Last week, The Sun published a particularly scathing report about Prince William. Much of it we already knew – that he hatches schemes to avoid royal work, that he’s quite petulant, that he hates engaging with the media about anything and everything. There were some new pieces of information though, like how little work William does with the East Anglia Air Ambulance service. Following a second gap year (in which William barely did anything), he hatched a scheme to work for the commercial outfit EAAA. He “studied” for the exams for months and months, then finally began work last summer. And he’s already pretty bored with it, sources claim. He originally said it would be a full-time position, then we learned “full time” to William means something like 30 hours a week. And guess what? He’s not doing 30 hours a week.
It would be easy enough to dismiss The Sun’s report just because people do love to shoot the messenger, and The Sun is a republican rag that hates royalty in general. But something interesting happened. The royal correspondents for other media outlets were posting tweets about The Sun’s story and basically promoting that version. And now The Daily Mail and Daily Mirror are piling on. The Daily Mail’s Amanda Platell devoted her column to basically confirming that William barely works at EAAA and that William is now seen as “truculent.” Platell’s source at the EAAA says: “It’s supposed to be four days on and four days off. But with the Duke it’s more off than on.” Platell then writes that it’s “time” for William to make up his mind about whether he really wants to be the heir – you can read her piece here.
Then The Daily Mirror’s Carole Malone wrote an editorial in which she went HAM. She refers to William as “this work-shy petulant prince” and “big soft lad” who still “hides behind the cloak of ‘poor persecuted, hounded Wills’ which protected him for so long after his mum died.” The whole piece is fascinating – go here to read. But the best piece? Katie Nicholl, the nearly official Duchess Kate hagiographer, writing a piece for the Mail on Sunday. This one is so gossipy, I actually giggled with delight. Some highlights:
Where was William for the BAFTAs? Nicholl says he was almost definitely in Bucklebury, at his in-laws’ home, watching TV.
There are concerns. Nicholl writes: “William has form for going missing in action, to the growing concern of courtiers and senior Royals. And it is something they are determined to address. Prince Charles is hoping his own sense of duty and workaholic view of life will in time rub off a little. Others are more direct. One friend of the Royal Family referred to William as radiating a sense of ‘entitlement and petulance’, while also describing Kate as ‘a little grand’ and occasionally abrupt.” A source tells Nicholl: “They have surrounded themselves with people who say ‘yes’ to everything so they get no proper advice.”
William’s sad work numbers: Nicholl says the palace was “relieved” that there was so little outcry about William and Kate’s pathetic 2015 royal work numbers. But people are getting the (correct) idea that William “resents” royal work, and when he tries to be political and engaged, he comes across as “naïve” and “blundering.”
William can’t postpone duty. Nicholl writes: “… there are concerns at the highest level within the Royal Family that William cannot postpone life as a full-time working Royal indefinitely. He can point to his full-time job as a helicopter pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance service, of course, but in recent weeks it has become clear that his schedule there is flexible.”
The Queen wants everyone to work more. A source says, “There’s talk that more responsibility is going to be handed down to the younger generation, which is right. The feeling is that the Queen and Prince Charles need more support and I keep hearing that April will be the catalyst for some key changes… The Queen has said she needs the support of her substitutes. This has been on the cards for some time.”
William’s way. A family member told Nicholl: “It’s William’s way or no way.”
Nicholl then goes on to detail the myriad appearances William, Kate and Harry will be putting in this year, because I guess that’s how they’ve justified taking a two-month holiday? They’ll have to do a lot of waving in April and May, so they need their rest right now? Whatever.
So, has the worm turned on William and Kate? I actually doubt it. I think they’ll probably post a few photos of George and/or Charlotte and all will be forgiven… but not forgotten. The press like to bat Will and Kate around from time to time, but we’re still a few years away from the worm truly turning on these two. I suspect Poor Jason is already hatching a scheme to make everyone forget about this kerfuffle.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
Ooh the gloves are slowly coming off *boils kettle and gets out her big box of Yorshire tea*
And as for ‘Grand Kate’, also something we already can see – that ‘tude also extends to her family, who act like they are royalty.
Chuck and TQ are alike – they seem to stick their head in the sand until forced to do something. Neither will do anything about these 2 until their hand is forced.
Queue a pap stroll with the kids sometime soon.
As for ‘grand Kate,’ the DM has an article out about how Kate’s off-time attire including jewelry and bag cost about $4,500 (over £3,000) when all she did was go to the gym. Her vest and bag cost over £1,000 each and her top and earrings costs several £100s each. Who wears earrings costing so much to the gym? Very grand.
If TQ and PC don’t do anything, maybe Parliament will as I’m thinking it has some power over the purse. So this may be the only tangible, outside world effect the BRF, especially William can feel when it comes to his position.
Full disclosure. I’ve worn diamond studs to the gym. They’re worth more than a few hundred pounds.
Thing is they’re wealthy. I expect that she’ll wear clothes most of us can’t afford. The jacket is four years old, the bag about the same. It’s not like she buys each season’s “it” things and never wears them again. I’ve got plenty to complain about when it comes to the Cambridges, but that’s not one of them.
@Bluhare. Kate does buy the current seasons ‘it’ item(s) but only wears them in public a year or so later. She does not like people copying her and the press have painted a never seen before coat as new, only for it to transpire its from 3 seasons ago and is the first time she’s worn it in public (either papped wearing it or its worn to an engagement). Its happened a few times with Reiss coats.
As for the Temperley jacket, i have a friend who coveted it but it was one of that seasons hot sellers, sold out whenever they got stock in. It is a lovely jacket.
bluhare, if it is Duchy money she spends on her private and work attire, and she tends to cross the two, it isn’t William’s or Middleton money she’s spending.
Agree with you there, Betti. But she does rewear her clothes and it isn’t all about the current “it” fashion as it is with many people. That’s what I meant to say, and probably not very well. 🙂
@Betti – there was a huge story a while back (and photos on Twitter from shoppers at the time) about Kate going to some village in the UK where the brands she favors have end-of-lines and seconds sales.
