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

[Pranter]

I think the Queen/Charles et al want Kate to do what she is doing right now. If they wanted her 'working' more outside home she'd be doing it.

I think the Queen very much realizes the downfalls of not having been with her children due to her duties. Charles does as well from his own perspective as the child involved with that senario.

Further I think they (to include William) do not want her front and center a lot, they are not eager to have a repeat of the Diana craze...I think this is one of the reasons Kate recycles so much of her clothing (nothing new for reporters), keeps her hair the same and other style choices very much the same.


LaRae

 

[AdmirerUS]

I tend to agree with this. Those of old enough to remember how the palace acted when they were not so pleased with the wife of an heir know that there is no sign that anyone "inside" is unhappy with the Duchess. It may bug us, but inside the Royal Family I think everyone knows this is as planned.

And I am not trying to bring up another subject - so don't go there. I'm just saying the smoke signals seem fine with her level of public activity.

 

[Dman]

I don't think the idea is to try to make Catherine the star of the "Firm" but to define her role within the "Firm" and as a senior royal. This has been done for Camilla and Sophie too. I think to help define her role and to clarity it is to give her some responsibility within the "Firm" like honorary military colonelships, presidencies etc. Now she's about to embark on her first solo trip on behalf of The Queen.

 

[Lee27]

I remember the uproar when Diana appeared at the Opening of Parliament sporting a new hair style. The media coverage of this new look totally dominated and over shadowed the Queen's message.

The Firm was NOT happy. In Diana's defense, she had no way of knowing that a change in hair style would dominate like it did.

I believe that the Firm has learned from the era of Diana and are very keen on not making the same mistakes. I think this is why Katherine is usually paired with another real at so many of her appearances.

 

[KittyAtlanta]

...and another chose more for 'the wife behind the screens' role (Barbara Bush).

This is not so, Mrs. Bush was heavily involved with literacy. Read a biography, please.

 

[wyevale]

. In Diana's defense, she had no way of knowing that a change in hair style would dominate like it did.

I'm sorry to say Diana knew EXACTLY what appearing with a new hairdo would achieve,- Her dominance of press coverage on the most important royal/governmental occasion of that year. She was no novice at that point, and knew how 'to play to the gallery'...

 

[Dman]

I'm sorry to say Diana knew EXACTLY what appearing with a new hairdo would achieve,- Her dominance of press coverage on the most important royal/governmental occasion of that year. She was no novice at that point, and knew how 'to play to the gallery'...

No, she didn't know the press would be all over her hairdo. What people don't understand is that The Queen has never felt upstaged by Diana or any other member of the royal family.

 

[Frelinghighness]

This is not so, Mrs. Bush was heavily involved with literacy. Read a biography, please.

Barbara bush would not be considered a low key, inactive First Lady by any stretch of the imagination

 

[Isabella]

This is not so, Mrs. Bush was heavily involved with literacy. Read a biography, please.

Well, one can champion literacy and still maintain a comparatively less prominent public role (perhaps Laura Bush would be a better example of this - in terms of being a seemingly quieter presence - than Barbara.) In terms of the way that first ladies or royal ladies carry out their roles, just because someone might be considered to be playing a more low-key role doesn't mean they aren't putting work in, they just might be a naturally more low-key person. There are all sorts of approaches one can take (and some of it depends on the preferences of the individual involved, while some of it depends on the response of the media and the public).

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

The bottom line is, there is a middle ground. Kate doesn't have to be like the Queen in the early 50's but she married into a job not just a relationship. After 3yrs it seems she is doing little on the job front.

 

[Irish Lady]

Why does Catherine have to prove herself to the public or anyone if her husband, the Queen and Prince Charles are happy with her? I think that the Queen has learned many lessons from the years of Charles/Diana and is making sure that it is not repeated. Nobody wants to go through that again, after all Catherine is still a new wife, has had a baby who is now just learning to walk and learning her way around the royal family and all that it entails. I bet that being home with her son and making sure he is well cared for and gets adjusted will be more of benefit then going out to events just to please the public and media, after all she doesn't answer to anyone but William and the firm.

