Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Current Events Thread 2: December 2011-April 2012

[KittyAtlanta]

If William needs a vacation after six weeks of duty, it would seem he does not have much stamina. Just thinking outloud.

 

[AuroraB]

Don't you realize that they've not been on vacation all this time but actually teaching Lupo the royal ropes of jumping through hoops and how to properly bark at appropriate times? OH.. almost forgot... learning NOT to dig up Grampa Charles prize flowerbeds when he's visiting Highgrove too.

No, not the flowers, we'll be at Highgrove for a tour of the gardens in about two weeks and I can hardly wait.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Oh for God's sake...The man's been away on duty in the Falklands for six weeks and we all know what Kate's been doing. If they went on Holiday to both unwind a wee bit and also reconnect after a stressful two months for them, then Good For Them!!

Not sure what was stressful in the past two month for them, leading the life of an army couple? I doubt every serviceman or sericewoman who is deployed abroad, probably in a war zone unlike the Falklands, gets a holiday every six weeks and has a partner who is stressed out after working on a handful of days within these six weeks. Six weeks apart is nothing for people who chose such a career, usually its much longer.

 

[EIIR]

The paps can find anyone if they really want to. Mustique is a private island for goodness sake; paps aren't allowed to go onto the island at all and yet they still manage to get pictures.

Had William and Kate not been on holiday already this year, I would have no issue with it. But, they have been. On top of that we're told that Kate won't do any engagements for the next month or so - that's just too long. I think she should be aiming to do at least 1 engagement per week. That allows her to be with William when he's not on a shift (my dad works 12 hour shifts and when my mum was working full time they would go for several days at a time seeing very little of each other, but since my mum took early retirement they're able to be together a lot more) and yet look like she's doing her bit.

I feel BP/CH have been pretty upfront about the fact that she wouldn't be taking on a full royal schedule. I think most people have accepted that and understand it. But if they're going to take expensive foreign holidays (which, as I pointed out earlier have a significant cost to the taxpayer) every couple of months, we need to see Kate more often.

The irony of all this is, no royals take more holidays than the Queen and DoE. When you think of the time they spend at Balmoral and Sandringham alone (we go several weeks without the Queen performing public engagements when she's at both estates) they have a lot of down time. Of course the red boxes follow the Queen wherever she goes, but because they only ever holiday in the UK no one bats an eyelid.

 

[NGalitzine]

Not sure what was stressful in the past two month for them, leading the life of an army couple? I doubt every serviceman or sericewoman who is deployed abroad, probably in a war zone unlike the Falklands, gets a holiday every six weeks and has a partner who is stressed out after working on a handful of days within these six weeks. Six weeks apart is nothing for people who chose such a career, usually its much longer.

Possibly true, but then those other couples of which you speak can probably go for a walk in the park, go to the movies or out to dinner, go shopping for groceries, go out for a night on the town without getting up the next day and seeing their private time pictured in the morning papers. These other couples could also go on vacation, if they chose to, without paparazzi and people with cell phone cameras, trying to track them down everywhere from the Caribbean to the Alps and when no pictures are available still write about the vacation as if it was fact.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

The paps can find anyone if they really want to. Mustique is a private island for goodness sake; paps aren't allowed to go onto the island at all and yet they still manage to get pictures.

Had William and Kate not been on holiday already this year, I would have no issue with it. But, they have been. On top of that we're told that Kate won't do any engagements for the next month or so - that's just too long. I think she should be aiming to do at least 1 engagement per week. That allows her to be with William when he's not on a shift (my dad works 12 hour shifts and when my mum was working full time they would go for several days at a time seeing very little of each other, but since my mum took early retirement they're able to be together a lot more) and yet look like she's doing her bit.

I feel BP/CH have been pretty upfront about the fact that she wouldn't be taking on a full royal schedule. I think most people have accepted that and understand it. But if they're going to take expensive foreign holidays (which, as I pointed out earlier have a significant cost to the taxpayer) every couple of months, we need to see Kate more often.

The irony of all this is, no royals take more holidays than the Queen and DoE. When you think of the time they spend at Balmoral and Sandringham alone (we go several weeks without the Queen performing public engagements when she's at both estates) they have a lot of down time. Of course the red boxes follow the Queen wherever she goes, but because they only ever holiday in the UK no one bats an eyelid.

