Prince William's Suitability to be King

[GracieGiraffe]

The Queen was brought up in a totally royal environment - including being educated at home. Queen Mary spent a lot of time with her explaining the royal background, the royal collection etc., and she also spent time with royal historians giving the deeper meaning and background to the role.

No one was trying to tell her that she should or could lead a "normal" life. It was laid out clearly that her life was to be one of duty and committment.

Prince Charles had a similar upbringing but, being a man, had to serve in the military. But he was told by the Queen to give up this life he enjoyed at the age of 27 to support his mother

That is not, IMO, what has happened to William. I think that fooling William and Harry into thinking they could be normal was a mistake.

The sooner William realises that there is nothing normal about his future life the better. And Catherine needs to realise it too.

I agree with this. But the Queen was raised in the 1930's when they were all told what their duties and commitments were without any "backtalk," Charles was raised in the 50's and 60's when it was a little less so, and Harry and Will in the 80's and 90's when no child was told that they had to do anything. To a certain extent they were all products of their times.

 

[Artemisia]

I think there is a difference between suitability and readiness.

William is "suitable" simply because he was born to the right parents and in the right order. That's what monarchies are about: hereditary rule regardless of personal qualities and abilities.

In terms of readiness, I'd say anyone who is of age and was brought up known that he will or may face the responsibility is ready for it. William always knew he will be King one day so I'd say he's ready both psychologically and in terms of efforts and knowledge required. William may resent certain aspects that come with his position (lack of privacy, for instance) but it's his duty - and he knows it.

 

[Mariel]

You can never have too much knowledge if you are to be a monarch. So William's years in college were not wasted. Even the study of geography helps one to know a lot about the world...And his study of art humanized him so that he does not have a merely military education. That said, it would be a good idea if William read a lot about topics which will make him a good king, not merely flying a helicopter. The helicopter experience is fine but it's only a part of life and a part of being a king. In fact one could be king without flying a helicopter ever. Being married and a father will give William a lot more experience that will be useful as a king.
I admire the vastly educated European royals and I think their path is the best one, but William will be suitable in England. However he should continue his education informally...and what exactly that would be I can't say, not being in his life to know what resources he has. But he sure could arrange for some great tutorials that I'd love to have, just to know more about the world.

 

[Osipi]

I think one of the most positive traits that William has going for him as a future monarch is his people skills. Both William and Kate seem to be able to meet and greet people with charm and grace and make them feel welcome and seem sincerely interested in the people that they meet. I was very impressed at the time William visited Australia and New Zealand when disaster struck and when meeting with the people hit the hardest, he was quoted as saying "Just call me William". That disintegrated the barriers that stood between a royal and citizens and enhanced that it was their situation at hand that was more important than any protocol or fanfare was because of who he is.

I sincerely believe that when the time comes and William and Kate are King and Queen, they will be very much admired and loved by their public. He's received excellent training so far from his Granny and from both of his parents. Hopefully though, there are many more years for him to observe and learn the ropes before actually having to take on the role of King.

 

[Daria_S]

I think one of the most positive traits that William has going for him as a future monarch is his people skills. Both William and Kate seem to be able to meet and greet people with charm and grace and make them feel welcome and seem sincerely interested in the people that they meet. I was very impressed at the time William visited Australia and New Zealand when disaster struck and when meeting with the people hit the hardest, he was quoted as saying "Just call me William". That disintegrated the barriers that stood between a royal and citizens and enhanced that it was their situation at hand that was more important than any protocol or fanfare was because of who he is.

I sincerely believe that when the time comes and William and Kate are King and Queen, they will be very much admired and loved by their public. He's received excellent training so far from his Granny and from both of his parents. Hopefully though, there are many more years for him to observe and learn the ropes before actually having to take on the role of King.

Bravo ! Very well said. I agree with you wholeheartedly.

 

[GracieGiraffe]

I suppose he'll be more ready than Tsar Nicholas II was - whose father never considered starting to train him and then died a very untimely death. No doubt the stakes are not quite so high here....

Queen Victoria was hardly ready at 18, at the time I believe she was still couped up with her mother and left to play with her dollhouse and dog. She in fact made several big blunders along the way while still a teenaged Queen.

I do believe Charles will do all he can to ensure Will is ready. But I do think that the helicopter flying, while admirable work, is now acting as a hindrance rather than a help towards broadening his education. He will be Head of State, after all. I would think some courses in political science, economics and public relations are in order. I'm not sure what he's had, but my understanding is that he has what is known here in the U.S. as a "bachelor of the arts" in geography.