[Edit: I just looked it up – “Bicester Village Designer Outlet” is where it was].
The general consensus at the time was that she buys stuff at the reduced (priced-to-clear) prices from these places — instead of buying from the main stores while it is current stock, then stashing it away only to wear it much later as you have suggested. Meaning that a lot of the items she wears have long sold out in stores and only the very last of those items presumably would’ve been available at the village outlet stores, hence why people can’t get their hands on them.
This isn’t always the case though, obviously as she often wears items that are still very much available (such as the gorgeous Reiss shirt she wore the other day for her blogging event).
@ bluhare
You’ve worn expensive items that you’ve worked for and earned and thus what you wear are symbols of your hard work. Good for you. 🙂
Now as for Kate…. I doubt she bought those things in that photo based on her work at Jigsaw and Party Pieces.
And if one says she’s EARNED these things based on her work as a Duchess, then I’d say that she already spends thousands on her ‘work’ attire (paid for by the taxpayers via Charles) and so whose money is she spending for her non-work attire? Because William got his money from his mother who got her money from Charles who got his money from the taxpayers. And I doubt the Middletons are still picking up the bill for their married daughter.
Lots of people dress nicely day to day.
But in this case, K’s dressing off the royal dole, on her FIL’s dime, and barely working or engaging with the people (the job she agreed to do by marriage, so to speak)…so yes, it is rather off-putting and grand in this case. Dressed to the hilt for the gym wouldn’t bother me had she spent more than 45 minutes with her children’s cause last week, eh?
She’s historically work-shy and chill, barely able to behave in an adult manner at key events, and her husband sits home apparently eating cheese toast and pouting. Thus, to see her idea of the role is dressing up and (blank?)…is peculiar, rather than a fashion moment when you might say, “oh I like that” without further thought.
This gives off the appearance of a WAG, not a working royal. But even a WAG’s husband works. So…what is this?
I’m sorry everyone, but you do not know if these were purchased by someone else. You just don’t. They look awfully casual for engagement wear to me. If her father in law is dumb enough to give them money without them doing anything for it, then the criticism should be directed at him for being an idiot.
She belongs to one of the wealthiest families in the world — and I’m talking personal wealth here — so it’s not unreasonable to think her clothes might be a step up from ours.
bluhare, you don’t know that they weren’t purchased by the Duchy. We have many instances of her crossing over clothing worn at an engagement then worn on a private occasion ($6000 hand painted day dress comes to mind). Whatever money she is spending I suspect comes out of the $4 million allowance from the Duchy each year, seeing as her husband is a known skinflint. Ultimately, it isn’t money she or her husband have earned.
This is where you guys lose me, nas. It really starts looking like it’s criticism just to criticise. She’s wearing leggings, sneakers, a sweater and a jacket, three of those items being either worn or at least four years old. I don’t think it’s worth the complaining; I truly don’t.
Whatever money she is spending, or has basically ever spent in her life, is someone else’s money. Could be that’s why she spends it like water.
Them not doing their jobs is an issue, but I will never understand they attacking or faulting these princesses for their clothes.
1. They have the money
2. They are princess so we want them to be dressed to the 9s
3. Honestly if she isn’t doing charity work what else does she have to do but shop-
4. She does rewear her clothes; and gets bashed
5. She is a princess she needs to dress like it.
She should be doing more in terms of charity work or whatever the heck she is suppose to do with her life but to get after her for her clothes is wrong. How she looks is as big a part of her job as the charity work. It may be bigger because let’s be honest if princess di wasn’t glamourous we wouldn’t have paid attention to her. Case in point Camilla does a ton of charity work and good so does Charles never hear a word about them why- not glamourous and fashionable. It matters.
Yorkshire tea is the BEST, completely addictive.
Literally, of course, because of the amount of caffeine, but so worth it.
The DM commenters, the forum folks, royal tumblr and us CBers guessed it: There’ll be a photo(official or “pap”) of G&/orC.
There’s going to be more criticism if the next several photos of G&C are done by Kate or by one of their hired photographers and then released on W&K/KP’s social media accounts or even sent out to the press.
The royal photographers have been complaining on twitter about these examples. Also, the media doesn’t like to post the same limited photos that other publications have, which is what happens when only Kate or a hired hand takes the photos.
Another complaint the royal photographers have is that W&K aren’t going after the general public when they take photos of G&C and put them out on the internet and/or sell them to the press.
Anyhoo, I think the only way W&K can bring out G&C now without criticism is by taking them to a public event where the number of press aren’t limited to a favored few, so that there can be photos taken at multiple angles so that the publications can have their unique photos.
It doesn’t help that the photos that they issue do actually looked photoshopped – at least in a public setting, where there is no limit on who shoots them, there would be less insinuation this has occurred.
Very true.
They’ve allegedly arrived in the print (not online) edition of Woman’s Day.
William will go nuts with the bad press.
This is the first time I’ve read the suggestion in a news article that William give up the monarchy if he wants his privacy so much. It was just put out there!! Yes – William must be going nuts!
I wonder who’ll pen the coming “William the Dutiful Royal, Normal and Loving Father and the Saviour of the Monarchy” article. Sykes?
It’s like when I was younger and the effort it took to get out of my chores wasted much more time then if I’d just shut up and done them.
Exactly!
Yes! Just buckle down and do some work.
I once held the family up for an hour with a tantrum about not wanting to put on shoes. The tedium of tying laces was more than I could bear.
You’re an inspiration, Betty Rose!
😀
If he doesn’t want the job, and the job is clearly about going to events and talking to people, then he should just take on a normal job and be fine with it. I bet he couldn’t keep a proper job but doesn’t want to be a royal either. Hard life.
HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
True story: when I was a child, my mother’s nickname for me was Flash. This was a satirical monicker, reflecting the speed at which I engaged with getting on with my chores.
Precisely. Do your royal “work” and then play. You’ll put much less effort into hiding and you might learn you actually like to “work”, William.
