Duchess of Cambridge: What Now for Catherine? Future Duties, Roles, Responsibilities


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You do bring up an interesting point about working and engagements. Sophie did 27 engagements her first year, 129 engagements in 2000 and 134 in 2001 (most of the engagements were overseas). If Sophie could manage those higher numbers with her job, then how come William and Harry get excused for their low numbers? Is it because Sophie could set her own hours since she owned the PR firm, while Harry and William don't have that ability?

William and Harry actually have full time careers in the armed forces.....actually serving Queen & country. William and Harry have had to fit royal engagements around their military schedules. William and Catherine have been largely based in Wales since their marriage, which does decrease availability for duties for both of them.
 
You're right. I forgot about William and Harry being stationed outside of London. That would definitely decrease the amount of engagements they could do.

Oh and I haven't forgotten about their military careers. I was just curious about their numbers vs Sophie's.
 
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She is a royal wife - regardless of whom she is married to - she is the future Queen and so far she isn't living up to that position.

She isn't living in Wales at the moment as she has been seen almost daily and certainly weekly either in Bucklebury or London shopping - there are people who have kept a record of how little time she has spent in Wales this year and how often she and William are apart.

There was never any official announcement from BP that she wouldn't be working - but we do know that she would find the idea of working a hard one to comprehend as she has such a poor work ethic prior to her marriage.

She is married to the 2nd in line and when you go back to Sophie in 2000 she was married to the 7th in line and working full-time herself in her own business and managed to do more than Kate did.

We know that there are some people who think that Kate can do no wrong - I am not one of them - she hasn't yet done anything to earn my respect as all she has done in her life is - get a degree and get married - hardly something of which to be proud at the age of 31. I was never a fan of Diana but at least she worked before her marriage and then during her marriage - Kate has done neither.
 
I am not a person who believes anyone "can do no wrong", but I do believe there is a great deal of difference between the role and expectations of someone married to the monarchs son and heir and someone married to the monarchs grandson regardless of his place in the line of succession.
Frankly if living in Wales until earlier this year when the pregnancy was announced and undertaking limited engagements, instead of being thrown into the deep end of the pool, helps to make this marriage work I am all for it.
There is doesn't seem to be an immediate need for the Cambridges to take on more engagements as no organizations seem to be complaining that they have been missing out on royal involvement. Even with HM and Philip aging Charles/Camilla/Anne/Andrew/Edward/Sophie seem to have all the other important tasks covered.
 
She wasn't in Wales when the pregnancy was announced last year and William was with friends - not with her at the time.

She hasn't been seen in Wales this year but has been spotted most weeks in Bucklebury and/or London and rarely seen with William - there are people who are questioning the state of their marriage given how much time they are apparently at opposite ends of the country and the fact that William, when spotted is often staying with friends elsewhere in the country to where she is.

Organisations don't complain that they don't get a royal patronage - they are happy to be able to put a royal on their letterhead/website as patron.

William is 2nd in line - and that is enough to say he should be doing more and so should she.

If Sophie - married to the 7th at the time of her entry into the royal family could do more, in her first year, and hold down a real full-time job, then it is clear that Kate isn't pulling her weight.
 
Ok thanks for ur reply, Iluvbertie. BTW I understand your 'dissatisfaction' or rather frustration at Catherine not performing much engagements.
But history has shown that for a new bride, the thing that matters more is how much they get adjusted and adapted to the new lifestyle, not the least how many engagements they perform.
She has lots and lots and lots of years to improve on this. And I am sure she will definitely improve..And will make a great Princess of Wales..
Moreover W&K&H keeping a slightly lower profile is good for Queen's younger children, as their works gets highlighted. Once those three become full-time full-force, no one will care for these people..
 
I hope she improves - she could hardly go backwards as she is starting from such a low base - but I am not holding my breath as I doubt that she will do more than absolutely necessary - she simply doesn't have the work ethic of a Diana or an Anne or a Sophie - hasn't needed to learn to work and having not worked in her 20s will find it increasingly hard to break her current routines in her 30s and 40s.
 
To be fair I find the excuse "she;s stuck in Wales" a bit silly. For starters she spends hardly time here, William is only here when he has to be for work and Kate is here even less. Then there is the fact that there are plenty ofthings around here for herto work on if she wanted to, she could even be in Liverpool or Manchester in not thatmuch time or even on her way to angelsey. Personally I'd like tohave seen Kate and William do more on Wales and the north west, i think they've wasted an opportunity that they may come to regret in the future.

