It occurred to me before Christmas that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had not released a family photo for the holiday. It’s strange that they did not, and I also find it strange that no one released the Cambridges’ Christmas card. As it turns out, the Cambridges decided not to release any Christmas photos or Christmas card images to the public this year. Their spokesperson (probably Poor Jason) said, “They are not releasing a Christmas card this year.” Which I take to mean that they sent out Christmas cards but they aren’t releasing the image for public consumption? Or did they not even bother to do cards this year? Either way, I think that’s a bad choice. As it turns out, William and Kate might have been too busy to send out cards. According to the Telegraph, William has been deep in thought during the holiday season, trying to figure out if he’s keen to take on more royal work.
Since they became parents three years ago, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have turned Anmer Hall in Norfolk into their perfect family home, offering a “normal” childhood for Prince George and Princess Charlotte away from prying eyes. In 2017, however, they are expected to leave it behind after deciding Prince George should be schooled in London and that Kensington Palace should be their full-time base.
The Duke and Duchess are also ready to step up their royal duties, with the Duke contemplating giving up his career as a helicopter pilot to take up a full-time public role. Sources close to the couple have said they are committed to expanding their own Royal Foundation charity by giving more time to pet causes including mental health. They have told friends they expect 2017 to be a milestone year, in which they settle into roles that will last until they become king and queen.
A source said: “The Duke, in particular, has a lot of thinking to do over the Christmas and New Year period. He has his job as an Air Ambulance pilot, which he enjoys very much, but he also wants to take on more royal duties, as does the Duchess. Decisions about schooling and nurseries are all part of that.” The Duke and Duchess are understood to have put Prince George’s name down for £6,500-a-term Wetherby School in London, the pre-prep school attended by the young Princes William and Harry.
Officially, they have made no final decision on schooling, but the Duchess is said to be privately resigned to moving back to London. An added factor is that the Duke’s two-year piloting contract comes to an end in March, and he will have to decide before then whether he is able to sign on for another lengthy period. One likely scenario is that he will continue working for East Anglian Air Ambulance until the summer, even though his contract with Bond Air Services expires in March.
“They want to be in a position that when they are asked to do more, they are in a position to say yes,” said one insider. “The Prince of Wales wants a slimmed-down monarchy and that will also have an effect in terms of the number of duties carried out by each of the core members. Also their ambition for their charitable side is increasing. The impact of the Heads Together mental health campaign, in particular, is making them want to be more active on the issues they care most about.”
I’ll believe it when I see it. Work-Shy Will and the Duchess of Chutney do this every year – it’s pretty much a Christmas tradition at this point, where they make some New Year’s resolutions to really gear up and commit themselves to charitable work. And then nothing much happens. March will roll around and Kate will shrug off the Irish Guards again and they’ll go on vacation to Mustique and then of course they can’t work because Pippa’s wedding is coming up and before you know it, we’ll be hearing that 2018 is the year they’re really focused on getting to work.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Pacific Coast News.
“He has his job as an Air Ambulance pilot” – when was the last time he was working lol?
This is a PR move to get ahead of the bad press they are getting as the 2017 work numbers are published. The two of them combined worked less than the 90-year-old Queen.
They need to put up or shut up about working. These PR games do them no favors.
Why doesn’t grandma just lay down the law? I’m sure few things are as effective as having the Queen hand you your a$$. What she says, goes as far as the royal family, right? Maybe she cut them some slack as they were taking care of their heir producing obligations. But now that seems to be done for the moment, so they need to get their a$$es to work. It’s not like it’s the most grueling job in the world anyway. They’re ridiculous.
But am I missing something? Is someone mentally/physically ill? Is anyone on drugs? They both look haggard as hell.
Radley, that’s probably why they didn’t go to Sandringham this year: Ass-handing avoided!
