Could the princes' future wives continue working?

[Amelia]

Mary came with a solid business background

While I think that Mary is a fantastic princess and is doing a wonderful job as Crown Princess of Denmark, there was nothing solid about her work background.

It would be a refreshing start if there was some sort of a commitment from Kate to learn being a royal before she gets pushed on center stage (assuming she is heading for that role).

I agree that it is a good idea for the women that these princes marry get some sense of what it is like before the wedding. I just don't know how they can do it, everything Kate attends leads to engagement speculation - the Garter Ceremony, the two weddings, the wings ceremony, so unless they contain it to mainly behind the scenes there is not a whole lot they can do.

[Odette]

Every one of them who became a princess had courtiers embroidering a fine background. Whether it was their mother's great grandmother's uncle who played the violin or their own career and education.
The point is once they are asked in marriage and once they accept, if they are qualified to go from a girl of the working/middle classes to the pedestal princesses are supposed to live on.
My feeling with Kate is that every photo we see either has to do with her wearing on her head a bird's nest attending a wedding or in a bathing suit on a boat, at a beach somewhere far and exotic.
Preparation for that job is not always attenting royal functions. It consists of a bit of modesty, decorum, some sort of an idea that the person is serious and not always into a party mood.

[Ella Kay]

Originally Posted by Amelia

I agree that it is a good idea for the women that these princes marry get some sense of what it is like before the wedding. I just don't know how they can do it, everything Kate attends leads to engagement speculation - the Garter Ceremony, the two weddings, the wings ceremony, so unless they contain it to mainly behind the scenes there is not a whole lot they can do.

That's why I'm hoping the engagement (if there is to be one) is announced later this autumn, so that while William begins learning the ropes with his new slate of royal duties in 2009, Kate can begin receiving similar training from those in the royal fold on what her duties will entail. A long engagement, maybe nine months to a year, would be smart, I think, to prepare both of them for the new roles they're going to inhabit when they marry.

[Ella Kay]

Originally Posted by Odette

My feeling with Kate is that every photo we see either has to do with her wearing on her head a bird's nest attending a wedding or in a bathing suit on a boat, at a beach somewhere far and exotic.

I think it's important to remember, though, that we're only seeing a portion of her life through those photographs.

[Odette]

Originally Posted by Ella Kay

I think it's important to remember, though, that we're only seeing a portion of her life through those photographs.

I agree but if she ever had any activities other than these we see, I am sure the papparazzi would love it. To shoot her pictures coming out of a school where she volunteered to teach children geography for example, or coming out of a museum checking the latest exhibition or God forbid a college where she attends some sort of classes, would be priceless..........

[Ella Kay]

Point taken, but she does have a college degree already, so I doubt the last would be as likely.

[Amelia]

My feeling with Kate is that every photo we see either has to do with her wearing on her head a bird's nest attending a wedding or in a bathing suit on a boat, at a beach somewhere far and exotic.

A bit of an exaggeration don't you think? Photographed at four weddings in three years and photographed in a bikini on two holidays, in 2006 and 2008.

[kimebear]

Originally Posted by Odette

Preparation for that job is not always attenting royal functions. It consists of a bit of modesty, decorum, some sort of an idea that the person is serious and not always into a party mood.

Kate has been the model of modesty and decorum. No matter how many (or how few actually) photos we see of her, she is always well presented, properly dressed and usually smiling. She was also refreshingly discreet during the "breakup". I think she already has this part of The Job down cold.

[Villemann]

Originally Posted by Amelia

While I think that Mary is a fantastic princess and is doing a wonderful job as Crown Princess of Denmark, there was nothing solid about her work background.


I agree that it is a good idea for the women that these princes marry get some sense of what it is like before the wedding. I just don't know how they can do it, everything Kate attends leads to engagement speculation - the Garter Ceremony, the two weddings, the wings ceremony, so unless they contain it to mainly behind the scenes there is not a whole lot they can do.