Its interesting to note that whilst doing many more engagements the Princ of Wales "worked" one day less than his sister. That shows just how hard it is to compare engagements to each other.
 
She is a royal wife - regardless of whom she is married to - she is the future Queen and so far she isn't living up to that position.

She isn't living in Wales at the moment as she has been seen almost daily and certainly weekly either in Bucklebury or London shopping - there are people who have kept a record of how little time she has spent in Wales this year and how often she and William are apart.

While we do get sightings of Kate in London, it's definitely not a daily occurrence. Weeks have gone by without any sightings of her at all. And unless that person actually lives with them, the sightings in London don't tell how often she goes back and forth to Wales. I mean, it's not like she can't spend a few days in London and then spend a few days in Wales. In fact, in between the sightings in London, there have been sightings of her and William out and about in Wales or Bucklebury.

She wasn't in Wales when the pregnancy was announced last year and William was with friends - not with her at the time.

According to all of the reports, William was with Kate at her parents house in Bucklebury when she took ill. He was the one that drove her to the hospital.

She hasn't been seen in Wales this year but has been spotted most weeks in Bucklebury and/or London and rarely seen with William - there are people who are questioning the state of their marriage given how much time they are apparently at opposite ends of the country and the fact that William, when spotted is often staying with friends elsewhere in the country to where
she is.

Not true. She has been spotted in Wales quite a bit. In fact, she was in Anglesey a couple of weeks ago. She and William were spotted out to dinner and later that week she was grocery shopping. There's a number of other sightings of her and William hanging out (in Wales and Bucklebury), but right now I'm too lazy to look them up.

Just because we don't get up to the minute details about her comings and goings in Wales, doesn't mean she's not spending time there. When Kate and William are in Wales, they are pretty much left alone. Unlike in London where their every move is documented and photographed.

As for William often staying with friends, I've not hear that. There have been a few sightings of him hanging with friends or colleagues, but the majority of the time he's either spotted with Kate or in London at engagements.

I hope she improves - she could hardly go backwards as she is starting from such a low base - but I am not holding my breath as I doubt that she will do more than absolutely necessary - she simply doesn't have the work ethic of a Diana or an Anne or a Sophie - hasn't needed to learn to work and having not worked in her 20s will find it increasingly hard to break her current routines in her 30s and 40s.
She has worked. She worked for Jigsaw and then at Party Pieces.
 
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She hasn't been seen in Wales this year but has been spotted most weeks in Bucklebury and/or London and rarely seen with William - there are people who are questioning the state of their marriage given how much time they are apparently at opposite ends of the country and the fact that William, when spotted is often staying with friends elsewhere in the country to where she is.

There are people who actually make time to keep tabs on what William and Kate do? Why? Maybe they need to make more time, because William and Kate have been seen in Wales twice just recently.
 
The last time I saw any report of her being in Wales was when she went camping with the scouts back in February - since then only shopping in London, near Sandringham or near Bucklebury and the very occasional engagement.

I have seen only reports of her being with William on official duties of which he has done hardly any this year and even then alone or with others not just with Kate.

Please provide the links to show that she has been in Wales - I have read every report I can find so must have missed these.
 
I imagine this will probably be moved since it's more about Kate than the BRF's engagements, but here's some links. On some of the links, you might have to scroll down to get to the info.

Kate spotted in Anglesey the week of May 9th

Easter in Anglesey.

Another link about Easter.

Grocery shopping March 23rd.

I was looking through links and she's really only been spotted shopping or walking around London a couple dozen times in the last year. A lot of those times are in a space of a few days or around the time of her engagements, then we won't get a sightings of her for weeks. So she could be anywhere during the times we don't see or hear about her. Plus we have no way of knowing how often William traveled/travels to see her when she's in London (especially during the time she spent in London while recovering from HG). I've only seen a few mentions of Kate being in Bucklebury. The last sighting was in February.

As for William only being with Kate on official functions, well he's been in London for the last week, so it's safe to assume that they were together. Not to mention they were together for the Switzerland wedding, Cheltenham, their vacation to Mustique, her birthday and all the other times that the media/public aren't aware of.

