The Royal Family #16

[TYL159]

This is the whole paradox of the Royal family. Through dint of birth they are immediately propelled to the top of British society in terms of status and wealth. William would never want to send his kids to the local state school (even if it was outstanding). But they have to pretend to be like us and the media helps peddle that myth so the plebs don’t suddenly go whoah OMG THIS IS UNFAIR. Because of course it inherently is.

I have more problem with Charles and Edward going to Cambridge and depriving others of a place scraping BC and CDD in their A levels respectively.

When Charles went to Cambridge most pupils did not have 3 A grades as it was pre grade inflation and he got a respectable second class degree. William went to St Andrews of course. Plenty of people have inherited wealth, indeed plenty inherit more than the Royals do especially if their parents are part of the Super rich, nothing wrong with inheritance

Fine. We all know they have huge privilege. Don't pretend to be something else and dont leak stories to the press about how frugal you are because you used a £1k scarf twice. To be fair to them, a lot of this is the entirely uncritical and sycophantic press we have and the Royal sycophant industry that has sprung up, where arsrlicking the Royals on TV is a job for mediocre minor aristocracy and ex Royal servants . They are sycophantic because the Royals use their leverage to allow/ deny them access and leak favourable stories to them snd they need print.

Richard Kay was hardly sycophantic in the Mail and if you think the Sun and Murdoch press were sycophantic to Fergie and Charles for instance you obviously had your head in the sand in the 1990s

 

[Jane Tee]

I think I remember Stella McCartney saying something negative about having to go to state school? Depends on your perception of what the local education is like.

She sent her kids to the same school as william and Harry. Wetherby.

 

[pinkrobot]

When Charles went to Cambridge most pupils did not have 3 A grades as it was pre grade inflation and he got a respectable second class degree. William went to St Andrews of course. Plenty of people have inherited wealth, indeed plenty inherit more than the Royals do especially if their parents are part of the Super rich, nothing wrong with inheritance

No way on earth would anyone else have got into Cambridge with two average A levels. Even allowing for grade inflation. At a minimum, 3 good quality A levels (AAB or above) were needed.
Of course he got a degree, they’d hardly fail him!

 

[Tangent Tiger]

She sent her kids to the same school as william and Harry. Wetherby.

I think Paul McCartney was insistent his children went to the local state school but Stella talked about the difficulty of coming from a different background to the majority of other students. I'd have to look it up as it was a while back now!

 

[Reraciara]

They are paying full rent on the Windsor cottage lease, their homes in Norfolk and Scotland are privately owned and they are keeping the Kensington Palace apartment as their London base. They are also paying for the private school out of their own funds, it is state schools that are funded by taxpayers. So what, it is their money!

Oh yes "their" money from the stressful jobs they both have. People need to wake up - neither of them work and any private funds they have is from land they stole hundreds of years ago. The latest articles of them being "just like us" boils my piss when people in the country are using food banks and struggling.

 

[pinkrobot]

I think Paul McCartney was insistent his children went to the local state school but Stella talked about the difficulty of coming from a different background to the majority of other students. I'd have to look it up as it was a while back now!

I have so much respect for Paul and Linda doing that. I cannot think of any A list star who has done the same. And actually all their kids turned out amazingly well or lead (hopefully happy) private lives.

 

[TYL159]

No way on earth would anyone else have got into Cambridge with two average A levels. Even allowing for grade inflation. At a minimum, 3 good quality A levels (AAB or above) were needed.
Of course he got a degree, they’d hardly fail him!

Blair got into Oxford with A B C

Oh yes "their" money from the stressful jobs they both have. People need to wake up - neither of them work and any private funds they have is from land they stole hundreds of years ago. The latest articles of them being "just like us" boils my piss when people in the country are using food banks and struggling.

Nothing wrong with inherited wealth. Inflation is rising because of sanctions over the Russian Ukraine war and lost energy and food production due to lockdown not the royals

 

[Jane Tee]

I think Paul McCartney was insistent his children went to the local state school but Stella talked about the difficulty of coming from a different background to the majority of other students. I'd have to look it up as it was a while back now!

