156 thoughts on “Prince William wants George & Charlotte ‘to grow up with more simple aspirations’”

1. I don’t have much to say about this. It’s like when he’s talking about not hunting in Africa but then goes on a boar hunt in Spain. He wants his kids to live simpler lives but everything around them is the exact opposite. Talking out of both sides of his mouth. If he wants a simpler life, step out of the line of succession and keep your family in the country. Scale down your homes and modes of transportation. Then there’s the part of me that wonders how much they’ll be siphoning off of the Buckingham Palace renovation to repaint their beige world another color. It has been a few years now, I’m sure they’re tired of it.

   1. I think William romanticizes how “normal” people live. It’s like some sort of fairy tale to him, but if he ever actually experienced it, warts and all, he’d hate it.

      1. I too, believe, that William romanticizes what “normal” life is.
         He has lived a privileged life since his birth (nothing wrong with that), but he seems disconnected from what the majority of actual “normal” people on a daily basis. Not sure he’d like it either if he was to experience it, even for a limited time period.

         1. It is beyond strange that he says these things. He cannot believe that the life he has we all have. There is no such thing as his ever having a normal life this far. And oh yes he would hate being “normal”. Some of his statements boggle my mind. There is a very easy way to live a “simple” life but it means giving up everything he now has that is considered “materialistic”.

            1. I completely agree. William has this romantic notion of “normal middle class”. The simple life per say. Yet normal middle class, working class, blue collar, have struggles every day. Whether it is in the financial sense, child care, and working full time. Both parents working full time to provide things from food on the table, putting clothes on their children’s back, and shoes on their feet. William wants to idolize the simple life. Yet he has never lived the simple life. Maybe he should try it sometime. I bet anything he wouldn’t last a week without the taxpayers and Daddy’s money. So William keep living in your own created fantasy land.

            2. I definitely agree that William romanticises a normal life. But I think that his understanding of a normal life is very very different from what most people live everyday.

               Due to his upbringing and the schools that he attended, I doubt he ever socialised with “stock standard” middle class people. Even the Middletons, although from humble beginnings, are millionaires – were it not for their money Kate may not have been able to keep up with him and his friends, and that relationship may have ended long ago.

               He grew up in a moneyed set and watching his priviledged friends lead so-called normal lives so a life of privilege (perhaps without public and press expectations and an expectation of duty) is probably what he considers normal.

               Also, someone desperately needs to let him know that there is no such thing as normal.

         2. Why don’t this man child, spoilt rotten lazy entitled whiner Go Away!

            Normal w and w middleton the useless, kids ‘simple’ thing surely include multiple luxury palaces, round the clock staff, millions of robbing tax payers funds, w/useless representing charities/the less fortunate/HM/BRF – while having multiple luxury vacations using jets, heli for short trips, and working less than TQ DOE, P/POW and his younger sibling – and hidng in AH forest, Africa other local.

            What an example, entitled whiny “I am a prince”- let’s hope nanny Maria training and iinfluence take to g and c, than the useless middletons. Live learn respect from your younger brother King Henry.

      2. I was reminded of Marie Antoinette and her little village at Versailles. Is that the life William is playing while living at Anmer Hall? The cognitive dissonance is strong in this one.

         1. Delusional is more like it. He loves the Middleton Family and their middle class values and life. Yet they are Middleton family are millionaires. So is anyone that is not Royal, blue blooded aristocrat, considered middle class in William’s eyes?

            1. Exactly. He has no idea what an actual middle class life is. What he means is that he wants the money to do whatever he wants and not have any media attention, but not earn any of it. A couple less palaces and no duchys but the life he has without the media attention. He is delusional.

            2. I just do not understand. They have been grooming Billy Boy his whole life. Yet he drags his feet about everything. If you want a simple existence and life. Take you and your children out of the line succession. Which means the money is not handed to you. Get a real job and support your family. See how 99 percent of the population truly lives.

            3. William doesn’t realize that there aren’t very many middle class families out there that take family vacations to Mustique or some other small island every year. Most would feel lucky to get an actual get away vacation every other year.

         2. Where is the other entitled useless snowflake… Whenever he leaves town she disappear to tax funded Middleton tower.

      3. I agree. I think part of it is that he romanticizes his mother (totally fine and understandable) and I think he believes that his mother lived a “normal” life (prior to her marriage). There was a lot made about how “normal” she was when she married Prince Charles. The media made it sound like she was a commoner, but she wasn’t. She was the daughter of an earl. She grew up in a mansion on the Sandringham estate for crying out loud. But I think that’s what William thinks of when he thinks of “normal.”

         And don’t forget, to him “normal” is all his friends who are just as rich and privileged…but they don’t have a country demanding they do any work. In his view, I really think he thinks he got screwed because he has obligations and isn’t free to do what he wants the way his friends who are simply heirs get to.