It’s really sad: William has one of the most privileged lives, and yet, he is so unhappy. Just look at that clenched jaw! I lost my mother at a young age, too, and yet, I managed to become a productive adult, with a full-time job. I also worked from the time I was 11 years old (baby-sitting), teen/college years (part time/summers). What William does (or rather, doesn’t do) is beyond shameful.
Hey William, you want to sit on your a$$, watch tv/play video games, and eat cheese toast? Then work a full time job, retire after 30 years, and do it! Whining, last time I checked is NOT full-time employment!
>It’s really sad: William has one of the most privileged lives, and yet, he is so unhappy. Just look at that clenched jaw! I lost my mother at a young age, too, and yet, I managed to become a productive adult, with a full-time job. I also worked from the time I was 11 years old (baby-sitting), teen/college years (part time/summers). What William does (or rather, doesn’t do) is beyond shameful.
I think it’s because he has nothing to gain from working. He’ll never HAVE to work. It’s just to keep people off his back. And honestly, I’d rather have 1% of his money and have to work for it than to have that money with the responsibility, expectations and press following my every move. Harry at least has some fun. I can’t believe someone might actually make it their life goal to marry into this.
I am 45 and her skin is in about the same condition as mine. I have autoimmune which knocks your skin around a bit and I dont have facials or anything like that. My point being….far out her skin is crap. Different make up would work wonders though.
I am calling this. She will be pregnant before March. Then will have to ” cut back” on official duties. Just watch
I hope not. She seems so miserable since Charlotte’s birth.
Kate’s problem is that she has to work for the lifestyle she chased after. She wasn’t expecting to have to actually work. Poor snowflake is stressed about having to work for her wiglets and Botox.
@Digital: All the young royals are special snowflakes. As little work as possible, that is their slogan.
@Digital: What on earth does she think her mother-in-law did for 20 years???
I think she’s waiting until after Pippa’s wedding. She has a rough time at the beginning-no way she wants to feel awful during all the festivities.
Oh please, they will only step up if forced to thou I think that’s what happened and why the xmas trolling happened, they got told off and chucked their toys outta the pram. Plus I don’t think either of them r capable of deep contemplation.
They just kill me with their keenness.
That’s my thinking too, Betti.
I agree, they are ALWAYS on the cusp of wanting to do more, oh so much more! Then somehow….
Most every family has a loss of some freedom when the kids go off to school because you are beholden to the school calendar. That’s just life.
I predict: Kate pregnant in 2017, and Will will announce that he is taking a leave from the air ambulance to commute between the UK and wherever Jecca’s family’s estate is in Kenya to “intensively study conservation” for a year.
Don’t smear Jecca. She is a private citizen who should be able to live her life free of gossip. Even if the Midds started it, there is no reason to perpetuate it.
Besides, William is long past pretending to study. He no longer makes excuses for not working. He simply doesn’t work and dares anyone to challenge him.
@Megan No intention to smear Jecca I was more smearing William for his proclivity to run off to Africa to “save the wildlife” whenever he is at a decision point and can’t bear to do what he should. That is why I said “Jecca’s family estate” not “with Jecca”. I am not one of those who think William is having any kind of an affair with Jecca.
More “work” for these two”? You can always see how much they enjoy “working” by their forced smiles and bored facial expressions.
When they married 2011 I really thought this couple would be good for the British monarchy … I was naive.
Yeah, after being a “royal watcher” during their 10 years as a couple I had no hope for them, particularly her. She was always lazy and idle; her royal status did not change that, unfortunately.
Me too.
I did not. I thought she would be lazy. She’s never worked a day in her life. I told friends that they wouldn’t do anything. They didn’t believe me. They do now though.
The sad part is she would probably be so much happier and comfortable in her role if she had worked in her 20s. Instead of going out and accomplishing something of her own, her entire adult identity is tied to William.
Yup.
I did. I thought they would bring the crown into the 21st century. Never crossed my mind that the son of Diana would turn out so lazy, contemptible, and arrogant. She would be utterly mortified at his actions.
