Duchess of Cambridge Duties and Roles

[Kataryn]

Catherine never appears to mind any duty she does but goes about them good-natured. So she doesn't come off as someone who is workshy or lazy. Those people can't cover their true attitude when they are forced to do things they detest.

[Artemisia]

Originally Posted by EIIR

Charles is pulling the purse strings here. If he wanted Kate to be doing more, he could make it happen. On the contrary, Charles seems very happy with Kate. It suits him for W&K to only be part-time royals, as he'll know as soon as that changes Charles is going to be sidelined in the press.

I agree with most of your post bar this part. It's pretty hard for Charles to be sidelined more than he already is: the press doesn't pay attention to his many charities and only reports controversies. Kate could have been making 1,000 engagements a year, and that would hardly reflect upon Charles in any way.

[Dman]

Well, I think William & Catherine and Harry are very mindful of Charles's role as the future King but I think Charles knows and accepts that his children and daughter-in-law are adults and ready to take on more important roles within the "Firm". I think he's very supportive of the fact that the Cambridges & Prince Harry are setting up their own court at Kensington Palace and he is funding a lot of their expenses. So I really don't think Charles is too worried about being upstaged by his sons and daughter-in-law. I think he's delighted that they are taking on some responsibilities of the Monarchy.

[Grandma828]

I also think a major change is under way. It was already announced that Catherine would announce additional patronages by the end of the year. William's current tour with the RAF will end in mid 2013 and their new apartment in Kensington Palace will be ready in 2013. William must make a decision about a new tour of duty by the end of the year. He also told a reporter he was finding it difficult to balance his RAF and royal duties. I think these are all clues to the future. I hope there is a baby announcement by Christmas.

[sndral]

While being primarily a mother and wife is not currently in vogue, as wife of a future king, Catherine's duty and role is first and foremost to produce children. The British monarchy is a thousand years old, give or take a few years, and this has been the role of the wife of the king during all of that time - it may not be modern, but it is the history of the institution.
Charles is the next King, he is by definition more important at this point in time than William and Catherine. It is a delicate balancing act to shine some light on the Cambridges without casting Charles into the shade. Fortunately there seems to be genuine fondness between Catherine and both of her in laws.
Imagine that one of us married into a family with a business - would we expect to start doing everything all at once in the business, or would we do as we are asked to in the beginning? If we expect to get along, we'd do what we were asked rather than rocking the boat, IMO.
Catherine's willingness to work very hard was on display while William was in the Falklands, she made a number of appearances with her in laws and alone in his absence.
When William is home in Wales, like any newly wed, she wants to be home with him. Having a supportive helpmate is invaluable to a King or Queen, it is a very isolating position. Consider how important the Queen mum was to George VI, how important Phillip is to Elizabeth II, and how much happier and at ease Charles is with Camilla as his wife. The royal family undoubtedly understand more than we can guess that William and Catherine are best served by having time to forge their union.
In the meantime, Catherine does volunteer w/ her local scouts and is patron of four charities. She accompanies William in his appearances for his Royal work. She is also involved in making their new apartment in Kensington Palace ready. She completed the tour of Canada and is now embarking on a longer tour.
I have never considered Catherine to be work shy or lazy, to me she is simply discreet and respectful of her husband's family's desires regarding how they are integrating her into their centuries old institution.

[Iluvbertie]

Originally Posted by sndral

She completed the tour of Canada and is now embarking on a longer tour.

This tour is shorter.

[Zonk]

Please note that off topic posts about potential Cambridge children have been deleted AGAIN.

[sndral]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

This tour is shorter.

Thanks for the correction, I hadn't looked back at the length of the Canada/USA tour, just reading all of the events in this current tour it seemed exhausting to me, so I must have mentally 'felt' it was longer.

[rosana]

Originally Posted by Kataryn

Rosana, again you astonish me with your way to count things. Where do the 4 engagements come from?

Even those few that come to mind immediately: Fortnum & Mason, Jubilee Pageant, Jubilee Concert, Trooping the Colours, Olympic Opening and Closing ceremonies, Visits to hospitals, meeting with queen and Philip somewhere north... are a bit more than that. Plus the upcoming State Visit...

I accept that you don't like either William or Catherin nd believe them to be lazy. But couldn't you at least get the facts straight? For it makes it really difficult not to point out that that's not the whole truth and thus your opinion could be flawed, even though it is a honest opinion to be accepted?

You are right, they were not 4 but 10!!! You can go through the current events thread and check as I did: Feb 2 was the first one (I didnt write down the name), National Gallery, Liverpool, Fortnum & Mason, Oxford College, Olympic Park, Irish Guard, 1 Speech in hospice, Scouts, Royal Academy of Arts. Then I think she was in Denmark with William, let´s say she attended a couple more (I can admit the Olimpic ceremonies, not the Jubille sorry, royalty celebrates itself and I should consider that as an engagement? no way).
The girl has done around 12/14 engagements in 9 months, amazing! No wonder they take so many holidays.

