British Royal Family Current Events 5: July 2011-March 2013

[VictoriaB]

Most people don't go to family memorial service so I don't think it's a big deal at all

In the Royal Family they do - as demonstrated by the fact that almost everyone was present.

I agree with Bertie that whether the Queen gave her consent or not is irrelevant, it should never have even entered William's head to ask for it. I don't think it suggests he hates his father but I do think it was disrespectful towards the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. To me it is just compounded by the fact the absence was caused by a holiday.

I do think William was probably spoiled by both parents as a consequence of the nasty divorce. As a result of Diana's early death I think he and Harry were probably indulged (I have no proof of either by the way, it's just an opinion).

I also think it's another example of the double standards of the British press. Had either York girl not been there because they chose to go skiing instead (and I'm not particularly a fan of the York family), there would have been plenty of criticism aimed at them.

 

[miche]

Maybe the spend time with the Middleton have been plans for a while and longer than the memorial services. I don't think most of the family show up, maybe most of the RF. I don't see the big deal. And I don't see how it was disrespectful. I guess the press don't write negative article for the same reason why journalist said they don't write negative article about the Queen right now. They are popular with the public and they have to write what sell (Their word not mine)

 

[Madame Royale]

Some people become quite engrossed in their own negativity don't they...

Idealy, it would have been nice if William and Catherine attended, but they didn't. That however does not suggest that William despises his father or his family as a whole. The mere suggestion of it seems to me as being completely rediculous and without any substantiated evidence to support the whacky accusation that it is.

Outwardly, it has a real tendancy to appear quite inconsiderate to those of us who are interested and to the high and moral, but the reality of the situation is, is that no one here knows the contents of any conversation hand between William, the Queen or his father regarding his absence, and thus the absence of the Duchess. All we know is that they have sought private leisure abroad and as a consequence were not present to attend the memorial service.

I along with others, would have liked to have seen them there (naturally) but their absence proves nothing in regards to the state of their relationships, no matter how much certain indaviduals would wish it to be so.

 

[VictoriaB]

Maybe the spend time with the Middleton have been plans for a while and longer than the memorial services. I don't think most of the family show up, maybe most of the RF. I don't see the big deal. And I don't see how it was disrespectful. I guess the press don't write negative article for the same reason why journalist said they don't write negative article about the Queen right now. They are popular with the public and they have to write what sell (Their word not mine)

I respect your opinion Miche but I doubt the holiday plans with the Middletons have been in place longer than those for the memorial service. Royal diaries are arranged many, many months in advance. The fact that so many had to be coordinated suggests to me that the service was planned a long time ago.

You are quite right, the press don't write negative articles about William & Kate because they want to sell newspapers. That's my point, William & Kate can get away with doing things that others would be criticised for - rightly or wrongly.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Most people I know do go to family memorial services. They don't insult their families by going on holidays instead as William has done. It is clearly a sign of his lack of regard for his father's family.

Imagine the outcry if he father had refused to attend the memorial service for Diana. It would have been totally unacceptable but it is acceptable for William to go on holidays rather than honour his great-grandmother and great-aunt - people who were particularly close to his father.

Sorry - that is evidence in itself that he doesn't hold his father or his father's family in high regard. Actions speak much louder than words and William's actions are at odds with his words.

 

[agami.pearl]

My only comment - they should be there.

 

[Madame Royale]

They don't insult their families by going on holidays instead as William has done.

And you advocate the collective opinion of the royal family do you?

The fact of the matter is, you do not know what they think or feel in regards to their absence, least of all if they were insulted.

It is clearly a sign of his lack of regard for his father's family.

Again, it proves nothing. The way you often talk of the young man and this "apparent" division of familial loyalties, anyone would be forgiven for thinking that you fervently believe him to be Diana reincarnate. I suppose it is easy to surmise the possibilties of discord between others though; especially from afar and when greatly removed from the situation.

 

[csw]

I... believe that perhaps you've had one too many commemorative drinky-poos.

 

[EIIR]

My family have never had a memorial service for any of our relatives who died - does that mean we disrespect them? We're Presbyterian so we believe that you don't have to go to some gilded building and chant back what a man in a frock and pointy hat is saying to connect with God and those we've lost. We do that on a daily basis within ourselves.

