Duchess of Cambridge: What Now for Catherine? Future Duties, Roles, Responsibilities


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IMO Kate is limited in the amount of royal duties she can undertake by the fact that William himself is not yet, and has never been, a full time working royal. He's a full time search and rescue pilot and he and the royal family have apparently decided that's what he'll focus on for the next couple of years. Kate's role in royal life is a supporting one to William - she can't take the lead on this.
 
IMO Kate is limited in the amount of royal duties she can undertake by the fact that William himself is not yet, and has never been, a full time working royal. He's a full time search and rescue pilot and he and the royal family have apparently decided that's what he'll focus on for the next couple of years. Kate's role in royal life is a supporting one to William - she can't take the lead on this.

Well actually, she will eventually have her own charities and duties on behalf of the RF that won't directly involve William.
 
... sounds all right to me; hope she isn't doing too much in the next years - she should eat a bit more and have some kids (gosh, I sound very conservative, to my own ears ;))
 
Sherlock221B said:

Well if you're nicely asking our opinions, truthfully it sounds fine but I'll wait until she actual is doing the charity ....so far nothing has come to light as to what she's doing but I for one am glad to hear this.....

On the other hand if you're question is meant in the sarcastic tone it comes across as may I remind you we are all entitled to our opinions on here.....
 
The Duchess of Cambridge follows Diana, Princess of Wales in secret charity visits - Telegraph

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge making secret visits - report | News.com.au

Does any of this garner thy approval for duties one Duchess of Cambridge shouldst perform now she be a member of the BRF?

I'll be going with no. The fact that she's doing this in 'secret' actually makes her seem worse to me. If she wants to do charity work then do it, why do it in secret? We don't even know if these secret visits even happened.
 
MRSJ said:
On the other hand if you're question is meant in the sarcastic tone it comes across as may I remind you we are all entitled to our opinions on here.....

No, no, no…not in the least. Just a twinkle of humor. I beg your pardon if you have taken any kind of offense. The duchess is quite discreet, whilst many were contemplating on weather she was adopting a kind of lonely homemaker lifestyle…here she was making her own plans for what her role will be and what duties she will be performing, all while giving the impression that all she was doing was shopping, walking on the beach with her sister, moping around the house waiting for her significant other to come home from work so that she could feel significant herself…in simple terms - waisting time. Very fascinating IMHO…would you agree?;)
 
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Very fascinating IMHO…would you agree?;)

No I wouldn't, if she's going to 'shape her royal life' why doesn't she do it for real instead of hiding in the shadows probably using the excuse that she doesn't want to be followed or give paparazzi attention to the charity or what not. Well she might need to wake up and realise who she is now and this secret malarky is to me quite stupid.
 
The higher profile charities could be googled for historical information, objectives, what their goals are, etc. before making a visit to meet the people that are directly involved with the day to day operations. :)
 
Isn't the point of a royal patronage the attention the foundation or charity then receives from royal visits and royal titles on stationary? Royals (with the exception of Harry with Sentebale & Charles and The Prince's Trust perhaps) don't guide the organisations nor participate in day-to-day operations so their purpose is to provide a reason for a person to donate or attend an event highlighting the charity's values and activities.
I'm with Lumetqueen in that this is worse than her not visiting at all. The palace in that case can always say "she is easing in and will join with an organisation soon" but instead this says 'she's alright with the physical workload at the moment but can't bear any public attention attached to it'
 
Lumutqueen said:
I'll be going with no. The fact that she's doing this in 'secret' actually makes her seem worse to me. If she wants to do charity work then do it, why do it in secret? We don't even know if these secret visits even happened.

Well, it's not a "secret" anymore. Besides the organizations she visited knew she would be coming. If the charge is failure to be photographed whilst performing a royal walk-a-bout whilst dressed in fashionable attire at such "secret" meetings as to notify society that one HRH Princess William Arthur Philip Louis, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus has attended…we the public find her guilty. It is recommended by the court that her sentence be a verbal thrashing carried out immediately. Such secrecy shall not be tolerated……IMHO;)
 
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She isn't patron of anything yet

She isn't taking a role with these organizations as of yet. She is investigating them. When she give her support, it will be public. It doesn't do a charity any good to be know as the one she DID'T want to support.
 
The Telegraph report does not state that she is "doing" charity work, in secret or otherwise.
Here is what the report does say...