I think CP Mary did come with a very extensive CV, when she joined the Danish Royal family, but the point I really want to make is that Kate needs to pull herself out of the waiting line and into a proper job. She will in MY opinion gain much more respect if she manages to hold down a job. Naturally, she can do that. The scrutiny will always be there, but if she stays away from the nightclubs and the expensive shops and instead focuses her efforts on earning a living - even though she doesn't have to - I think she will also make it much easier for William to eventually make her his bride!

[Villemann]

Originally Posted by kimebear

Kate has been the model of modesty and decorum. No matter how many (or how few actually) photos we see of her, she is always well presented, properly dressed and usually smiling. She was also refreshingly discreet during the "breakup". I think she already has this part of The Job down cold.

I disagree. Nowadays a modern princess is much more than showing up and looking good. William - I am told - is a smart guy and he knows that the British monarchy - or any monarchy for that matter -
does not need Paris Hilton!It needs a princess in tune with the times and ready and willing to pull her finger out and do the job.

[Odette]

Originally Posted by Amelia

A bit of an exaggeration don't you think? Photographed at four weddings in three years and photographed in a bikini on two holidays, in 2006 and 2008.

Outside of this forum I have no interest in Kate.
However if I try hard I can think of pictures of hers coming in or out of clubs, on vacation on or off a boat,at a sports event waiting for William to finish competing,at the aformentioned weddings/ceremonies in that low cut orange dress at some kind of a boxing match and nothing else.......excepting that long working day at her father's business.........

[kimebear]

Originally Posted by Villemann

I disagree. Nowadays a modern princess is much more than showing up and looking good. William - I am told - is a smart guy and he knows that the British monarchy - or any monarchy for that matter -
does not need Paris Hilton!It needs a princess in tune with the times and ready and willing to pull her finger out and do the job.

I didn't imply that it was the whole job. Merely a part of it, which she appears to do well already in comparison to previous women who have married into royal families. While monarchy as a whole should move somewhat with the times, it should also maintain some of its traditional position.

Its very easy to say that "Kate should just get a job". Okay. What kind of job would be good enough to please her detractors? Anything too serious and she becomes too career oriented to be good princess material. ex: "Kate won't devote enough time to the monarchy because she spends all her time being a *_*." Anything too light (like Jigsaw) and it becomes a job just to occupy her time. What serious employer in their right mind would hire someone that comes with her own mob of papparazzi every day? They have other employees to worry about protecting. Besides the fact that she has to worry about one of her co-workers talking to the media every time she goes to the ladies room. The girl can't even leave her house without attracting attention. Can you imagine the pressure of having to meticulously do your hair and makeup at the crack of dawn just to go rowing for a charity all because the paps are just waiting to get a photo of you looking badly and making up a story about how depressed you must be? This is all before any engagement and after what happened with Sophie, it is highly unlikely that William's wife will ever be allowed to work after one.

[Mermaid1962]

I tend to agree with your assessment of how realistic it would be for Kate to have a regular job. If and when there's an engagement interview and then a biography written, we'll find out what she's been doing when she's out of the public eye. So far, I haven't really seen much indicating that she's a "party girl." Even when she goes to nightclubs, she comes out looking remarkably fresh and not like she's been spending the evening drinking.

[Odette]

I believe that IF she is aware that she will be the next Princess of Wales she should get past these activities and behave as a serious lady who will be 30 before we know it.
Before anyone gets upset, what I mean is, she should concentrate on something more substantive and worthwhile. I do not buy into the argument that the papparazzi will be waiting for her, they already do. Even with her equivalent of a Bachelor's degree she can still study the arts, international relationships whatever, just to show that she has a brain and she uses it. So far we saw lovely smiles and as a testament to her great character a closed up mouth, but where is the substance of a possible future consort of a monarch.?
If Kate was dating Average Joe we would not have been involved in this conversation. We do because she is a possible wife to an heir of a throne.

[Amelia]

she should get past these activities

What activities?

[Odette]

Originally Posted by Amelia

What activities?

