William, Catherine and Family: Annual Holiday to Mustique (2012-2015, 2018-2019)


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Yes, but your job/position is not being watched by an entire population, nor are you spotted out in £££'s worth of clothing shopping, yet you are meant to be suffering from a debilitating sickness. I am merely expressing what a lot if people think. They can of course afford a holiday, I just don't think it helps the public's perception.

1. My job is being watched by an entire population. If I don't do my job there are major consequences for people.
2. I do wear expensive, by some people's standards, clothes, which I shop for myself.
3. I do suffer from an illness that at times does knock me on my rear and have to spend a few days in bed.

Until you walk in someone else's shoes, judgement should be reserved.
 
1. My job is being watched by an entire population. If I don't do my job there are major consequences for people.
2. I do wear expensive, by some people's standards, clothes, which I shop for myself.
3. I do suffer from an illness that at times does knock me on my rear and have to spend a few days in bed.

Until you walk in someone else's shoes, judgement should be reserved.
But is your every movement followed by photographers and tweeted about, are their internet forums to allow people to critique you hair, jewels and fashion choices and how much they may have cost? Do newspapers regularly write about your parents or your siblings or remote ancestors? Does the general public follow you about and take pictures of you on their cell phones and then send them around the world?
 
The Duchess of Cambridge have been back to work for a while now.

I think members of the public knows by now that members of the royal family have their time off too. The young royals take a little vacation during this time of the year, every year or unless they have have something else planned.
 
There is always perception, and there is reality. Sometimes the two intertwine, more often they diverge. But perception always wins out over reality when making judgments.

I have no idea how often Will works. Or Kate. Or not. And neither does anyone else here. Our perceptions are often skewered not only by what we read or see, but about what we want to conclude. It's very hard to take an objective view. The press releases and the tabloids can state whatever, but we really don't know.

No matter what a few royal followers here think (and there's really only a few who have such a large body of knowledge about the royal family, who pays for what, what they actually do and don't do), most people don't know this. The problem is that no matter how hard Will and Kate might actually work (or not), the average person only sees photos of Kate walking the dog, out at Starbucks, and now they are off on a fabulous Caribbean holiday. In the meantime, there's story floating about that one of her charities had to cancel an event. (Not sure why, but that doesn't matter - perception of the general public only takes a few seconds and a headline skimmed). All the while, there is talk of austerity, job cuts, rising prices left and right. Nobody really knows how much Will works, but unless people send a witness to see him punching the clock day in and day out, the perception is that surely the Prince gets time off whenever he wants.
 
^^ I agree, Gracie Giraffe.

That's why I think that If it's true that Kate works that much in the backstage, something is wrong with her communication/RP team.
Even if she works a lot, if we don't see , there's no way we can check if she's really working or not, so one starts to doubt it a bit. That's why I think she shoud appear more often with her charities. Working with your charities is important, but letting the public know you're working is equally important in her case, IMO. And she's failing to communicate it
 
Just how much "work" is someone who is officially only a part time royal and primarily resident in Wales supposed to do? I suspect this is more about fullfilling a desire by some in the public/press to see more of her so comments can be made about fashion & jewels that it is about charity & public duties. So far I haven't heard any charities crying about lack of involvement or complaining about cancelled engagements.
I wonder if there were the same kind of complaints when Elizabeth, the heiress presumptive, went off to live in Malta with the Duke of Edinburgh or when Katherine went off to live in Hong Kong with the Duke of Kent.

We do not currently suffer from a shortage of fulltime working royals in the UK.
 
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Some of her charities have been making it known that she remains very active with her charities and have a great deal of interest in their progress.

We know that members of the royal family are always in contact with their charities and organizations of which they are Royal Patron or President. They are briefed daily on these charities, go over correspondents and meet with the charity officials. Their official engagements are arranged by the official secretaries and charity officials.

Members of the royal family do work hard, whether it's behind the scenes or in public and their job isn't all that easy or glamorous as it may look.
 
:previous:

You cannot possibly compare the life of service devoted by Her Majesty to the life of Kate Middleton. In some ways that is unfair because they were born into two different lives, but I still would not compare the two.

How many years did the Queen live in Malta? One or two is my estimation. This was already after many years of royal service and duties, including seasickness on royal tours throughout the commonwealth, surviving heat without air conditioning, and surviving without filtrated water. Some of it done while pregnant and sick herself. And then there was the war effort to which she contributed.
 
Things were a little different with the then, Princess Elizabeth. She had no other choice but to really step up when she became the first in-line to the throne. Then again, people at the time had a little more some respect for the royal family.
 
Just how much "work" is someone who is officially only a part time royal and primarily resident in Wales supposed to do? I suspect this is more about fullfilling a desire by some in the public/press to see more of her so comments can be made about fashion & jewels that it is about charity & public duties. So far I haven't heard any charities crying about lack of involvement or complaining about cancelled engagements.
I wonder if there were the same kind of complaints when Elizabeth, the heiress presumptive, went off to live in Malta with the Duke of Edinburgh or when Katherine went off to live in Hong Kong with the Duke of Kent.