I don’t think they should feel obliged to release holiday pictures or cards. That’s unnecessary. Work, yes.
After all the bad press they received for not issuing an Xmas photo, I think that might be another reason there was such good photo access to them during the church walk ( with no complaints either). I somehow think the present situation with the Cambridge’s was not something HM, DOE & even Charlie boy expected to be in back in 2011. Kensington was supposed to be their main base anyway, that’s why so much money was spent redecorating it, wasn’t it??? I’m sure I’ve not long read that Kate’s engagement total for 2016 was 63, is that right? Thats totally & utterly disgusting – the fact that that number takes into account 2 tours makes it even worse! They are both a disgrace to the royal family & to Britain. And whoever wrote the statement that said ‘ they’re ready to step up to their royal duties’ wants sacking, they should’ve been ready for that as soon as she said, yes to his proposal…!
“And whoever wrote the statement that said ‘ they’re ready to step up to their royal duties’ wants sacking” – No, they are just toeing the party line. They had to write it because they are unable to maintain a straight face while repeating it.
Jade – They made a deal with the press that if they left the kids alone to enjoy a “normal” childhood in return they would periodically provide photos for the press to publish. The British press is holding up their end of the bargin so they should be as well. The have on numerous occasions forgone revenue from pictures of G and C that other international publications published and despite that W and K still publish the photos on Twitter first. At some point the press is going to start pushing back.
Plus, it’s in their best interest people being emotionally invested in the third heir is important for keeping the monarchy around and relevant. Keeping him hidden away hinders that, makes it look as if there is something to hide, is a way of snubbing and looking down their noses at the British public and press. The people they need to provide the incredible amount of money, attention, praise, deference and kid glove treatment needed to maintain their “ordinary” lifestyle.
What I meant was the person should’ve either come up with a better comment or not said anything at all, cause all its done is make the Cambridge’s a bigger laughing stock than they already are. Every time somebody officially says Will & Kate are going to increase their work load, people either roll their eyes up to heaven or mouth ‘ yeah, whatever’ – when making a comment like that they need to have something to back it up with. I personally think they need to beg Jamie Lowther Pinkerton to come back & sort things out for them!
Lindsey, I don’t think any such deal like that is in place. Photographers photograph them in public places. Sometimes the photos are published, other times KM goes after them for denying her privacy in a public place (?). That is what has the press so frustrated – the moving goal posts and how W&K yank their chains.
It is fear of W&K revoking access to official events that has the reporters and photographers selling the stories and images oversees, not any agreement. Those who kowtow and play the game are given rare passes for things like the christening and Christmas pap stroll. Or the secret meet-the-PR-tool meetings as others have said.
The France lawsuit this spring will be very interesting, not the least of which because it will bring back W&K’s lies to the paraolympians. Remind people that they like to sneak off to France on vacation, at least four times now. Coming along right after these new numbers have come out about their overall laziness and their Middleton Royal Family pap stroll? Plus the annual Mustique holiday that will likely happen this year, unless they head off to a freebie on St Barts?
Princess Caroline ultimately lost her France privacy lawsuit on appeal. What will ultimately happen, who knows? But it is going to be very interesting.
Here’s a radical idea, the Cambridge’s want their privacy and are not above playing games on the press to get it so….give it to them! Let them embargoes as many engagements as they want, ignore them. They’ll soon realise that they need the press as much as the press want them. Its a mutual ‘relationship’! A royal family can’t survive without publicity, especially good publicity. That is why charities want them as patrons.
Nota – The have an arrangement concerning the kids. Sorry if that wasn’t clear. If W or K (or sometimes Carole) take them out to a public engagement they are fair game to be photographed. If they are with the nanny – it’s a no go or on private property (i.e. George on a police motorcycle and the Government House in Australia) It is similar to the deal struck regarding W and H following their mother’s death. The private meeting was part of it.
