Prince William and Kate Middleton Current Events 1: October-November 2007

[PR Princess]

I'd be more interested to know what direction this future King has 'cos at the moment it seems his direction includes just nightclubs and knickers.

I completely agree, I guess were all going to have to wait until his 28 or 30s, till he makes a big decision like he said.

I do think the paps should stop photographing Kate Middleton. She's not royalty. She is not a celebrity. She is a private person whom the paps shouldn't care with she does on her own time. When the paps photograph Prince William, they should edit her out of the picture and therefore she can't complain.

Well it seems that she enjoys the attention, after looking at many of the pictures they take of her, even her recent one.

 

[Royal Fan]

I Am actually on their side in this saying William does nothing is totally forgetting his Charities Army Career and Kate is like Nicole Richie forgive but that comparison seems a bit unfair

 

[Lamyah]

what charity or army career? Most of his charities (with the exception of Centerpoint) consists of sport-related themes where he shows up for all the fun things. His army career is in name only, unless the MOD decides to treat him like a real soldier and delegate his task into diplomacy or non-threatening posts instead of pretending he would actually earn his medals like fellow soldiers who are being deployed and killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These latest pictures only confirm how far Prince William has yet to go in term of maturity and intelligence. What exactly did he expect by partying with his on-off girlfriend whom he's been hiding since April at one of London exclusive club where paparazzi gather. Did they not expect great attention will be on them? And making a crude comparison with what happened to your dead mother is shameful.

 

[Duchess]

i have to admit i'm not up to speed on his charities but what's wrong with having sports oriented charities? diana was patron of the english national ballet because she enjoyed ballet. charles's interests lie in environmentalism so some of his charities are in that area. if william has interests in sports, then as long as the organizations are benefiting from his patronage then what's wrong with that? as for catherine, IF she becomes william's wife, then i'm sure she will channel her efforts into areas of interest for her.

as for comparing his situation to that of his late mother, i don't think it's shameful at all. how soon we forget that one of the underlying reasons for her death, aside from the fact that the driver was drunk, is that they were being chased by paparazzi. i find it amazing that people in the world find tidbits of information like this (pics of the 2 of them arriving or leaving from a nightclub) newsworthy enough that the media would risk life and limb, of not only themselves but of the subjects and the general public, to take a photo but i guess that's the way of the world. obviously the chance that someone could die is no reason to be careful.

 

[Little_star]

The thing is, their situation is unlike any other 25 year olds (with the exception of A-list Hollywood actors, who are not exptected to go back and forth from a 9-5 job every day because of the nature of their business). As evident from all of the video footage, Kate & William are hounded mercilessly.

I'm sorry but that is a major over-exaggeration. Places like Boujis and Mahiki are popular celeb spots (along with others) the paparrazzi simply hangs outside hoping to strike it lucky, sometimes they do, others they don't.

If a person chooses to go there they do so with the knowledge that they will be photographed and there will be paparrazzi there.

How about those same paparrazzi hoards camped outside of your place of business every morning and every night if Kate works alongside of you. How about constant phone calls to your offices seeking information about Kate Middleton, your employee.

She's been "working" for months now and yet I'm fairly sure hasn't been photographed at Jigsaw. More importantly there are others who managed to hold down a job while dating Royalty without all the complaining. There are Royals out there who manage to hold down jobs without all the "harasment".

These practical considerations are overlooked by those who condemn her for not working, which is her right, and does not necessarily speak to her character. And all the answers are so crystal clear for those who sit way up high on horses and by those who don't walk in their shoes.

William may be a prince but Kate "chooses" to walk in those shoes to use your analogy. If at anytime she finds it too much she can get out, but she chooses not to.

They're young. They're out for a good time. Because Lord knows their lives will not be their own once the time comes for William to be Prince of Wales and later King, with Kate as his consort, which I believe most definitely is in the works.

William may be young but he'as also my future King and so far I am unimpressed. Unlike other young people out there he has a role to play and falling out of a club is not that the image most people expect or desire of their future King. We know he can have a good time, is there anything else he can do?!

Nevertheless, when the time comes, they'll be older, will have the partying out of their systems, and will both represent Great Britain very well. I'm very pleased with William and his apparent choice of life partner.