I would've liked to see William and Kate there, and I'm on the record as saying I believe this holiday to be ill-advised. However, the idea that their non-attendance is some kind of indication that William holds his father and the RF in contempt is reaching on a mammouth scale. It's quite clear to me that William loves his father very much. He gets asked about his mother all the time, and so talks about her more, but that's always going to be the case given that she's dead and that William was young when it happened. He publicly supported his father's second marriage, and has welcomed Camilla honestly into the family - even going so far as to have one of her grandchildren as a flower girl at his wedding.

Not attending yesterday may not have been the best decision but, to me, that's all it is.

 

[Thain]

Maybe the spend time with the Middleton have been plans for a while and longer than the memorial services.

The memorial service was on the exact anniversary of the Queen Mother's death (30 March 2002-30 March 2012) so it wasn't arbitrarily chosen.

 

[Dierna23]

To me it seems that William just doesn't care that much. How long would a flight from France to London etc. take? About one hour maybe? They could have easily flown over and back to continue with their fun holidays if they had wanted to. JMO.

 

[Kataryn]

To me it seems that William just doesn't care that much. How long would a flight from France to London etc. take? About one hour maybe? They could have easily flown over and back to continue with their fun holidays if they had wanted to. JMO.

Carbon footprint, anybody?

 

[miche]

I respect your opinion Miche but I doubt the holiday plans with the Middletons have been in place longer than those for the memorial service. Royal diaries are arranged many, many months in advance. The fact that so many had to be coordinated suggests to me that the service was planned a long time ago.

You are quite right, the press don't write negative articles about William & Kate because they want to sell newspapers. That's my point, William & Kate can get away with doing things that others would be criticised for - rightly or wrongly.

I don't know about that since the Middleton seems to go skiing around March for long time now. So yeah it is possible that has been in the plan for.

William and Kate can't get away with anything. There was a period of time were neither of those two could do anything right. The press goes in cycles. You will be happy again when the press have nothing but negative to say about them.

 

[agami.pearl]

William is piloting fuel-consuming RAF helicopters. He doesn't thinks about carbon footprint too much. Well I assume that they travel for vacation by airplane, not on the back of a donkey.

 

[miche]

The memorial service was on the exact anniversary of the Queen Mother's death (30 March 2002-30 March 2012) so it wasn't arbitrarily chosen.

Does the Royal Family always have a Memorial Services a decade after a member of their family have died?

 

[fandesacs2003]

Did William attend ALL the previous years memorial and he just missed this one?
After all it is just an anniversary not a funeral! And for how many years it will be done again?
If it William absence looks bad, it is the same for Zara! The preparation for the OG is not an excuse! She can miss a couple of hours! And helping with the baby... let me laugh! With the army of staff they have, they need Zara!
For me it is just not important to attend. And if it is mandatory, where is Edward? The date was known, so he should NOT have taken any other oblgation. After all it was his aunt and granma!

 

[tommy100]

Personally I believe that if the Queen was that upset he would have been there as somebody would have said he had to be.
The bigger issue to me is not that they attended this but that they are quite happy to jet off on holiday at a time when the rest of the country is cutting back. Yes Williams has come back from the Falklands but there were several articles, Including the telegraph, which said he hadn't been doing much when he was out there so lets not act like he's been fighting the Taliban in the dessert with boiling heat, sleeping outside, little or no food/water. I hardly think its been exhausting work that makes it NECESSARY to have a holiday. Likewise with Kate, a handful of appearances over 6 weeks can hardly count as working hard, it just seems like she's been busy as usually she appears working so little.
Perhaps however the Cambridge's weren't there as the Household wants to limit their appearances with the Queen so that each time has a very real impact rather than it becoming all to common, who knows.
Must have been a day of missed emotions for the Queen, remembering her sister and mother on the same day as becoming a great grandmother again, bet its the best Jubilee present she will get!

 

[tommy100]

Did William attend ALL the previous years memorial and he just missed this one?
After all it is just an anniversary not a funeral! And for how many years it will be done again?
If it William absence looks bad, it is the same for Zara! The preparation for the OG is not an excuse! She can miss a couple of hours! And helping with the baby... let me laugh! With the army of staff they have, they need Zara!
For me it is just not important to attend. And if it is mandatory, where is Edward? The date was known, so he should NOT have taken any other oblgation. After all it was his aunt and granma!

