Prince William's Suitability to be King

[Osipi]

One thing I wonder about William -- and he's probably too young yet to draw many conclusions -- is if he's got too much of a common touch or is too casual. Sometimes I think he and Harry are so determined to show that they're "regular" guys, they seem to lose some of the mystique of being royal.

Personally, in this day and age, I think the "common touch" as you put it is going to be almost a necessity for royals. As we've seen with the popularity of William and Kate and the worldwide attention the birth of their son Prince George generated, people want to see the royals, they want to know what they are doing, wearing and where they go. With being able to face the public on a somewhat equal footing and seeming to be as "real" as the rest of us, they generate a sense of pride in the heritage the monarchy stands for, a sense of unity and at-one-ment with situations and occasions that arise and genuinely develop a rapport with them.

I seriously think and hope that the days of "royal mystique" are truly done with and gone.

 

[Empress Merel]

As they should, no. In a day and age where minorities are still fighting to become equal and the class system is becoming more and more outdated and the gap needs to be closed, there is no room for a Royal family that is not keeping up with the modern times.
We should be celebrating that. Everyone gets to have a say in a democracy and if you want to survive, you gotta keep up.

All Royal families are becoming more modern and looking at our Royal family, they haven't been more popular.

But whatever, I can explain myself much better in Dutch.

 

[Lee-Z]

As they should, no. In a day and age where minorities are still fighting to become equal and the class system is becoming more and more outdated and the gap needs to be closed, there is no room for a Royal family that is not keeping up with the modern times.
We should be celebrating that. Everyone gets to have a say in a democracy and if you want to survive, you gotta keep up.

All Royal families are becoming more modern and looking at our Royal family, they haven't been more popular.

But whatever, I can explain myself much better in Dutch.

The dutch royals' way works in the Netherlands, because the mindset of the general dutch public is very much "people shouldn't think they are above others" (we even think it's quite normal to criticize our boss openly whenever we feel like it)
Not every culture is the same and the way the dutch royals go about their work would not suit every culture in the world (not even in europe)

 

[Elenath]

The dutch royals' way works in the Netherlands, because the mindset of the general dutch public is very much "people shouldn't think they are above others" (we even think it's quite normal to criticize our boss openly whenever we feel like it)

Not every culture is the same and the way the dutch royals go about their work would not suit every culture in the world (not even in europe)

In Heerlen? I work in Maastricht and the only people I know who would dare to do that are from the north.

 

[Muhler]

I belong to those who do not think the royals should be too "normal".

It's fine to be on "eyelevel" when interacting with people, when on the job. And it's my impression that the BRF in general do that very well.
But I also expect royals to have a "regal air" when on the job. Especially when the big show is on, i.e dresses, uniforms, traditions and ceremony. I sincerely hope the BRF don't cut too much down on ceremonial in a misunderstood effort to be politically correct and egalitarian.

If I happen to meet a royal on the street or in other ways interact with royals when they are off-duty, then it's perfectly fine that they are informal just like everybody else. That's a curtesy I will gladly give them.

In short: I don't want royals to be "just like me", I want them to be different from me. Otherwise we might just as well hire actors to do their job.

- Anyway, this forum would be pretty dull if the royals were normal, eh?

 

[cdngirl]

The one thing I would say is William strikes me as a little to naive sometimes where the monarch is concerned. That will probably change though, at least I hope lol. I'm not concerned with education. You do not need a degree to be educated. That is a fallacy.

 

[Roslyn]

The one thing I would say is William strikes me as a little to naive sometimes where the monarch is concerned. That will probably change though, at least I hope lol. I'm not concerned with education. You do not need a degree to be educated. That is a fallacy.

Hmm. Though I do agree with you to a certain extent, I do think that the ability to educate oneself outside the formal system depends on whether the person has the characteristics which strongly dispose them towards critical thinking. Learning is not just reading; it requires remembering the information and processing it in certain ways. Tertiary education teaches you to do this, and different skills are required for different subjects, so the more subjects you study the more skills you develop. Few people have a strong natural ability to learn without the structure and guidance of a formal course, and I remain to be convinced that William is one of them.