Yes. I read this too. So Stella sent her children to rhe same Prep school that Prince William and Harry attended. Claudia Schiffer sent her kids there. Elle mcpherson too. And Emily Maitluss.

 

[CuriousCat92]

I don’t think there should be fee paying schools, if there have to be then full vat and business rates should be levied on them (state schools have to pay business rates and it bugs me that private schools don’t have to of their charitable status as I understand it). States schools are desperately in need of money and there is going to be a huge two tier system for those children who went to them and those who experienced the state school system and its lack of resources. Even if that’s always been the case, it isn’t right and we should do something about it.

I think the royal family should send their children to state schools and use nhs hospitals too. They are supposed to represent us so they should be like us. I would accept the ruling monarch having special doctors like the president of the USA does (as I understand it), that seems sensible.

As for the houses, four is ridiculous. Again I would tax second home owners through the roof.

Finally it really bugs me how we are supposed to admire w and k for arranging their working lives so they can do the school run. To me, it sums up their privilege that they can do this (and have a full time nanny), when childcare and wraparound care is experiencing major issues and is almost unaffordable for many parents whose employers won’t allow them flexibility to work hours that fit with the school day.

To me it sums up how out of touch the royal family (and maybe even the ruling elites more widely) are out of touch with real life for most people. Although this may not be anything new.

 

[Boring Monday]

I don’t think there should be fee paying schools, if there have to be then full vat and business rates should be levied on them (state schools have to pay business rates and it bugs me that private schools don’t have to of their charitable status as I understand it). States schools are desperately in need of money and there is going to be a huge two tier system for those children who went to them and those who experienced the state school system and its lack of resources. Even if that’s always been the case, it isn’t right and we should do something about it.

I think the royal family should send their children to state schools and use nhs hospitals too. They are supposed to represent us so they should be like us. I would accept the ruling monarch having special doctors like the president of the USA does (as I understand it), that seems sensible.

As for the houses, four is ridiculous. Again I would tax second home owners through the roof.

Finally it really bugs me how we are supposed to admire w and k for arranging their working lives so they can do the school run. To me, it sums up their privilege that they can do this (and have a full time nanny), when childcare and wraparound care is experiencing major issues and is almost unaffordable for many parents whose employers won’t allow them flexibility to work hours that fit with the school day.

To me it sums up how out of touch the royal family (and maybe even the ruling elites more widely) are out of touch with real life for most people. Although this may not be anything new.

It’s not is it.
You didn’t get my friend’s Gran on the subject of the Queen Mum being ‘able to look the East End in the face’ after Buck House lost a roof tile (as per her telling) when her own house in the East End had been completely flattened and all they got from the Mayor’s Fund for a family of 3 was a single bed and 2 chairs. She was quite … vocal.

 

[TYL159]

I don’t think there should be fee paying schools, if there have to be then full vat and business rates should be levied on them (state schools have to pay business rates and it bugs me that private schools don’t have to of their charitable status as I understand it). States schools are desperately in need of money and there is going to be a huge two tier system for those children who went to them and those who experienced the state school system and its lack of resources. Even if that’s always been the case, it isn’t right and we should do something about it.

I think the royal family should send their children to state schools and use nhs hospitals too. They are supposed to represent us so they should be like us. I would accept the ruling monarch having special doctors like the president of the USA does (as I understand it), that seems sensible.

As for the houses, four is ridiculous. Again I would tax second home owners through the roof.

Finally it really bugs me how we are supposed to admire w and k for arranging their working lives so they can do the school run. To me, it sums up their privilege that they can do this (and have a full time nanny), when childcare and wraparound care is experiencing major issues and is almost unaffordable for many parents whose employers won’t allow them flexibility to work hours that fit with the school day.

To me it sums up how out of touch the royal family (and maybe even the ruling elites more widely) are out of touch with real life for most people. Although this may not be anything new.

Private school parents already pay for state schools through their taxes and charitable status funds scholarships and bursaries etc. Send private school pupils to state schools and that means extra pressure on state schools with zero extra funds.