         1. +1

            1. +2

         2. Most members of the aristocracy work, work hard, trying to keep their heads above water. Land or title rich, money poor. William does not see that.

            He goes to their houses on the weekend, they put on a show of entertaining him, and he thinks that is how they live all the time. He doesn’t realize they get up Monday morning and go to work.

            Shows like Great Estates Scotland, The Country House Revealed, Great Country Houses show how much work it takes to keep a huge estate in the black, or at least out of the red.

            1. Exactly Nota.

               It’s a frequent misconception that aristocrats are lazy people living off their wealth.

               Most are asset rich, cash poor and very loathe to liquidate those assets which means they work to maintain those assets in every way they can.

               They may organise fabulous weekends or days out for William to enjoy, but they work the rest of the time.

               Sadly for him and his kids’ development, they never see the work.

            2. Isn’t that what it has always been historically. Stories of previous kings and queens going on progress and staying with the wealthy aristocrats, stretching and straining their budgets to accommodate them and when they leave they were back to their routines and trying to recoup their losses?

               They had the honor of having them stay but at what costs. Their every day lives were about maintaining their estates and the people who lived on them. Seems some things never change.

            3. Great point Lisa.

               William is the modern equivalent.

            4. Except that in those days the monarch’s progress and the cost to the hosts also served as a way of keeping ambitious nobles in abeyance. If their finances were strained, then they were less likely to build up a private military force that could possibly threaten the king’s authority. In the early Medieval age some nobles were powerful warlords in their own rights that sometimes waged private wars against each other – and there were military challenges to the monarch’s authority, both in England and France. Louis XIV specifically created an absolutist rule where the nobility were entirely dependant on him for wealth and advancement because of the two uprisings in his youth.

               In that context a royal progress was a cunning strategy of dominance on the part of the monarch that could also hobble his nobles financially for a while.

            5. I love great estates of Scotland! There’s some duke that works in the estate gift shop! Loved it
               It’s also where I learned how much Charles did to save Dumfries which also helped the community. It actually made me look at Charles in a new light.

         3. +100

      4. Grass is always greener!!!

2. You hit the nail in the head, KMR. When I read this interview I was really confused. It made me ask if William feels lost or something. Yes, parenthood and relationship are challenging things, but he was together with Kate for so long before they got married that I don’t quite get the big change comment. And his comment about materialism was really weird. Huge mansions, helicopters, luxury vacations, Kate’s expensive designer clothes – and the list goes on. Seriously, William. It really irritated me to no end how he linked aspirations with materialism. It shows he has never thought about what hard work and goals in life really mean, and how you can be materialistic without having any aspirations in life. But maybe that outlook on life explains why Kate spend so many years just waiting for marriage and never seemed to really get up to anything during those years. It’s good to reflect on your life and I’m sorry I sound harsh, but this interview made me think this is a confused, somewhat immature man speaking.

   1. I actually do think William “struggled” adjusting to parenthood, only because he’s been complaining about it ever since George was born. But it’s interesting that he’s now saying he struggled adjusting to married life as well.

      1. I’m sure he struggled when adjusting to fatherhood, because that certainly was the first time he really had to think about putting other people first. I was a bit unclear – I don’t get how the marriage was such a change after such a long relationship. Adjusting to parenthood can be difficult for many people as one’s life can be very self-centered prior to having children even if you’re in a relationship. But I feel sorry for his children that he has complained about it so much in public. I actually started to feel sorry for William when thinking about how insecure he seems to be. I don’t think he has ever made me feel he’d be really comfortable with anything he’s doing, and that’s a sad thing.

         1. I totally agree about his comment that marriage was a struggle to adjust to. He was in a relationship with Kate for 8 years; they even lived together. So unless he’s claiming he was single that whole time, then his comment makes no sense.

            1. It probably was an adjustment. For a lot of those eight years, Kate had her own apartment and William lived on various military bases. Even when they lived together, Kate reputedly spent a lot of time shopping in London. Add the time they both played child at the Middletons and they didn’t really settle down together domestically. Being sexually intimate is different than making a commitment and living intimately with someone 24/7.

         2. Yes Grace, William really seems insecure and sometimes I see a sadness in his eyes. I don’t think he is a very happy person. He is rich, privileged but not totally happy, and this is sad.

         3. …but what struggle when nanny Maria seem around the clock raising those kids. George is more attached to her than either parent, and charlotte seem nervous around him when he held her twice on Tour. its not as if he wasn’t around children growing up, Diana took both princes to see/be with/learn about other children – charities. Whiny and cannot is not most of us parenting with all the responsibilities.