What kind of education do the other CP's of Europe have? I just can't imagine that a future Head of State would not have the equivalent of a Masters or perhaps even a Doctorate, but perhaps not.

Does Will speak any other languages? Any other languages of the Commonwealth?

 

[IloveCP]

I suppose he'll be more ready than Tsar Nicholas II was - whose father never considered starting to train him and then died a very untimely death. No doubt the stakes are not quite so high here....

Queen Victoria was hardly ready at 18, at the time I believe she was still couped up with her mother and left to play with her dollhouse and dog. She in fact made several big blunders along the way while still a teenaged Queen.

I do believe Charles will do all he can to ensure Will is ready. But I do think that the helicopter flying, while admirable work, is now acting as a hindrance rather than a help towards broadening his education. He will be Head of State, after all. I would think some courses in political science, economics and public relations are in order. I'm not sure what he's had, but my understanding is that he has what is known here in the U.S. as a "bachelor of the arts" in geography.

What kind of education do the other CP's of Europe have? I just can't imagine that a future Head of State would not have the equivalent of a Masters or perhaps even a Doctorate, but perhaps not.

Does Will speak any other languages? Any other languages of the Commonwealth?

You can find your answer in this post of this thread.

 

[GracieGiraffe]

You can find your answer in this post of this thread.

Thanks so much, CP. One of the most informative posts I've read. Interesting commentary following.

 

[Trillian]

What an interesting idea, that time at university or education is wasted

That's not my idea though. I think aquiring a very good education, is the best thing, what can happen to you . Spending time at a top university is such a privileg! I only went to "normal" university, and I would have relished in a top one! It's highly stimulating.

Sometimes, I think it is. I have a Bachelor's and 2 grad dips (one of them field specific and required for registration in that field), none of which I use any longer in my daily life. Wasted time.

 

[NGalitzine]

Universities do not offer degrees in kingship. A general all round education and an interest in the people and the world around you should be enough given that the role is not political/legislative.
The Queen began teaching William about his future role and responsibilities while he was still at Eton. Given he likely has at least 20 more years before succeeding to the throne he has plenty of time for his apprenticeship.

 

[HRHHermione]

Universities do not offer degrees in kingship. A general all round education and an interest in the people and the world around you should be enough given that the role is not political/legislative.
The Queen began teaching William about his future role and responsibilities while he was still at Eton. Given he likely has at least 20 more years before succeeding to the throne he has plenty of time for his apprenticeship.

Yup. It's a ceremonial role- one the Queen has performed perfectly for her entire life without a university education.

William can learn everything he'll need to know from the Queen and his father. There's no reason on earth he needs a PHD to do the job- a degree that specialized and advanced would actually be quite a waste of his time, since he won't be working in a specialized field.

 

[GracieGiraffe]

The Monarchy Today > Queen and State > Queen and Government > Queen and Prime Minister

It's FAR more than a ceremonial role. We all are aware of that. The right and the duty to advise the PM at weekly meetings? The power and right to dissolve Parliament?

While the Queen's education was a disservice to her, she did come of age during WWII - everyone's education was stunted. What she lacked in formal education she made up for in perseverance and her ingrained sense of duty. It remains to be seen whether Will has the same. She also came of age at a time when people still revered the notion of monarchy - it was enough that she was the heir. I believe times have changed; the role of the monarch in the 21st Century has changed. For Will to help maintain the goodwill of the people of his entire Commonwealth, I think he needs a few courses in international relations. Unlike some of the other heads of state, his will clearly be an international role.

To suggest that there are no university courses in "kingship" misses the mark. There are many roles for which there are no specific course of study, but a rigorous course of study must be planned out.

I'm sure republicans are thrilled at Will's curriculum vitae.

 

[HRHHermione]

The Monarchy Today > Queen and State > Queen and Government > Queen and Prime Minister

It's FAR more than a ceremonial role. We all are aware of that. The right and the duty to advise the PM at weekly meetings? The power and right to dissolve Parliament?

