The Public's Expectations of Kate as William's Girlfriend

[CasiraghiTrio]

Yes, Kate seems to have the qualifications for a position in an art gallery or a museum. With "history of art" she can also work for Sotheby's or Christie's.
I know the "why doesn't she work" or "Does she or doesn't she work" debate is exhausted beyond tolerance anymore, but in all seriousness, and with all do respect to Kate, why doesn't she try to use her degree somehow? Obviously, she is interested in the subject, to have studied it for what 3 years, or whatever is the standard amount of time for a BA in Scotland, 4 years? Logic would seem to point to her wanting to have such a job, not for money, but just because she would enjoy it, no?
Logic also says to me that if she is keeping herself available and open for a possible royal future, a stint of work experience in art history could only be beneficial. It certainly would not be a waste of time for the future Princess of Wales/Queen of England to have some real experience and knowledge of the Royal collections.

 

[Laviollette]

Kate will be 25 years old next January. It's odd that she isn't working to support herself regardless if she is William's gf or not. Just as a young woman, it is strange. And I wonder what in her background made her choose History of Art as a major at SA? She doesn't seem interested in using her degree. It is just my observation.

 

[Royal Fan]

maybe shes playing it low key

 

[Roslyn]

Kate will be 25 years old next January. It's odd that she isn't working to support herself regardless if she is William's gf or not. Just as a young woman, it is strange. And I wonder what in her background made her choose History of Art as a major at SA? She doesn't seem interested in using her degree. It is just my observation.

Every time she visits one of William's relatives' homes, she gets a chance to apply the knowledge of fine art that she's acquired.

 

[grevinnan]

There is no virtue in working. If someone has the means to not work then why do it. There is plenty to keep busy with that would not be obvious to the public. Going to work everyday is a middle class necessity and an upper class option. She may be managing the family's money, getting princess training.... Lots of options of how she spends her days.

 

[gabby_windsor]

Kate will be 25 years old next January. It's odd that she isn't working to support herself regardless if she is William's gf or not. Just as a young woman, it is strange. And I wonder what in her background made her choose History of Art as a major at SA? She doesn't seem interested in using her degree. It is just my observation.

History of Art is the option for a lot of 'yah's'. It's a nothing degree (for some people) when one doesn't know what to do. Generally, i am not saying this applies to Kate.

 

[MARG]

Every time she visits one of William's relatives' homes, she gets a chance to apply the knowledge of fine art that she's acquired.

I 'm not sure that drooling counts !

 

[Skydragon]

History of Art is the option for a lot of 'yah's'. It's a nothing degree (for some people) when one doesn't know what to do. Generally, i am not saying this applies to Kate.

History of Art is a very respectable degree and has nothing to do with 'yah's'(?).

As with everything it is only of value or not, according to your own perceptions. It would have been worse, IMO, if she had studied for a degree in psychology or any of the other so called 'easy options'.

At one time, I too thought it was an opt out degree but, art historians and valuers are much in demand, (there are waiting lists for some), if she ever needs or chooses to work.

 

[gabby_windsor]

History of Art is a very respectable degree and has nothing to do with 'yah's'(?).

As with everything it is only of value or not, according to your own perceptions. It would have been worse, IMO, if she had studied for a degree in psychology or any of the other so called 'easy options'.

At one time, I too thought it was an opt out degree but, art historians and valuers are much in demand, (there are waiting lists for some), if she ever needs or chooses to work.

Yes i agree regarding the merits of an art history degree, if you noticed i said for some people, definately not all.

I tend to disagree, it is a competitive world and one needs to have more than just a uni degree to get a job, one needs connections or one ends up answering telephones at Christies or art galleries. But it appears art history isn't Kate's passion as she didn't seem intent on working in the field but instead wanted to own a children's clothing label.

 

[Skydragon]

I tend to disagree, it is a competitive world and one needs to have more than just a uni degree to get a job, one needs connections or one ends up answering telephones at Christies or art galleries. But it appears art history isn't Kate's passion as she didn't seem intent on working in the field but instead wanted to own a children's clothing label.

Well, you know what they say, "From little acorns, Mighty oak trees grow", if that means starting as a receptionist, then fine.

It is no good relying on 'connections', you have to be suitable for the job you are going applying for and I think most people are sick of hearing people say they can do a job, only to find out pretty quickly that they can't. A degree helps you get the interview, but, knowledge helps you get and keep the job!

We don't know if Catherine had any intention of starting her own childrens clothing label, we only have what the media would like us to believe.

 

[Warren]

Well, you know what they say, "From little acorns, Mighty oak trees grow", if that means starting as a receptionist, then fine.