The Duchess is using the next few months to choose which causes she wants to support as a royal patron. She has begun paying personal 'under the radar' trips to organisations in recent days and plans to get to know a variety of good causes before making her decision in the new year.
A St James's Palace spokesman said: "The Duchess is using the next few months to get to know a number of charitable and other causes better, so she can make well-informed decisions about her future role. The Duchess plans to meet a wide range of people and make private visits.

The 2nd link from news.com.au ("Entertainment Confidential") has added "to the sick and homeless" to its subheading although no further mention is made of it and no evidence is provided.
 
No, no, no…not in the least. Just a twinkle of humor. I beg your pardon if you have taken any kind of offense. The duchess is quite discreet, whilst many were contemplating on weather she was adopting a kind of homemaker lifestyle…here she was making her own plans for what her role will be and what duties she will be performing, all while giving the impression that she was shopping, walking on the beach with her sister, moping around the house waiting for her significant other to come home from work so that she could feel significant herself…in simple terms - waisting time. Very fascinating IMHO…would you agree?;)

Kate is no stranger to "wasting time" (see past decade) and my guess is that it just suits her perfectly to play housewife in Wales. Another guess is that she wont make it into duty for the next decade due to her pregnacies. How convenient.

Whether this is her own decision or not I dont know but I am always amazed to read that Kate needs time to be "eased" into royal life as if it was something sinister and surrounded by secrets. We all can see what "royal life" is and hey, I could imagine more difficult jobs than smiling & waving at the public, doing small talk and leaving, without any responsibilites. This is what Kate is supposed to do at this stage, nothing else. I am so tired of the old stories of the poor, unprepaired Diana, being thrown to the public wolves by the bad BRF, Kate was with William, unlike her MIL with Charles, for many years and knows, again unlike Diana, exactly what she is getting into. I fail to see why after years of waiting Kate would need some more years to get accustomed to royal life.
 
The Telegraph report does not state that she is "doing" charity work, in secret or otherwise.
Here is what the report does say...

The Duchess is using the next few months to choose which causes she wants to support as a royal patron. She has begun paying personal 'under the radar' trips to organisations in recent days and plans to get to know a variety of good causes before making her decision in the new year.
A St James's Palace spokesman said: "The Duchess is using the next few months to get to know a number of charitable and other causes better, so she can make well-informed decisions about her future role. The Duchess plans to meet a wide range of people and make private visits.

The 2nd link from news.com.au ("Entertainment Confidential") has added "to the sick and homeless" to its subheading although no further mention is made of it and no evidence is provided.

Thank you Warren, makes more sense actually. :flowers:


Well, it's not a "secret" anymore. Besides the organizations she visited knew she would be coming. If the charge is failure to be photographed whilst performing a royal walk-a-bout whilst dressed in fashionable attire at such "secret" meetings as to notify society that one HRH Princess William Arthur Philip Louis, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus has attended…we the public find her guilty. It is recommended by the court that her sentence be a verbal thrashing carried out immediately. Such secrecy shall not be tolerated……IMHO;)

As Warren has just told us, she hasn't actually done any work secret or not. And it's still would have been secret, because we didn't actually see her do anything. :lol:


Isn't the point of a royal patronage the attention the foundation or charity then receives from royal visits and royal titles on stationary? Royals (with the exception of Harry with Sentebale & Charles and The Prince's Trust perhaps) don't guide the organisations nor participate in day-to-day operations so their purpose is to provide a reason for a person to donate or attend an event highlighting the charity's values and activities.
I'm with Lumetqueen in that this is worse than her not visiting at all. The palace in that case can always say "she is easing in and will join with an organisation soon" but instead this says 'she's alright with the physical workload at the moment but can't bear any public attention attached to it'

And thank you American Dane, I agree with your comment that the point of a royal patronage is to bring attention to the charity. Just to add a personal point, it's LumUtqueen, my name is after an east asian village and has no E in it. :)
 
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Just imagine - throw in a "St. James's Palace spokesman" sentence and people are ready to jump and judge her...
 
And thank you American Dane, I agree with your comment that the point of a royal patronage is to bring attention to the charity. Just to add a personal point, it's LumUtqueen, my name is after an east asian village and has no E in it. :)

Sorry about that, that's what happens when you're typing and studying 2 books at the same time :lol:
 
I may be reading the article wrong, but what is the problem with Kate privately meeting with representatives and learning about their organizations? Do royals usually publicly announce any charities they are researching, or thinking about taking on?