 

[cepe]

From one of my previous posts:

He has proved that he can access and understand information; make critical decisions, work under extreme pressure and lead a team. That's a great start

He also applied himself to tertiary education and got a good degree.

But I understand from your post that you are skeptical and not minded to change - which is fair enough.

 

[Roslyn]

Yes, I am skeptical. I do, however, have no trouble changing my opinions if provided with additional information which inclines me to do so. So far nothing I know about William leads me to think he has a particularly high level of intelligence or ability. But he doesn't really need these qualities to become monarch. In fact it's probably better if he doesn't have them.

 

[Skippyboo]

The one thing I would say is William strikes me as a little to naive sometimes where the monarch is concerned. That will probably change though, at least I hope lol. I'm not concerned with education. You do not need a degree to be educated. That is a fallacy.

What do you mean by naive where the monarch is concerned?

He knows what the monarch does as he has watched his grandmother do it for his entire life. The monarch is head of state, head of the armed forces, head of the nation.

Remember the last time William went to NZ and Australia in 2011, it wasn't to watch rugby or to see kangaroos, it was to comfort people after the Christchurch earthquake and devastating fires and floods in Australia. He could use his own experience with the sudden loss of his mother to comfort people who also loss loved ones is a sudden tragic manner.

 

[Osipi]

What do you mean by naive where the monarch is concerned?

He knows what the monarch does as he has watched his grandmother do it for his entire life. The monarch is head of state, head of the armed forces, head of the nation.

Remember the last time William went to NZ and Australia in 2011, it wasn't to watch rugby or to see kangaroos, it was to comfort people after the Christchurch earthquake and devastating fires and floods in Australia. He could use his own experience with the sudden loss of his mother to comfort people who also loss loved ones is a sudden tragic manner.

I do think that having good people skills is what William will need as a monarch. I remember the trip you mention quite well even to the fact that when meeting privately with the bereaved, he was asked what to call him and his response was "just call me William". He does seem to be able to relate to people quite well and make them feel comfortable. There will be many occasions (such as investitures) where he will have to prepare ahead of time, know who the people are, what they are there for and what they have done. I don't see William having any kind of problem with this at all.

Another training that has been a plus for William is his RAF SAR training. He has proven to be an adept pilot and able to make split second decisions when they were needed. I think he'll do well at assessing a situation and making a good judgement call when it will be needed.

He's got years hopefully to get the gist of all that is involved with being a monarch and head of state. His training will be taken quite seriously but will really step up as he becomes the Duke of Cornwall and perhaps The Prince of Wales. I would almost bet my last doughnut that when the time comes, he will be his father's right hand man and in time, I see Harry also working closely with Charles and William.

Its all good. William fits the royal genes quite nicely.

 

[kalnel]

Very well put. I feel much the same.

I think it's also a little risky that if someone like Prince William becomes too much like the rest of us, people could start to question why the institution of royalty even exists. If the people royals are like everyone else, why not have a republic?

Of course, it can also go the other way, where they're too far removed and people resent them. It's a tough balancing act reading what the public wants.

I remember being impressed by an interview I read with Crown Prince Frederick a few years ago. He commented that he and Mary need to live "fairly close" to the way the rest of the Danish people live. Obviously, their life and jobs are not like the rest of ours, but they seem to share enough experiences with the rest of society that they can relate well.

I belong to those who do not think the royals should be too "normal".

It's fine to be on "eyelevel" when interacting with people, when on the job. And it's my impression that the BRF in general do that very well.
But I also expect royals to have a "regal air" when on the job. Especially when the big show is on, i.e dresses, uniforms, traditions and ceremony. I sincerely hope the BRF don't cut too much down on ceremonial in a misunderstood effort to be politically correct and egalitarian.