Here are a couple of other links about William and Kate spending time together.

Lunch the day after William Van Custem's wedding

William and Kate having having dinner in London on April 27th - the weekend of their second wedding anniversary.

There are a few more sightings of them together, but I don't feel like finding them right now. Like I said before, just because we don't see them or hear reports about their whereabouts, doesn't mean that they aren't together. Or that she has abandoned Wales. The media and public only see a small bit of their lives and aren't privy to every little detail.
 
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^Some people like to believe that they are only a couple in name only
 
^Some people like to believe that they are only a couple in name only
Same people who like to troll.

Just read on Twitter that William AND Catherine seen in Anglesey today.
 
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Now that we see William stepping up his role within the "Firm", I wonder what roles will Catherine take on? I know she's busy being a new mother but I'm just wondering if her military Colonelships coming soon? Presidencies?....
 
Im thinking she will be taking on more charities and attending alot more ceremonies. I think she will be more visible now that the maternity leave is about done or is done. I hope to see her and William for that matter attend state dinners in all their glory. What an exciting time for them.
 
First off they have to have a State Dinner - haven't had one this year - had a State Luncheon but other than The Queen and Philip the next senior royals to attend were Edward and Sophie.
 
There's a State Visit at Buckingham Palace next month. Maybe they will attend.
 
Now that we see William stepping up his role within the "Firm", I wonder what roles will Catherine take on? I know she's busy being a new mother but I'm just wondering if her military Colonelships coming soon? Presidencies?....
Good questions. There are likely more patronages related to the ones in the Royal Foundation that she will take on. Also in the future as some of the royal patrons retire, then Catherine might pick up some of those roles as well.
 
Good questions. There are likely more patronages related to the ones in the Royal Foundation that she will take on. Also in the future as some of the royal patrons retire, then Catherine might pick up some of those roles as well.

My thoughts are that as a new mother, she will be working with the charities and patronages she has now and those with the Royal Foundation with Will and Harry. I don't think we're going to be overloaded much with Kate as a solo figure with presidencies and such until she is Duchess of Cornwall/Princess of Wales. This gives her leeway to raise George and be viewed more as a consort and partner as part of "Team Cambridge" and part of the Royal Foundation.

I don't think the goal is to ever make Kate a prime solo focus. We saw that happen and where it went with Diana. TBH, I think that would also be the last thing that Kate would want too.
 
I have no doubt that Catherine's focus is on being William's support and being a mother but as a senior member of the royal family, she will gain some colonelships and honorary regimental roles. None of that will distract Catherine from supporting William and being a mother. It's all honorary roles, not active duty role.

I'm just wondering if these roles will be given to her within the next year? I think she has gain a great deal of experience with sharing regimental duties with William when it comes down to the Irish Guards. I think it's time for her to have her own regiments that she will serve as colonel and commodore. The same kind of roles that The Queen, Camilla, Sophie and many other members of the family currently have.

I'm hoping Catherine will take on becoming Colonel in Chief of The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment. It's a role that was once shared between Diana and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark as they were Allied Colonels-in-Chiefs. Queen Margrethe continues her role as the regiment's Colonel-in-Chief but she's getting older and don't make it over to the UK all that often. I think it would be wonderful if Catherine took on the role from the British royal family.
 
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I have always defended Kate when it comes to working, but I admit it's getting harder to do so. Not so much for William, to me it looks like he has been working or working toward something since St Andrews.
 
Compared to Sophie Wessex's figures for her first few years of being a working royal, Kate's numbers are embarrassingly low. In Sophie's first year she did 125, second year 354, and third year 175 royal engagements. I am starting to wonder what Kate actually do all day (aside from childcare).

On another point, I assume William's new flying job will only be til his father is King, however at this point, what will William actual be expected to do as DoC/Pow? The same as Charles does now?
 
Wow a woman who worked full-time and still managed to carry out so many royal duties! The crazy inhuman qualities of someone who's husband is not heir. How also did she manage once she had children?
Oh and stop talking about apples and oranges we are not talking about fruit, we are talking about people doing their share of work! Who they are, what sex they are, title they have is all irrelevant to the quantity and quality of work they provide.

Well, Sophie didn't up her engagements until after her kids were older. There was only one year where she did 300 engagements. While her kids were little, she was doing less than 180 engagements a year.