I agree. I'm not sure how much work people expect a part-time royal to do. It's not like the Palace didn't let everyone know that William and Kate were only going to be part-time. It was actually one of the first things they announced after the engagement.

I do have to concede that perception is reality, but since Kate's hospitalization in early December, she's only been photographed shopping 4 times (3 last week and once the week before). So I'm not sure how people think that she's been spending these last 2 months shopping up a storm. With the exception of a few sightings at Starbucks and the gas station, she actually hasn't been seen out much.

I don't really understand the argument that William hasn't earned a vacation. He works full-time as a rescue pilot, so he's entitled to take time off.
 
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Wouldn't it make more sense for a person who is responsible for operating some rather large machinery with very sensitive equipment to rescue individuals in danger (sometimes in inclement weather) to be well rested and have a positive attitude?

I'm of the opinion that more military people (in any country) should have more time off. Perhaps the rather frightening rise in suicides and post-traumatic stress disorders would be turned around if soldiers got more rest. Just saying.
 
If the issue is perception rather than actual work then the couple can't win. A photograph of Kate on vacation on a beach somewhere is always going to attract more attention than a more "boring" picture of Kate showing up at one of her non glamourous official events. And we won't see any pictures at all of the behind the scenes work she does with her charities, or of her meeting with her staff regarding long term planning, or of her sitting in her living room going through paperwork or reading a book for research on a cause she's considering taking up. And it's the same with William - there aren't going to be any pictures of him performing the daily routine of either his job with the RAF or the non-public parts of his royal duties.

Also, they don't need to justify or clear their holidays with anyone other than William's superiors at work.
 
Whilst I agree nobody needs to 'deserve' a holiday, this couple haven't earnt it at all. William and Catherine clearly have no idea about public perception.

According to newspaper`s Catherine have been working with here charities for a while now, ( from home) isn`t that "proper" work?
 
So she can have a year off then ....

But no doubt with a maternity nurse , 24/6 ...and a stand in for the seventh day . Like all the other women in kensington ..lol.

I am sure Kate will have a long time off. She will be too exhausted to work and only manage to board a plane that takes her on holiday or hop on a car that takes her shopping. And she'll be pregnant again as soon as the work-free period of time threatens to be finished.
 
I am sure Kate will have a long time off. She will be too exhausted to work and only manage to board a plane that takes her on holiday or hop on a car that takes her shopping. And she'll be pregnant again as soon as the work-free period of time threatens to be finished.

:eek:

Fasten your seatbelts! It's gonna be a bumpy ride!
 
I am sure Kate will have a long time off. She will be too exhausted to work and only manage to board a plane that takes her on holiday or hop on a car that takes her shopping. And she'll be pregnant again as soon as the work-free period of time threatens to be finished.

Well I took 12 months maternity leave with my first, I just had a desk job. We also took holidays during that time.... just saying, is all. Why the H E double hockey stick should she take any less? Feminism was always about CHOICE!



Oh yeah, I fell pgs with number 2 before my maternity peace for number 1 finished so I ended up not returning to the paid workforce until number 4 was in primary school.... it's called choice....plus we' 're old fashioned enough to believe in the importance of a stay at home parent, a luxury seemingly unavailable to the Duchess.....
 
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But is your every movement followed by photographers and tweeted about, are their internet forums to allow people to critique you hair, jewels and fashion choices and how much they may have cost? Do newspapers regularly write about your parents or your siblings or remote ancestors? Does the general public follow you about and take pictures of you on their cell phones and then send them around the world?

My point is why should she be treated any differently than me just because she is watched by soooooooooooo many people.
 
All the royal ladies take maternity leave. Mary, Victoria, Letizia, Marie, etc. Catherine will be no different.
 
My point is why should she be treated any differently than me just because she is watched by soooooooooooo many people.

I think you answered your own question.....she is different from you and her every move is watched by sooooooooooo many people.
 
Perhaps William should have gone without her? :lol:
 
I wonder if there were the same kind of complaints when Elizabeth, the heiress presumptive, went off to live in Malta with the Duke of Edinburgh or when Katherine went off to live in Hong Kong with the Duke of Kent.

This point is overlooked by so many people. The then Princess Elizabeth and her husband undertook very few public duties in the first 2-3 years of their marriage. Not only that, they lived abroad for large chunks of that time. We must also remember that George VI was seriously unwell during this time and Elizabeth was not the heir to the heir as William is, but next in line.

The Queen and DoE were given what William and Kate have been given - a few years to enjoy being married to one another before they step into the glare of public scrutiny which will follow them to their graves. Clarence House and BP were open and honest about the fact that Will and Kate would not be full-time working royals for at least the first few years. We have plenty of working royals as it is.

