What now for William & Catherine: Future Duties, Roles and Responsibilities

[ROYAL NORWAY]

I fear my post may have been taken more seriously than it was intended to.

I actually looked at that picture and counted exactly how many people were in it before posting.

From left to right: the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and what I believe is their family; Autumn Phillips, Mike and Zara Tindall, and Anne; Camilla with a boy I can't identify and Charles; the Cambridges and (just behind William) part of Harry's head; the Queen, DoE, and (just behind his grandfather) Peter Phillips; Sophie, the Wessex children, Eugenie, and (behind Louise) I believe Andrew; a group of women who I think are part of the Duke of Kent's family, and the Duke of Kent; and finally a large group of people who I would believe are also part of the extended Kent family (possibly including Princess Alexandra), with Prince and Princess Michael on the end.

By my count, 41 people. I've also seen other pictures of last year's trooping that show Edward and Eugenie on the balcony, so I think they just hadn't walked out yet when this picture was taken.

This thread is about William/Kate and their future roles, but Beatrice stands behind Sophie. I counted 42 with Edward - he stands behind the Queen - you can see a bit of his brown uniform.

And I didn't take your post seriously, because I thought you meant to be ironic.

 

[sndral]

Well, I've oft been accused of being a bit too literal.
It is a shame that the Queen's great granddaughters aren't there w/ George & Charlotte since I'd love to see that group of cousins all together on the balcony.

 

[AdmirerUS]

We are way off topic - but it makes me giggle to imagine some courtier:
"OK, cousins now, over here to this end of the balcony, in two rows please, littles in front...Lady Loiuse could you lean left just a bit..ok lovely, now everyone smile and there we have it!" Perhaps in the BP reno, the balcony could get an addition or a cousin's annex added on?

 

[Dman]

Roya Nikkhah on the Cambridge's future:
https://mobile.twitter.com/RoyaNikkhah/status/820392547524743172

 

[AdmirerUS]

Am I the only person who thinks he will not come close to his dad's engagement numbers in 2017?

The youngsters are running a different engagement plan. They focus on issues not appearances. W shows up unannounced. It is not listed in the CC.
I hate to listen to whining so I hope William does hit big numbers this year. I just am not at all sure that is the goal for william-the-full-time-royal. And I also believe Charles has helped to sculpt that new goal. I've always thought Charles gave his son a different goal/timeline than Elizabeth gave Charles.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Some interesting points from this article. I would have posted more, but then I had broken the rules:

Prince's new mission: to be full-time royal | News | The Times & The Sunday Times

The Duke of Cambridge is to end his career as a Norfolk-based helicopter pilot this year and move his family to London to take on full-time royal duties.

The move follows months of discussion within the royal family, who are said to have been “very supportive” of William’s decision. The duke recently addressed suggestions that he had become a “reluctant” or “workshy” royal, unwilling to take on more official duties, and insisted he took his responsibilities “very seriously”.

A royal source said there had been “no pressure from above” to increase William’s workload but “he knew there would come a point where this would be his life for ever more. He has always been a lot less reluctant than people think to take on more work and this phase of his life.”

Sources said William would “take on much more work in his areas of interest, including homelessness, cyber-bullying, conservation and supporting vulnerable young people.

“His focus on mental health will also expand and he will continue to champion mental health issues both publicly and behind the scenes for many years to come.”

William is believed to be acutely conscious that his emergence as a full-time royal should not overshadow his father’s role as heir to the throne. One friend said: “Some people may question why William still won’t do as much as Princess Anne but he is dead set on not queering his father’s pitch. He sees that Charles will probably be in his seventies before he becomes king and he doesn’t want to be seen as elbowing his father out the way.”

While royal aides insist William is ready to commit to official life, friends say the duke will miss the normality and privacy he has enjoyed while living and working away from the royal spotlight. One friend said: “I know he has really loved living in Norfolk and being just one of the lads at work. He loves the banter.”

A royal source added: “He will really miss the flying. He does love it.”

 

[cepe]

Am I the only person who thinks he will not come close to his dad's engagement numbers in 2017?

The youngsters are running a different engagement plan. They focus on issues not appearances. W shows up unannounced. It is not listed in the CC.
I hate to listen to whining so I hope William does hit big numbers this year. I just am not at all sure that is the goal for william-the-full-time-royal. And I also believe Charles has helped to sculpt that new goal. I've always thought Charles gave his son a different goal/timeline than Elizabeth gave Charles.

Of course he wont. Charles and Anne have been doing this for 40 years with 100's of charities. No other royals come close to 500+ engagements.

And how can he get there when he wont start full time prob until September and they are based in London.