A 25 year old woman who chooses to sponge off her parents and leads an empty life of clubbing, shopping and socialising is not what I want for my future Queen. Especially after the example of such a wonderful Queen who at a much younger age, demonstrated far better than Kate that she is one of the people.

 

[avrilo]

No but I'm saying he becomes crazier and more of a party animal when he is around her.

Uhm... have you forgotten those pics of William half-drunk copping the brazilian girl?. Or the cell pic of that blonde girl. I really,really doubt he needs Kate to party

 

[Royal Fan]

and remember Henry Parties too....(im not doing the good prince bad prince) im just saying ......cant we just be happy for them? All views expressed by me are not meant to offend

 

[Vanishing Lady]

William may be young but he'as also my future King and so far I am unimpressed. Unlike other young people out there he has a role to play and falling out of a club is not that the image most people expect or desire of their future King. We know he can have a good time, is there anything else he can do?!

From what I've read and seen, he actually does fulfill public duties, but do you expect him to be serious and dutiful all the time? The way he unwinds is the way he unwinds, and I don't think he's going to change that until he matures as a person. Also, have you considered that he may perform a number of non-public or anonymous visits or duties? It's still possible, even in these days of cameraphones, paps, and the internet. Besides, due to heavy consumption of this kind of "journalism", you know as well as I do that William falling out of club is going to sell more papers than William visiting children in a cancer ward or opening something. Demand fed by supply fed by demand.

And QEII is a tough act to follow.

A 25 year old woman who chooses to sponge off her parents and leads an empty life of clubbing, shopping and socialising is not what I want for my future Queen. Especially after the example of such a wonderful Queen who at a much younger age, demonstrated far better than Kate that she is one of the people.

Yes, but Princess Elizabeth grew up knowing from a young age that she was going to be Queen. Even before she was Heiress Presumtive, she was close in line to the throne (3rd after her uncle and her father, barring David's marriage and dutiful begetting of an heir) Dutifulness was inculcated in her practically from birth, not to mention those traits in her personality were stronly reinforced.

Kate was most likely raised with the expectation of a not-so-ordinary life, but I'd bet it was NOTHING like the Queen's upbringing.

Even those raised in near proximity to the Royal Family and can observe what it's like to be a royal (William's late mother comes to mind) still can have no idea what it's actually like until they experience it.

Now, my nickel...

I'm not a big fan of Kate; she strikes me as socially ambitious...it's just the impression I get of her. Whether she has feelings for William or not...well. There's just something...

I don't want the kid to get hurt; he's had enough happen to him for a lifetime. Royalty or not, he doesn't deserve to be taken advantage of by someone who may only want him for his status and not himself.

As for William, I didn't find him inarticulate so much as highly uneasy when he and his brother did the interview promoting the Concert for Diana. After all, he was very connected to his mother, and no matter how he may try on the surface to deal with the media and do interviews, deep down he may hold them ultimately responsible for her death. Irrational, but that could be it -- he, once again, was -- and still is -- a Momma's Boy. He strikes me as an extremely guarded person as it is, never mind his born role.

Speaking of the paps -- I was channel skiing not so long ago and I came upon some "news" report about Britney about something or other (I don't care to follow her antics)...and she was attempting to leave some venue in her car, her kids were in the back seat, and there were flashbulbs going off everywhere, so bright I can imagine it was difficult to see anything, almost blinding. And what if they caused her to have an accident? They'd report that she hit another motorist or pedestrian...conveniently forgetting to mention that the reason she hit someone or something is that she couldn't see for the glare of the flash cameras...predators...I could never stand to be that famous.

As for their partying ways, many 20-somethings I work around talk of hardly anything else. People of that age want to have a good time while they still can, they are a bit rudderless unless they have a strong idea of what they want to do in life, and even then, they still want to let the hair down, so to speak. Personally, I think it's more the way kids these days are raised. But then, I'm different; I got bored with the whole club scene because it was the same thing every night...yawn. I prefer to work for my living, but if I had the money that they had, I'd be off on a nice long tour of the seven wonders of the ancient world (a year at each, so I can really examine and come to my own conclusions) or go somewhere quiet (preferably with trees and water) and just decompress.

