Kate Middleton: Family, Wealth and Background

[Menarue]

The correct word is lavatory. Everyone I know now uses loo which is a much better sounding word. It is just one of those things like serviette which is considered a very low-class word. There are certain words in English when spoken by native speakers that put them in a certain class and the word toilet is one of them. She may have been giving up smoking but surely sucking a mint would be better than chewing.
Perhaps both girls will get their man and be happy. Whether they are a Duke and a future King of England time will tell.

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Menarue

The correct word is lavatory. Everyone I know now uses loo which is a much better sounding word. It is just one of those things like serviette which is considered a very low-class word. There are certain words in English when spoken by native speakers that put them in a certain class and the word toilet is one of them. She may have been giving up smoking but surely sucking a mint would be better than chewing.
Perhaps both girls will get their man and be happy. Whether they are a Duke and a future King of England time will tell.

Whether it is what 'you' consider the right word or not, nobody with any 'breeding' would take any notice of what she called it, the one word that would suggest lower class is 'bog'. Serviettes on the other hand are a different matter and refer to the mass market paper things. However, nobody except the pretentious would dream of mentioning it.

I have just been told that in Australia, a facility for relieving oneself is called a dunny, which just happens to be the name of a maker of serviette.
serviette - definition of serviette by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.
toilet - definition of toilet by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.
lavatory - definition of lavatory by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

As you will see, in normal English, there is no 'wrong' word to use.

[Little_star]

Forget the supposed wealth of Kate's family-I'm loving this in-depth debate on the word "lavatory"!

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Little_star

Forget the supposed wealth of Kate's family-I'm loving this in-depth debate on the word "lavatory"!

Well they do say you live and learn. I have been calling it the loo and now I am told that denotes my class!

[Madame Royale]

a facility for relieving oneself is called a dunny

Depending on one's use of slang, which is of course not the communal form of address or adherence...

[Duchess]

on this side of the ocean, no one with manners would dream of calling it the lavatory or the toilet. it's called the ladies/men's room or washroom.

[Menarue]

This is very interesting. Personally all controversy can be avoided by calling it the loo. Now we can advance to why it is called "loo". I have my own theory I bet you all have theories too.
Actually to go back to the first discussion I don´t think the Queen would mind whatever it was called but you must remember the people around her are usually very ready to criticize and she really has to rely on feedback most of the time and if someone says that so and so has no breeding, or committs faux pas, she will listen and note. The ones that Prince Philip makes I think would cause merriment but not a woman who aspires to have her daughter marry into the royal family.
My American friends always call the lavatory "the powder room" I rather like that one.....dunny, reminds me of a long holiday years ago in the Aussie bush.

[Skydragon]

I know some of the courtiers are worse gossips that any old man, but I really can't see them reporting back to HM on whether Mrs Middleton called it the ???? HM has met millions of people from all walks of life and I have this feeling that nothing, but nothing fazes her. I really think it was another of the stories invented by those out to sell papers.

[biboquinhas]

She doesn't work so she doesn't hearn any money that we know for sure!

[Charlotte1]

Originally Posted by biboquinhas

She doesn't work so she doesn't hearn any money that we know for sure!

Actually we don't know that for sure! She could easily be working for her parents or working from home or working privately. She's fought to get some privacy from the tabloids, she's got some and therefore we don't know what she does! Nor should we, she's still a private person entitled to her privacy.

[Menarue]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

I know some of the courtiers are worse gossips that any old man, but I really can't see them reporting back to HM on whether Mrs Middleton called it the ???? HM has met millions of people from all walks of life and I have this feeling that nothing, but nothing fazes her. I really think it was another of the stories invented by those out to sell papers.

I too have my doubts that that would go literally back to HM and tell her about her calling it whatever, they would just generalise and say she was "common" and they had come to that conclusion themselves by hearing her speak......(and watching her chew).

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by Menarue

I too have my doubts that that would go literally back to HM and tell her about her calling it whatever, they would just generalise and say she was "common" and they had come to that conclusion themselves by hearing her speak......(and watching her chew).

Why should HM be interested in her courtiers' opinion of Mrs. Middleton? if William decides to marry Catherine, Hm must live with the Middletons as her grandson's in-laws and if not there's no need to bother about them. So I guess HM just waits and sees.

[Menarue]

Don´t forget that just after this gum chewing incident the romance was broken off and Kate was quite vociferous blaming members of the royal family.
As HM has to give permission for William to marry I think that she would be very interested in knowing what kind of people she would have connected by marriage to the royal family, especially as this would be not just any royal marriage, William´s wife will be the future Queen of England.

[Skydragon]

As far as I recall, Catherine did not make one comment about Williams family or the breakup. Don't get confused, just because one outlet tells us that Mrs Middleton was blamed or that Catherine said this or that, it doesn't mean that it was the truth or that anyone actually made any comment. IF Williams 'friends' had really made any of the comments attributed to them, I would have expected to see a culling, if not by William then by Catherine.

[Duchess]

i'm sure that catherine's parents are perfectly nice people who, from what we've seen so far, have raised nice kids that appear to be well behaved and discreet.

[Menarue]

Unfortunately to become related to the British Royal family you have to have more credentials that just being nice. Admitted Autumn managed this by being nice but Peter Philips is a minor member of the family but the wife of William will be Queen of England one day and I don´t think her being nice is enough.

[Mermaid1962]

Exactly! When/if she becomes engaged to William, then we'll have a right to know more about her. Until then, she's right to guard her privacy.

Originally Posted by Charlotte1

Actually we don't know that for sure! She could easily be working for her parents or working from home or working privately. She's fought to get some privacy from the tabloids, she's got some and therefore we don't know what she does! Nor should we, she's still a private person entitled to her privacy.

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Menarue

Unfortunately to become related to the British Royal family you have to have more credentials that just being nice. Admitted Autumn managed this by being nice but Peter Philips is a minor member of the family but the wife of William will be Queen of England one day and I don´t think her being nice is enough.

On the contrary, if William loves her and she continues to get on well with his father and the rest of his family, it won't matter whether anyone else thinks she is good enough or not. Some of the aristocrats I know are not nice, not nice at all, so don't be taken in by a title.

[Lady Ann]

Kate's family home my not look rich, but it is said to be in one of the most exclusive areas and one that is occupied by very wealthy owners. From what i read( I have no persoanl knowlage of this) Micheal and Carol Middleton started out as air line personnal not sure what but then later stated party peices which was very well off and have made themselves millionairs .....

[Lady Ann]

Originally Posted by Duchess

Not sure how everyone feels about this but here goes....William and Harry aren't rich, their Grandmother is and neither of them will be until they come into their inheritance from their mother and then from their father. Right now everything they do is paid for by someone else albeit their father or Grandmother. Mind you, they don't want for anything. As for marrying wealthy, William certainly won't be allowed to marry anyone that doesn't come from some kind of wealth. He will the need the approval of gov't and his Grandmother for the lucky lady that he wants to marry.

Well it was my understanding that William and Harry recieved a nice sum of money when the Queen Mum passed away and at least Willaim has already reciecved some of the money left to him by Diana last year when he truned 25. So as 20 something men go i say they were independently wealthy by my wallet ....