The Cambridges only have 2 homes they own themselves, both gifts, one in Scotland from the Queen Mother and one in Norfolk from the Queen. The former is let out so a renter can use it. Their apartment in Kensington Palace and Adelaide Cottage are part of the Crown Estate and they are paying rent on Adelaide Cottage.

In this new age of more working from home more parents can manage the school run than ever before. However you can't do royal visits just working from home. William was also an air sea rescue pilot not an investment banker

 

[CuriousCat92]

Private school parents already pay for state schools through their taxes and charitable status funds scholarships and bursaries etc. Send private school pupils to state schools and that means extra pressure on state schools with zero extra funds.

The Cambridges only have 2 homes they own themselves, both gifts, one in Scotland from the Queen Mother and one in Norfolk from the Queen. The former is let out so a renter can use it. Their apartment in Kensington Palace and Adelaide Cottage are part of the Crown Estate and they are paying rent on Adelaide Cottage.

In this new age of more working from home more parents can manage the school run than ever before. However you can't do royal visits just working from home. William was also an air sea rescue pilot not an investment banker

Great so private school parents have lots of money so they can pay vat on the fees. The schools can definitely afford to pay business rates. Their charitable status should be removed. I would still get rid of them though. Those nice wealthy parents would ensure that state schools were properly funded if they had to use them either through putting pressure on the government or paying themselves.

Many of the jobs where parents can work from home are higher earning ones. Police officers, fire fighters, nurses, paramedics, cleaners are not able to work from home or ask for better working patterns to enable them to take their children to and from school and finding wraparound care can be impossible and very expensive. The idea that we are supposed to rejoice that two extremely wealthy people who can afford full time, good quality care want to limit their already part time (at best) jobs so they can do the school run is really aggravating. That they are being held up and praised publicly for doing so without any examination of how it is possible for them and impossible for most ordinary people is unsurprising but really sad.

 

[pinkrobot]

Private school parents already pay for state schools through their taxes and charitable status funds scholarships and bursaries etc. Send private school pupils to state schools and that means extra pressure on state schools with zero extra funds.

The Cambridges only have 2 homes they own themselves, both gifts, one in Scotland from the Queen Mother and one in Norfolk from the Queen. The former is let out so a renter can use it. Their apartment in Kensington Palace and Adelaide Cottage are part of the Crown Estate and they are paying rent on Adelaide Cottage.

In this new age of more working from home more parents can manage the school run than ever before. However you can't do royal visits just working from home. William was also an air sea rescue pilot not an investment banker

Everyone pays for the state school system, including single people with no children. We all pay taxes on stuff that we don’t use. It’s part of being in a society. It is a choice to send kids to a private school and pay those fees on top of taxes.
All the Cambridge homes are gifts by virtue of being owned by royals or part of the crown estate. Historically that was all land accumulated through position / privilege in feudal times. I think it’s daft for the media suggest they are living frugal or normal lives. Just call it for what it is. Fabulously privileged and entitled existence for not a great deal of actual work.
The more privileged aspects of the Cambridges’ lives are carefully shielded from us. We hear of the economy flights to Balmoral but not the private jets to St Barts. Or the time they went to Jordan but no one knew until months later a photo of Will & the kids was released in a Christmas card.

 

[Amelia99]

The Royals live an incredibly pampered, privileged and elite lifestyle which is entirely unlike that of 99.999 per cent of their “subjects.”

Some people like having a Royal Family and are ok with that. Others think the RF is an outmoded institution and should be abolished.

But nobody with an iota of sense believes for one second that the RF are “just like us.”

 

[TYL159]

Great so private school parents have lots of money so they can pay vat on the fees. The schools can definitely afford to pay business rates. Their charitable status should be removed. I would still get rid of them though. Those nice wealthy parents would ensure that state schools were properly funded if they had to use them either through putting pressure on the government or paying themselves.