About vacation time, my job awards it due to length of service, but from 1-5 years, everyone gets 10 new vacation days a year, plus 3 personal days, 20 sick days (40 from year 2), and other permission time (Permission Morale, Permission Funeral, Permission Sick Family, etc) that carries over to the next year. It's good to have that time available when needed, but I don't make a habit of taking so much time off (we know these people -- never around when needed, you end up taking up their slack) unless I really need to do so.

I wish them well as a couple, but that's about it. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. C'est la guerre.

 

[blondie28]

It really isn't fair for them because they are royal and they are judged by what they do. They want to do normal things like go out to nightclubs, but they are not normal. They have to remember that whatever they do people will be watching.

 

[Avalon]

I, as well as many of my friends are working full time and studying, but I assure you we still have time for partying, theatres, cinemas, clubbing and whatever other entertainments we enjoy. Similarly, we enjoy nice holidays. It’s just about organizing your time well.

The problem with Kate is that she can be pictures only while she's partying. Otherwise, we don't know anything about her - she may still be working at the Jigsaw, she may have another job, she may have started her own business. As far as I know, neither Kate, nor any of her friends, relatives or colleagues (apart from the unnamed 'close sources' or 'senior royal aids') have never spoken about what she does.

I don't know what she does from 8 am to 12 am (when they usually start clubbing), so I don't reserve the right to say she doesn't do anything or is good for nothing.

One reason I wouldn't say any of those things, even if she hadn't a job at all: Kate might be aware that whatever she does right now, whatever field of work she chooses, she will be accused of 'using her Royal connections (remember the Audi?).

 

[reen]

Oh come on. Kate has to do more than just hang around clubs and keep a sharp eye on William. We don't know what she does with the rest of her time. How do we know she doesn't work? Does this mean because there's no pictures, a job does not exist?
I think that William and Kate understand each other and Kate provides a lot of support for him. I don't know if they will marry, but keep in mind that some Windsors find their mate earlier in life rather than later. Two different examples are William's father and his paternal grandmother. He sems to me to be handling the relationship pretty well, all things considered. He's a young man who will still make the occasional mistake. If he is thinking of marriage, IMHO he should be free to devote enough time to developing a strong bond with his wife, and I don't think he will be able to do this until he finishes up with his military obligations.
Time will tell, we'll just have to wait.

 

[Royal Fan]

I Thought the Audi was a gift. not "Using Royal Connections".

 

[georgiea]

i have to admit i'm not up to speed on his charities but what's wrong with having sports oriented charities?

Your statements are on the ball!!!! Very acurate observation Duchess.

Also, how can Prince William shine when his father is King in waiting?

 

[Duchess]

as far as catherine is concerned, what i've seen/read, i like. she appears poised and discreet. it's what i haven't seen that kind of scares me. i hope she starts to show some direction or interest in something or she could, if they marry, go the road that diana went down. without even the smallest ambition or interest she seems to have no direction in life. now i know that not everyone aspires to be doctors or lawyers or whatever but i think the woman that does marry william should have some sort of focus prior to marriage. it would certainly help toughen her up for the road ahead.

 

[Ccile]

they're back together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so nice!!!

Kate looks so happy!!!!!!they're such a lovely couple!!

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

William and Kate, in car, getting photographed. BORING. Can't they fill the headlines with REAL news anymore? I don't give a flying Floella Benjamin about the paps, what I'm more concerned about is William falling out of yet another nightclub. And people really think the monarchy can survive in this country? NEXT.

I was about to write something similar before I read your post. Exactly what I was thinking and I couldn't have said it better.

 

[biboquinhas]

Although they like to party I think they should keep a low profile sometimes. They are not normal teenagers, they are not normal persons, they are members of the English Royal family so they need to behave and to conduct their lifes having in mind that they are Royal family and their stict education should't allow them to behave like that, in public or even in private!!!!

 

[lauraford2]

If Diana were still alive...