The Sun is a rag. But it isn’t republican. Despite Murdoch’s trenchant republican views. We don’t have a republican tabloid (unless you count the Morning Star, which is communist and has a circulation of about two dozen). Broadsheets are split, but no tabloid runs republican editorials.
This is what LAK and I often put forward: the BRF run with privilege allowed by the British body politic – the establishment AND the public – up to a certain level. A bit of mission creep is tolerated but if they take it too far, the press lead a pitchfork party and take public opinion along with them. Then the royals get back in the mutually agreed box.
It’ll definitely take a few more years for it all to play out, but we can see clearly now that Normal Bill has reached his publicly acceptable limit, can’t we?
I found it interesting The Guardian posted two articles about this. One called The Sun gives both barrels to Prince William. Another tongue-in-cheek one called My thoughts exactly, Prince William by Victoria Coren Mitchell.
Yes, it’s like the first of the pile-ons, isn’t it?!
I think it’s going to be a sustained smack down of William because he has been so truculent and uncompromising and has been given his way most of his life.
In a way it’ll be like the shock Charles received at the public preference for Diana because as the heir, he had been receiving adulation all his life without having to earn it.
Re: your second para. Interesting point – Willy hasn’t really been reacting well to the public’s preference for Harry and all the good press he gets. Yes it was a shock for Charles but he has made the effort to turn things around for himself and Cams. Willy clearly has no interest in making that effort -he thinks its his and Kate’s due because he’s the heir and Diana’s son.
He’ll start throwing Harry under the bus more often now – as i said in the other thread, Harry needs to move back into the fold of his father’s PR team. The KP team are only there to serve the interests of the Buckets.
Yes, I agree.
And eventually, Bill will lose. He is in for the usual rude awakening. Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose!
Mr Sixer is looking over my shoulder. He says, “Do Americans know what taking the piss means?” As in, taking advantage of, not laughing at. Mr Sixer’s contention is that the time when a critical mass of Britishers feel that Bill is taking the piss is only beginning to approach. I can’t disagree.
At some point, he will be made to understand that he occupies his position only by virtue of a consent that can be withdrawn. I wish this would happen today but it may take some time. I’ll make up for the delay with schadenfreude at the slo-mo car crash!
Can our Brits please endeavor to explain the origin of “taking the piss?” I’ve seen it a lot lately and just can’t figure out how it got from Point A to Point B (though I’m grateful you’ve explained it means “taking advantage of”). When I want to exploit a situation, the last thing I’d want to do it take the piss, though I might want to take A piss. : )
WATP – nobody really knows. The roots have been lost in time, as is often the case with plebby vernacular! But the Wiki article has as reasonable a summary of the theories as any: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taking_the_piss.
Thank you so much, Sixer! Really enjoy your commentary.
And this is the man so many people wanted Charles to abdicate for. Lovely guy.
Is there something wrong with me that I read the headline to this piece and immediately came looking for Sixer?
There’s the seeds of your revolution, my dear.
I’m like the resident curmudgeon you guys are all amused by, ain’t I?! There are worse fates!
No, some of us actually think you make some sense from time to time. 🙂
Gossip has been the downfall of many a monarch. 😀
I think the family of Normal Bill are quite lucky there is a Harry, and steps will be underway by next year.
Is William the “Dubya” of the BRF? His behavior reminds me of George W. Bush during his time hiding out at his Texas ranch, clearing brush and avoiding Washington with his anti-social wife. William has a mommy in Carol Middleton and he apparently has glued his ass to her couch. Depression?
I do not see depression; he has been truculent about his role since he was a young child. I suspect he’s angry because the chickens are coming home to roost. He may have seen marriage as a way to hide from royal engagements for at least 5 more years. Turns out the public and the press don’t see why they should pay for the gentleman farmer’s extravagant lifestyle.
I thought Laura Bush unofficially left Dubya years ago when he started drinking again?
First I’ve heard of this, Bridget. Do you have any more info on it? I didn’t even know he had a drinking problem.
Lady D: don’t know about the secret separation, but Dubya’s drinking problem was public knowledge. It was probably *the* known thing about him.
It helped his redemption narrative when he came to run for POTUS because he cleaned up his act only 4-8yrs before he was voted POTUS.
And everyone was surprised as far as his public persona because Jeb Bush was always viewed as the responsible, sensible, more likely of Bush Snr’s boys.
I’ve never read anywhere that he’s drinking again.
He started drinking again years ago, while he was still in office.
And at one point after he left office they were very quietly staying in two separate properties in Tx. It’s entirely possible they reconciled (especially if he once again stopped drinking), but things were definitely rough between the two of them for a long while.
Bridget, I have seen no mention of this in the media. What is your source?
So new pics of the kids or will he talk about Diana publicly again?
Both?
And article about caring Kate soothing the beast still wounded by the death of saintly Diana and the joy of their ‘oh so normal’ family that is supplemented by the ever so wonderful Middletons.
I have a mental image of Normal Bill in sweats with a bowl of popcorn on his lap, remote in hand, lolling on the Middleton couch watching telly while the BAFTA reception lumbers on in HIS OWN HOME. Carole is, of course, shuttling him beverages from the kitchen. Kate and the kids tucked off in some far room – or kids tucked off in some far room with Nanny Maria and Kate on the rowing machine in the attic.
Cuz normal, warm family life and all.
God, what a mess.
Substitute cheese on toast, and I think you have it, Suze!
Suze, Iirc Kate said end of last year that Willy spends his weekends watching tv. It was a Daily Mail piece.
I think back to their engagement interview and the clues were there and I missed them. Kate and her difficulty answering questions. William’s ego on full display.
However, I never thought it would get this bad. Some people argue the Middletons are a bad influence on William. I think it’s true to some degree. I also believe he observes the Middletons business projects and wants the same in his life ie he wants to make easy money in the private sector and have freedom to do what he wants when he wants. Problem is- the taxpayers are getting angry with financing his lazy lifestyle.
In the past I didn’t believe comments from others pertaining to William abdicating someday, but as more time passes, I’m starting to believe it.