While the Queen's education was a disservice to her, she did come of age during WWII - everyone's education was stunted. What she lacked in formal education she made up for in perseverance and her ingrained sense of duty. It remains to be seen whether Will has the same. She also came of age at a time when people still revered the notion of monarchy - it was enough that she was the heir. I believe times have changed; the role of the monarch in the 21st Century has changed. For Will to help maintain the goodwill of the people of his entire Commonwealth, I think he needs a few courses in international relations. Unlike some of the other heads of state, his will clearly be an international role.

To suggest that there are no university courses in "kingship" misses the mark. There are many roles for which there are no specific course of study, but a rigorous course of study must be planned out.

I'm sure republicans are thrilled at Will's curriculum vitae.

I think people do others a major disservice when they discount life experience and insist that formal education is the only education worth recognizing. Academia isn't right for everyone, nor is it particularly well suited to something as highly specialized as being King.

William's been meeting important people and visiting other countries his entire life. He's also destined for a role as head of state- knowledge of protocol is going to be a lot more important to him than what an international relations course would cover. Somehow I doubt a thorough understanding of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War or a study of the Cold War nuclear arms race is going to be of much help to him in his future role. Nor would reading the mind numbingly boring work of Francis Fukuyama and writing an equally dry essay overly prepare him for the personal finesse he'll need to use when doing the bulk of his role: meeting people and representing his country.

And yes, he'll theoretically have the power and right to dissolve Parliament. The chances of him ever using it though- they're probably about as high as my chances of marrying Prince Harry. And as for advising the Prime Minister- exactly how the role works and what issues the Monarch advises on are known only to a handful of people, and those people are mostly in William's immediate family. He can learn far, far more about his future role from his grandmother then he'd ever be able to glean from a generalized international relations class.

Right now, the public is clamoring for more royal work from William and Catherine. I'm not sure why anyone would think that him going back to university to do a study of international relations makes any sense at all.

 

[EIIR]

The Queen fulfills her constitutional duties by following the advice of her advisers and her ministers. For example, when it became clear shortly before the last election in 2010 that there was a possibility of a hung parliament, the Queen's private secretary undertook discussions with the government, the civil service and constitutional experts on what the Queen would have to do in such an event.

When exercising her rights and prerogatives as monarch, the Queen doesn't just do things on a whim in the way she fancies. She's advised of what to do and then does it. That's the point of advisers. One of William's current advisers is the top diplomat, Sir David Manning, who was previously ambassador to the US. Kate has also held meetings with Sir David to learn the constitutional ropes.

In terms of William's 'suitability', let's compare his CV to the Queen's. She had never attended school, let alone university. She served for only a very short time in a non-threatening part of the armed forces. She had an incredibly sheltered upbringing, with very little contact with anyone outside her social sphere. Her knowledge of the arts was limited as her parents didn't try to foster an interest in such things.

In contrast, William is very well-educated with a degree from one of the elite universities in the UK. He has spent time in all 3 services, including putting his own life on the line to rescue members of the public. We know he's undertaken work experience in finance, land management (important for the estates he'll inherit) and the FA among others. He volunteered in several developing nations during his gap year which included teaching disadvantaged children English (and cleaning toilets). He's visited MI5 and MI6 to understand what they do. He's helped raise millions of pounds for charity.

The Queen managed to overcome all her shortcomings and became an exemplary monarch. There's little to suggest that the same will not be true of William.

 

[HRHHermione]

The Queen fulfills her constitutional duties by following the advice of her advisers and her ministers. For example, when it became clear shortly before the last election in 2010 that there was a possibility of a hung parliament, the Queen's private secretary undertook discussions with the government, the civil service and constitutional experts on what the Queen would have to do in such an event.

When exercising her rights and prerogatives as monarch, the Queen doesn't just do things on a whim in the way she fancies. She's advised of what to do and then does it. That's the point of advisers. One of William's current advisers is the top diplomat, Sir David Manning, who was previously ambassador to the US. Kate has also held meetings with Sir David to learn the constitutional ropes.

In terms of William's 'suitability', let's compare his CV to the Queen's. She had never attended school, let alone university. She served for only a very short time in a non-threatening part of the armed forces. She had an incredibly sheltered upbringing, with very little contact with anyone outside her social sphere. Her knowledge of the arts was limited as her parents didn't try to foster an interest in such things.

In contrast, William is very well-educated with a degree from one of the elite universities in the UK. He has spent time in all 3 services, including putting his own life on the line to rescue members of the public. We know he's undertaken work experience in finance, land management (important for the estates he'll inherit) and the FA among others. He volunteered in several developing nations during his gap year which included teaching disadvantaged children English and cleaning toilets. He's visited MI5 and MI6 to understand what they do. He's helped raise millions of pounds for charity.