      2. Maybe struggling to adjust to married life means, to him, having to stop sleeping with other women.

         1. That’s the first thought that crossed my mind. If I were Kate, I would be very upset by the “adjustment to marriage” comment. I wonder if Kate’s seeming decline since PG’s birth was because of another woman. Didn’t the Queen call them to Scotland for what the DM euphemistically called a baby-moon? (gagging sounds)

3. I suspect that William just meant that he doesn’t want his children to grow up posting on Rich Kids of Instagram. What he said, though, was unnecessary and irrelevant word salad. Interestingly, some posters on the sugar sites read this interview as William being Diana-esque and treating the interview like a therapy session. They were concerned for his mental health and thought that was behind the mental health initiatives. I think that’s a bit of a stretch. I suspect he’s just trying to connect to his audience. I watched the full interview and it wasn’t horrible. He’s spitting into the wind with his suggestions, though. He keeps saying that children should educate their parents and grandparents and that is completely antithetical to the Vietnamese culture.

   1. Ugh. Treating a professional interview as a therapy session is not a good thing – for William or Diana.

      The interview wasn’t terrible when he was talking about the illegal wildlife trade, but I thought his answers weren’t that great either because he didn’t actually answer the questions. He talked around them like some politician.

   2. You are correct that what William said is “word salad”. He essentially said nothing. KMR summed up his speech in the headers. He offered no supporting statements, no insights, no clarity or details. He just bounced from thought to thought. We give Kate grief for being a poor speaker, but William is almost as poor a speaker as she is. I realize this was not a planned speech, but as a public figure he should articulate a point of view better than this.

   3. No he did not just say that he did not want his kids to be rich kids of instagram. His quote also included the following sentence, which to me was actually more interesting because it reveals the way he thinks of his role and the role of his children.

      “I would like George and Charlotte to grow up being a little bit more simple in their approach and their outlook, and just looking after those around them and treating others as they would like to be treated themselves.”

      He is saying that he wants them to be “just looking after those around them”.. to the exclusion of the broader world. He wants them to treat these people well. What is implicit is that he does not want his children to have the loftier aspirations of looking after the nation – which is how he was raised. He wants to instil in his children that their duty extends to those around them.

      1. He has no sense of duty or care, either to the people around him nor to the nation as a whole. Neither does his wife. How on earth would these children ever learn such things?

   4. What is clear that both William and Kate are inarticulate. In this instance all questions to William would have been vetted, including those from the audience, and he most certainly would have had prior knowledge; nothing left to chance. But he does not adequately prepare and so the result is verbal mush.

      William’s statements contradict his lifestyle, which is one of material excess. I think he is trying to find common ground with ‘normal’ people but it comes across as whiny and self-absorbed, oblivious and insensitive to real problems faced by the majority of the population. If William wants his children to live with less, then he and Kate need to set the example. Yet both present as environmentally careless as well as culpable of grotesque over-consumption. William speaks of moving from independence to marriage; at what point has he ever been independent of handouts? He would never, ever cope if not deferred to; he has traded on ‘I am a prince’ his entire life. This deference has excused accountability time and time again and ultimately, has corroded whatever character he possesses.

      Neither he nor Kate can guide their children to productive, useful lives because they have never led such lives themselves. Both have frittered away the best part of two decades, and continue to do so. That is the most galling thing of all: to have multiple opportunities and a platform to effect change but choose – actually choose – to do as little as possible. What can their children hope to become if following their parents’ example?

      1. I thought about his statement last Christmas. He wouldn’t say what the kids got but some statement about too much or their already spoilt.
         I’m not a parent but I’d think he could set guidelines of what is acceptable. I always ask/tell my sister what I’m getting my nieces to make sure she’s cool with it and that BIL’s family isn’t getting something similar. They could say we only want books, learning type gifts or two gifts from each sides. He could curb some of that excess

         1. I agree, Sarah. I think family and friends wanting to give gifts would respect and work to parents’ guidelines. It would be pretty unusual for a stack of W+K’s friends and family to ignore their wishes. So yes, excess can certainly be curbed. George and Charlotte are too young to know anything about cost and status of gifts and would be happy as clams with pretty much anything.

4. Blah, blah, blah. He really is out of touch with normal people. So much for that “new” approach to the monarchy.

   1. I think he’s attempting to sound like “normal” people, but he is so out of touch with how the average person lives and thinks he just comes across as ignorant.

5. He equates aspirations to owning things, which is really telling. I think this was just another atempt to sound “normal” and “relatable”, but it backfired as usual.

   1. So telling. I think William is the one who is materialistic since he can only equate aspirations with materialism.

   2. Totally agree. I don’t think he understands what aspirations are because he and his wife have none outside of being left alone to enjoy all their money and privilege the way all their friends get to be left alone to enjoy the life of an heir or heiress.

      1. He’s also never really had to have any aspirations, has he? I can imagine that all his needs are taken care of and whims catered to.