 

[Grandma828]

This conversation is a classic example of people discussing something when they have no real knowledge about what is going on behind the curtain. Sooner or later things will be revealed. Then it will be time to discuss.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Why does Catherine have to prove herself to the public or anyone if her husband, the Queen and Prince Charles are happy with her?...

Why?

Because they don't rule be divine right any more but reign by the will of the people so if the people turn on her then the family could lose everything.


If the people don't think they are getting value for money they could turn on her as the outsider and blame her for things that seem to be going wrong - such as the expenditure on two kitchens at KP while others in the country are struggling.

This sort of PR is harmful - while the situation is ok at the moment the situation could change so she needs to be having good PR at all times and that means realizing that it is the people who pay for things and they demand value for money.

 

[Duchess of Durham]

Why does Catherine have to prove herself to the public or anyone...

This conversation is a classic example of people discussing something when they have no real knowledge about what is going on behind the curtain. Sooner or later things will be revealed. Then it will be time to discuss.

Hallelujah! Cooler heads are prevailing!!!!!!

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Atually the royal family reigns by the will of the people, so that is why it matters what the public thinks of their actions. If the will of the people didn't matter then the family would have stayed in seclusion and taken care of WnH when Diana died instead of returning to London.
Again I don't think she should be constantly working non stop, just would like to see her doing more than she does.

 

[Skippyboo]

Duchess of Cambridge: What now for Catherine? Future Duties, Roles, Responsib...

The UK like the US is a representative democracy. People elect people to represent in the government. The politicians have way worse approval ratings than the lowest rated British royals. So the willpower of the politicians to throw out the monarchy it probably slim.

The Queen did stay at Balmoral right after Diana's death. They didn't come back until the day before the funeral. The Queen ignore the people .

If the Queen would have brought the boys back to BP right after Diana's death, what good would it have done for the boys- they would have been trapped inside with constant coverage of their mum's death on tv until the funeral. At Balmoral, they could get outside and mourn outside the public eye.

As for Kate, she is William's consort. William is the further monarch. Her job is to provide a heir which she did.


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community

 

[Irish Lady]

...they don't rule be divine right any more but reign by the will of the people...

Catherine did what was required of her, a baby boy for the future of the monarchy......and I would think that raising a healthy well adjusted child or children (as the case maybe) is more important then being seen all the time just to satisfy the some people/media or whomever.. I would bet there is lots of work being done in the background that nobody sees, investigation the events, profiles on all the people that is needed to be meet and shake hands with, the dates and times and the clothes to be worn, the arrangements to be made just to do the event, this isn't done at the last minute, it is done months in advance. There is no way she gets credit for this, sure there are people to help as this is a huge task.

As for 3 kitchens, it's fine to have a kitchen in each place that they live, and as for KP, look at this way, there is this huge kitchen for cooking for royal events, receptions, all the dinners that will be done in the future, that is okay, then there is probably a much smaller kitchen where they, W/C can go and do their own thing, a table to sit around and drink coffer or tea, a place for the baby/babies, a place that feels like home, an everyday place where she can cook chicken or whatever to have just a family meal with out all the staff and being on display all the time, that is okay too.

As for the cost, PC pays for that and from what I read it comes from the DofC which he, PC is one very astute businessman in his own right, gets the money from the Duchy of Cornwall, William has his inheritance which he could live that life style for the rest of his life on the interest alone. PC built that business up and made it a great success through trial and error, and he did a good job of it and he even pays taxes. Sure the media took offense at 3 kitchens and blew it all out of proportion just to stir up the people who are not very knowledgeable about the working of the royal family.

They are there because of the will of the people, okay, yet I don't think that the want to get rid of them, after all they are History in the making and they make money for the country. When I go to London, I go for the history and hoping to see the Queen which will never happen of course but many of us can hope and dream that we do.

 

[Lee27]

Catherine will be the Queen Consort-- the wife of the King. she will NEVER rule any country. So if the subjects decide to do away with the monarchy based solely on Catherine not running around 24/7 opening hospital wings and attending galas so the media has magazine covers, so be it.

What is next, demands that Prince George is present to the public on a daily basis because of the "will of the people".

If you feel you are owned more public appearances of Catherine... then write your demands to the Queen and Prince Charles.