We need to be realistic. And the first thing he should do is get some really good staff, preferably from BP.

 

[Rudolph]

I think William is a credit to the BRF and it's a shame he has to give up flying but I understand his decision and it's no surprise.

He thinks outside the box. The upcoming BBC documentary on mental health is an example.

 

[TLLK]

Am I the only person who thinks he will not come close to his dad's engagement numbers in 2017?

The youngsters are running a different engagement plan. They focus on issues not appearances. W shows up unannounced. It is not listed in the CC.
I hate to listen to whining so I hope William does hit big numbers this year. I just am not at all sure that is the goal for william-the-full-time-royal. And I also believe Charles has helped to sculpt that new goal. I've always thought Charles gave his son a different goal/timeline than Elizabeth gave Charles.

No I think that the new model of focus on issues combined a new approach to their royal duties has begun with with the Queen's grandchildren. Yes I also agree that Charles has been instrumental to "sculpt that new goal." (Like how you phrased that.)

 

[cepe]

From my post #463

The only certainties I consider happening are:
1. Move back to KP by September

2. Catherine will not undertake a greater workload than William

3. The media will complain whatever they do as will people who don't like them.

4. The causes they take up will pay off. The PM today made a public statement on promoting/supporting childrens mental health and specifically mentioned the Heads Together campaign

LOL

The reason I'm laughing is that we've all known this would happen for weeks or even longer. Probably from when he signed his contract.

 

[Skippyboo]

He mentioned early last year in an interview that he wasn't going to extend the flying contract

 

[cepe]

EXactly. These royal stories are just repeated as if they are new.

And where are the facts? One sentence in the Sunday Times story starts
"WIlliam is thought initially to have explored the option......"

So they dont actually know. The whole piece is full of maybe, considering, possibles, options etc.

Fluff piece.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

EXactly. These royal stories are just repeated as if they are new.

And where are the facts? One sentence in the Sunday Times story starts
"WIlliam is thought initially to have explored the option......"

So they dont actually know. The whole piece is full of maybe, considering, possibles, options etc.

Fluff piece.

They never know. It was an interesting article, but I would not call it exclusive, since we already knows most of the content.

 

[Queen Claude]

There won't be solid facts unless William, or someone close to him, goes on the record. I agree that the story has been around for a while, and I believed it, but now that the Times is reporting it, the story has even more credibility.

I really wish we had full access to the story.

 

[Queen Claude]

I really wish we had full access to the story.

I was able to view the full article.

The DM picked up the story (thanks eya) and if you click on link at the end of the story, it will take you to full story from The Sunday Times.

Prince William will give up his career as a helicopter pilot to become a full-time royal | Daily Mail Online

 

[Rudolph]

Roya Nikkhah's articles are almost always accurate. She broke the news about Heads Together and the Queen handing down some of her patronages.

She seems to have a good relationship with the younger royals. She was the only British newspaper reporter to get an interview with Harry before the Invictus Games.

Some things that stood out for me. There was “no pressure from above” for him to give up his job. This was William's decision. The Firm backs him 100 percent.

There will be a balance between family commitments and his work as a royal. A smart move given the train wreck history of marriages in the BRF.

William and Catherine are very cognisant of not overshadowing the work of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Again makes sense given Charles is heir to the throne and not William.

The Monarchy is constantly evolving and I look forward to this new chapter.

 

[Osipi]

The Monarchy is constantly evolving and I look forward to this new chapter.

I like how you stated this. Its a gradual transition between how the monarchy was and how the monarchy will be in the years to come. It won't all be done overnight with William and Kate jumping in and doing as many engagements as the PoW and the DoC are now nor will it likely be the modus operandi of how things were always done but a gradual change here and there of how the "Firm" goes into the future.

 

[Dman]

I think all of us knew this new chapter would begin soon. It's time and I think the Cambridge's will do well.

The younger royals are redefining official duties and we'll see more evidence of this.

 

[hel]

I think the quote from William in the last paragraph of the article is interesting, in view of both a) the observation that William, Kate, and Harry seem to do events together much more frequently than the previous generation and b) criticisms of William and Kate that they're "using" Harry, or of Kate that she can't do events alone and is mostly with William.

William, who donates his salary to charity, recently spoke of how much he enjoys his role “working in a team” as an air ambulance pilot. He added: “That’s something that my other job doesn’t necessarily do. You are more out there on your own a little bit.”

 

[Dman]

EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Prince William upstaging his father | Daily Mail Online

 

[Osipi]

To me, it seems to be the case that some reporters that put words to paper or text really don't pay attention to what they're writing. For example, "‘It’s hoped William, Kate and Harry will be very pro-active in support of their father and Camilla."