I realize that losing their mother at such a young age and so suddenly must have had tragic effects on William and Harry -- some may be so deep we may never know what they all are. I also realize that Diana was a troubled person and if she were still alive her two sons would have to deal with all of that. However, if Diana were still alive, do you think that her sons, William in particular, would have been towing the line a little bit more? I realize that they are adults now, but it was always reported that Diana was the much stricter parent than Charles -- giving her sons a wonderful combination of tremendous affection but strict rules. She also was very into "clean" living -- exercise, good nutrition, no smoking, drinking, etc. I wonder if she were still alive if William would be behaving more maturely and responsibly at this point and if he would be more interested in having a girlfriend who had a more well-rounded set of interests and goals.

 

[susan alicia]

Royal Anecdotes » Kate Middleton at Teapot Cottage

Love this cottage and its name

 

[Franco]

Reading through this thread on Kate and William: who determines that clubbing and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and going is the activity of a 'normal' twenty-something?

As heir to the English throne, one's life will always be far from 'normal'. You are future King of England because you have a tradition, a mystique to maintain, a sense of DUTY. This is why you are born with God-given rights to wear the crown and sit on the throne.

If you want to be 'normal', ie a commoner, then abdicate! There are many other people in the Royal family who would gladly take your place and do your job better.

Royalty can still be progressive and modern while maintaining tradition without constantly drinking and clubbing.

It comes across as hedonistic and insulting to see constant pictures of the heirs to one of the most important monarchies in the world drinking, bingeing, drunk, with little regard for serious duty and effort. Now I read that Harry has been seen sniffing vodka!

Poverty is real. If the poor who once looked to royalty for inspiration and charity (one of Diana's many legacies and gifts) see hedonism and dedadence, then any charity work becomes hypocritical and shallow.

Kate Middleton would have more appeal and could capitalise her status as a commoner and future Queen of England by being a role model: accomplished in whatever professional field she is engaged in, or completely devoted to philanthropic work. Sadly, a pretty face and good hair only lasts so long. Kate is already looking old and tired, despite the tonnes of make-up, at 25. How will she look in 10 years?


Prince William over the last year strikes me a puny - weak, inarticulate, indecisive. I would love to see him build some solid life projects and interests.

Let's hope that William and Kate are just going through an immature phase and can grow and mature together with real life projects and interests to make a postiive contribution to royalty and to humanity.

 

[ysbel]

If you want to be 'normal', ie a commoner, then abdicate! There are many other people in the Royal family who would gladly take your place and do your job better.

Fine, if William abdicates, then the throne goes to Harry who has been pictured sniffing alcohol. If Harry abdicates then the throne goes to Andrew and then to Beatrice who has been hitting the party scene heavily too. Eugenie is a bit too young. If they all abdicate then the throne goes to Anne and her children and at which point Anne would probably revolt because she never wanted a royal life for her children and never raised them that way.

To condemn William, Harry, and Beatrice for partying too much is a bit too simplistic, they're part of a bigger trend of more partying now. The solution is not so easy.

The lack of choice inherent in the monarchy works both ways. The royals don't have a choice of the life and the responsibilities they were born into and the public doesn't have a choice of who will be the next king (unless they start voting for a monarch in a public elections which would cause its own complications) It is this lack of choice that makes the monarchy unique as a form of constitutional representation.

As it is, it will be a long time before William ascends the throne so he does have a while to shape up.

 

[biboquinhas]

I really like Kate, and I lover her sense of style. She dresses according to what she likes and not what other people think she should wear.Although I think sometimes she could leave her boots at home!!! Hope they manage to be together for ever and live very happy!

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Reading through this thread on Kate and William: who determines that clubbing and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and going is the activity of a 'normal' twenty-something?

Excellent post Franco. What worries me is that Prince Charles - who constantly gives the impression of being offended by media or whoever because the stupid people out there don't get his messages - obviously does not think that something is wrong here. But why am I surprised, looking at his own record with the media, like father, like son, apparently.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Fine, if William abdicates, then the throne goes to Harry who has been pictured sniffing alcohol. If Harry abdicates then the throne goes to Andrew and then to Beatrice who has been hitting the party scene heavily too. Eugenie is a bit too young. If they all abdicate then the throne goes to Anne and her children and at which point Anne would probably revolt because she never wanted a royal life for her children and never raised them that way.