The Queen managed to overcome all her shortcomings and became an exemplary monarch. There's little to suggest that the same will not be true of William.

Thank you very much for this post. It's spot on and very well-reasoned.

 

[GracieGiraffe]

I think people do others a major disservice when they discount life experience and insist that formal education is the only education worth recognizing. Academia isn't right for everyone, nor is it particularly well suited to something as highly specialized as being King.

William's been meeting important people and visiting other countries his entire life. He's also destined for a role as head of state- knowledge of protocol is going to be a lot more important to him than what an international relations course would cover. Somehow I doubt a thorough understanding of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War or a study of the Cold War nuclear arms race is going to be of much help to him in his future role. Nor would reading the mind numbingly boring work of Francis Fukuyama and writing an equally dry essay overly prepare him for the personal finesse he'll need to use when doing the bulk of his role: meeting people and representing his country.

And yes, he'll theoretically have the power and right to dissolve Parliament. The chances of him ever using it though- they're probably about as high as my chances of marrying Prince Harry. And as for advising the Prime Minister- exactly how the role works and what issues the Monarch advises on are known only to a handful of people, and those people are mostly in William's immediate family. He can learn far, far more about his future role from his grandmother then he'd ever be able to glean from a generalized international relations class.

Right now, the public is clamoring for more royal work from William and Catherine. I'm not sure why anyone would think that him going back to university to do a study of international relations makes any sense at all.

Okay, I do understand your points.

I have to say, I do think he should study the Cold War nuclear arms race, and theoretically has done so already, although I can agree he should skip Thucydides' History.

I always believed that the Queen has more "power" than anyone realizes - that unwritten constitution can be a very flexible thing. I think the key is to never use that power, and to know how to avoid it.

On another note, do you think that given Will's work as helicopter pilot that Budgie the Helicopter was an allegory? Could Fergie really be that prescient?

P.S. That was a joke, don't flip out.

 

[Dman]

King William won’t enrich the arts, says David Starkey-
King William won’t enrich the arts, says David Starkey - Telegraph

 

[democratnmonocole]

Well, with William's wealth, privilege and background, he'll never be one of the guys. I actually find comments like these to rather demeaning. Maybe it's because I'm an American, but your comment seems to imply that those who come from humble, working class backgrounds are ignorant and unfit to run a country. A claim I find baseless and insulting. William will never experience poverty. He won't know what it's like to struggle to pay bills or live from paycheck to paycheck. He lives in a bubble. Yes, that bubble is filled with tradition and history, but look how often it has backfired against TRF. Diana's legacy might be controversial, but she did something important: she forced TRF to step outside their bubble and experience the real world.

What I like about William is that he has tried to continue Diana's legacy by stepping outside that bubble. By admitting that he lives in one, that's he's privileged in ways many of his subjects will never be. That wisdom and knowledge is what will make him suitable to be king. It's sort of like how TRF was forced to leave the bubble during WW 2.

Also, I think Elizabeth is such a good monarch partly because of World War 2. Whatever the differences between the classes, WW 2 served as a leveler in many ways (death, poverty, etc).

While I agree with most of what you write, I have to (politely) agree to disagree with what you write about the Queen during the Second World War. She spent almost the entire war at Windsor Castle, with her sister. She ate hot buttered buns and scones for tea, and had soup or an omelet with sieved vegetables for supper (even as a teenager). She carried out relatively few public duties during most of the war and partially due to the King's wishes, was much more inexperienced and poorly educated compared to many girls of her generation. However please do not take what I've written as a broadside against Her Majesty. The Queen's actually my favorite member of the Royal Family by far and I believe she's been an EXCELLENT monarch over the last 61 years. I simply don't agree that the Second World War "leveled" her or the Royal Family as much as some others (the death of the Duke of Kent notwithstanding).

 

[Skippyboo]

The way the BRF works today can be traced back further than WWII. After WWI, George V was concerned after the fall of several royal families and the rise of communism. He wanted the royal family to connect directly with the people instead of being the top level of the aristocracy. He made the royals visit the factories and hospitals talking with the people. The same stuff the BRF do today.

I think that William tries to live his life as normal as possible. He doesn't have hordes of servants taking care of everything. In the military, William and Harry were treated the same as every one else. However, I do believe that William is full aware and accepting of his future role as King.