I agree with your post, would like to add:
- Most times the Middletons are with them and are benefitting from the taxpayer-funded security, doesnt go down well in public.
- Its ok not to be full time royals and I find 1 event per week a lot. 2 a month would do it for me but announcing that Kate will have one month off to do - to do what? go on holiday? Are they serious?
- I dont mind the Queen & Duke taking down time at all. They are 85 & 90!!! Most people of their age group are either sick, dead or in care homes so whatever they do, its more than expected from them. They had all excuses in the world to do NOTHING and let C & C step in but they don't. Only time will tell how WillKat will turn out, maybe they just fool us with all the holidays and are hard workers behind the scenes just too good a thought to be true.

 

[KittyAtlanta]

OK, why don't we just leave them alone until their 2 years are up; that is just a year and a month. No need to spend time on public people who don't want to do public things. Let them hole up on Angelsey for that time, then throw them to the wolves.

Anyone who would begrudge the HM and Duke down time are just plain crazy.

 

[Zonk]

I agree with your post, would like to add:
- Most times the Middletons are with them and are benefitting from the taxpayer-funded security, doesnt go down well in public.
- Its ok not to be full time royals and I find 1 event per week a lot. 2 a month would do it for me but announcing that Kate will have one month off to do - to do what? go on holiday? Are they serious?
- I dont mind the Queen & Duke taking down time at all. They are 85 & 90!!! Most people of their age group are either sick, dead or in care homes so whatever they do, its more than expected from them. They had all excuses in the world to do NOTHING and let C & C step in but they don't. Only time will tell how WillKat will turn out, maybe they just fool us with all the holidays and are hard workers behind the scenes just too good a thought to be true.

Did I miss something, when did the Middleton's get taxpayer funded security?

 

[EIIR]

In fairness, I think William and Kate really do enjoy the company of Kate's parents and siblings. It's natural for families to holiday together and there's no way they can do so without the Middletons indirectly benefiting from the presence of the security. Unless you suggest that they don't have protection when abroad which is just a non-starter.

My point about the Queen and DoE is that that has been their schedule for decades. They haven't suddenly started taking several weeks holiday on several occasions each year when they became elderly. The point is, the Queen can take a month long holiday in Scotland and no-one cares. If she took a month long holiday in the Seychelles there'd be more of an issue. I don't want this to come across as if I'm accusing the Queen and the DoE of being lazy, I absolutely do not believe that. At 90 the DoE works harder than most other monarchs and heirs to the throne elsewhere who are all considerably younger than him. But they've managed to find a balance that works for everyone. Charles and Camilla are the same. William and Kate have yet to do so.

 

[Lumutqueen]

If William needs a vacation after six weeks of duty, it would seem he does not have much stamina. Just thinking outloud.

Not sure what was stressful in the past two month for them, leading the life of an army couple? I doubt every serviceman or sericewoman who is deployed abroad, probably in a war zone unlike the Falklands, gets a holiday every six weeks and has a partner who is stressed out after working on a handful of days within these six weeks. Six weeks apart is nothing for people who chose such a career, usually its much longer.

The paps can find anyone if they really want to. Mustique is a private island for goodness sake; paps aren't allowed to go onto the island at all and yet they still manage to get pictures.

Had William and Kate not been on holiday already this year, I would have no issue with it. But, they have been. On top of that we're told that Kate won't do any engagements for the next month or so - that's just too long. I think she should be aiming to do at least 1 engagement per week. That allows her to be with William when he's not on a shift (my dad works 12 hour shifts and when my mum was working full time they would go for several days at a time seeing very little of each other, but since my mum took early retirement they're able to be together a lot more) and yet look like she's doing her bit.

Completely agree with everything you three ladies said, this couple send confusing messages and it's not all the media's fault.

 

[camelot23ca]

They can't win anyway. If you play for the public you die by the public. If you don't play for the public, but for you, you at least have more fun in life before you die...