 

[Lee27]

I am surprised there are no complaints about the Cambridges' taking a month long summer vacation.

 

[Rudolph]

...If you feel you are owned more public appearances of Catherine... then write your demands to the Queen and Prince Charles.

Thumbs up

 

[Daria_S]

...If you feel you are owned more public appearances of Catherine... then write your demands to the Queen and Prince Charles.

Well said ! As usual, there will be people who criticize Catherine whether she's out doing engagements, or at home, raising her child. No happy medium whatsoever.

I am surprised there are no complaints about the Cambridges' taking a month long summer vacation.

Oh, I'm sure that'll come once the news spreads.

 

[Dman]

Martin @CourtierUK · 32s
I hope Kate’s given a royal colonelcy soon. Be good for her to get more involved with Armed Forces, broaden scope of interest further.

I totally agree.

 

[Isabella]

The bottom line is, there is a middle ground. Kate doesn't have to be like the Queen in the early 50's but she married into a job not just a relationship. After 3yrs it seems she is doing little on the job front.

I'm sure this has something that's been discussed elsewhere (and may not make much of a difference to some), but as I see it, she's married into a role rather than a job. I know both words can be used of course, but I tend to think of a job as something that has specific parameters, whereas a role is much more ill-defined and can vary widely from person to person. Having read a lot about royals and first ladies, I've often sensed a common theme that comes up about people who occupy such positions is that they themselves often get frustrated with the ill-defined nature of things. There are often a lot of people telling you what to do or what not to do - and that could just be from within one's inner circle, not to mention the expectations of outsiders (and one's own wishes). And in Kate's case, I think that things there's that added layer of confusion because of the size of the British Royal Family. I mean, as has been mentioned, it seems there's a bit of difficulty deciding what William ought to be doing now, and he's the one who's going to be king. And Kate may be 3 years in, but she's got a lot more ahead of her. Things will evolve.

 

[Osipi]

I am surprised there are no complaints about the Cambridges' taking a month long summer vacation.

Shhhhhh.... I don't quite have the information yet on where to send complaints to dock their wages while they're on vacation.

One thing I think will happen during the upcoming month is that Will, Kate and George will head to Balmoral and at that time there'll be a meeting of The Way Ahead committee and once the hiatus of the summer is done, we'll have an official announcement of what the future plans of the Cambridges will be. If I remember right, Will's "transitional" year was announced last September.

Nothing about The Way Ahead committee is ever made public. We just know that they meet twice a year. Sort of like a Firm board meeting where decisions are finalized and ideas and plans are made for the future of the Monarchy into the future.

 

[Dman]

It seems like something is getting started with William now conducting Investitures, he and Catherine attending the Reception for the Royal Diplomatic Corps, Catherine first solo trip representing the Queen and now it seems like they will start attending State Visits (hopefully). I hope The Way Ahead committee continue trying to make the Cambridge's official roles clear and not make it seem like they're redrawing from royal duties.

Catherine getting more involved with the armed forces would be good too.

 

[Osipi]

Maybe its just me but I don't think the BRF would ever have any of the royals retract from doing things unless it was for health reasons or some other very understandable reason. The Cambridges, I think, will continue on to do more and more rather than less and less. As the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry has the armed forces as one of their main areas of focus, I think all three of them eventually will be more and more involved with things relating to the armed forces and regiments.

 

[Rudolph]

Catherine does royal engagements now, since her wedding she has done more official engagements than Harry so clearly she isn't idle.

Since William's wedding he has done almost twice the engagements of Harry. The Cambridges are far from idle but no amount of official engagements will placate their critics which fortunately are a small minority.

 

[KittyAtlanta]

Hopefully, they will recover from their busy work schedule during their entire-month-of-August holiday.pfffft

 

[VictoriaB]

...she has done more official engagements than Harry.

Harry serves full time in the military. I wouldn't expect him to be performing the same number of Royal duties as William & Catherine as they have to be fitted in around his service obligations.
.

 

[Rudolph]

Harry no longer serves "full-time" in the Army. He has a desk job that according to all reports is only rarely in the office and besides, William was full-time in the military up until last year and he always did more engagements than Harry.