 

[camelot23ca]

While I agree with most of what you write, I have to (politely) agree to disagree with what you write about the Queen during the Second World War. She spent almost the entire war at Windsor Castle, with her sister. She ate hot buttered buns and scones for tea, and had soup or an omelet with sieved vegetables for supper (even as a teenager). She carried out relatively few public duties during most of the war and partially due to the King's wishes, was much more inexperienced and poorly educated compared to many girls of her generation. However please do not take what I've written as a broadside against Her Majesty. The Queen's actually my favorite member of the Royal Family by far and I believe she's been an EXCELLENT monarch over the last 61 years. I simply don't agree that the Second World War "leveled" her or the Royal Family as much as some others (the death of the Duke of Kent notwithstanding).

I think that the Queen experienced quite a lot of deprivation compared to what she would have had there been no war, and on that level she could relate to the majority of the British people. And, like many young people of that era, she saw the strain the war put on her parents, and how all consuming it became for all the adults around her. So I don't think the war was a leveller between the Queen and her subjects but I do think it gave her a common reference point and perspective with members of her generation that's much more genuine than, say, William and Harry being able to wash the supper dishes without a maid around.

 

[TLLK]

Thank you very much for this post. It's spot on and very well-reasoned.

I agree as well that this is a very good response. IMHO William also had an excellent teacher in his mother. By accompanying and observing her in public he had the opportunity to see someone with a real talent with human interaction. I have the sense that William like his grandmother and Charles is somewhat introverted and has had to work on his "people skills." When I watch video footage of William and Harry doing their meet and greet work, I see a great deal of Diana like interaction.

Between his private "Kingship 101" with HM, formal education, military service and on the job training, I do believe he will be as well prepared as any of our current monarchs and heirs.

 

[Kellin]

The European and British monarchs now are just formal head of states. They have no political power, actual power, therefore they don't need to be raised with knowledge how to rule. Their main role in life is to be mostly the nations symbols. We can't even be sure that next generation will spare the monarchy as institute.

 

[Lee27]

For whatever reason, the British royal family (and possibly British nobility) do not put much, if any, importance or value on a college education. While formal education with advance degrees or extensive internships is expected of any member of European royal families, it is all but disdained by the British.
This is not an attack - just an observation.

 

[Iluvbertie]

When you look at the Queen's family I would disagree - two of her four children have degrees from Cambridge and of her six adult grandchildren 5 have degrees with Harry never having the grades to actually go to uni. That is one of the issues of course - that the BRF don't always get the grades for uni - none of the Queen's children actually qualified on merit although strings were pulled for both Charles and Edward to go because they wanted to do so.

Further afield it is normal for them to go to uni after school these days.

However they don't see a need to continue past three to four years of higher education and go into military training or the workforce using their degrees - Beatrice is the only one who appears not to have used her degree, is currently out of work and isn't doing military service.

William has been trained hands on by his grandmother, during his school days with his weekly meetings at Windsor with her and by his father through a range of activities including meetings with the Duchy of Cornwall. Like his father and grandmother he is naturally wary in public - and given the way the public hounded his mother to her death can you blame him, with their constant demands for more and more information and photos?

 

[MARG]

Whilst I think there is an element of truth in what you say, I believe that they (the BRF) are also staunch believers in life lessons. It must be acknowledged that a degree is merely the result of a superior education, not a superior intellect. The Queen is the living example of that fact.

While getting a degree is very good in itself it is not the only "education" someone like William needs and, to be honest, a lot of what he is learning is out of sight of the public. We can surmise that the Queen is imparting a fair amount of inside knowledge as is his father and we can take a stab in the dark as to what exactly it is. But, realisticly we have no idea . . . posters make statements of absolute "fact" about William's education, how many languages he can speak, etc. Do people even remember that Charles speaks Welsh, albeit with an bit of an accent?

 

[Ish]

For whatever reason, the British royal family (and possibly British nobility) do not put much, if any, importance or value on a college education. While formal education with advance degrees or extensive internships is expected of any member of European royal families, it is all but disdained by the British.
This is not an attack - just an observation.

I wouldn't necessarily say that.

Of the Queen's children, Charles and Edward went on to university, while Andrew followed the traditional route of going straight into the military.

Of the Queen's 6 adult grandchildren, 5 of them went on to university, with only Harry choosing to go the traditional straight to the military route.