Real question: how smart is William? I know that Harry isn’t book-smart, but he’s good with people and increasingly seems to channel his energy toward social good. Lacking his brother’s social sensitivity, what does William have to offer?
He seems like an old-time bratty, moody, bored and entitled heir to the throne, demonstrating very few redeeming qualities.
This shallow gene pool is not notable for producing intelligence.
Nor does it seem to produce a good work ethic. Even the less intellectually endowed can do something productive. This is really interesting to watch. The British monarchy is sort of the ultimate symbol of enduring dynastic privilege at this point, isn’t it? If it falls…
Well, clearly I think it is!
But really, I suppose it’s just devolving into irrelevance slowly.
We followed the same path to democracy as the other European countries that retain a constitutional monarchy: the crown ceded an amount of power to the aristocrats, then the aristocrats ceded an amount of power to the capitalists/industrialists, then the capitalists/industrialists ceded an amount of power to the workers. Britain left its monarchy with a larger stipend and more prominent ceremonial/constitutional role than other countries mostly to project power during the years of Empire. All we see now is the slower decline of their prominence due to that.
Got it. Makes sense. And having read about the obscure origins of taking the piss…am not going to try it at home for fear of making a big rude mistake.
I think, with any form of British swearing or any form of crude British vernacular, you just have to be aware that context is everything. The same phrase can run the full gamut from expression of affection to outright abuse!
Watp- I hate the narrative that Harry isn’t especially intelligent. He went to Eton and passed Sandhurst with flying colors. I know what you mean when you say that, but I think he’s about as intelligent as the rest pf the family plus he seems quite street smart (which I think a lot of them lack).
Look at Kate- she has a very expensive education yet she comes off as an idiot whenever she opens her mouth.
Eton was never going to decline Harry, no matter what grades he came in with (and he was reportedly a very indifferent student).
That engagement interview spoke volumes as to who those two actually are. William was an arrogant ass, and Kate didn’t promise to do much work……she said something to the effect she’d like to help out in whatever small way she could. I took that to mean she had no intention of actually doing much. But anyway, it’s cool to see the press finally addressing William and his many faults. BRING IT ON!
And considering the amount of editing and retakes the interviewer discussed, imagine how bad it could have been if it were truly live.
I just liked the very end of this story. Something about the word “kerfuffle” always makes me quietly giggle to myself. Oh, Im such a child😁
But it is such a funny word 😉 I myself is partial to “nincompoop”, which actually relates to this article’s subject, i.e. William is a nincompoop and Kate a ninnyhammer. *giggling*
I feel you Wills! I want to be a country gentlewoman (minus the hunting). Lavish homes, breakfast in bed, serene country walks with my dogs. But my genetic legacy won’t allow it either, mostly because I haven’t the inherited funds.
And he doesn’t even seem like the landed-aristo gentleman farmer type either. He just seems like a low-skill upper-middle-class brat who bought a new mini-mansion in the exurbs with a loan from his parents. Which, in essence, he did.
I laughed at the suggestion he was watching TV with the in-laws. Instead of looking over the land, he’s probably more content eating chips (crisps?) and watching reality TV.
@Christin
I find the image of Bill sprawled in front of the TV eating chips and being waited on by Carole interesting only because last Sunday was Valentine’s Day and it didn’t appear he was with his wife. Kate really caught a winner didn’t she? He’s so pathetic and I hope all this bad publicity bites him and his bride in the ass.
Everyone knows how Willy abhors anyone infringing on his family’s democratic rights by taking photos of them doing personal activitiy in a public space .[snark] And that’s why I chuckled to see that Katie Nicholl posted with her article a (recent?) photo of Kate shopping. She’s doubled down with the article + private time photo. She really wants to irritate Willy.
My hunch is that press knows what specific changes are coming in April and they don’t like it. Perhaps this weekend of poking the Cambridge beast is preemptive payback.
I suspect the changes are something the Cambridges won’t like – mayhap the Duke of York will get his wish and see his daughters take on a public role? The senior royals need the support and the heir’s heir and brother are not really stepping up at the moment. I suspect Harry will be asked to step up and rep his father and grandfather more meaning he’ll have to give up his personal causes cause his big brother and his wife won’t.
Its only a matter of time before this blows up in the Cambridges and RF faces.
Why wouldn’t WK like it if the Yorks did more?
My guess is because William and Kate won’t like to see someone else get the praise they think they should get, and the suggested feud between Kate and the York women.
bluhare – That makes perfect sense in their cray-cray way. Are you concerned at all that you understand the BRF’s dysfunction so well?
If the York girls get their wish and are eveloped back into the working royal fold, I have a feeling that they’ll work their tails off to keep it that way. I can’t imagine the Cambridges will appreciate that comparison.
If that happens I wonder how they’ll officially bypass Andrew. The York girls themselves were never the problem.
Its more to do with the good press they would get – taking all the positivity away from those Saintly Buckets. The Fail has a piece on the site at the moment on Princess Beatrice – its quite flattering for a change, normally the Fail are bringing the Yorks down (while bigging up the Buckets).
It must sting a little that regardless of the official tally, the public knows that Harry does more work.
So imagine if the York sisters are brought back in, and get more press and do more work which they already do anyways, and they’re farther down the succession line, then that’ll be four young royals (Harry, B&E, Sophie) who will be applauded for working. The comparisons to W&K will be even that much more severe.
I think that’s one reason why W&K don’t want to be seen publicly around Sophie and her children. They don’t want the comparisons. I think that’s why the only way W&K are seen around Harry is during work events, so that W&K get credit for working.
The headlines for B&E working might be “And Where is Kate? What is She Doing?”
That’s actually pretty depressing when you put it that way, MinnFinn! Although I think it comes down to them not wanting to do it, but not liking to see someone else get credit for it either.
ETA: Betti, I forgot to tell youI love your use of “mayhap”!!!
Isn’t April the big India tour? I guess there won’t be much rest for the Cambridges once they return? The fact William doesn’t seem to feel at all embarrassed his grandparents work circles around him, is quite revealing in terms of his personality. Diana would be troubled by William’s attitude and Charles should kick William’s butt.
