Duke and Duchess of Cambridge current events 4: Sept 2012 - Feb 2013

[NGalitzine]

Originally Posted by Duchess of Durham

1. My job is being watched by an entire population. If I don't do my job there are major consequences for people.
2. I do wear expensive, by some people's standards, clothes, which I shop for myself.
3. I do suffer from an illness that at times does knock me on my rear and have to spend a few days in bed.

Until you walk in someone else's shoes, judgement should be reserved.

But is your every movement followed by photographers and tweeted about, are their internet forums to allow people to critique you hair, jewels and fashion choices and how much they may have cost? Do newspapers regularly write about your parents or your siblings or remote ancestors? Does the general public follow you about and take pictures of you on their cell phones and then send them around the world?

[Dman]

The Duchess of Cambridge have been back to work for a while now.

I think members of the public knows by now that members of the royal family have their time off too. The young royals take a little vacation during this time of the year, every year or unless they have have something else planned.

[GracieGiraffe]

There is always perception, and there is reality. Sometimes the two intertwine, more often they diverge. But perception always wins out over reality when making judgments.

I have no idea how often Will works. Or Kate. Or not. And neither does anyone else here. Our perceptions are often skewered not only by what we read or see, but about what we want to conclude. It's very hard to take an objective view. The press releases and the tabloids can state whatever, but we really don't know.

No matter what a few royal followers here think (and there's really only a few who have such a large body of knowledge about the royal family, who pays for what, what they actually do and don't do), most people don't know this. The problem is that no matter how hard Will and Kate might actually work (or not), the average person only sees photos of Kate walking the dog, out at Starbucks, and now they are off on a fabulous Caribbean holiday. In the meantime, there's story floating about that one of her charities had to cancel an event. (Not sure why, but that doesn't matter - perception of the general public only takes a few seconds and a headline skimmed). All the while, there is talk of austerity, job cuts, rising prices left and right. Nobody really knows how much Will works, but unless people send a witness to see him punching the clock day in and day out, the perception is that surely the Prince gets time off whenever he wants.

[julliette]

^^ I agree, Gracie Giraffe.

That's why I think that If it's true that Kate works that much in the backstage, something is wrong with her communication/RP team.
Even if she works a lot, if we don't see , there's no way we can check if she's really working or not, so one starts to doubt it a bit. That's why I think she shoud appear more often with her charities. Working with your charities is important, but letting the public know you're working is equally important in her case, IMO. And she's failing to communicate it

[NGalitzine]

Just how much "work" is someone who is officially only a part time royal and primarily resident in Wales supposed to do? I suspect this is more about fullfilling a desire by some in the public/press to see more of her so comments can be made about fashion & jewels that it is about charity & public duties. So far I haven't heard any charities crying about lack of involvement or complaining about cancelled engagements.
I wonder if there were the same kind of complaints when Elizabeth, the heiress presumptive, went off to live in Malta with the Duke of Edinburgh or when Katherine went off to live in Hong Kong with the Duke of Kent.

We do not currently suffer from a shortage of fulltime working royals in the UK.

[Dman]

Some of her charities have been making it known that she remains very active with her charities and have a great deal of interest in their progress.

We know that members of the royal family are always in contact with their charities and organizations of which they are Royal Patron or President. They are briefed daily on these charities, go over correspondents and meet with the charity officials. Their official engagements are arranged by the official secretaries and charity officials.

Members of the royal family do work hard, whether it's behind the scenes or in public and their job isn't all that easy or glamorous as it may look.

[GracieGiraffe]

You cannot possibly compare the life of service devoted by Her Majesty to the life of Kate Middleton. In some ways that is unfair because they were born into two different lives, but I still would not compare the two.

How many years did the Queen live in Malta? One or two is my estimation. This was already after many years of royal service and duties, including seasickness on royal tours throughout the commonwealth, surviving heat without air conditioning, and surviving without filtrated water. Some of it done while pregnant and sick herself. And then there was the war effort to which she contributed.

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by GracieGiraffe

How many years did the Queen live in Malta? One or two is my estimation.

The Queen lived intermittently in Malta for one to two months at a time from 1949-1951.

[Dman]

Things were a little different with the then, Princess Elizabeth. She had no other choice but to really step up when she became the first in-line to the throne. Then again, people at the time had a little more some respect for the royal family.