Many of the jobs where parents can work from home are higher earning ones. Police officers, fire fighters, nurses, paramedics, cleaners are not able to work from home or ask for better working patterns to enable them to take their children to and from school and finding wraparound care can be impossible and very expensive. The idea that we are supposed to rejoice that two extremely wealthy people who can afford full time, good quality care want to limit their already part time (at best) jobs so they can do the school run is really aggravating. That they are being held up and praised publicly for doing so without any examination of how it is possible for them and impossible for most ordinary people is unsurprising but really sad.

Absolutely not. That charitable status helps fund scholarships for bright pupils whose parents cannot afford the fees and partnerships with local schools and groups. Scrap private schools and those private school parents aren't going to send their children to the bog standard comp down the road either, they will move into the most expensive catchment area of an outstanding comprehensive or academy or free school or a grammar school. That in turn deprives more children of non rich parents of a place at a top state school.

They would also not pay a penny more in tax to support a bog standard state school they wouldn't touch with a bargepole.
William was an air sea rescue pilot and now a working royal, neither of which can be mostly done working from home so he has more in common with most workers than the average mainly home working office worker

The Royals live an incredibly pampered, privileged and elite lifestyle which is entirely unlike that of 99.999 per cent of their “subjects.”

Some people like having a Royal Family and are ok with that. Others think the RF is an outmoded institution and should be abolished.

But nobody with an iota of sense believes for one second that the RF are “just like us.”

Well they shouldn't be, they are meant to be royal after all and produce the ceremonial head of state, a symbol of the nation and above grubby party politics which they leave to parliament

 

[Honeystar]

The problem is if they start using state schools or NHS hospitals- the fact is these places just aren’t equipped for the level of security etc they would need. I know my daughters school certainly couldn’t cope with 3 royal children, 2 royal parents plus security every day. Same goes for the hospitals. The upheaval it would cause to have a senior member of the royal family staying would probably do more damage to the average taxpayer than them paying to go private. Also, and I’m sorry but it’s true, send the kids to a private school and nobody there will bat much of an eyelid after a coupon of days- most people there are probably richer than the royals anyway, send them to state school and they’ll be goldfish in a bowl. They would be treated totally differently.

 

[Boring Monday]

I’m not quite sure why the Air Ambulance is being brought into it. That stoped being a thing in 2017. William has been an allege full time working member of the Royal Family Firm since then, same as Kate … with the remuneration being a full time working member enjoys.

I have to say that for a job that “can’t be done mostly working from home”, they are certainly giving it a fair crack to try.

 

[Reraciara]

I’m not quite sure why the Air Ambulance is being brought into it. That stoped being a thing in 2017. William has been an allege full time working member of the Royal Family Firm since then, same as Kate … with the remuneration being a full time working member enjoys.

I have to say that for a job that “can’t be done mostly working from home”, they are certainly giving it a fair crack to try.

Didn't they do loads of zoom meetings with people over the pandemic?.....

 

[Boring Monday]

The problem is if they start using state schools or NHS hospitals- the fact is these places just aren’t equipped for the level of security etc they would need. I know my daughters school certainly couldn’t cope with 3 royal children, 2 royal parents plus security every day. Same goes for the hospitals. The upheaval it would cause to have a senior member of the royal family staying would probably do more damage to the average taxpayer than them paying to go private. Also, and I’m sorry but it’s true, send the kids to a private school and nobody there will bat much of an eyelid after a coupon of days- most people there are probably richer than the royals anyway, send them to state school and they’ll be goldfish in a bowl. They would be treated totally differently.

Again, <for me> the issue isn’t the fact they are going to sent the kids to a private school …a blind man and his deaf dog knows they aren’t going to Grange Hill with a Power Rangers lunch box …it’s the whole PR hoopla about normalising having 4 (four) residences and the expenditure that comes with keeping them ticking over that has morphed into moving to be next to elderly Granny and so the kids can be picked up by Dad after having a bracing run around a lush playing field. Spidey senses say that Kate won’t be taking Granny meals on wheels and that nanny will still be doing most of the heavy ferrying about. Luckily the sports kit laundry is provided by the school so that’s one less thing for a full time working parent to worry about. Phew.

 

[JAR21]

Didn't they do loads of zoom meetings with people over the pandemic?.....

Would you rather they'd done nothing at all?