I think this is very true - they CAN'T win, so why should they pander to a public that will never be 100% satisfied with their efforts? As has been pointed out in this thread, there are no two people who have kept their noses to the grindstone like The Queen and DoE and yet when, for example, the DM has a story regarding something they've done, there are still plenty of b**tchy comments about how they're lazy and a waste of tax payers' money. You'd probably hear the same complaints if you went back in time to any point in the history of the British monarchy and yet the institution survives and thrives.

 

[NGalitzine]

Completely agree with everything you three ladies said, this couple send confusing messages and it's not all the media's fault.

What exactly is the confusing message? I don't think they ever announced that either of them would be full time working royals doing 400+ engagements each year. Everyone knows that Williams priority was his SAR career, and engagements need to be fitted around that time as needed. There is no shortage of working royals currently undertaking engagements. We already knew Catherine would not be undertaking engagements for a month.

I think it is more an issue of people just wanting to see pictures of them in the papers everyday so they can comment on clothes and hair and jewels.

Between the Jubilee and the Olympics this summer and the planned visit to Asia/Pacific there will be plenty of pics for people to comment on.

 

[Lumutqueen]

What exactly is the confusing message? I don't think they ever announced that either of them would be full time working royals doing 400+ engagements each year. Everyone knows that Williams priority was his SAR career, and engagements need to be fitted around that time as needed. There is no shortage of working royals currently undertaking engagements. We already knew Catherine would not be undertaking engagements for a month.

Indeed everyone knows William's priority is his SAR career, and his second seems to be going on holiday, then fitting his potential royal engagements around that. With this holiday thing, it's almost like Catherine worked extra hours so she could have longer off. Like you would in a normal job perhaps.

With this couple, I think i'm in the all or nothing category. This attempt at a combined royal and normal life just doesn't work for me.

 

[royalistbert]

How do you know they gone on holiday? It pure speculation. The press have no pictures.

 

[Lumutqueen]

How do you know they gone on holiday? It pure speculation. The press have no pictures.

If you notice, I said "with this holiday thing". Whilst we don't know that they have gone, we don't know they haven't. Newspapers can get bored, but this holiday in Verbier has been picked up by 5 different newspapers, and I've read the Mustique visit next month in 3 of the same papers.

 

[KittyAtlanta]

Well, when they get back, we'll have at least one photo of them on the "speculated" holiday(s).

 

[soapstar]

If you notice, I said "with this holiday thing". Whilst we don't know that they have gone, we don't know they haven't. Newspapers can get bored, but this holiday in Verbier has been picked up by 5 different newspapers, and I've read the Mustique visit next month in 3 of the same papers.

They're supposedly not in Verbier though. The papers are now saying they are in France. And before they were "spotted" in Verbier, the talk was that they were in Mustique. The press really have no clue.

 

[EIIR]

I think the attempt at a 'combined' royal and normal life is understandable, and obviously has the support of the Queen and Charles otherwise I doubt it would be happening. The pressure on Kate is intense, the press interest is off the scale and the expectations on her, from the RF, the courtiers, the press, the public and I'm sure herself shouldn't be underestimated. I know she lived with William for a long time before they married, but it's still bound to be a massive shock to the system to go from private individual with a royal boyfriend, to a part of The Firm, public property, whose ability to have any kind of private, normal life is gone forever.

Trying to ease Kate into it all is generally a good plan, and it's more or less succeeded so far, in large part due to the fact that Kate has performed so well. But it's a delicate dance, and they shouldn't spend all the PR capital they've earned so far on an ill-advised luxury holiday. If that's actually what they're doing.

 

[NGalitzine]

Well, if they actually are on vacation I have to give them points for being able to pull it off without anyone getting a picture, because without pictures its all just speculation and the usual "unnamed sources" but it does fill space in some "news"papers.

 

[royalistbert]

Well, if they actually are on vacation I have to give them points for being able to pull it off without anyone getting a picture, because without pictures its all just speculation and the usual "unnamed sources" but it does fill space in some "news"papers.

Funny thing is we haven't seen any pictures. Do think they are hiding in Balmoral?

 

[cepe]

Latest "information" is: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have joined her parents, Carole and Michael, plus her younger brother, James, in Meribel in the Trois Vallees ski resort.