If I happen to meet a royal on the street or in other ways interact with royals when they are off-duty, then it's perfectly fine that they are informal just like everybody else. That's a curtesy I will gladly give them.

In short: I don't want royals to be "just like me", I want them to be different from me. Otherwise we might just as well hire actors to do their job.

- Anyway, this forum would be pretty dull if the royals were normal, eh?

 

[Eden]

I belong to those who do not think the royals should be too "normal".

It's fine to be on "eyelevel" when interacting with people, when on the job. And it's my impression that the BRF in general do that very well.
But I also expect royals to have a "regal air" when on the job. Especially when the big show is on, i.e dresses, uniforms, traditions and ceremony. I sincerely hope the BRF don't cut too much down on ceremonial in a misunderstood effort to be politically correct and egalitarian.

If I happen to meet a royal on the street or in other ways interact with royals when they are off-duty, then it's perfectly fine that they are informal just like everybody else. That's a curtesy I will gladly give them.

In short: I don't want royals to be "just like me", I want them to be different from me. Otherwise we might just as well hire actors to do their job.

- Anyway, this forum would be pretty dull if the royals were normal, eh?

I agree with you on this one my only addition would be Kate! Without starting an argument, this is my personal opinion! A little disappointed so far with Kate's lack of 'work'. I really admire the other heirs partners for working in the real world, showing their eagerness to get their hands in and get going. Just don't feel this with Kate. I understand the argument that William & Kate have a long wait ahead of them. Makes their lack of work at their age even more disappointing. Not a great example IMO! Being like the common man kind of reeks since they don't work at 30? Sorry but I have little respect for their attitude MPO!

 

[royalistbert]

How dare she WORK for her family firm and various other places before marrying William. Oh it might not be all those posh jobs like the other wives but it's still working. Oh and another thing William has finished a job as a rescue pilot not exactly an easy job.

 

[Osipi]

I agree with you on this one my only addition would be Kate! Without starting an argument, this is my personal opinion! A little disappointed so far with Kate's lack of 'work'. I really admire the other heirs partners for working in the real world, showing their eagerness to get their hands in and get going. Just don't feel this with Kate. I understand the argument that William & Kate have a long wait ahead of them. Makes their lack of work at their age even more disappointing. Not a great example IMO! Being like the common man kind of reeks since they don't work at 30? Sorry but I have little respect for their attitude MPO!

I think the whole idea of it was to ease Kate into royal life. I'm personally glad they had their time away living in Anglesy with Kate starting off slowly doing engagements and picking out her causes. Then came the royal pregnancy and the royal birth. I do think we'll be seeing a lot more of William and Kate from this point onwards with perhaps her taking maternity leave once again should she become pregnant with a second child.

Most importantly, I see Kate as a strong support for William as he heads towards more and more royal duties and demands on his time. These are two people that work excellently together as a team and I think that's important in William's life. I don't think the quantity of "work" is as important as the quality of the work they do and I've been pleasantly pleased with them and Harry so far.

 

[HRHHermione]

I think they're working pretty hard these days. They've really stepped up how often they're appearing, plus I think they're both getting pretty into their various causes.

I haven't seen anything in Kate to be disappointed about.

 

[Victorian-Dandy]

Since I'm fairly new to this forum I've been hesitant to add my two pennies worth but what the hell.

Prince William is doing fine and I'm sure that when the time finally comes he will be a good king (now if he is a great king, only time can answer that). Sure he hasn't got the degree's that some people think he should have but then he doesn't really need to, the British Monarchy has no real power per se and are basically figureheads so that to me is why he doesn't need degree's in law or economics etc, unless of course they are of a personal interest to him.

I'd venture that 99% of any training he gets will be hands on, there is no substitute for learning on the job, which is far better than countless lectures on "how to be a king101".

As for those that question his intelligence, do you really believe that you can become a RAF pilot nevermind a Search and Rescue pilot if you are lacking both intelligence and common sense.