I agree the lawsuit will be interesting. A bit of the Streisand Effect though, I would imagine most people haven’t thought about or forgotten the whole event. This will bring back the shirking of their duties to the Para-Olympians when they were willing to be at the Olympics with bells on. The lying, the freebie vacays, the cost of protection during said vacations, the nude photos, and how little they prep for these massive tours that are quite an undertaking for everyone else involved.
The court case could be what forces the RF hands with these 2. It will end badly for them and I think Kate or the Mids will be outed as the press leaks. Those paps were tipped off and she knew they were there as she kept looking over in their direction. It’s also alleged they there are other more intimate photos that the French mag held back on, ones that will b very embarrassing for them and the family. If u catch my drift.
@Jade, I disagree because, well, none of this is necessary! Tradition is all about emotional connection and continuity. Its not law. Its friction’ window dressing and an elaborately secret UK power structure.
You need to have enough of the fluff (look! we’re just like you!) so that people either forget about or don’t mind the power the Windsors wield.
The Christmas cards are lovely, fluffy, unnecessary tradition. William is taking a sledgehammer to everything Royal. One chain link at a time. Yay, republic?
Ladies relax, I understand why it’s a good idea to release pictures, I really do. Maybe I should not have used obliged. The pictures of their kids are just unnecessary to me because I erhm…don’t find the pictures stimulating or interesting. It’s really just me. Carry on. Many thanks though, for all the information offered. This is why I love reading the comments, I can always learn new things.
The comments on the Daily Fail article were hilarious yesterday. So many are fed up with them.
Kate always looks like she just indulged in one good cry before stepping out, perhaps she is depressed like many of us despite all those shopping and vacation? I think she is regretting becoming a royal. You hear me, Markle? It’s not all rainbow and shopping and fairy tale.
IMO, only Mama Middleton wanted to marry into the BRF, Kate would be happier with a Sir Ben Ainslie.
Pippa is the lucky sister, not Kate.
I agree @Chery about Pippa.
Bar the odd pap stroll, she gets the rich guy without the added royal detail. Ding ding!
If you look at the pictures of the Xmas day pao stroll it looks like the Middletons are leaving terrible rich behind. Lol. I think Pips wanted someone bigger. Titled, rich and hot.
I think Pippa did very well for herself. James Mathews isn’t quite hot, nor titled, but he is Lord McRich of Richydale and she’ll have all of the perks of extreme wealth without any of the strictures of a title. Plus he seems crazy about her.
Pippa is definitely the winner. Terribly rich, socially mobile, royal adjacent and the only expectation is that she will have cute babies and throw fabulous parties.
Maybe not the life all of us would choose, but it certainly fulfills her ambitions.
@MFore
KM indeed looks like she has been crying. Puffy face and attempt at smile. Wills didn’t look at her once during the stroll. She did look at him per usual.
I really can’t believe how much I dislike this couple. I always expected to be more neutral. I’m not British, I’m not a huge fan nor a detractor of the monarchy, it was never my thing. But I thought it was neat that she was a “commoner” (or whatever, not royal) and I did get swept up in the potential love story of it all, which I guess is why I delved deeper into their stories. They could not be more disappointing. I would have thought that she would have tried extra hard to fulfill the duties, because of her background. But no. I would have thought he would have tried to find a woman more like his mother, so empathetic and charitable. But no. But he’s not really like his mother either, it seems. It’s too bad Harry wasn’t born first
Which is why tax-supported national persons of importance should not be there by accident of birth.
Word.
All the governor generals of Canada since they stopped using British royalty have been extremely accomplished Canadians.
Yes. Why this still occurs in 2016 is unbelievable to me.
I just don’t get why William doesn’t take himself and his family out of line. If he hates the monarchy and royal duties so much then that is the solution.
Because they would last less than 5 years on his inheritance from Diana. Because if he wasn’t in the line to the throne, people wouldn’t act like sycophants around him. He’d have to earn respect instead of having it handed to him. Because Mummy Carole wouldn’t look at him the same.