I think Diana would be horrified by both Wills and Kate. I also like to think she’d whip them into shape.
The DM also did the travel comparison of the Queen taking the train vs. Kate using the helicopter for trips from Norfolk to London. And tossed Kate’s returned helicopter trip after her less than one hour engagement. Seems like such a waste of money. Why was an apartment in KP renovated to the max if they are never there?
They better be careful…they don’t want America poking around again (i.e. TMZ)
He used to be known as Billy Wombat or Billy Basher when he was quite young and it would make sense that the child is now grown up, but not mature and acts out. He married someone who worked hard to mold herself into a perfect companion for him and thus is more an extension of him. Is he going to change? Not a chance. What you see is what you get. Now from his standpoint wanting to be out of the public eye and live a wealthy private life, what are the options? Another King Edward VIII?
I don’t think William will never abdicate. I think the only thing that prevents him from doing it is the thought of someone else getting the title while he’s still alive. That is the thing that would crush him and which he fears. He probably believes he’s the center of the BRF future and can’t abide by having someone else be that too and worse if that person should be a better monarch than him and more loved by the press and public too.
Seriously, my dream is that the Queen reveals a rich, spiky, modern, snarky interior life and suddenly issues some sort of royal warrant with fanfare that evicts Billy from the runway, and places Harry firmly on the track with Charles’s approval.
This is my dream, and now I leave it to LAK and Sixer to work out the details.
Can you imagine Carole screeching at Wills whilst Kate is wailing “but you promised I’d be queen”
The press are definitely going on the attack. When it comes to how badly the Buckets have screwed up, I tend to look at the right-wing tabloids like the DM – because if even the monarchy’s main press allies are snidely pointing out exactly how workshy Kate and William are, then you know things are getting bad. Lo and behold, not only did the DM run the piece that’s featured in the above article, but they also had a story of Kate out shopping; no photoshop, and each piece of her incredibly expensive outfit carefully pointed out, complete with the prices. It’s a bit difficult to miss the implication that the taxpayers are forking out for Katie to hit the shops in a fugly outfit that costs more than some make in a month. Coupled with the pointed article about the £3000 helicopter ride, I think we can definitely say that the papers are no longer running with the ‘thrifty Kate’ narrative. From the looks of things, they’re certainly not pulling their punches.
Interestingly, the DM also had two positive royal pieces today, focusing on the Queen and Prince Charles. We’ve noted the ‘compare and contrast’ approach taken whenever Willy needs to chuck Harry under the bus; I think it’s now being used by the DM to underscore the difference between the Cambridges and the older generation – a nice sting of irony for the petulant prince. We’re definitely going to be seeing some baby pictures soon.
However, I confess that I’m less interested in how the Buckets respond to a bit of a press baiting – been there, done that, and I’m sure we’ll do it again in the near future – than how the Firm itself responds. I mean, the Queen’s certainly put a lot of time and effort over the years in upholding the institution of the monarchy, and Charles has really done his best to turn his and Camilla’s reputation around. They’ve shown they’re willing to make changes for the sake of ensuring the continuation of the crown; I think there’s (slowly) been a change of public opinion about exactly how dire things will be when King Charles takes his throne. But Charles is no longer the danger here – it’s workshy Wills and his lazy wife that risk bringing the monarchy down. The palace is clearly keeping an eye on public opinion if they breathed a sigh of relief at Willy’s poor numbers – but what exactly are they going to do about it? They’re funding William, and it’s clear that changes need to be made before the Queen dies and he gets independent income as the Duke of Cornwall. I know that they stepped back a bit after Diana’s struggles, but the ‘grey men’ in the palace are surely still around and I have to wonder when they’re going to pull on William’s leash.
The Queen will be ninety in April. NINETY. Gramps is NINETY-FIVE and still working. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad.
Wills needs to shuck the pseudo real life jobs (as if any of us would be lucky enough to hold down a three day a week job and call it work) and actually take on full time royal work. The Grand Duchess of Cambridge should follow suit. Her year long maternity leave will be up at that point.
On board, all.
Of course, it won’t happen. We will be treated to a few more years of “Normal Bill and Kate” foot dragging nonsense.
“It would be funny if it weren’t so sad.”
Yep, I think that pretty accurately sums up the Cambridges’ work ethic. The thing is, it’s ridiculous that they’ve reached the point of the press calling them out. At the point of the wedding, they had an absolute juggernaut of public goodwill behind them, and their PR was completely golden – hell, you can see how good they had it back then by the fact that it’s taken five years of complete laziness for the press to finally begin calling them out. They had a cushion of approval that most public figures can only dream of. It would really have taken the bare minimum of work – not even Charles’ level, but say an event a fortnight – to keep the public happy with them. And they couldn’t even do that. The level of laziness and entitlement is staggering.
You’re right that they won’t jump on board of their own accord. As I said, I think the only hope will be for Charles to yank on the purse strings, because Katie Bucket’s £2000 bespoke buttoned miniskirts aren’t going to pay for themselves. The real mystery here is why he hasn’t done so already. All that effort to improve his public image to hang onto his crown, but he can’t act when his spoiled firstborn lets the foundation of the monarchy slip through his slothful fingers?
After all the PR crap about how the Middleton’s middle class value is what was perfect for William, here’s Kate in an ensemble worth about $4,500 just to go to the gym. Nice.
I think the grey men’s first solution will be to go after the Middletons and scandalize them to the point that William has to seriously consider divorcing Kate. The children belong to the State, so the Middletons will never get primary or even joint custody. Just a very limited number of visitations, like Diana had. Thus, the grey men will get rid of one bad influence and crutch.
And then, if things are really bad, they’ll go after William and spill things to the press to pressure him either to improve or to give up the succession. William might think he’s protected, but once QE2 and Philip dies, who’s going to protect him from the grey men? PC has his own reign and legacy to protect and he has a history of throwing his children under the bus to give himself better press.
I think Parliament’s solution is to go after the BRF’s spending and funding.