The British Royalty pretty much has a sheltered upbringing so they often appear to lag behind others but from what I've seen of Prince William he has the potential and that is all that matters since he's probably not going to be on the throne for another 20+ years.

 

[Eden]

It's not about a degree or education it is about 'being like everyone else' and experiencing what it's like to work 9-5 like the average person! Glad Wills worked and continues with his 'new' job. As it has been pointed out by other posts Charles is the heir and William is second, so tell me again, what's the reason for both of them not to work.......... oh yeah of course easing into it!

Anyway not what this thread is about. Wills would make a good king, just show the average person that you are not a 30 year old who is afraid to put in some hours. Work, be that as a pilot or in the firm, BUT work!

 

[Skippyboo]

From Iluvbertie's engagement count, on oct 3 William had done 27 engagements. By the end of the year dec 26, it was 66. Once he left the RAF and the Cambridges moved into Apt 1a. The William's engagement numbers increased significantly. As for Kate -she was taking care of George and still did a number of engagements too.

Unlike us regular folks, they don't get to retire and their workload will increase with age. William and Kate should be allowed to raise a family. By the time George is ten, William is most likely PoW and DoCornwall and both him and Kate will be super busy.

 

[kathl29]

The queen is nearing the end of her reign and if William was the next king then I would be worried about his suitability as he is only just starting to show that he understands his destiny.

But, he is not the next king and although degrees are worthwhile, it is going to be day to day experience and training behind closed doors that is going to give him the skills to be a good king - he is starting to get that and it will continue when he is Prince of Wales.

 

[casualfan]

It's not about a degree or education it is about 'being like everyone else' and experiencing what it's like to work 9-5 like the average person! Glad Wills worked and continues with his 'new' job. As it has been pointed out by other posts Charles is the heir and William is second, so tell me again, what's the reason for both of them not to work.......... oh yeah of course easing into it!

Anyway not what this thread is about. Wills would make a good king, just show the average person that you are not a 30 year old who is afraid to put in some hours. Work, be that as a pilot or in the firm, BUT work!

You're assuming that we see all their work-and there is ample evidence that the royals do a lot of work behind the scenes.

 

[Lee27]

Whether William is suitable to be king is a non-issue. If the monarchy survives and William is alive when the time comes, he will be crowned king. Even he is not the all time greatest king to rule. Great Britain and the Commonwealth will survive his reign. Just like they have survived the reigns of much worst rulers, when Kings really did have power.

At this time, William appears to be personable, sane, intelligent, down to earth, accepting of this future, married a reasonably nice woman that he appears from the hacked phone calls, to really like.

 

[Roslyn]

Whether William is suitable to be king is a non-issue. If the monarchy survives and William is alive when the time comes, he will be crowned king. Even he is not the all time greatest king to rule. Great Britain and the Commonwealth will survive his reign. Just like they have survived the reigns of much worst rulers, when Kings really did have power.

True. In a sense the Windsors are pets, really. The Realms' pets. Pets with expensive lifestyles. They are kept around primarily for entertainment, and definitely at their "owners'" whim. Once they stop amusing us and providing what the majority consider to be value for money, they won't be replaced when they die. They have reached that stage as far as I'm concerned as an Australian. They don't provide anything we need anymore. I'm still attached to Charles and welcome his visits as a guest, and I like Camilla, but frankly the idea of William's presence here just irritates me. And our splendid (and well educated and accomplished) Governor-General Quentin Bryce is more of an inspiration to me than The Queen.

 

[Muhler]

A stupid question perhaps and slightly off topic, is the Australian GG an Australian or British national? Or is there no general rule in that respect?

 

[Roslyn]

A stupid question perhaps and slightly off topic, is the Australian GG an Australian or British national? Or is there no general rule in that respect?

Originally they were all British though a couple of locals gradually snuck in. Since 1965 all Governors-General have been Australian.