Not strictly relevant, but I'll throw it in anyway as it has context: In a post in the Queen Elizabeth current events thread Skydragon posted a link to a news story about two of the Queen's closest personal staff moving to Windsor. One of them, Angela Kelly, HM's personal assistant, is described as the Queens "gatekeeper" and her "eyes and ears". Ms Kelly started employment at the Palace as a housemaid. From little acorns indeed.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

History of Art is a very respectable degree and has nothing to do with 'yah's'(?).

As with everything it is only of value or not, according to your own perceptions. It would have been worse, IMO, if she had studied for a degree in psychology or any of the other so called 'easy options'.

At one time, I too thought it was an opt out degree but, art historians and valuers are much in demand, (there are waiting lists for some), if she ever needs or chooses to work.

Psychology isn't really a yah degree either, though. Although most psych. majors I have known are people who started off pre-med and couldn't hack the pressure, so they decided to go psych. instead. But still, psych. is a hard major, even if it's not as hard as pre-med. It's a lot harder than art history, that's for sure. I'm not saying anything against art history. I wouldn't because I love history, any kind, and I am a history student too, so I can't bash art history. Nevertheless, the natural sciences and the math degrees make the social sciences look lame by comparison. That's why I try not to have contact with the brainies in the physics department in minimal doses only, hehe. My self-esteem is tenuous enough!

 

[Luv2Cruise]

No serious pursuit of any study is easy or less difficult. I am sure there are hard sciences majors who would be out of their depth in the research and work required in a liberal arts degree and vice versa, including art history. There are liberal arts majors who have the intellect to become doctors, etc., but their interests lie elsewhere.

Psychiatrists are licensed medical doctors who must go through med school and become board certified, who do internships and residencies before they practice.

By this standard J.K. Rowling's English degree would not be as difficult and would be of less merit than a pre-med degree. But challenge the most brilliant doctor or scientist or mathmatician or nuclear physicist to one up the Harry Potter books. It was obvious to me that Rowling was someone who seriously pursued the study of English or literature, not as a rebound degree from pre-med or some other science related field of study.

To disparage a course of study as a "yah" or a throwaway degree because another course of study is perceived to be more difficult is uninformed, to be polite.

 

[politikgirl]

No serious pursuit of any study is easy or less difficult. I am sure there are hard sciences majors who would be out of their depth in the research and work required in a liberal arts degree and vice versa. There are liberal arts majors who have the intellect to become doctors, etc., but their interests lie elsewhere.

Psychiatrists are licensed medical doctors who must go through med school and become board certified, who do internships and residencies before they practice.

By this standard J.K. Rowling's English degree would not be as difficult and would be of less merit than a pre-med degree. But challenge the most brilliant doctor or scientist or mathmetician or nuclear physicist to one up the Harry Potter books. It was obvious to me that Rowling was someone who seriously pursued the study of English, not as a rebound degree from pre-med or some other science related field of study.

To disparage a course of study as a "yah" or a throwaway degree because another course of study is perceived to be more difficult is uninformed, to be polite.

Thank you. I completely agree with you. To be at the top of your field in any field is no easy feat. Every study can be extremely difficult - or easy - depending on the effort put into the study by the individual. If one only hopes to get a degree by simply passing every course, this is not a difficult endeavour. If one hopes to attain a doctoral degree in the field and become a very respected academic in, say, psychology or art history, this IS a difficult endeavour.

Anyway, I would not say that studying art history was easy for Kate and that it was something to do because she had nothing else to do. Many people study things and then realize that they're not interested in pursuing a career in that specific study, and that's fine.

 

[Skydragon]

No serious pursuit of any study is easy or less difficult.

I agree

Psychiatrists are licensed medical doctors who must go through med school and become board certified, who do internships and residencies before they practice.

I wasn't talking about psychiatrists, who I am sure feel they do a worthwhile job. The fad at the moment in the UK is to take psychology, social studies and the like, which, even by the uni's, are considered to be the easy option.
These are just a few of the articles raising the same point.
http://www.melaniephillips.com/articles-new/?p=355
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/879953.stm
http://education.guardian.co.uk/students/story/0,9860,546139,00.html

 

[Luv2Cruise]

Gotcha. But just to say that one degree is less demanding than another is not necessarily accurate. It is a judgment, not a fact. But your point is well taken.

 

[Skydragon]

Gotcha. But just to say that one degree is less demanding than another is not necessarily accurate. It is a judgment, not a fact. But your point is well taken.

I should have said it was in my opinion, watching and reading the news in the UK, I am not alone in my opinion!

 

[HRH Kimetha]

In Hola.com

Was mention the vendors has create a souvenirs about the wedding of Prince William & Kate because not want that they mention the engage not have time to take it...

