William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales

[Chloe302225]

 

[A1aGypsy]

I don't know, being popular has never been my goal in life. I'm shy by nature and at the same time I don't care all that much what strangers think of me.

Heck, me too. And good on you for being able to not care what anyone thinks.

I didn’t mean the lack of popularity would be difficult but being told you can’t do this thing that is important to you, you can’t go to that event. You have to stand down from this charity or that etc. Not being able to make your own choices and the decisions being made based upon some artificial matrix. That would be difficult. Especially because the things you excel at are likely the ones you feel strongly about.

 

[EverSoElusive]

I've not seen this before

 

[FaubourgTropical]

I've not seen this before

That’s kinda sexy… Tall, athletic, well-groomed family man who flies his own helicopter.

ETA: I have to replay to the bits when he took of his jacket and rolled his sleeves…

 

[duna]

I mean, look, I’m no fan, but you have to be pretty enlightened, happy and comfortable in your own skin to be able to shrug your shoulders and say, “that’s fine. He gets to be the king. I’m cool figuring life out over here in the shadow.” That’s a tough division to swallow.

He didn’t have the childhood to make that possible, I don’t think. So jealousy or friction is to be expected. And I also imagine it would be SUPER tough to marry into all that nonsense and be expected to follow the rules and be always less popular.

Are you talking about royal spouses as Kate and Meghan? If you are nobody pointed a gun to their heads and forced them to marry into the BRF. If they chose to then they're expected to follow the rules of the RF.

 

[Starflower2305]

Are you talking about royal spouses as Kate and Meghan? If you are nobody pointed a gun to their heads and forced them to marry into the BRF. If they chose to then they're expected to follow the rules of the RF.

Exactly, you fit in with them, not them be expected to fit with you.

 

[White Orchid]

Her left eye looks strange. Is that because of Botox?

 

[purseinsanity]

That’s kinda sexy… Tall, athletic, well-groomed family man who flies his own helicopter.

ETA: I have to replay to the bits when he took of his jacket and rolled his sleeves…

It does make me nervous to see them in helicopters. I keep thinking of TW’s nasty comment. At least it’s not the whole family this time, but still…

 

[A1aGypsy]

Are you talking about royal spouses as Kate and Meghan? If you are nobody pointed a gun to their heads and forced them to marry into the BRF. If they chose to then they're expected to follow the rules of the RF.

Exactly, you fit in with them, not them be expected to fit with you.

Sure, absolutely. Don’t disagree. All I’m saying is that in my opinion, that sounds like it could be tough. For all of them. I have no doubt in a decade or so we will hear how difficult it was for KM. And some handle it better than others.

Man, why can no one have an even remotely middle of the ground opinion around here?

 

[DoggieBags]

Sure, absolutely. Don’t disagree. All I’m saying is that in my opinion, that sounds like it could be tough. For all of them. I have no doubt in a decade or so we will hear how difficult it was for KM. And some handle it better than others.

Man, why can no one have an even remotely middle of the ground opinion around here?

I think there was also a major difference in how Kate and William handled Kate’s integration into the BRF vs how H and TW handled TW’s entry into the BRF. William and Kate dated for several years before they got engaged and after they were married, they had the benefit of living mostly out of the public eye for the first few years of their marriage while William worked as a helicopter pilot in Wales. And Kate, as a British citizen, had the added benefit of more familiarity with the role the BRF played in daily life in the UK. And even then it wasn’t easy for Kate to adapt. Whereas H and TW dated for less than a year before they got engaged. And of course we’ve since found out from their Netflix mockumentary that the Harkles never had any intention of staying and working within the strictures of the BRF. Their plan even before they were married was to live primarily in the US and merch their titles. But even looking at the generation before them, Queen Elizabeth’s 4 children, Anne‘s first marriage to a British Captain she met through her equestrian career ended in divorce. Her second marriage was much more successful partly because they met when he was an Equerry to the Queen so he was well versed in royal protocol by the time they married. We know what happened with Charles’ and Andrews first marriages. And for various reasons, Charles and Camilla had a very long term relationship before they finally married. Camilla had a very rough time too partly because she was so deeply unpopular with the British public because of her perceived role in the breakup of Charles and Diana. So only Sophie successfully integrated into the BRF after she married Edward. 1 out of 4 is pretty poor odds. So I think William and Kate were very smart in taking things so slowly.

 

[880]

I think there was also a major difference in how Kate and William handled Kate’s integration into the BRF vs how H and TW handled TW’s entry into the BRF. William and Kate dated for several years before they got engaged and after they were married, they had the benefit of living mostly out of the public eye for the first few years of their marriage while William worked as a helicopter pilot in Wales. And Kate, as a British citizen, had the added benefit of more familiarity with the role the BRF played in daily life in the UK. And even then it wasn’t easy for Kate to adapt. Whereas H and TW dated for less than a year before they got engaged. And of course we’ve since found out from their Netflix mockumentary that the Harkles never had any intention of staying and working within the strictures of the BRF. Their plan even before they were married was to live primarily in the US and merch their titles. But even looking at the generation before them, Queen Elizabeth’s 4 children, Anne‘s first marriage to a British Captain she met through her equestrian career ended in divorce. Her second marriage was much more successful partly because they met when he was an Equerry to the Queen so he was well versed in royal protocol by the time they married. We know what happened with Charles’ and Andrews first marriages. And for various reasons, Charles and Camilla had a very long term relationship before they finally married. Camilla had a very rough time too partly because she was so deeply unpopular with the British public because of her perceived role in the breakup of Charles and Diana. So only Sophie successfully integrated into the BRF after she married Edward. 1 out of 4 is pretty poor odds. So I think William and Kate were very smart in taking things so slowly.

Agree. and, even so, the press was not kind to Kate for many years, as several have already pointed out. I had forgotten horrible the coverage was until some recently surfaced.

 

[White Orchid]

Sure, absolutely. Don’t disagree. All I’m saying is that in my opinion, that sounds like it could be tough. For all of them. I have no doubt in a decade or so we will hear how difficult it was for KM. And some handle it better than others.

Man, why can no one have an even remotely middle of the ground opinion around here?

There should be a separate thread lol. There’s already one for those who adore Kate, and those who adore Meghan. And then there’s us who are like: whatevs, I’m just here for the fashion

 

[FaubourgTropical]

There should be a separate thread lol. There’s already one for those who adore Kate, and those who adore Meghan. And then there’s us who are like: whatevs, I’m just here for the fashion

Ah, that’s what the Royalty fashion thread is for. Completely neutral with added bonus of detailed sourcing information

 

[Chloe302225]

 

[Chloe302225]