I posted too late. I see everyone else has made the same point. :lol:
 
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Duke of Marmalade said:
Kate is no stranger to "wasting time" (see past decade) and my guess is that it just suits her perfectly to play housewife in Wales.

But she is not "wasting time"IMHO…she is after only 4 mos. of marriage (plenty of time) meeting with organizers of charities that she may want to serve as patron according to the causes she holds most dear.

Duke of Marmalade said:
Another guess is that she wont make it into duty for the next decade due to her pregnacies. How convenient.

I beg to differ…yes she has been performing duties since she became engaged, no she has not performed any duties as a royal patron…IMHO

Duke of Marmalade said:
Whether this is her own decision or not I dont know but I am always amazed to read that Kate needs time to be "eased" into royal life as if it was something sinister and surrounded by secrets. We all can see what "royal life" is and hey, I could imagine more difficult jobs than smiling & waving at the public, doing small talk and leaving, without any responsibilites. This is what Kate is supposed to do at this stage, nothing else.

Just to clarify "smiling & waving at the public, doing small talk and leaving" encompass royal duties? So was she performing royal duties at the naming ceremony in Wales, St. Andrews in Scotland, her and Prince William's visit to North Ireland, on her wedding day, on their tour of Canada and the US, Order of the Garter, Queen's Birthday Parade, Zara Phillips' wedding, visiting victims of the London riots, Epsom Downs appearance…again just to clarify "smiling & waving at the public, doing small talk and leaving" all make up "royal duties"...would any of those appearances fit the bill?


Duke of Marmalade said:
I am so tired of the old stories of the poor, unprepaired Diana, being thrown to the public wolves by the bad BRF, Kate was with William, unlike her MIL with Charles, for many years and knows, again unlike Diana, exactly what she is getting into. I fail to see why after years of waiting Kate would need some more years to get accustomed to royal life.

Very interesting…in a fashion I would agree…I too am tired of listening to old stories, I also believe that the duchess is more prepared…although I don't think it will take her years to become accustomed to royal life…IMHO
 
A perfectly logical way for her to look into organizations she may want to support. Unfortunately the used of the word "secret" is misleading. Perhaps un-official would be better.

She is going about her integration into royal duties in a very mature way.
 
I think it is important to get to know first-hand the people running the charity. There are several "charities" that sound quite useful that are really just excuses for the administrators to make money. It's possible to get a better feel for the types of people running the organization when you meet them face to face.

I also think she is wise to keep it quiet while she is getting to know the people firsthand. It would be quite an insult and perhaps cause damage to an organization that was publicized during her fact finding mission but then not included as a group she supports.

St. James seems to be quite smart in how they are helping her get started.
 
Oh for crying out loud! I have seen continuous complaining that Catherine is sitting around in Wales and not doing anything after 4.5 months of marriage. Of course the Canadian Tour only a few months after walking down the aisle doesn't count. Various appearances at Royal events and functions doesn't count. Visiting riot victims doesn't count. No.....she MUST get involved with charities! But wait.....what's this? An announcement was made that Duchess of Cambridge has signed up with Prince of Wales' fight to prevent more riots by focusing on young people, and that she is keen to become involved in helping disadvantaged young people. But sadly....she isn't actually doing anything. Just sitting on her bony derrier in Wales watching the telly.

And now comes a report that she is actively meeting with Charitable Organizations determining which ones she wants to support, and that The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a joint official engagement in late September, after which Catherine is expected to set a date for her first official solo appearance. However, since we haven't SEEN her meeting in private with these organizations it doesn't count. I don't know whether to :bang: or laugh hysterically at the complete silliness of all this.

It seems to me things are rolling right along at a fairly rapid pace considering she has only been The Duchess of Cambridge for 4.5 months. And yet, that just isn't good enough for some of you who obviously will never give her credit and will always criticise and find fault with everything she does. I find that rather sad. Sad for her because no matter how hard she works, it will never be good enough for some, and sad for those that feel that way.
 
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I'm with you on the :bang: front. Some people like to criticize others for pretty much everything. I know the frustration that is felt on the receiving end, because I have parents/relatives who don't deem anything I do good enough.