It's not like Kate has done nothing. Her first year she lived in Wales so I wouldn't expect her count to be high - she did 34 engagements. The number for her second year (111) was about on par with Sophie's and last year she was pregnant (and sick) - she did 42.

I think over the next two years, we'll be able to get a more accurate picture of the type of numbers that Kate will be putting in.

I didn't mention anything about apples and oranges, so I assume that remark wasn't meant for me.
 
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If people are comparing royals, it is only fair to compare them similar situations. William and Kate don't have a modern royal equivalent. Comparing William and Kate to William's parents when he was the same age as George isn't a fair comparison since they were already Prince & Princess of Wales. Also comparing Sophie of today to Kate of today isn't fair either because Sophie's kids are schooled aged and George is only one. They also don't have a continental royal equivalents since people such as Fred and Mary, Victoria and Daniel etc are the next in line.

If you look back over 100 years to the last adult heir to the heir- the future George V, he basically hunted and collected stamps whiled holed up at York cottage at Sandringham.


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Well, Sophie didn't up her engagements until after her kids were older. There was only one year where she did 300 engagements. While her kids were little, she was doing less than 180 engagements a year.

It's not like Kate has done nothing. Her first year she lived in Wales so I wouldn't expect her count to be high - she did 34 engagements. The number for her second year (111) was about on par with Sophie's and last year she was pregnant (and sick) - she did 42.

I think over the next two years, we'll be able to get a more accurate picture of the type of numbers that Kate will be putting in.

I didn't mention anything about apples and oranges, so I assume that remark wasn't meant for me.


No apples and oranges was mentioned previously :)
 
I have always liked Camilla she is a woman to be admired!
Thanks for the comparison of Anne and Diana, it just goes to show that some people are born with a different set of work ethics and don't need it shouted from mountain tops.
All the exclamations that HM will & can force Wills to do what he should kind of seems feeble and makes one wonder, what one thinks of ones work ethics and ones wife's work ethics? Maybe Malta is not a request from the Queen?
 
Well, Sophie didn't up her engagements until after her kids were older. There was only one year where she did 300 engagements. While her kids were little, she was doing less than 180 engagements a year.

It's not like Kate has done nothing. Her first year she lived in Wales so I wouldn't expect her count to be high - she did 34 engagements. The number for her second year (111) was about on par with Sophie's and last year she was pregnant (and sick) - she did 42.

I think over the next two years, we'll be able to get a more accurate picture of the type of numbers that Kate will be putting in.

I didn't mention anything about apples and oranges, so I assume that remark wasn't meant for me.


Sophie's first two years as a working royal was also while she was running her own business and thus she was holding down a full-time job and she managed way more than Kate.

My figures for Sophie in 2000 - her first full year as a royal having married in 1999 - are 120 and as I said she was also running a business.

Kate's figures for 2012 - her first full year which was a Jubilee and Olympics year as well seeing everyone's numbers up - using my figures about the same at 123 but she wasn't trying to hold down a full time job as well as Sophie did in her first full year.

Comparing 2001 for Sophie to 2013 for Kate (again Sophie was still working full time for her PR firm) Sophie did 125 while Kate did 44 partly because she was pregnant.

So let's look at the first year after having their first child to do a comparison - Kate in the last 12 months has done 85 (16 from the birth of George until the end of 2013 and 69 up to last Thursday) while Sophie - who almost died having Louise - did nearly 100 more at 173. That is probably a fair comparison as it covers the 12 months from the birth of each mother's first child and only those 12 months. They are telling figures, especially given the problems Sophie had in giving birth.

That is also comparing oranges with oranges as it is a comparison of the same time period after the same event - the birth of the first child and the year that followed.
 
The Duke of Cambridge: What Now for William? Future Duties, Roles & Responsib...

The role all the royal families perform separates them from vapid heiresses and other reality TV drama queens with more money than class! If this means we expect an example to be set for a generation brought up on a steady diet of leaked sex tapes, bikini selfies and numerous marriages then I expect too much! It would be nice to have traditional, classy families with values that can be an example to this generation!!
And if this includes the words "work ethics" then guilty as charged! Let's separate the Hilton/Kardashian's from the real heirs or heir-of-the-heir.
 
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