William might think the Duchy of Cornwall money will be his rescue, but that can change too if Parliament and the grey men want it too.
I’ve always thought Willy’s plan was to bleed as much of the Duchy cash into his private funds so that he has a very nice nest egg for when it hits the fan. Edward VIII did it.
I didn’t know that Edward did that. I guess that kind of thinking runs in the family.
@Anne. When Edward abdicated he pled poverty to his brother and got a very nice pension. The lie was discovered months later when it transpired that he’d hidden the true size of his personal wealth that he’d built up during his tenure as PoW. It was said to have been one of the main bones of contention between the brothers – they were close and Bertie was said to have been very hurt by his brothers lies.
Thanks Betti for that information 🙂
Wow, they hate him.
Can Kate convince him to release photos of the kids? In one, two, three….
News flash-water is wet! I am so impressed with the savvy and insight of CB posters because versions of these newspaper articles have been appearing in the threads here for years.
I know. But we are just jealous haters, you know.
Oh Suze, I don’t comment on here very often, but read it every day. I pointed out some facts on a FB page about the Duchess and was called those very words before mine and any other “Negative” comments were removed. Some people like to live like Ostriches.
I always believed the royal media reads the articles and comments.
+1 Especially today’s piece in the Mirror. It’s as if Malone lifted all of her material straight from our comments.
Agree. Another example is the photo of Kate detailing the cost of what she’s wearing/carrying. I was amazed it was published in DM today. She looks rough.
Ok, Beatrice, but I fail to see your point. This is a US-based gossip site with free speech entitlement. Is there something else the readers should be commenting on in this thread other than this latest story about PW? Or do you want CB to stop reporting on the royals altogether? Maybe you’re not aware of this, but not everyone has been following the BRF for years. And, whether or not they have been, they’re entitled to have their say on the topic just as you are.
I think you totally misread her comment.
I read it as celebrating the prescience of Celebitches, not being rude about Celebitches.
@bluhare and Sixer, thanks for the correction. Beatrice, misapprehension is a b*tch on here sometimes. My apologies for misreading your comments.
William has become a joke. Can the queen and Parliament remove him from the succession or remove his appange , stipend or whatever he gets? It’s ridiculous that taxpayers are paying for this overgrown brat.
It is really interesting how the public opinion has changed about him because five years ago many would have wanted to skip Charles and make William king. I doubt the majority would want that now.
Will and Kate’s lack of work ethic has certainly assisted with the rehabilitation of the images of Charles and Camilla.
Unless Willnot exits stage left of his own accord there is nothing they legally can do . Unless of course the ‘grey men’ totally give up on him and throw him under a bus literally, it’s actually surprising how many uncomfortable royals have met a sticky end in the past century. William joy riding in his helicopter or a hunting accident ( a regular stand by exit strategy) ……oops, huge state funeral, problem solved.
I find it interesting that the writers of all these articles are women. So I’m thinking there’s not going to be as much of an outcry from the sugars and W&K that the writers don’t understand anything about family and children and how much time it takes to bond and take care of the kids and how they’re newlyweds and a young family and need more family time, etc.
They’re working women and they can tell you how it is to have children and yet STILL GO TO WORK on a regular basis.
I liked the Daily Mirror’s article the best. It had the most out and open snark.
Oh there’s an outcry. They are all rags and all totally unreliable. Never wrote a reliable word in their lives. Some have points to make, and I can at least respect that as they give their reasons for thinking as they do, but a huge majority type in tar and dust their comments with feathers.
I won’t pretend I don’t enjoy this particular variant of tar and feathers, but you are right. If they just reportedly honestly and accurately, instead of selling bullcrap sugar narratives for years on end, there wouldn’t be any need for shrillness or pitchforks.
Totally agree with that, Sixer. It’s funny that they don’t recognize that without a free press they would know absolutely nothing about William or Kate. Nothing.
@ bluhare
I’m not sure what your post means.
The writers are expressing their opinions or judgments with what information they have of William. I thought of them as opinion pieces, not the regular tabloid gossip. So I don’t think it matters what type of publication they’re posted at.
I was talking about the fans, not the reporters, anne. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.
@ bluhare
Ooooh. Ok, I get it now 🙂
The Guardian article (ostensibly about the Sun article) was written by a man, Roy Greenslade.
Yeah, but I considered the Guardian article to be a review of the Sun article. Maybe I should read it again.
Won’t they care about the taxpayers, especially those with one shoe?!?
LOL! It’s sure been quiet with Kanye in Paris, hasn’t it?
Cue a story about their upcoming 5th wedding anniversary and their gifts to each other, how they’re essential to the Queen in her 90th year, pap photos of the kids NOT getting yanked by William, and the trading-on-Diana’s-granddaughter clothing line should be arriving in the next few months.
Added: This July would have been Diana’s 55th birthday. Maybe the clothing line will arrive conveniently around that date.
Wow, this escalated far more quickly than I thought it would! I disagree with Kaiser; I think people have *had it* with these two and their time is up. This is going to force HM’s and/or Charles’s hand. They can no longer ignore it.
I knew as soon as I saw that photo with price tags on all of Kate’s clothing that things were heading south. But I had no idea how fast the pile-on would be! It is going to be a very interesting few months…
I really like that hit piece they did with Kate’s photo with the price tags.
It was really stupid or careless of her to walk around town in her ‘off-hours’ in an ensemble worth $4500. That’s your tax dollars, Brits. She needs lots of money to do nothing at all but indulge herself at the gym and go shopping.
………………..
I think William’s strategy was in using the Supply and Demand principle. He probably thought that limited coverage and photos of themselves would make the press realize how much in demand they are by the public.
Too bad William doesn’t understand that nowadays he’s just one of an endless supply of celebrities who are bigger generators of profitability for the media than he and Kate will ever be.