True but all that lovely cash from the Duchy of Cornwall is within grasp when Charles ascends to the throne. It’s seems too good to pass up. Maybe though, the law should be changed as the automatic windfall is all that Willnot wants not the work/ responsibility associated with being Prince of Wales. I say they should call his bluff.
Notasugarhere: exactly. Well said.
Me, too. They are just so privileged and so totally useless.
I am totally fed up with them after having cut them such slack for such a while. However, it’s obvious that Kate is rubbish at the whole Royal Job thing- she doesn’t have the charisma, the charm, the ease or the interest for it. However, having sucked at several jobs, I can totally relate to the increasing insecurity/panic/anxiety that failing at stuff can entail. That it’s all done in the full public glare must make it even worse. So, I’m not making excuses for her but can understand how she must feel resigned about committing herself to something so obviously not for her. For the rest of her life. She must love her William to have taken the plunge!
LOL, but you are still cutting them slack.
And Kate hasn’t failed at her job, she couldn’t possibly fail because everything was set up for her to succeed. People organize the events to her liking down to every detail, the expectations are so low at this point that she couldn’t possibly disappoint. The only problem is that she just won’t show up.
You say you sucked at several jobs. Maybe, but don’t forget that you showed your face at said job, you engaged, you tried, you committed. If Kate ever decides to engage and show up, the royal system will make sure she succeeds, she has a safety net. That is her extraordinary privilege and that is why we shouldn’t compare ourselves to her.
Would love to know more about how events are set up for her… geez, I’d be mortified if people were going out of their way to make things nice for me and I stood them up!
That is why the hospice people tried to drop her as patron. It is so much work setting things up for her to come in for 45 minutes every two years.
Most her engagements are simply tours. She walks around the facilities of the charity of the month. Meets the top people in the organization, meets a few volunteers, and meets a few people the charity works with. Sometimes there is a short group chat where they tell her about the charity and how it helped them. She sits there and tries unsuccessfully to not look bored out of her skull.
They have to clean up, prepare for her and put their best foot forward for the accompanying press. They have to work with her security detail. They have to learn royal protocol and teach it to whoever is assigned to meet her. (How to address her, not to talk to her unless she deigns to speak to you first, how to dress, ect) They answer any questions she or her people may have, provide information for the briefs they sometimes read so she doesn’t go in cold if she feels like trying that day. Get all the activities approved. So both the charity and her own staff hold her hand the entire way through. She just has to act like she cares a little bit for 45 minutes and get back in her helicopter. It is a lot of work especially for the charities that need the media exposure and public support. Then mitigate the damage when she shares her absurd and uninformed opinions like mental health issues and addiction stem from parents working to much or solving them is as simple as allowing your children to express their feelings.
This talks about preparing for their Canadian tour: The hotels: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/how-to-prepare-a-hotel-for-a-royal-visit-carefully/article584691/
Government House in Malaysia:
http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/nikeshmehta/2012/08/01/preparing-for-our-royal-visit/
Talks about their ‘extensive and nerve wracking’ 8 weeks of prep for their visit!
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/how-government-house-is-preparing-for-royal-visit-1.2347890
A bit more about it
http://globalnews.ca/news/2952843/royal-ready-how-to-prepare-for-will-and-kates-okanagan-visit/
Protocol for the plebs who meet them on walkabouts. Designated meetings are more formal.
Hope that is enlightening Alix! Here are 2016 Royal Bloopers (silly photos at quite a time suck of a website if your interested in royalty, preparation, and protocol) I love the first photo!
http://royalcentral.co.uk/uk/thequeen/best-bloopers-of-2016-73818
There was also a story out there about their “retreat” hotel in Whitehorse and how so much had been done to fix it up. W&K marched past all the staff, spoke to no one, and went right to their suite.
And ordered food from outside. They are so ignorant. That story should have been blasted out even more than it was.
@Aidevee
What ALS said. You showed up, worked, found it wan’t right for you. Keep going and keep the faith. Showing up is half the battle. Hope 2017 brings you to a job you love.