Anyway, on to Catherine. I've said this before, and I'll say it again; she's moving along at a pace that is appropriate for her and the rest of the RF (I'd start worrying when Her Majesty is heard saying that her new granddaughter-in-law is not getting herself actively involved with any causes). Also, we really don't know what's going on behind closed doors. Maybe Catherine is helping some families on the RAF base, or for all we know, volunteering at the local library. It's not fair to judge her so harshly. She has done a splendid job on the US/Canada tour, and the few engagements that followed, so I say, give her a break. If this is the state of affairs by February or March, then it's completely acceptable to start reading her the Riot Act.
 
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Great posting texankitcat!!!
I like how Catherine is looking at Charities quietly, I think it shows that she is taking this seriously, and shows, perhaps, a diligent side to her character!
William and Catherine are newly wed, giving them time to settle in as a married couple is a good thing, IMHO. Besides, I think the Queen and her advisers are on top of all of this, and these nay sayers on here, one can only presume, think they know better, is very funny!!!:lol::lol::lol:

Also, William and Catherine as Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are not as important as the Prince of Wales, it's Charles who will be the next King.
Even though the popular attention is on Wills and Kate, the reality is it will be some time until he becomes Prince of Wales. And therefore step up his/their Royal duties...:flowers:
 
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the meetings were note "secret" but 'private", not the same thing.
 
Well, it seems the point of all the articles I've read is that Kate is just visiting privately with these charitable organizations to vett them prior to a decision for her future patronage. I think it's a wise move to avoid any controversy or embarrassment for those charities she must decline if her evaluations are done quietly and discreetly. As far as the timetable of Kate's public appearances, I'm sure this was created with the input and approval of the Queen and her advisers. If Kate is dilatory in any way that deviates from the game plan, I'm sure the Queen will make her displeasure known. Something tells me that given Kate's diligence and care to incorporate herself seamlessly into the Royal Family, this will not happen. The only possible wrench thrown into the works that could cause a reduction in Kate's appearances would be the announcement of a pregnancy. You never know..... :)
 
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the meetings were note "secret" but 'private", not the same thing.

Of course you are right. Thank you for the correction. Just goes to show her devious charactor having the gall to meet with charity organizers in secret. GASP! What's next....secretly getting pregnant instead of publically announcing the exact date and time of conception? The woman is obviously in need of a camera implanted on her forehead so she has no secrets the public isn't privy to.

Speaking of pregnancy.....I hope she doesn't get it in her head she is allowed to get pregnant for at least 5 years or so. She needs to know her place in the pecking order of public opinion. No less than 20 official engagements per day is going to be suffiicient for this commoner that had the audacity to marry a Prince after 8 years of dating. WORK! WORK! WORK! Babies will be allowed once we feel she has earned her right to have them. Then she better not think morning sickness or exhaustion is an excuse not to increase her engagements to 25. :lol:
 
:ROFLMAO: I think you expressed the opinions of (unfortunately) many members of the public, which is quite sad (love the sarcasm in your post :D). I hope that Catherine will do what is best for her, and the BRF, with the help and support of her husband, and other members of the family.
 
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Oh for crying out loud! I have seen continuous complaining that Catherine is sitting around in Wales and not doing anything after 4.5 months of marriage. Of course the Canadian Tour only a few months after walking down the aisle doesn't count. Various appearances at Royal events and functions doesn't count. Visiting riot victims doesn't count. No.....she MUST get involved with charities! But wait.....what's this? An announcement was made that Duchess of Cambridge has signed up with Prince of Wales' fight to prevent more riots by focusing on young people, and that she is keen to become involved in helping disadvantaged young people. But sadly....she isn't actually doing anything. Just sitting on her bony derrier in Wales watching the telly.

And now comes a report that she is actively meeting with Charitable Organizations determining which ones she wants to support, and that The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a joint official engagement in late September, after which Catherine is expected to set a date for her first official solo appearance. However, since we haven't SEEN her meeting in private with these organizations it doesn't count. I don't know whether to :bang: or laugh hysterically at the complete silliness of all this.

It seems to me things are rolling right along at a fairly rapid pace considering she has only been The Duchess of Cambridge for 4.5 months. And yet, that just isn't good enough for some of you who obviously will never give her credit and will always criticise and find fault with everything she does. I find that rather sad. Sad for her because no matter how hard she works, it will never be good enough for some, and sad for those that feel that way.

I totally agree with your entire post, but how do you know the part that I made bold?
 
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