And no, I´m not comparing her with Maxima, how could I? Maxima can deliver a speech on microcredit in 2 different languages other than hers for about 15 minutes, and she´s the Crown Princess.

[Daria_S]

Originally Posted by rosana

You are right, they were not 4 but 10!!! You can go through the current events thread and check as I did: Feb 2 was the first one (I didnt write down the name), National Gallery, Liverpool, Fortnum & Mason, Oxford College, Olympic Park, Irish Guard, 1 Speech in hospice, Scouts, Royal Academy of Arts. Then I think she was in Denmark with William, let´s say she attended a couple more (I can admit the Olimpic ceremonies, not the Jubille sorry, royalty celebrates itself and I should consider that as an engagement? no way).
The girl has done around 12/14 engagements in 9 months, amazing! No wonder they take so many holidays.

And no, I´m not comparing her with Maxima, how could I? Maxima can deliver a speech on microcredit in 2 different languages other than hers for about 15 minutes, and she´s the Crown Princess.

And Maxima has been a Crown Princess for A LOT longer than Catherine has been in her position (and as we pointed out to you before, Catherine's the wife of the monarch's grandson, so there's no hurry for her to be in the spotlight as much as let's say Maxima, Mary, Mette-Marit, Victoria, etc.). I bet that after Catherine has been a royal for a few years, she'll be able to deliver a speech as well as anyone else in her role (and in my opinion, for someone who just came into her role [and a year and a half is really not that much time], she's doing pretty darn well with her public speaking). And yes, Jubilee celebrations were indeed official engagements, as was Trooping the Colour (Her Majesty's Birthday Parade), so they sure as heck should be counted. They're not celebrating themselves, but the amount of service, dedication, and work Her Majesty has given to her realm at home and abroad for the past sixty years, so let's get our facts straight, eh?

[soapstar]

According to the lists that Iluvbertie posts in the royal engagements thread, Kate has done 73 engagements this year. Iluvbertie uses the CC to compile the lists, so obviously the Palace thinks things like Trooping and Jubilee count as engagements.

[casualfan]

I am quite impressed by how shes handling herself generally. The palace seems to be happy with her performance, as well. She is on the right path.

[Daria_S]

Originally Posted by casualfan

I am quite impressed by how shes handling herself generally. The palace seems to be happy with her performance, as well. She is on the right path.

It's not just the Palace that's happy with her performance, but also those that meet her can't help but be charmed. Though the opinion of the Palace is extremely important, the reaction of the public should not be taken lightly (and I have a feeling it's valued rather highly), because it's the public that is going to be her future subjects, and if they're happy with her (along with the Palace), then she's doing everyone very, very proud. United Kingdom is very lucky to have her as their future Queen Consort.

[LadyGabrielle]

Well said Daria. I agree with you. So long as she can build a trust with people and show that she cares and handles herself the way she has been, she will be an awesome Queen. The Palace is important but I think the people are up there as well. They will be her future.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

So this 12 engagements in 9 MOS bull crap just got multiplied by 5 or 6 right?

[Dman]

I wonder when the palace will announce the regiments The Duchess of Cambridge will become Honorary Royal Colonel, Royal Colonel, Colonel-in-Chief or Honorary Air Commodore? I'm hoping since Ctherine is the future Princess of Wales that she Will become Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. A role she would share with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and since the regiment haven't had a British Royal Colonel since 1996.

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by Dman

I wonder when the palace will announce the regiments The Duchess of Cambridge will become Honorary Royal Colonel, Royal Colonel, Colonel-in-Chief or Honorary Air Commodore? I'm hoping since Ctherine is the future Princess of Wales that she Will become Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. A role she would share with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and since the regiment haven't had a British Royal Colonel since 1996.

TBH I don't think it would be announced before Kate is actually the Princess of Wales as there is a Princess of Wales holding the title at the moment... she just doesn't style herself that way.

[Skippyboo]

With the expansion of the Cambridges and Harry's household (all them each getting a private secretary and moving the household from St James to Kensington Palace) and the ill health and age of the Queen and DoE, it would not suprise me to see William leave the RAF at the end of contract in mid 2013. Once out of the military, both William and Kate would be full time royals.

Prince Charles is colonel of the Welsh guards, so when William becomes PoW, he can move to the Welsh guard and Kate can take the Irish since they have a relationship with each other ? I just love the dog getting the shamrock on his collar on St Patrick's Day.

[Dman]

Well I'm sure she will be appointed to some regiments before then but I do expect Catherine to hand out leaks to the Irish Guards from now on, since William is now it's Royal Colonel.

[NGalitzine]

Its leaks for the Welsh Guards and Shamrocks for the Irish Guards.