This Mustique trip seems to be an important Middleton family tradition when the whole family gets together. Good luck to them.
 
QE2 should have worked something out with VL to keep the villa as a little beach hut. Would work out for Wills now.
 
BTW it was 31 years ago, not 20, that Diana was photographed pregnant in her bikini. I think it was in the Bahamas.
I hope W&K have learned their long lens lesson.
 
I fail to understand why my last post was deleted(as I said I was not speculating) but anyways not the point. Many people have been wondering what type of behind the scenes work could Wills and Kate be doing in there down time well here's one example from Hello Magazine
http://i47.tinypic.com/10htze1.png
 
^^ I agree, Gracie Giraffe. Mee too!

That's why I think that If it's true that Kate works that much in the backstage, something is wrong with her communication/RP team.
Even if she works a lot, if we don't see , there's no way we can check if she's really working or not, so one starts to doubt it a bit. That's why I think she shoud appear more often with her charities. Working with your charities is important, but letting the public know you're working is equally important in her case, IMO. And she's failing to communicate it

Has anyone wondered if there is something wrong with Kate? SURELY they DO know that this would be a PR nightmare!? What if her adjusting to life in the RF is not going as well as we think? Perhaps she has been having anxiety issues? I know I probably would have. Consequently she may be having to take more and more time off, and time away to cope?

I cannot believe they are not aware of what the public think. I also don't believe the PR machine is not working overtime to try and explain the holiday, etc. Either they really don't care what we think or there is something going on...
 
The palace never really explain the royals private holidays. They feel that it's part of their private life and they don't need to comment on it.
 
I cannot believe they are not aware of what the public think. I also don't believe the PR machine is not working overtime to try and explain the holiday, etc. Either they really don't care what we think or there is something going on...

There's no need for any PR team to explain away anything the royal couple does in their own private time. To be honest, its none of our business what they do in their down time but for some perverse reason, the public seems to believe it is. Their PR team works to enhance their public lives and appearances

Another factor with this holiday is that I'm sure that Kate has been cleared by her doctor to travel. Personally I'm glad to know that she's feeling quite better and the worse of the HG has hopefully passed. I also expect Will and Kate to be making this trip yearly to Mustique with Kate's family. It seems to be becoming a family tradition just as Christmas at Sandringham is a tradition in the Windsor family.
 
There's no need for any PR team to explain away anything the royal couple does in their own private time. To be honest, its none of our business what they do in their down time but for some perverse reason, the public seems to believe it is. Their PR team works to enhance their public lives and appearances

:previous:

From some of the various internet commentary I am seeing about Will and Kate, and about Britain in general, with Britain in such dire economic times, the social contract between monarchy and public appears to be changing. It is not enough to be royal and bear children. The public now seems to expect something from every royal in exchange for the privilege of never having to worry about your job or where your next meal is coming from.

I am not saying this is right or wrong. I'm saying this objectively. Expectations are changing. The last vestiges of Divine Right are dead. From now on those in such exalted positions are going to be expected to show an empathy with the people. This is how I see things going.
 
:previous:

From some of the various internet commentary I am seeing about Will and Kate, and about Britain in general, with Britain in such dire economic times, the social contract between monarchy and public appears to be changing. It is not enough to be royal and bear children. The public now seems to expect something from every royal in exchange for the privilege of never having to worry about your job or where your next meal is coming from.

I am not saying this is right or wrong. I'm saying this objectively. Expectations are changing. The last vestiges of Divine Right are dead. From now on those in such exalted positions are going to be expected to show an empathy with the people. This is how I see things going.

I understand that point of view too. I think the Cambridges are trying to balance out their fulltime military life and their part-time royal life. William has mentioned that it's getting harder for them to do and I do think they will become fulltime royals soon.

The thing is they do their part though. They not only visited their charities but they accompanied The Queen on her Diamond Jubilee visit's around the country, they supported and participated in the London Olympics and Paralympics events and they embarked on their official Diamond Jubliee Tour. The Cambridges are doing their part but the complaints keep coming.

I too would like to see them doing more but I do realize that I have to be a little patient and wait for their official engagements to start up. I also understand that Catherine is pregnant. Every woman's pregnancy is different and she will have her good days and her bad days. So her public engagements may be a little spaced out. The palace has said that she is getting better and working behind the scenes.

I really don't think there's a pretty big public outcry for the Cambridges to make more appearences at this very minute. At least I haven't seen it in the news but I think they (the people) are happy to come out and see the young royal couple when they are out and about on their official engagements. I also think they appreciate the royals efforts in trying to raise awareness for worthy causes and using their royal platform to make a difference in peoples lives.

I just think there are some people on the internet who are growing impatient and making it seem like William & Catherine don't care about their charities and royal duty, when none of that is true.
 
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