'The press' is overrated now, most people don't read a newspaper and the circulation of the Sun for example is a fraction of what it was in the 1990s when it was regularly trashing Charles and Camilla and Fergie etc and even the Queen when she apparently did not come down quickly enough from Balmoral and lower the flag to half mast when Diana died. In fact the advent of twitter, instagram etc provides a source for publicising the royals and monarchists to come together to promote our royal family whatever the press says which was not there before
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And it also provides an ability for people to freely comment and question things about the royal family and for this to be seen publicly. What might have been moans about them down the pub and in homes, are now displayed for all to see. It’s a risky time for them and they need to get the pr right. I don’t think that this focus on the four bed house is a good idea at all. Everyone knows they have three more.
They aren’t being helped by Meghan either though in fairness, I can’t get my head around the story about the heater on the trip to South Africa. The child was in no danger, your job is to get on with it. It emphasises what my problem is with the pr around the Cambridges looking to work family friendly hours. They are there to serve the public and they are richly rewarded for doing so, I do expect them to put their jobs first. That’s what other less fortunate people have to do to pay the bills. They have a nanny and grandparents nearby to help if needed. They both need to get on with it. Or accept less money and a less privileged lifestyle.
They aren’t being helped by Meghan either though in fairness, I can’t get my head around the story about the heater on the trip to South Africa. The child was in no danger, your job is to get on with it. It emphasises what my problem is with the pr around the Cambridges looking to work family friendly hours. They are there to serve the public and they are richly rewarded for doing so, I do expect them to put their jobs first. That’s what other less fortunate people have to do to pay the bills. They have a nanny and grandparents nearby to help if needed. They both need to get on with it. Or accept less money and a less privileged lifestyle.
So what, it is the press primarily publicising this non issue, social media at least provides more of an opportunity for the royal family and monarchists to respond. I also don't think there has been a great focus on the 4 bed house other than 1 press release some sections of the media blew out of all proportion.
I don't disagree on Meghan but as I said the Cambridges only get sovereign grant for duties and tours if they do them. They did plenty of overseas tours recently, including of the Caribbean for which they received sovereign grant but then of course republicans criticise them for that too
They could work family friendly hours and still do many times the amount of work they do. I wonder if their family friendly hours will include not going to high profile sports events at the weekend, or evening movie premieres? Or is it just an excuse so they don't get dragged for doing hardly anything while their children are all at school and they have 7 hours a day 6 days a week for 8 or 9 months of the year to fit in engagements, but still don't do it.
Just an apartment?!
Apartment 1A takes up half of the 17th century palace's Clock Tower wing and boasts nine bedrooms in four stories and located in the middle of central London and one of the most expensive places in the country!
I bet it has a south facing garden as well to complete the package!
I think that’s a problem for the Royals as a whole.
Yes, the Monarchy is in need of trimming down which means the way they work will have to change … but they still need to be visible and seen to be doing the bread and butter of royalling. Zoom calls are all very well, but they aren‘t visible. They need to be more visible than just high days and sporting finals. It may not be glamorous, but Hospital wings and Schools and Community Halls in The Shires still need opening. Conduct all your ‘work’ behind closed doors and people might just start to wonder more and more just how much bang for the Buck they are actually getting.
And two kitchens.
So what, it is there London base but belongs to the Crown Estate whether they lived in it or not
And all those visits require more sovereign grant to pay for. Being a workhorse like Princess Anne is no doubt a good thing but it is no great argument for constitutional monarchy and a President and their family could also do such visits at taxpayer expense or not as they chose. It is the global name recognition, Jubilees, Royal Weddings, Coronations and apolitical nature of the role that makes me a constitutional monarchist, not their number of visits per head
So the sovereign grant is paid according to how many visits they do? I admit I don’t know very much about total finances but the lack of work by the Cambridges now makes even less sense to me now I have learnt that. Surely with recent drop in other members of the RF to do these duties then they just need to do more to keep the amount the government pays the RF up? It’s in their own interests??
Arch Royalist Richard Kay pointed out that there is no point slimming down the Monarchy if the ones that are left just expand into all the vacant areas, so fewer of them cost the same amount to maintain because they have 4 houses each. William and Kate won't be able to get away with doing no work and having 4 homes for long once Meghan and Harry stop being bogeyman no 1. Especially when we have a very hard time ahead of us.
As 2 of those 4 homes are privately owned and privately funded without any sovereign grant or taxpayer involvement at all that does not really follow. Adelaide Cottage the Cambridges pay full rent for so the only one of the 4 the sovereign grant fully funds is Kensington Palace which will always be the case as it is one of the main royal palaces (though also open to visitors to)
I don't know how it works either but I do know they're not relying on money from the government to survive. They have unbelievable private wealth. They'd probably happily do less work and get less money because they don't need it. The whole royal thing just holds them back from living the lifestyle that other incredibly wealthy people do.
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To an extent but they wouldn't get to live in the Crown Estate Palaces like Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace or Kensington Palace which are priceless or indeed Adelaide Cottage without being royal. Nor would they get to present trophies at big sporting events, nor meet so many celebrities or top politicians either nor get round the clock security, nor paid for foreign travel.
So it has its perks as well as duties, including the duties for Charles and William which will come as Head of State. Even if they would be rich still royal or not as serving royals
@TYL159 I feel like you must move in high society or be a member of the royal staff
I wondered that too.
As you say the perks are gargantuan. I’m sure a lot goes on behind the scenes (in terms of meetings/prepping for events) but much greater visibility is needed (not just popping up at Wimbledon or sailing events and then disappearing again). Especially with the country facing extremely hard times ahead.
William and Kate are 40, their children are now all at school. They have had a relatively gentle 10-15 years of royal duties. Things can change and turn very quickly. Look at the debacle that was their Caribbean tour.
I am wondering about this too, been planted here to defend them to the hilt I have never seen such an obsessively loyal Royal ist and so knowledgable too.
I can confirm I neither work for the Palace or Royal household, I once did a brief period at one of Princess Diana's charities but that is it
They are quite common on Royal forums I’ve been a part of. I don’t believe that the poster is a royal or moves in aristocratic circles (no offence!) I just think they are a die hard Royalist and therefore have learned about it.
Also, most other incredibly wealthy people, including people with inherited wealth still have to eventually have to budget for things, and maybe sell paintings or sell some land to the National Trust or even actually have to work to keep a business ticking over, or their children or grandchildren will have to. The Royals don't ever have to worry about that either ever or at least for several generations. Imagine the lack of stress from having the weight lifted from your shoulders of never having to keep money aside for emergencies or never getting a bill, or never having to really worry about your children's futures, when all you have to do is not be so disastrous a monarch that you get the whole thing overthrown. Something no one realistically thinks will happen, no matter what they do. They would have to try and overthrow Parliament to be removed.
Though even their Caribbean tour let us forget was them travelling in an official capacity and again more focused on the impact in the Caribbean, which is where many of the last few remaining Commonwealth realms are than here.
The hard times ahead and rising cost of living are largely a product of the sanctions on Russia after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the impact on energy and food supplies. Not much the Royals can do about that, they already pay their own heating and electricity bills for all private accommodation
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