Thank you!! ❤️
My good fortune has already turned however- after I decided that I definitely sucked at my old job, I took a minimum wage job in a sector I loved, worked flipping hard to get into Cambridge university to retrain and now have a terrific job (that I still suck at some days but adore). I have kids exactly the same age as w&k which is why I naturally tended to relate them – my husband and I were at St. Andrews at the same time as them too. But good lord, Kate would balk at the commitments and expectations I have set myself. But I am bloody proud of myself! It took an awful lot of hard graft and prior disappointment to get me where I am now- I never usually blow my own trumpet but compared to her, I am a work ninja, as I expect all of you are too. I just hope I can make my 1 year old daughter proud and that she can learn a good work ethic from me. Best wishes for 2017 and thank you for the thoughts! X
Kate had months of “princess training” when they first married and is surrounded by support staff. She has everything she needs to succeed.
HONK for AideVee <3
“the duke contemplating giving up his career”
hahaha…
Yes, that statement is truly hilarious. He is always *contemplating* something: how to get out of work, how to plan another secret holiday, how to spend more free money on his free homes. The list goes on.
I wonder what they’ll be “keen” about in 2017…
It’s quite obvious that Bland thought her life is going to be like a Disney princess movie.
Never noticing that those movies always END with the marriage…
William looks miserable. If the Middletons were not around to support Kate, i imagine she would have had a breakdown by now.
Kate cannot be compared to extraordinary Diana. Prince Harry possesses many of Diana’s qualities, and is a kind soul. Maybe there is still hope for the Royal Family.
My guess is we didn’t get a card because they knew we would get church pics so why give the peasants two looks at the kids. As for stepping up not a chance- third child is my guess.
+1 If they had issued Christmas cards, they wouldn’t have had so many reporters at their dueling Christmas parade.
Workshy Will has managed to squander every bit of goodwill he inherited as Princess Diana’s son. It’s pretty clear to me that William has not inherited a sense of royal duty from his father or caring for people from his mother. He could have absorbed the best qualities of both parents and been a wonderful modern King. Instead, he’s lazy, petulant, and entitled and will probably end the monarchy. His wife is the same. I saw the story in the DM today that headlined Prince Philip at 95 did twice the engagements of Duchess Dolittle. How pathetic is that?
“giving up his career as a helicopter pilot”
I will translate: deciding he can’t be bothered to co-pilot once or twice a month for much longer, let alone finally get around to qualifying as a full pilot. It’s all too tiring for words.
Yep. It’s the choice of the word ‘resigned’ that gets me. They r still trying to get public sympathy with the ‘poor us were being force to abandon our young children by the bug bad RF’. They really are to stupid and clueless, it’s actually making people loathe them even more.
Very good point. Wow, she has to resign herself and steel herself for the awful prospect of living in London, specifically Kensington Palace in the beautiful residence someone else paid millions to renovate and decorate just for her!
Did we just reach a point in which writing actual words about them is too tiring? They don’t deserve too many words written about them and we need to economize.
Some reporter should check to see how many hours he still needs to qualify as full pilot. That would be a great indication of how many hours he actually worked at EAAA.
Yes. That’s what we need!
Don’t forget his having to decide on another ‘lengthy’ service contract of two years. If committing to two years is tough, how’s he going to handle a lifetime job? That of king?
Lengthy two year contracts for two days of work a week – why burden oneself? One can find other ways of being normal.
Drunken darts? Normal, right?
My visiting family have decamped. I have fewer people to remind about my 158 check out. So, as I know you won’t mind, I’m reminding you!
Sincere congratulations on your 158 Sixer. My dad was the BC men’s dart champion several times and my mom was ladies champ a couple of times, as was my sister. Me, I’m the black sheep of the family. They are all hard core drinkers, I smoke pot, they are all dart champs in one form or another, and I’m a pool shark.