Amanda Platell is a nasty piece of work. She writes bitchy articles about everyone. Some blame her for the undoing of Diana. Wiiliam has a lifetime of duty so what if he wants to give his children his time while they’re young. Unlike his father who was brought by nannies. When you’re all in your fifties and sixties retired with your feet up William will be obligated to continue to work and most likely will pick up the slack left by his grandmother and some of the others not able to carry on. I’ve read a number of articles where his co workers praise his work ethic and just wanting to be treated the same as everyone else. Articles like this are unfair and so mean spirited. It’s sickening!
As if any of us would want or could do a better job.
It’s not articles, it’s facts.
You’re a comedian.
I just want to say that I give you full credit for never giving up even though you are a lone voice, maggie. Keep on keeping on! (Even if I do consider you wrong in every way).
I consider Maggie our Honorable loyal opposition on the royal CB threads in the manner of her Majesty’s loyal Opposition.
I feel a Damehood needs to be bestowed on her for Loyalty services, even in the face of facts that contradict her position.
I agree – Maggie is consistent. And we shouldn’t be about shutting down opposing voices, no matter how much many of us disagree.
So keep on keeping on, Maggie. Even if, like Sixer, I think you have got the wrong end of the stick.
Thanks! I think you got it all wrong as well which is great! Pretty boring if we all agreed.
They can live quietly in the country, spend plenty of time with the kids, and still do hundreds of royal engagements a year. KM pointed out that when he was stationed at SAR he “wasn’t around much” for the first six months of their son’s life. Whatever he’s doing in all his hidden spare time, it isn’t being with the wife and kids 24/7.
Full-time royal work is less than 40 hours per week with months of vacation time thrown in. Continuing to insist that publicly-supported individuals do not have to work because they want to be with their kids? Tell it to the taxpayers working 50 hour work weeks and paying to support these two via the Duchy and security.
The other royals putting the majority of the work are older AND further down the line of succession. Some are in their 60s, 70s, 80s with serious health problems – why shouldn’t they get to retire because a 34-year-old is on his third decade throwing tantrums about his privileged life? His grandmother has worked since she was a teen. His father has worked since he was a teen. Middleton has never worked. Why is it some people think William is the only royal who shouldn’t have to work for the perks?
On-record PR articles of his co-workers praising him vs. off-the-record co-workers admitting he isn’t pulling his weight. Surprise.
Did you change your screen name FLORC?
FLORC’s decamped. She’s posting elsewhere these days.
I’m sorry to hear that. I hope she comes back.
Yeah, no. Pretty sure I could do a better job with minimal effort. I bet I could do better than he’s doing AND keep my full-time job in the States at the same time. So when does the “lifetime of effort” begin? When he’s 50? Someone his age should have a full-time job doing SOMETHING.
Jason, is that you? Numbers don’t lie and even his wife has stated he doesn’t spend a lot of time with his family. So if he’s barely working as a co-pilot and does few royal engagements, what is he doing with his time? No matter, he is obliged to pull his weight by doing royal duties considering the ridiculous amount of taxpayer money he receives.
Maybe normal Bill considers all the hours he plays video games, perhaps ones with flying helicopters, as work?
Just caught the part about all of us getting to retire in our 50s and 60s. As if.
Yes, unfortunately I’m just like a royal. I’ll be working until I drop too. Without all the gap years and vanity projects in my younger days though.
My state pension age is 67.
So’s mine, Sixer, but it won’t be enough for us to live on.
The Daily Mail really has it in for these two … as well as this article authored by Katie Nicholl, they had a rather ‘read between the lines’ article about lifelike dolls that look like Prince George and Princess Charlotte, coming on the market in the UK.
William hasn’t always come across like this … he started off well with his gap year in Chile helping people, but then something must’ve happened in his early 20s to turn him bitter and miserable. Kate is a puppet who does what William tells her to do; I doubt she has a backbone to ever argue her point. If these two ever become King and Queen Consort then it’ll be a great mistake for the monarchy.
I don’t think he’s bitter and miserable. I think he found out that he can get away with anything he wants and nobody can check him.
While Harry can get bad press if he’s seen on his down-time indulging himself, William has been protected by the press and he knows it.
I don’t think she’s spineless. She has what she wants and spent a decade meangirling others to get it. She does what he wants because it gets her what she wants – status, palaces, someone else paying the bills.
Is it really a possibility that Andrew and Fergies daughters could become working royals? I find them energetic and watchable although a bit pampered as well. I hope they are brought back into the fold.
I just want to say that I love your name. Breakfast Magaritas – sounds like my perfect Sunday!
Thanks!
Apart from the 15 holidays a year.
Am I the only one that gets the feeling that William doesn’t actually have any real friends or people in his life that like him besides Kate? I know he has his fancy circle of “friends” but over the years he’s shown such an odious, entitled personality that it’s easy to wonder if people are only around him because he’s 3rd in line for the throne. Even his own family members seem to barely tolerate him. Harry on the other hand I get the impression that people like and want to be around.
Just me?
My feeling is that his friends don’t really like Kate, and she doesn’t like them, and now that her position is secure, she doesn’t have any need to try and cozy up to them. As a result, he’s not spending much time with them either.
Nope….not just you.
Of course most, if not all his circle, are childhood friends, so they have a completely different view of him based on those childhood experiences, but it makes you wonder why they stay given his adult personality.
Then again, his status and being adjacent to it, is incredibly seductive – see Kate and the Middletons.
If you dump people who disagree with you or tell you “no”, that doesn’t leave much behind, does it?
Its always been said that his friends are loyal – many are the children of his fathers friends. There has been a noticeable disconnect with them since he got married – its no real secret that they never really liked Kate, thou strangely seemed more welcoming with Pippa. There are several stories of them (and William) laughing at her and her family behind her back (making fun of Carole’s previous job as an air hostess). Kate used and tolerated them as a means to an end, now that she has the ring and children she has no use for them anymore. I think he does still spend a lot of time with them but on his own – Kate stopped going to their weddings, something that she would have previously killed for an invite to. There was a point in time Kate was glued to his side whenever they were out with his friends.
It’s hard to tell what’s truth and what’s media created fiction, but I’ve seen it written that even the inner circle of friends eventually thought that William was treating her badly by the last time they broke up in the dating days. And it isn’t like William wouldn’t just hang with guys without Kate, marriage certainly wouldn’t stop that.
