless it’s something like the christening you never see them together.
And Carole is papped often.
I think her end game is a title and the status/kudos of being close to the throne throu her grandson. She craves more than the rest of them – acceptance by the upper/aristocratic families. Considering where she came from and what she has achieved this is her goal.
She will treat George like she treated Kate, the precious oldest one that will realise her dreams. Kate was moulded to marry well – Pippa, we’ll she’s had a lot more freedom to make her own way in life, Kate not so much.
Carole is like the rest of the Middleton women in that she loves the press attention – always has. She’s making an image of herself as the Grandmother x2 for those kids – as she’s the only blood one they have and she’s making sure she has a place in their lives.
Power cannot be overlooked as a motive. She has a great deal of it.
I don’t believe William hates his father, though it was rather telling when on the eve of his wedding he didn’t spend any time with his father. However, I recall reading it off a Brit tab so who really knows?
For those of you who are citizens of the Commonwealth, please enlighten one of the “cantankerous cousins” that live across the pond. Is William slated to become Prince of Wales when Charles assumes the throne or could that title go to Harry at Charles’ discretion? Does the Duchy of Cambridge have the massive agricultural holdings of the Duchy of Cornwall to keep William occupied? There was a time following Diana’s death when William seemed to spend a great deal of time with the Queen with her showing him the ropes. Did Charles put a stop to that so he (Charles) could be the one to take up the slack as Charles assumes more of the Queen’s duties rather than share those duties with William? Exactly what is Charles’ relationship with the Queen now? They weren’t close when he was growing up and Philip has never had much use for Charles. The balcony pictures are always surprising to me. The Queen is in the middle with Philip to her left and William is usually to her right between her and Charles. Is there an emotional void between the Queen and Charles that seems to mirror the void between Charles and William? Is Charles using William’s lack of direction as a means to promote himself in the eyes of the public or is Charles the cause of William being left to flap in the breeze? Since Harry left the military, he hasn’t spent much time in his home country, missing Charlotte’s birth and christening. In the parlance of we Americans, Harry has gotten the hell out of Dodge.
A few off the top of my head.
There are no agricultural holdings or income with the Cambridge title.
He has to be invested as Prince of Wales, it isn’t automatic.
I personally don’t think there is a rift between HM and Charles. He strives to gain his father’s approval, and a lot his environmental and land work stems from things Philip started.
I think Charles likes running the Duchy, and is okay taking on other duties as assigned. I don’t think he’s begging to be king. Diana herself pointed out that he likes the freedom of what he can accomplish as POW and would be stifled by the Top Job. Taken years later, her comments have a different interpretation than the shock of them first time around.
Harry wisely got out of Dodge. Too bad for him that he’ll be returning to the circus in a month.
So many questions. Will try to answer in order.
1. POW title is a hereditary title that goes to the heir to the throne. Further, they also have to be declared the heir apparent. As William is the next heir after Charles, he will inherit this title when Charles becomes King – heir apparent is an important distinction because HM was heir presumptive and wasn’t named POW during her wait for the throne.
Whilst titles have to be granted by the monarch, the rule governing who inherits certain titles is written in law. Charles can’t decide to give it to Harry if William is still in the line of succession.
2. Cambridge title doesn’t come with a wealthy of holdings. Infact I would go as far as saying it’s probably a title in name only, but I could be very wrong – going to go double check.
Since William is scheduled to inherit the duchy of Cornwall, he should familiarise himself with it, but apparently he is not doing very much on that front. Considering how much he avoids work, He is going to be a very shocked middle-aged/old age person when he suddenly has to assume responsibility for the duchy, nevermind when he is King!!
3. William moved to Scotland after high School to attend University.
Going away to university seems to have been the point where he started to spend less time with his blood family. Whether that was deliberate or not, we’ll never know for sure.
The narrative for William’s time spent with HM was that she was mentoring him on his coming role. Like her father did with her. No one has explained why that stopped.
4. To paraphrase the excellent Dena, Charles is the unloved child who is blamed for his mother AND his son’s failings. None of them, including Charles, are perfect, but Charles gets blamed because he (and Diana) was once so public about his shortcomings that it provides the public an assumed answer to the BRF dysfunction.
William, as recently as this month, has said he isn’t interested in royal duties. He seems to be completely directionless. Unfortunately for him, the Middletons encourage that -see all their children – AND the BRF expect one to be self motivated with a hands off approach as to how to do so which is also a problem if one isn’t a self starter. Most members of the BRF are on record that there is no manual with implication that one has to be a self starter. Now he is 30-something, it’s on him to find a cause rather than wait for someone to come along and give him one. He doesn’t seem to rate royal duties or what he can achieve as a royal – see Harry/Diana/Charles for possibilities so at this point, you can’t blame it on Charles anymore, even if you once did.
5. These days, Charles seems to be on good terms with HM and Philip.
6. Regarding the Balcony, except for this year’s Balcony which was an unusual set up designed to showcase the 4 monarchs of UK (current HM + 3 generations of future, Charles, PGtips, William) in a single photo frame, they usually stand according to rank. Charles (with Camilla) to the immediate right of HM (and her spouse Philip) whilst William (with Kate) stand to the immediate left of HM. The lower ranks stand behind or outside Charles and William. Their personal feelings don’t come into it.
6. Harry planned to be away for the summer. He will be back in September. He left the army end of June, so he hasn’t completely absented himself. William and Kate could have planned better to include him and or his plans couldn’t be changed. Based on Polo pics, William and Harry still get on. I think his absence was just poor planning such that both sides couldn’t or wouldn’t wait for the other.
Thanks you very much LAK and notasugarhere. That helped cleared up things for me. I don’t blame Charles. Maybe William blames much of Diana’s unhappiness on the pressures of royal life although, once she found her footing, she seemed to thrive and bring attention to her many causes. I hope William finds his way as well. Perhaps it is a good thing he seems to be focusing on his family right now. Didn’t HM’s father, George VI, refer to his own little family as “we four” and they were his biggest asset and comfort during his own rule?
Prince George looks so big. And I love his curly hair.
Tom Sykes is up to his sh!t stirring again.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Did Carole step in the water with her shoes on?
Meanwhile, hardy Harry rocks his own roll. He’s gotten the golden goose egg in all of this.
Be hard not to want her around. She’s clearly super competent and socially adept. Plus, say what you want about her, but that lady clearly adores her little prince grandson. Charles not so much.
I’m surprised that Charles doesn’t like babies since he keeps acting like one. It seems as if the Middleton’s’ are a close family and have the type of relationship that William wants to be a part of and a relationship he wants for his children. Charles can pull up his big boy pants and try to be a better father/grandfather or go off sulking BUT he should definitely stop leaking stories to the media.
Why is it such a concern that William is close with his in laws?
Why does he use his preference for his in-laws as an excuse to refuse to work for the Family Firm that pays his bills – and some of his in-laws bills too?