Oh Amelia, the parties, the sunbathing,the partying and then partying some more.
It is true that the papparazzi will only try to get photos that create some sort of controversy. However it is not as if she does do anything substantive and they missed it.
We can all agree that she does not have to get a job and it would make it difficult for everyone around her if she did. Most of us can say we have no idea if she will be asked by William to marry him, however, some can say that the lady seems to be going through her young life as a second fiddle, waiting and in the meantime doing nothing. Even during the break up she did not stop going out to clubs. Isn't there anything else to occupy herself with?

[kimebear]

Originally Posted by Odette

I believe that IF she is aware that she will be the next Princess of Wales she should get past these activities and behave as a serious lady who will be 30 before we know it.
Before anyone gets upset, what I mean is, she should concentrate on something more substantive and worthwhile. I do not buy into the argument that the papparazzi will be waiting for her, they already do. Even with her equivalent of a Bachelor's degree she can still study the arts, international relationships whatever, just to show that she has a brain and she uses it. So far we saw lovely smiles and as a testament to her great character a closed up mouth, but where is the substance of a possible future consort of a monarch.?
If Kate was dating Average Joe we would not have been involved in this conversation. We do because she is a possible wife to an heir of a throne.

But that is just it. She is a possible wife. As much as we would like to know her daily diary of activities, we are really not entitled to know. I really think she is very careful of her activities because of what her possible position may be. When she joined the Sisterhood, the media was all over them dissecting every member and her involvement with it. When she hosted the photo exhibit, it became this huge story about how she was going to work with Mario Testino (which he very publicly and humiliatingly denied). Forget about the whole fiasco with Jigsaw and her design career. With her half in/half out position, if she tries anything like charity or international diplomancy every paper will be making it out to be palace manipulation. As for substance, what kind of substance did Princess Mary of Teck have or Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon have that Kate does not other than a royal/aristocratic birth? Look what remarkable Queens they turned out to be.

[Odette]

Originally Posted by kimebear

As for substance, what kind of substance did Princess Mary of Teck have or Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon have that Kate does not other than a royal/aristocratic birth? Look what remarkable Queens they turned out to be.

I love it when in a conversation there are more than one point of view since the exchange of ideas has no intention of changing people's minds but learning from the opposing side.
Having said that, we can revisit Kate's options all day but her as you say inside/outside position should work to her advantage. If she is in, all the media scrutiny in her life will serve her well when and if she becomes a royal. If she is out, for her own sake she has to get involved in some pursuit other than what she seems to be doing now to fall back on.
Princess Mary and Lady Elizabeth lived in times where the noble birth was enough to carry them through. A lovely smile and great support to their husbands, among other traits would qualify them as good monarchs . These days however it does not seem enough. Kate has gone through college, I do not know what she majored in, but there should be some interests she has and pursuing something would be very good for her sake in the long run.

[Ella Kay]

Originally Posted by kimebear

As for substance, what kind of substance did Princess Mary of Teck have or Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon have that Kate does not other than a royal/aristocratic birth? Look what remarkable Queens they turned out to be.

An excellent point!

I've written before in my blog that I feel Kate's got the best possible job for her current situation: working for her parents. It's not in the middle of London where she's constantly hounded by photographers, her employers are the people who want to protect her more than anyone else in the world, and she's doing something helpful for her family. If they are bankrolling her lifestyle, she's doing well to pay them back by doing some work for their company.

People who argue that she's not really "working" for her parents can't possibly have the information necessary to support that claim -- how can we know precisely what Kate does at Party Pieces, save those random paparazzi photos of her moving stock from a couple of weeks ago?

And surely working for her family is excellent experience should she eventually have a job working for the most prominent family in Britain: the Windsors.

[Ella Kay]

Originally Posted by Odette

Kate has gone through college, I do not know what she majored in, but there should be some interests she has and pursuing something would be very good for her sake in the long run.

She got an art history degree. That's how she met William; they were originally reading the same subject, until he switched to geography.