I’m assuming that his friends are all exactly like him!
Upper-class twit of the year?
Haha!
I mean that William’s “odious, entitled personality” as Anne puts it, is probably shared by his friends who, having odious, entitled personalities of their own, probably don’t see anything much wrong with William!
I am not sure why so many paint this as an issue with Kate. Their workshy nature and the accompanying bad press is 95% on William. If this is how he wants to run his life, I am not sure what people expect Kate to do. Go out there and work circles around her lazy husband? Bottom line, he is the future King and the Royals are his family, he dictates how involved he and his wife gets with Royal work. If William wanted Kate to get out there, you don’t think she would do so? Everything about her is designed to make him happy.
you make a very good point, BUT there is nothing like finding the right partner to compliment you such that you become the best version of yourself.
Kate seems to have brought out the worst in him. and he has brought out the worst in her. so on tat score,i’d say they are equal.
In a regular job and life situation, choice of partner isn’t particularly important. In a public service job/situation, choice of partner is very important. That choice is a very public reflection of yourself, AND your partner is supposed to help you pull towards a better public version of yourself or your job.
Case in point, the Queen Mother was the best public partner for her husband. A man who was shy and not very good at his public job. She really pulled him together, not to mention actively manipulated his PR, such that we all have a rosy memory of him despite the fact that he died young.
or look to the Danish Royals/Netherlands Royals. CP Mary and Queen Maxima are such value adds to their royal spouses that everyone thinks better of said spouses and their PR is golden as a result.
I think you’re more right than wrong, Jane. I think we blame Kate as she hasn’t done anything to try and change that. But to be fair, that may not be easy when your own mother apparently referees arguments and comes out on your husband’s side. Allegedly. 😉
I think both W&K are work-shy and uninterested in anything outside of themselves.
As for Kate, when she does work, she makes sure to show off her hair and her expensive clothes. Then there’s gifs of her rolling her eyes, acting bored when others are talking to the group as if trying to hurry the speaker along and stop talking, her small talk shows she’s not informed about her visit beforehand, her speeches seem unpracticed, and then she’s out of there in under an hour, even if she showed up an hour late and kept everybody waiting.
So no, I don’t think she wants to work more but that William is holding her back. I think that she’s already showed us what she thinks of work.
And if William forced her to work more? I’d think it’ll be more of the same half-assed, unprepared, bored attempts at ‘work.’
If she gave 110 percent the few times she does show up, it would be easier to buy the “oh, but she WANTS to work and William won’t let her” argument.
As an American now living in England, I ask, (out of sheer ignorance), what is the point of the royal family? They aren’t elected, (not that many American elections aren’t a joke, but there’s some public choice there), they seem to work in the fashion of a trust funded manhattanite who summers in The Hamptons, and do they actually make important civic decisions?
No hate to Lady Di.
Your last question is the most important one – no, they don’t make any civic or government decisions at all. They are figureheads only. Their importance lies in the fact that the Queen is the head of state. (Political science digression ahead).
The USA and France have a unified head of state and government in one person. This can be a good thing, but someone has to do all of the ceremonial ribbon-cutting. In the US, that is done by the Vice-President and the First Lady. The down side of that is that a lot of the respect for the country and the person are conflated, and there is a sense that you can’t criticise them because they are the President. (I realise this hasn’t happened recently with President Obama, but it did with Reagan and Bush).
Most other countries have a separate person for the head of state and the head of government. This is good in the sense that the respect is given to the head of state and everyone knows that it is really for the country. Everyone is free to criticise the head of government. Countries like Ireland and Germany have this type of arrangement with a politician as the head of state. The down side of this is that no one knows who they are and they don’t benefit tourism at all.
Then there are the constitutional monarchies, where the head of state is a monarch rather than a politician. They still have no political power, but they are hereditary in nature. All of the Scandinavian countries fall into this category, as well as Japan, Belgium, Spain, etc. This benefits tourism (especially in the UK) and is largely an anachronism of history. But constitutional monarchies tend to be very stable and have happy, democratic and peaceful societies. So the short answer is, because of history.
The other thing is that we did get rid of the monarch once – in the English Civil War. It was a disaster and we brought the monarchy back a couple of generations later. No one really cares that much about it now, and it would be an enormous hassle to change the system.
Reagan and Bush were not spared in the media.
@mildredfierce – and Clinton was given a pass?
Maybe he’ll be the one to start a republican movement. If they start paying taxes at the same level as everyone else and reduce or cut out all their perks, I’m sure the Brits wouldn’t mind seeing them do nothing in terms of the royals. The problem is that they have a lot of perks in addition to the inherited wealth.
Well, he seems like a pleasant person. Shrug.
….And who really needed the Daily Mail to tell us that? Plus, if he “IRRADIATES a sense of entitlement and petulance”, wasn’t that something WE should feel without the need of a tabloid to tell us?
What else would one expect from two adults who have never in their lives been responsible for the food in their mouths, the roof(s) over their heads, the clothes on their backs . . . Kate was raised to display the attitude of the lifestyle to which she aspired; William is heir to an unearned position of immense wealth and privilege whose relevance sooner or later will become increasingly questioned, as Britain’s culture changes to one in which large numbers of the population have not been raised to view the Windsors as part of their own cultural inheritance and who feel no cultural connection to them.
Popcorn all around.
He is really unattractive
My husband lost his mother when he was a child too. Where’s his lifetime allowance of a country’s sympathy?
In regards to getting everyone else to work more–it really is time that HM puts her foot down to Charles and pulls Princess Beatrice onto the playing field.
Journalists and the media are really sick of these 2 lol the gloves are starting to come off and William has only himself to blame. I think it’s a combination of things, lack of guidance from Prince Charles William’s lack of interest in anyone or anything but himself his inability to be alone
Is William happy because he always looks like he is going through the motions or sort of not quite enthusiastic about being at events. It will be interesting to see the comparisons when Harry marries and is on Royal duty with his other half.