Thank you! I’m generally useless at both darts and pool. Good at Scrabble is the best you can say for me. This was, truly, my very own Christmas miracle (which I’ll never shut up about)!
One could of course take up drunken darts with a vengeance, but one is rather ashamed one cannot compete with the Sixer clan.
They are pathetic. They work the least, but take and expect the most. They are never going to increase their numbers. There will always be an excuse for why they can’t.
So, I watched TQ’s Christmas message and when she mentioned William working as an ambulance pilot I shut it off because 1) he doesn’t work there and 2) the family will always lie and cover for each other.
Happy New Year to all of those who fund the Monarchy.
George and Charlotte are cute but with parents like that, they will be just as lazy and work-shy as Kate and William.
This line kills me: “They want to be in a position that when they are asked to do more, they are in a position to say yes,” said one insider.
So they have to be asked to take on more work to ease the burden of their 90 something grandparents? Smh… You should be asking!!
2011: “we will hit the ground running”
five and a half years, and two children later:
“we did run, but the ground ran faster than us. makes us look like we’re standing still.”
look at little George’s face! He seems to be resigned to it, too.
The duchess is”resigned” to move back to London. She acts as if it’s one of the worst place to live.
My hope for 2017 is this: that they will finally mature into their roles. (Can’t believe I just said that)!
I don’t understand why she hates London so much, I mean GAWD, all that frickin shopping!!!
As I said in another thread, IF they move back to London I do not expect it until fall 2018. William and Harry didn’t start Wetherby until 4.5 and 5. They’re not going to start their son at 3 or 4.
We still have to get her personal photos of their daughter trotting off to the local pre-school, which should be Fall 2017 or January 2018. I dont’ think William will allow their daughter’s first day of school to have any reporters to record it.
Plenty of time for baby #3 to stave off KM being keen to hit the ground running and shine the light on X anytime soon. Plus I don’t see them moving to London until after the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death in August.
They may even pick a Norfolk school and not move to London. “Normal” could mean a day school instead of traditional boarding schools once they reach 8. Around 100 engagements is what you’ll get out of her each year, no more. Now that she can count watching men’s tennis at Wimbledon, expect less “real” work out of her overall.
I think you are spot on nota. Good chance they pick a Norfolk school after all. They are priming the pump with all the resigned to living in London and leaving behind their idyllic country life bit. If they ultimately announce he is going to a Norfolk school they can couch it as the children don’t want to leave behind their country life and you know how Will and Kate must do what is best for their little family.
Kate recreates William’s childhood every chance she gets. George will attend the same prep schools and then will be shipped off to Eton where he will get to be the Royal Aristo with a country estate, a Palace apartment and a loaned private jet at his disposal.
Charlotte will be the surprise, unless they choose Marlborough College for her instead of St Paul’s or Westminster.
@Cee while at Eton did William really have a country estate, a palace apartment and a private jet?
now i read it again…
i wonder if this is not a satire piece
to be able to resign, you first need to have a job to resign from!
her total work hours do not even merit a part time job status!
Satire. Pure satire.
You have a better chance at making a snake go at 100 mph than at making Kate work.
And Kate doesn’t want to move back to London for the education of her kids. But because of the shopping opportunities.
Queen E is clever. She gave W and K a “country seat” in what is very much the (entertainment-shopping-wise) dead countryside in comparison to London. No shops and no theatre and no … whatever.
They are pathetic!
Haha… that lazy slattern will never work. She gets as far as ramping up the KEENNESS and that’s it.
This story was in the news this time last year too when they were “keen” to return to London for George’s schooling and to undertake more duties. You can rest assured that even if they are dragged back to London there will be no increase in workload as they will find some excuse. If baby 3 doesn’t appear soon then it will appear when George starts school so she can justify still staying at home.
She’s “resigned”! Well, one hopes these aren’t her words but simply the spin of the reporters because one remembers when that poor sausage lived in London all the time and seemed to love every minute of it.
Warning, depressing speculation ahead.