 

[cepe]

True. In a sense the Windsors are pets, really. The Realms' pets. Pets with expensive lifestyles. They are kept around primarily for entertainment, and definitely at their "owners'" whim. Once they stop amusing us and providing what the majority consider to be value for money, they won't be replaced when they die. They have reached that stage as far as I'm concerned as an Australian. They don't provide anything we need anymore. I'm still attached to Charles and welcome his visits as a guest, and I like Camilla, but frankly the idea of William's presence here just irritates me. And our splendid (and well educated and accomplished) Governor-General Quentin Bryce is more of an inspiration to me than The Queen.

This has been the subject of a referendum in the past, and Australia voted to keep the Monarch as Head of State.

You "sound" like someone who's had a bad day. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[VictoriaB]

This has been the subject of a referendum in the past, and Australia voted to keep the Monarch as Head of State.

You "sound" like someone who's had a bad day. Hope you feel better soon.

Yes we did have a referendum but the question that was asked was not whether we wanted a monarchy or a republic.

We were asked whether we wanted a monarchy or a republic in which the president was appointed by politicians and not directly elected by the people. Faced with those narrow terms, some who supported a republic chose to vote to keep the monarchy rather than having a president foisted on us.

Who knows what the result would have been had it simply been a question of monarchy or republic or even monarchy or directly elected president. As Sir Humphrey pointed out in one of the classic "Yes Minister" episodes, it's all about how you ask the question.

I admire the Queen and Prince Philip and like Charles and Camilla. I am neutral about William. I am both a British and an Australian citizen. As a British citizen I support the retention of the monarchy in the United Kingdom and in any other realm where the people wish to maintain that system of government. As an Australian I would prefer my head of state to be an Australian citizen whom I get to choose.

 

[cepe]

Thank you for explaining that so clearly. Interesting question! I daresay there while be another referendum within the next 5-10 years.

 

[Roslyn]

This has been the subject of a referendum in the past, and Australia voted to keep the Monarch as Head of State.

Not true, but VictoriaB has already explained what actually happened.

You "sound" like someone who's had a bad day. Hope you feel better soon.

Aren't you sweet! But no, I'm having a wonderful day. Firing on all cylinders, actually.

 

[GracieGiraffe]

True. In a sense the Windsors are pets, really. The Realms' pets. Pets with expensive lifestyles. They are kept around primarily for entertainment, and definitely at their "owners'" whim. Once they stop amusing us and providing what the majority consider to be value for money, they won't be replaced when they die. They have reached that stage as far as I'm concerned as an Australian. They don't provide anything we need anymore. I'm still attached to Charles and welcome his visits as a guest, and I like Camilla, but frankly the idea of William's presence here just irritates me. And our splendid (and well educated and accomplished) Governor-General Quentin Bryce is more of an inspiration to me than The Queen.

I am afraid that this is true. Once that veil of mystery is lifted, the illusion of a concept of "royalty" is gone. The Queen has retained it. Charles has managed to retain it. William is too insistent upon a "normal" existence.

I think that as most people on this site are monarchists, they take umbrage at the idea that most people do in fact view the royals as pets (without these people ever stopping to put it in these terms and clarify their point of view)... which is as demeaning to the royals as it is to the commoners looking in.

I think a great deal of this morphing from some reverence for the royals has to do not only with 21st Century views on royalty but with the celebritization of British royalty - starting with the Queen Mother who was keen on selling the image of her little family to counteract all the turmoil surrounding the Prince of Wales to Diana, who was just keen on selling herself and taking down anyone in her path she did not like. The end result has been disastrous.

What does this have to do with Will's suitability to be king? Well, if the Windsors are going to continue to sit on the throne, Will has a lot of revamping to do - revamping the idea that he's a celebrity or pet, revamping the notion of royalty in the 21st century, its purpose, its value, etc.

I think it's a daunting task. I think it's the hardest task a British monarch has had to face. I know some of you think that Will and Kate are up to that task. I personally do not. But I have been wrong before. And I have been right.