Of the Queen's royal cousins, the Gloucesters both went onto university, while the male Kents went into the military. Of both that generation and the next, only the women (the Queen, Margaret, Alexandra, and Anne) went straight into royal duties.

 

[Lumutqueen]

For whatever reason, the British royal family (and possibly British nobility) do not put much, if any, importance or value on a college education. While formal education with advance degrees or extensive internships is expected of any member of European royal families, it is all but disdained by the British.
This is not an attack - just an observation.

Hang on, if we go through the families;

Charles - 2:2 Bachelor of Arts from Cambridge, plus a term studying Welsh History and language in Wales.
William - 2:1 Scottish Master of Arts Degree from St Andrews
Henry - choosing to go straight from Secondary education into the army.

Anne - Beneden School leaving with six GCE O-Levels and two A-Levels.
Peter - Degree in Sports Science from the University of Exeter, of course we have the trip to Gordonstoun.
Zara - Degree in Equine Physiotherapy from University of Exeter, plus 11 GCSE's and 2 A-Levels from Gordonstoun.

Andrew - Gordonstoun, leaving with 4 A-Levels then going straight to the Military (tradition)
Beatrice - 2:1 BA in History & History of Ideas from Goldsmiths, University of London.
Eugenie - 2:1 BA Combined Honours from Newcastle University

Edward - 2:2 BA History from Cambridge

Charles, William, Henry, Andrew and partially Edward went on to the military which is traditional in the british royal family, serving in the military for such a long period seems less traditional in European Royal Families other than "doing a stint".

Peter after his graduation in 2000, worked for Jaguar as corporate hospitality manager and then for WilliamsF1 racing team, where he was sponsorship accounts manager. He left WilliamsF1 in September 2005, for a job as a manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh. In March 2012, he left RBS to take on a role as managing director at SEL UK.

Zara has an amazing career in equestrian sports.

Beatrice as well as doing her official duties has done several internships.

Eugenie is currently in NY with a *edit* job .

A lot of emphasis is placed on education I believe, they can hardly take Being a Prince Bachelor of Arts Degree can they so they all specified in something useful. History, Geography, Literature, Sports/Sports Science etc.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Actually Anne didn't go straight to royal duties but made her way as an equestrienne for most of the 1970s with part-time duties when training and competing permitted.

Andrew and Harry had no choice - they didn't get the marks to go to uni and strings had to be pulled to get Charles and Edward in - let's face it - the Windsor's aren't that bright.

William, Beatrice and Eugenie got into their courses on merit.

It is necessary to remember that a place at uni isn't automatic but that you have to get certain grades at school and the fact that many of them didn't get those grades has impacted their higher education opportunities.

Zara has an amazing career in equestrian sports.

Not all that amazing - not as great a career as her father but better than her mother's true but still too early to judge how 'amazing' that career will be as she has barely started - her sports the 'amazing' competitors are those who make it to four and five Olympics and are still competing at the highest level well into their 50s.

Beatrice as well as doing her official duties has done several internships.

9 official duties this year - mainly on weekends - and quitting a job after 8 months after a couple of internships - hardly a strong work history. She is getting involved in charity work, but the reports have been that she wants to work full-time but so far isn't making much headway there.

Eugenie is currently in NY on her (second?) internship.

This is a job not an internship which is supposed to be setting her up to work for the company in London when they start their London operation.

 

[cepe]

Iluvbertie are you a teacher by chance?

 

[Lumutqueen]

Not all that amazing - not as great a career as her father but better than her mother's true but still too early to judge how 'amazing' that career will be as she has barely started - her sports the 'amazing' competitors are those who make it to four and five Olympics and are still competing at the highest level well into their 50s.

Nitpicking, really? Opinions dear. By my standards, what she's done is amazing, evidently not by yours.

9 official duties this year - mainly on weekends - and quitting a job after 8 months after a couple of internships - hardly a strong work history. She is getting involved in charity work, but the reports have been that she wants to work full-time but so far isn't making much headway there.

I said;
"Beatrice as well as doing her official duties has done several internships."

Something you have just re-confirmed? So the point of you mentioning that she happened to quit a job after 8 months is? People quit their jobs after a day because they can't hack it.

This is a job not an internship which is supposed to be setting her up to work for the company in London when they start their London operation.

Thank you for pointing something useful out in my post, I'll go back and change it.