Those are not our only options. As I see it, none of the younger 'Royals' are fit for public service or to hold the rank they've been born to. So let's end it after Charles and then William can become an apprentice to Peter Stringfellow, Harry can become a bovver boy and Beatrice can become an actress. And then we'll see just how 'privacy' suits them. Let them work for a living, let them live in the real world and my God would they be crawling back with their tales between their legs. I don't blame them, they've always lived a life of privacy but when abdication sounds a good idea before Wills is even Prince of Wales, then something is seriously wrong and it's time to end the institution with dignity which the Duke of Edinburgh said he'd prefer. The giving the end dignity that is, not the ending.

 

[Skydragon]

What worries me is that Prince Charles - who constantly gives the impression of being offended by media or whoever because the stupid people out there don't get his messages - obviously does not think that something is wrong here. But why am I surprised, looking at his own record with the media, like father, like son, apparently.

Nobody can control or influence what the low life's choose to write. If William and Catherine were heavily involved in charity work, the media would still look around for a negative aspect of their lives to turn into this weeks paycheck.

For years the media ignored the work Charles had done for charity, because that doesn't earn them the money.

 

[Luv2Cruise]

Welcome back Skydragon. I have missed reading your thoughts.

 

[bbb]

since my taxes don't pay for his party life i hesitate to complain but it seems the simple answer is to party at home or not where you know there will be a problem with tabs. i read recently they had a been having quiet dinners out and no ones the wiser or bothers them so it can be done. i understand these nightclubs are the "in" place and it's where to "be seen" but when you're the worse for wine- common sense is you don't want to be seen, especially when you have to look at the pics in the paper the next morning.
it was a little before my time but didn't charles go through his 20's the "playboy prince" only with different girls in the paps all over the world? that's what your 20's are for- doing stuff you look stupid doing when your 40 (let him get it out of his system, (gawdforbid we have to watch his mid life crisis like in the monaco thread). my bottem line worry with this lifestyle is one of the first signs of a problem is you get drunk everytime you drink, when you can't stop at the 3rd glass of wine or go to dinner without a drink- you might want to step back from the table and assess the situation.

 

[Duchess]

Reading through this thread on Kate and William: who determines that clubbing and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and going is the activity of a 'normal' twenty-something?

i have to say that this is probably the best post i've read in a long time. i especially agree with the parts about charity work becoming hypocritcal and shallow if all we see is the princes partying and bingeing. after all a picture is worth a thousand words. i also love the part about catherine becoming a role model. although she isn't under the "royal umberella" yet, she could be an excellent example to young women by choosing a cause and running with it. what charity wouldn't love to have her even at this early stage.

 

[susan alicia]

You can not join a charity if you do not feel inspired, it has to come naturally. And I do not think Kate looks old and tired nor should William abdicate because he wants to lead an as normal as possible life for the time being.

 

[muriel]

I think perhaps the time has come for me to add my two bits to this.

Firstly, William or Clarence House have not complained against W&K being photograped outside a club. What they have complained about is aggressive pursuit by the paps - which really cannot be condoned! I am not sure the corect approach to regulate the paps is legislation, but a combination of self-regulation and refusal by responsible publications from buying such photographs should do the trick.

Secondly, going to a night club in ones free time is perfectly normal and socially acceptable in the UK in this day and age. Certainly does not warrant abdication as suggested by Beatrixfan! William spends a fair amount of the year on military duty (I presume the same as any other officer of his seniority), so I do not think it is appropriate to begrudge him a night out! As has been previously mentioned, there are never going to be many pictures of Willas he goes about his military training, and as a result, most photographs we see of him are going to be when he is off duty and either socialising or on holiday.

Thirdly, what Kate does in her time is her business. If her partying is affecting her performance at work, it is a matter to be resolved between Kate and her employers. It is not really a matter for the British (or foreign!) public to opine on.

Fourthly, it is often reported that W&K take an excessive number of holidays. It is normal for most Europeans to have 4-5 weeks off each year. Service officers from the armed forces may receive more. This may seem like a lot to our friends from across the pond, but this is fairly normal here.

That said, I do believe Kate should probably be doing more with her time than is apparent. A 4-day a week a job really does make her appear as somebody who is waiting to marry!