[soapstar]

Originally Posted by NGalitzine

Just how much "work" is someone who is officially only a part time royal and primarily resident in Wales supposed to do? I suspect this is more about fullfilling a desire by some in the public/press to see more of her so comments can be made about fashion & jewels that it is about charity & public duties. So far I haven't heard any charities crying about lack of involvement or complaining about cancelled engagements.
I wonder if there were the same kind of complaints when Elizabeth, the heiress presumptive, went off to live in Malta with the Duke of Edinburgh or when Katherine went off to live in Hong Kong with the Duke of Kent.

I agree. I'm not sure how much work people expect a part-time royal to do. It's not like the Palace didn't let everyone know that William and Kate were only going to be part-time. It was actually one of the first things they announced after the engagement.

I do have to concede that perception is reality, but since Kate's hospitalization in early December, she's only been photographed shopping 4 times (3 last week and once the week before). So I'm not sure how people think that she's been spending these last 2 months shopping up a storm. With the exception of a few sightings at Starbucks and the gas station, she actually hasn't been seen out much.

I don't really understand the argument that William hasn't earned a vacation. He works full-time as a rescue pilot, so he's entitled to take time off.

[COESpiral]

Wouldn't it make more sense for a person who is responsible for operating some rather large machinery with very sensitive equipment to rescue individuals in danger (sometimes in inclement weather) to be well rested and have a positive attitude?

I'm of the opinion that more military people (in any country) should have more time off. Perhaps the rather frightening rise in suicides and post-traumatic stress disorders would be turned around if soldiers got more rest. Just saying.

[camelot23ca]

If the issue is perception rather than actual work then the couple can't win. A photograph of Kate on vacation on a beach somewhere is always going to attract more attention than a more "boring" picture of Kate showing up at one of her non glamourous official events. And we won't see any pictures at all of the behind the scenes work she does with her charities, or of her meeting with her staff regarding long term planning, or of her sitting in her living room going through paperwork or reading a book for research on a cause she's considering taking up. And it's the same with William - there aren't going to be any pictures of him performing the daily routine of either his job with the RAF or the non-public parts of his royal duties.

Also, they don't need to justify or clear their holidays with anyone other than William's superiors at work.

[Princess Luna]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

Whilst I agree nobody needs to 'deserve' a holiday, this couple haven't earnt it at all. William and Catherine clearly have no idea about public perception.

According to newspaper`s Catherine have been working with here charities for a while now, ( from home) isn`t that "proper" work?

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by Tudur rose

So she can have a year off then ....

But no doubt with a maternity nurse , 24/6 ...and a stand in for the seventh day . Like all the other women in kensington ..lol.

I am sure Kate will have a long time off. She will be too exhausted to work and only manage to board a plane that takes her on holiday or hop on a car that takes her shopping. And she'll be pregnant again as soon as the work-free period of time threatens to be finished.

[GracieGiraffe]

Originally Posted by Duke of Marmalade

I am sure Kate will have a long time off. She will be too exhausted to work and only manage to board a plane that takes her on holiday or hop on a car that takes her shopping. And she'll be pregnant again as soon as the work-free period of time threatens to be finished.

Fasten your seatbelts! It's gonna be a bumpy ride!

[Trillian]

Originally Posted by Duke of Marmalade

I am sure Kate will have a long time off. She will be too exhausted to work and only manage to board a plane that takes her on holiday or hop on a car that takes her shopping. And she'll be pregnant again as soon as the work-free period of time threatens to be finished.

Well I took 12 months maternity leave with my first, I just had a desk job. We also took holidays during that time.... just saying, is all. Why the H E double hockey stick should she take any less? Feminism was always about CHOICE!



Oh yeah, I fell pgs with number 2 before my maternity peace for number 1 finished so I ended up not returning to the paid workforce until number 4 was in primary school.... it's called choice....plus we' 're old fashioned enough to believe in the importance of a stay at home parent, a luxury seemingly unavailable to the Duchess.....

[Duchess of Durham]

Originally Posted by NGalitzine

But is your every movement followed by photographers and tweeted about, are their internet forums to allow people to critique you hair, jewels and fashion choices and how much they may have cost? Do newspapers regularly write about your parents or your siblings or remote ancestors? Does the general public follow you about and take pictures of you on their cell phones and then send them around the world?

My point is why should she be treated any differently than me just because she is watched by soooooooooooo many people.

[Dman]

All the royal ladies take maternity leave. Mary, Victoria, Letizia, Marie, etc. Catherine will be no different.

[NGalitzine]

Originally Posted by Duchess of Durham

My point is why should she be treated any differently than me just because she is watched by soooooooooooo many people.

I think you answered your own question.....she is different from you and her every move is watched by sooooooooooo many people.

[cepe]

Perhaps William should have gone without her?