I'm not saying that you are right or wrong, indeed if its expected for all to go then they should ALL go no excuses if you make one exception then you open it for others to skip it.
However Edwards was WORKING on behalf of the Queen in France on an official visit, Zara was training to represent her COUNTRY. William and Kate on the other hand were on holiday.
And I have to say whilst I think Zara was probably training rather than babysitting I doubt very much Peter and Autumn have an army of staff, in fact i doubt they have any at all.

 

[fandesacs2003]

I doubt very much Peter and Autumn have an army of staff, in fact i doubt they have any at all.

I find very difficult to believe that the grandson of the Queen of Great Britain, who is also a very very rich person has not help at home.

 

[Stefan]

Did William attend ALL the previous years memorial and he just missed this one?
After all it is just an anniversary not a funeral! And for how many years it will be done again?
If it William absence looks bad, it is the same for Zara! The preparation for the OG is not an excuse! She can miss a couple of hours! And helping with the baby... let me laugh! With the army of staff they have, they need Zara!
For me it is just not important to attend. And if it is mandatory, where is Edward? The date was known, so he should NOT have taken any other oblgation. After all it was his aunt and granma!

There where no memorials the previous Years. They have it only for the 10th death anniversary. Also for Diana there was ony in 2007 but not the years before and after.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I find very difficult to believe that the grandson of the Queen of Great Britain, who is also a very very rich person has not help at home.

Since when is he very very rich? Last I heard this guy had just "retired" from his job and hasn't found a new one yet. He would have received inheritance from the QM, but I doubt that was enough to make him very rich. He might be the grandson of the Queen, but he's not titled, receive's very little privileges and leaves a normal life. Having 'an army of help' doesn't fit the personality of this couple, and help from your own sister is better than any Nanny. Training for the Olympics is a MAJOR deal, and Zara is a serious competitor who will go for those medals.

 

[Baroness of Books]

My own two cents' worth; I feel that it would have been nice if William and Kate attended the memorial especially in light of where they were and doing at the time. A 10-year remembrance service is a significant one, IMO. Maybe it wasn't a mandatory attendance and the Queen approved of their vacation, but it still would have been respectful to those living who cared about the deceased to have shown up. Some things just shouldn't have to be asked to do, but to consider this an attack or sign of disgruntlement against his father or anyone else is a stretch indeed.

 

[Daria_S]

The Queen shouldn't never have even had to consider asking her family to be present - that is an automatic sign of respect and love. William has thumbed his nose at his grandmother and father on a number of occasions and is still being given a pass - why.

Any decent human being would have been at the memorial service without being asked but not William who does what he wants and shows a total lack of respect for for his father, who was devoted to The Queen Mother, and for his Grandmother who was also devoted to her mother.

Regardless of how he felt about the individuals common decency says I should be there for my father and grandmother but William has been so badly raised that he has been allowed to do whatever he wants and gets away with it.

How anyone can condone someone going on a skiing holiday rather than a family memorial I don't know. To me it says loud and clear - 'I hate my father and his family and will do all I can to disrespect them'.

I have for some time believed that William has come to despise his father and this is further confirmation of that.

Wow! That's enough dislike to satisfy the faithful readers of 'The Daily Mail' who thrive on such vitriol. I'm sorry you feel this way about a person that you've never met (and most likely never will). I highly doubt that William hates his paternal side of the family, or that this was a deliberate snub or sign of disrespect. He chose to spend some quality time with his wife and in-laws. You don't have to agree with his choice (which you don't), but to sit there and throw around such negativity is simply not necessary.

 

[soapstar]

Has it been established as a fact that Zara was training, or is that just speculation. Even if she was training, I don't see why she couldn't take a few hours off to attend the service.

I would've liked to see William and Kate there, and I'm on the record as saying I believe this holiday to be ill-advised. However, the idea that their non-attendance is some kind of indication that William holds his father and the RF in contempt is reaching on a mammouth scale. It's quite clear to me that William loves his father very much. He gets asked about his mother all the time, and so talks about her more, but that's always going to be the case given that she's dead and that William was young when it happened. He publicly supported his father's second marriage, and has welcomed Camilla honestly into the family - even going so far as to have one of her grandchildren as a flower girl at his wedding.