Seen a picture but now can't find it (will search further and check when taken but may have been removed) and DM is leading the pack:
William and Kate holiday with the in-laws: Couple hit ski resort with Duchess' parents | Mail Online

Lets just say typical Richard Kay. The opening line is a classic!

 

[NGalitzine]

Well the DM pics are all file pics, I would expect someone to have snapped a pic of this ski trip especially since the paps have been hunting for the couple for a few days now.
If they are there, I hope they have had a good time together with her family. Nice that he seems to have a good relationship with his inlaws.

 

[cepe]

Picture I have seen is one from a previous holiday. So still speculation as no current pics

 

[royalistbert]

Wherever they are I wish them a good time. William and Catherine are a lovely couple and do not deserve all this criticism. They haven't done anything wrong.

Kate has been brilliant on her solo engagements.

I think everyone needs to give them a break.

 

[ghost_night554]

CNN world exclusive:
CNN exclusive: Prince Harry moves next door to Wills and Kate - CNN.com

I thought this also fit in here since it has partially to do with the Duke and Duchess.

Honestly? For me if William and Kate wanna go on vacation that's they're choice, that's they're business and quite frankly in my opinion I don't think we should sit here and criticize them for it. They should be allowed the same rights everyone else have without being crucified for it. William just came back from the Falklands, Kate's been doing solo engagements for 6 weeks. I don't blame them if they wanted some alone time somewhere nice. Heck I prob would have done the same thing with my husband if I had the opportunity.So I say William , Catherine go and enjoy yourselves have a good time. It's clear to me from all we heard the past 6 weeks how much they miss each other. Plus they have the Olympics and the Jubilee later this year so don't worry they'll make up for any lost time. I honestly think some people just seem to want to pick on the smallest details. It's not like they're doing anything wrong for gods sake all they did was go on vacation yet I feel like some people are acting as if they committed a crime or something.

 

[Jenafran]

As for Kate not being a fulltime royal, when they got married it was announced that HM wanted them time to be a low-key couple like her and the DoE did when they first got married. Probably a smart move!
William and Kate have every right to go on holiday if they wish. If they have the time & money, go for it. Having said that, if I was a british taxpayer I might gripe over the cost of the security arrangements for the second holiday in 3 months...

The supposed holiday? I think they are in Wales rolling their eyes at all the rumors...besides their walks on the beach and if she stays away from the grocery store, who bugs them there? Perfect, a royal stay-cation!
All just mho; where-ever they are I hope they are enjoying some quiet time.

 

[LadyCatharine]

I wouldn't read anything into it.
Wills is fond of kate s parents.

 

[Daria_S]

My psychic abilities tell me Wills and Kate are on vacation. Kate's parents keep taking them on vacation...could there be trouble in paradise?

You jest, surely. Shouldn't it be at least a year before any major issues begin to develop?

On a serious note, I highly doubt that it's anything like 'trouble in paradise'. William appears to have good rapport with his in-laws, so it's only natural that they want to go on a joint holiday.

 

[Tyger]

If you have as much staff as these two and a position of power

Several people have mentioned this - a 'position of power' - do they? I didn't think there was any power in the BRF. I mean just the hint that Charles may have exercised an ancient ducal right of review of his dukedom (Cornwall) and there were rumbles of breach of constitutional boundaries. What 'position of power' does William and/or Kate have?

 

[Tyger]

Let's hope you are right. And, yes, I expect William to come home from a hard day of navigating, put on a tux and do a charity event...and Kate should be with him, prepared to give a 2-hour speech and then do circus tricks for another 1-1/2 hours.

I love your sense of humor. I really do . I think once in a while it's perfectly acceptable to go from his shift to an engagement (he did just that when they visited Royal Marsden this past fall), though I'd pass on circus tricks from Catherine while she's in a fancy dress and high heels. There may be some very drastic consequences (though the idea is certainly a good one to use for a charity fund raiser ).

Well, I think they are doing fine - vacations and all. They are young marrieds - handsome and beautiful (everyone is that when they are young) - in love - wealthy - and trying to have a baby. That's enough to fill the days. With some weekend outings. They need to relax and have fun. But that's me.