Its hoped??? For the life of me, I can't picture William, Kate or Harry as being anything but supportive of their monarch and his consort. That's what the "Firm" does and besides that fact, there is absolutely no doubt that Charles' family loves and admires him.

Get a grip on reality, Hardcastle, and find "sources" that actually know how the "Firm" and the monarchy works and have a bit of insight into the people you're writing about.

 

[Skippyboo]

The chances are very slim to none that William after accepting Camilla as part of the family would turn against her and his father when he becomes financially independent from him as Duke of Cornwall.

It's not like he has banned Camilla from attending his wedding and interacting with his children.

As for getting Kate to accept the Princess of Wales title, that's easy. Just have William be named Prince of Wales. There have been Princess of Wales before Diana and there will be ones after. Kate is already wearing the engagement ring and named her daughter Diana. She is not running away from Diana's shadow.

It made sense at the time for Camilla to shy away from the Princess of Wales title but there is no reason for Kate to do so.

 

[loonytick]

Kate has shown absolutely zero sign of being uncomfortable with the titles and positions that will come with life as William's wife. She's not followed Diana's path in terms of how she divides her time between the responsibility of raising a future king and the duties that involve going into the community, and she's upset some folks with her choices (and will likely continue to do so) but that doesn't mean she doesn't want to be Princess of Wales or Queen.

 

[Osipi]

As you mentioned that Kate hasn't followed Diana's path, the main difference I've seen is that Kate is very comfortable in her role as a supportive consort for her husband and they make an strong team together. That is something that is going to serve the both of them well in the years to come.

 

[loonytick]

As you mentioned that Kate hasn't followed Diana's path, the main difference I've seen is that Kate is very comfortable in her role as a supportive consort for her husband and they make an strong team together. That is something that is going to serve the both of them well in the years to come.

I agree that it's a trait that bodes well for them as a couple, and that's important.

I think, too, that people often tend to expect her to follow exactly in Diana's footsteps and any level of public activity less than Diana's will always be found by some to be a sign that Kate is reluctant. But as much as I have always liked Diana, I don't think she always struck a healthy balance between her at-home and external duties. And she just flat-out had a different job to do! She had to hit the ground running as Princess of Wales. Kate's still just the Queen's granddaughter-in-law.

 

[Ish]

As you mentioned that Kate hasn't followed Diana's path, the main difference I've seen is that Kate is very comfortable in her role as a supportive consort for her husband and they make an strong team together. That is something that is going to serve the both of them well in the years to come.

There is definitely a huge difference in how Kate spends her time and how Diana spent her time; Diana was a full time royal with a lot of duties almost right away, while Kate has been eased into things. A big part of this is because of their husbands, a big part of this is because the BRF's attitude has changed since Diana, but a big part of this is also because of the difference in personality between the women; Diana was a lot younger and a lot more insecure than Kate is.

But, that said, I think because Kate hasn't undertaken Diana-level engagements people have this idea that Kate is trying to avoid being in Diana's shoes, so she must not want the titles and position Diana had. Which is utterly ridiculous; Kate's not stupid, if she had issue with being the Princess of Wales and the wife of the heir to the throne (and eventually the wife of the King), she wouldn't have married William. The differences between her and Diana have little to do with not wanting to be in Diana'a position as wife of the heir, and a lot to do with not wanting to be in Diana's position as a woman in a hugely unhappy marriage.

 

[JSH]

The article says Catherine will likely "accept the title Princess of Wales" and be the first since Diana? What? Camilla IS Princess of Wales. She hasn't declined the title. She just doesn't use it, that's all. Just as Camilla automatically became Princess of Wales upon her marriage, Catherine will automatically become Princess of Wales upon her husband being named Prince of Wales. There is no "accepting" about it.

 

[Dman]

The article says Catherine will likely "accept the title Princess of Wales" and be the first since Diana? What? Camilla IS Princess of Wales. She hasn't declined the title. She just doesn't use it, that's all. Just as Camilla automatically became Princess of Wales upon her marriage, Catherine will automatically become Princess of Wales upon her husband being named Prince of Wales. There is no "accepting" about it.

Yes, Catherine will be the first to use the title since Diana. I think everyone will be happy to have another Princess of Wales again. It's been a long time.

 

[Pranter]

Doesn't everyone know Camilla is the PoW? If they pay attention they should also know that Camilla using her Duchess of Cornwall title in order to avoid causing any discomfort to 'the boys' and to avoid public backlash.

I think it speaks to her sensitivity and sense of reality that she doesn't use the PoW title...and I am not a Camilla/Charles fan.


LaRae

 

[miche]

Camilla is the Current Princess of Wales