Not attending yesterday may not have been the best decision but, to me, that's all it is.

I agree.

I definitely think they should have attended the service, but I don't see his absence as a slam against his father...it's obvious that he loves him very much. In fact, I think it's extremely unfair that peope are stating that his decision means that he hates his family.

Having said that, I don't think it was wise for William to continue his vacation and miss the service. Even if he cleared it with the Queen, he failed to realize how this would look in the court of public opinion.

 

[Tyger]

On another thread I wrote: I have heard it said that William will 'modernize' the monarchy when he comes into his time on the throne. Maybe this is part of that? Portents of how it will be? Less fuss and bother about all that stuff pertaining to those whom William may feel were not supportive of his mother?

When posters indicated that they doubted William would be so crass - and that further he has accepted Camilla, I said: Good point - I take back what I said, or I modify it. I ascribed motive - shouldn't have done that. Colors the response. By 'modernizing' he may be less inclined for any fuss and bother about most things except the big-ticket items like Trooping of the Colours - opening of Parliament and the coronation. Stuff like that.

Would the public be at ease with a monarchy trimmed down that much?

I know why Iluvbertie is saying what she is - she has deeper knowledge than most - but I too fail to see overt signs of hostility. Its true that he just is not showing up. He's been gone awhile and when he returns he misses showing up at a high visibility event. It is passing curious - everyone else has a working excuse, he does not. It is a bit strange. This fascinates me because I do think there are indications that William is not going to be the kind of monarch people are expecting. I suspect he may do a lot of deconstruction of the monarchy. A hunch. It will be interesting to watch as the years roll along.

 

[agami.pearl]

The biggest issue is not that they didn't attended but that they chosen to go to 2nd holidays in 3 months instead attend important family event. I would understand being in work or having engagement but holidays. Do they really need few days off every time when they work. What next? Holidays to celebrate 1st wedding anniversary, holidays after main jubilee events, holidays after being Olympics ambassadors, holidays after jubilee tour to Asia?
I don't believe that William asked QEII of permission, he just packed his luggage and went to holidays.

 

[Daria_S]

The biggest issue is not that they didn't attended but that they chosen to go to 2nd holidays in 3 months instead attend important family event. I would understand being in work or having engagement but holidays. Do they really need few days off every time when they work. What next? Holidays to celebrate 1st wedding anniversary, holidays after main jubilee events, holidays after being Olympics ambassadors, holidays after jubilee tour to Asia?
I don't believe that William asked QEII of permission, he just packed his luggage and went to holidays.

I think you are not quite understanding the definition of 'work' in this case. Royals do not have the 9-to-5 jobs that members of general public do. Their work is constantly being in the spotlight and smiling, which is a he** of a lot harder than it looks. It's a lot more draining than sitting in an office and dealing with papers. William was on military deployment, which is no picnic either. I think that they do indeed deserve a break (especially Catherine, since she's still new to the role of a working Royal and is getting used to the pressure). I would agree with you if this was occurring five years down the road, but right now, there should be little to no issues in the case of the general public. This was not the best move, but again, Her Majesty's fine with it, so we ought to be too. If it'll prove to be a bad PR move for the Cambridges, I'm more than positive that they'll be briefed about it, and learn to not make such choices in the future. As for your assumption that William didn't ask his grandmother for permission, and just went, it's just that, an assumption. I personally highly doubt that he would show that kind of disrespect to a grandmother whom he appears to admire and love.

 

[soapstar]

The biggest issue is not that they didn't attended but that they chosen to go to 2nd holidays in 3 months instead attend important family event. I would understand being in work or having engagement but holidays. Do they really need few days off every time when they work. What next? Holidays to celebrate 1st wedding anniversary, holidays after main jubilee events, holidays after being Olympics ambassadors, holidays after jubilee tour to Asia?
I don't believe that William asked QEII of permission, he just packed his luggage and went to holidays.

I disagree. From what I've seen, the issue isn't the vacation, but the fact that they didn't attend the service. I think if they had shown up for the service, very few people would even care about their vacation.

And, I personally have no problem with them going on vacation.

 

[Grandma828]

Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill!

 

[Warren]

So you're not convinced this presages the fall of the dynasty?