The Queen is old, and right now not so well. Not saying she is dying this instant, but death is always around the corner at this point. I speculate that this fact has been pointed out quite clearly to the poor sausages and they have been told the Anmer interlude, and associated work and royal avoiding activities, must end sooner rather than later. Hence, the celebration of “Pippa’s last Christmas as a single person” with the Middletons and other utterly fabricated obligations. Up to and including George and Charlotte must attend an obscure and isolated preschool out in Norfolk.
“They want to be in a position that when they are asked to do more, they are able to say yes”. Like they weren’t able to say that before. In the words of Nan Taylor… “what a load of old sh!t!”
Could it be that they know the monarchy is doomed, that they both just threw in the towel, and said “why bother ” ???
I still do not get why The Queen still indulge this lazy couple!
I don’t understand the traditional dog and pony show, of the walking parade to church. Just so people can gawk at them? What’s the purpose?
I can see why so many take issue with their year end numbers but I still feel like if The Queen or Charles had a real issue with it, they would require more from them. They live a very privileged lifestyle. They aren’t required to do a full workload like most of us have to. Should they? Of course they should, but in that world they have the leisure to do more when they want or not do more.
I stopped expecting more from them years ago. I figure The Queen is giving them time to raise their kids themselves and be there for their kids since it’s something she didn’t do for her own kids. And Charles is probably okay with it as well since it was something he lacked growing up.
I don’t see why they couldn’t do both since their “work” probably totals about two hours a day, four at most. I’ve given up trying to figure it out. Now when the tear end numbers are released I just say “yep that’s about right”…
I was looking into the charities and patronages that the Queen has handed off in the past couple of weeks and found out that she hasn’t actually been attending a whole lot of engagements and events for them. In fact, if I looked at it right, it would seem that her handing off those patronages wouldn’t actually mean a cut in her workload, since she wasn’t exactly doing a lot for them to start with. This isn’t to imply that the Queen herself is lazy or anything, I think it’s more a case that she has a lot to do as it is, and she simply doesn’t have the time or the hours to give attention to all the charities that she’s a patron of. So, in reality, there’s a great likelihood that the Queen and Prince Philip will continue to be as active as ever in the coming year or two, and the offloading of a bunch of those patronages is simply to allow for them to get the attention that they probably need. It could just be that they were submitting briefs for events that they wanted the Queen to attend, and she had to keep turning them down for whatever reason. Or they were simply patronages that the Queen felt couldn’t be served as well by her as they would by a figure like William or Harry (the rugby ones come to mind lol). Keep in mind that this is a question of royals serving as symbols–you’re just more likely to associate a person like William with a sport like rugby, or Kate with a sport like tennis or an event like Wimbledon.
Now, how much they will actually work for their patronages, instead of resting upon their laurels as figureheads, remains to be seen of course. I’m inclined to think that at some point, they will eventually cross a line of no return, where they will either HAVE to work as royals, or risk facing severe backlash for not doing so. I know a few others have suggested that the Queen “lay down the law,” but keep in mind that she is not a confrontational person. Others in her family are, but she never has been, especially not with her relatives. She does her duty, but in issues such as this, which requires giving her relatives a dressing down as it were? I can’t say that I’ve ever considered her the type to really do that. And what I find appalling in W&K’s behaviour is that they are seemingly taking advantage of this silence on the Queen’s part to probably either enable their behaviour or not confront it at all. Which is just the worst thing.
What I think is most interesting about this is that William’s contracts with the air ambulance services are coming to an end next year. He has tried to put off his assumption of royal duties with that for about five years now. He’s run out of years to dilly-dally around with this, and I don’t think he will actually renew his contracts with the air ambulance after this. To do so would be unwise at best. So I think we should prepare for Willy to either continue doing even less than the nothing that he was already doing before, or the off chance that him and Waity will….actually surprise us.
Y’all know what this means: baby #3 in late 2017 or sometime in 2018!
Ugh why! I hope not.