To read the article (In Spanish) http://www.hola.com/casasreales/2006/11/17/guillermo-kate/

In the next post I try to have the pictures

Wouldn't it be interesting if this drives the two to announce the engagement? Perhaps it is meant to drive them to announce it to get on with it!

 

[Roslyn]

Wouldn't it be interesting if this drives the two to announce the engagement? Perhaps it is meant to drive them to announce it to get on with it!

I sincerely hope William, of all people, would not allow such "pressure" to influence him in any way at all in making a decision about whether or not to propose to Kate.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Personally I wish they'd just get on with it if they are going to marry. It's becoming frightfully boring.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Every "celebrity" has a "camp". Kate will have a PR officer who will feed certain things to the media and deny things they print. The Beckhams do it, Kate Moss does it - anyone who is in the media as much as Kate is needs some kind of PR team and they'll certainly put out information in certain ways to the media.

 

[regardez]

No Kate would not have a PR team. The Beckhams and Kate Moss and William have PR people because they need either money or public support. But Kate is a private citizen. Why would she have a PR team promoting her?

 

[BeatrixFan]

As soon as she became a public figure, she'd need a PR team to handle media enquiries. She does have a PR team - that's why we always read, "A spokesperson for Kate Middleton said...." - that spokesperson is Kate's PR manager. PR isn't about promotion. It's about public and media relations.

 

[regardez]

I've never read a "spokesperson for Kate Middleton said". I've heard Clarence House make statements or her "anonymous friends" but I've never read about her having a spokesperson. I apologize if I am incorrect. Do you have an example of this?

 

[BeatrixFan]

Generally if a story appears, the press over here will put, "A spokesperson for Kate Middleton" if they can't put "A Clarence House Spokesperson". Therefore, we can assume that Kate does have at least one spokesperson she has either employed or just given the charge of dealing with the media.

 

[regardez]

But do you have an example of a story that says that? I've never seen that before. If she had a spokesperson that would say a lot about their relationship and her position. But from what I've seen there has never been an article with a spokesperson for her.

 

[gabby_windsor]

No serious pursuit of any study is easy or less difficult. I am sure there are hard sciences majors who would be out of their depth in the research and work required in a liberal arts degree and vice versa, including art history. There are liberal arts majors who have the intellect to become doctors, etc., but their interests lie elsewhere.

Psychiatrists are licensed medical doctors who must go through med school and become board certified, who do internships and residencies before they practice.

By this standard J.K. Rowling's English degree would not be as difficult and would be of less merit than a pre-med degree. But challenge the most brilliant doctor or scientist or mathmatician or nuclear physicist to one up the Harry Potter books. It was obvious to me that Rowling was someone who seriously pursued the study of English or literature, not as a rebound degree from pre-med or some other science related field of study.

To disparage a course of study as a "yah" or a throwaway degree because another course of study is perceived to be more difficult is uninformed, to be polite.

I absolutely agree with your post but the intention of my post wasn't to disparage an art history degree.

For a lot of "yah's", through my experience, choose this degree because they have no other interests. It's the generic degree for toff girls who want a good marriage. Art History, receptionist then a glittering marriage. This certainly isn't the case for everyone but it is common enough.

Yes, you're right Skydragon, a receptionist job isn't something that should be looked down upon and of course one must start at the bottom to reach the top but it appears Kate wasn't interested in that. Who knows maybe she's an assistant at some art gallery doing menial jobs, but i somehow doubt it.

 

[Laviollette]

There's nothing wrong with an Art History degree. There is something wrong with wasting that degree by not getting up off your tush and finding a job but instead shopping it away like Kate Middleton.

 

[HRH Kimetha]

I sincerely hope William, of all people, would not allow such "pressure" to influence him in any way at all in making a decision about whether or not to propose to Kate.

I hope not either as it would be a sign that he allows such outside influence to make his decisions for him. I don't think either one of them are really ready for marriage because they probably just enjoy being in each other's company. A marriage and then a child may complicate things when a couple is learning the art of marriage. Maybe they should wait until William is in a position that his duties as military officer and future monarch is ironed out and stabilized. It would allow more time for the relationship to undergo more maturation and growth.

 

[Laviollette]

I doubt there is a "camp Middleton" that spins information to the media.

They're spinning alright, trying to explain why Kate doesn't have a job. Imho, camp Middleton are also spinning the fact that William has not proposed to her, which she has clearly been waiting for, what with putting her life on hold for 17 months and all. Someone's leaking to the media that she really doesn't want to get married right now, that she would be pressured to have children right away like CP Mary and CP Mette Marit, who in fact did not get pregnant right away. There is no wedding in the near future so Miss Middleton should find something to do.