      2. Remember the Zebs Youth Centre in September of this year? Wiliam said it took him “an awfully long time” to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. SMH

6. Hmm – he doesn’t want to be out in public at all and he wants the same for his kids – George really as Charlotte can live a private life as an adult. Tough luck – you get the responsibility with the benefits – I think it is his generation – entitlement mentality ….

7. He sounds so entitled and ignorant – the aspirations vs materialistic comments demostrate this. Definitely trying to be down to earth, relatable Bill but comes across so dim. It sounds like he wants to live a more simple life but feels trapped by the duty he has to his children and the position he will inherit one day. Perhaps he should step aside…

   1. Totally agree Cat.

8. OH William, William, William. Sometimes it feels like he is trying to dig his own grave. When I read that interview the other day, I eye-rolled at his wanting less materialism for George and Charlotte. He isn’t leading by example for them, it is more do what I say not what I do. He and Kate are so materialistic. I mean shoot, look how much Kate shops! How many nude shoes/white coats/lace dresses does one woman need? I don’t buy for a second that he wants them to have less stuff. Didn’t he say that at George’s last birthday he received too much stuff? If you really want your children to have less than you buy them and yourselves less. He is just saying this to sound relatable, but instead comes across so out of tune with the real world. Maybe in his world less stuff means 2 cars instead of 3, 2 nannies instead of 3, 2 houses instead of 3, 1 helicopter instead of 2 and so forth. He sadly is clueless.

   The only thing I agree with is ‘treat others as you would like to be treated’. But yet once again, he is just talking and doesn’t take his own advice. He treats people so poorly.

   1. Perfectly said Overit.

      1. +2

   2. I think the antimonarchist look at William as the gift that keeps on giving! He’s single handily bringing down the firm, whether by intention or not could always be up for discussion =)

9. This is the year I did a 180 on W&K. Or rather, I began to look at William as a man, not as a son or grandson of someone famous. Starting with the secret ski getaway and the pile on that followed. Which led me to this site. Till that point I was unaware of their lazy, aimless ways. I thought they got off to a promising start. But after a big wedding and two babies, maybe the buzz wore off and they reverted back to their old ways. Out of curiosity, at what point did you all sense something amiss with these two? Before or after the wedding? Or even further back to, say, some point in their youth?

   1. My turnaround came around the birth of Charlotte. I am still on edge and try to think of the best but sometimes I just can’t. Like in this interview. It is possible to read aspirations as claims or demands, but that is not what he said. So who knows if he is bad in his choice of words or if he revealed his mind. I will cut him slack on the comment about to much presents for the children. I know to enough parents stating that but everybody insists on bringing something. Those two families in mind I can see how they show their love by rather spending money than time.
      I wonder if we are seeing Wiliam slowly stepping down. He might realise that they would still have more money they could ever spent and just play a small role- like Madleine in Sweden. Time will tell, but I will not bet on him taking in the duty (if there still is be a kingdom to reign when the time comes).

   2. Ines, interesting question. I think early in their marriage — maybe, after George’s arrival, I started to realize how little they wanted to do in reference to their Royal duties. Of course, Kate received a pass during her pregnancy and after the baby’s birth. Then, she got pregnant again and I started to wonder, what the two were really going to accomplish.

      I have to say, I am not a huge or firm believer that William will ever become King. But, that is not to say that he won’t still lead a very special, wealthy, pampered life. I just don’t see William or Kate giving up what they have and if they want to bring up their kids to be less materialistic, well, look no further than their own surroundings. And, the little work they do to really benefit others.

      Sadly, I think they honestly believe they are making a mark with their mental health “cause”, but they haven’t a clue as to what real work is. I’ve been fed up for a while, but I can’t quite pinpoint when my disgust became full blown. I guess after George and Charlotte’s arrivals, I saw things going down hill work-wise for the couple. Not that they made much of an impact before, though.

   3. Mine was the Canada trip! I kept hoping for the best but their obvious bored disinterest, comments about not reading briefings and Kate just passing off flowers in front of the little boy made me give up hope that these two will ever change. I used to try some. Small positive from a get together but now just can’t

   4. This is such an interesting question and I am LATE to this party because I think I only really started feeling this way in the past couple of months…

      I am Here for their mental health awareness stuff, I truly am. I absolutely think they could be doing more, and better, but they are contributing to the de-stigmatisation of an issue near and dear to me and I applaud them for their choice in focus.

      My big problem isn’t actually Kate, it’s William. They have both led lives of immense privilege, but Kate simply wasn’t raised as a Royal, and I don’t hold her to the same standards of duty and charity. Obviously, she’s been a part of the family for a while now and hasn’t stepped up the way a lot of us would like to see, but William is the Prince. William is the future King. Why can’t he act like it?

      1. Look at Letiza and maxima. Neither one of them were “raised as a royal” yet are hard working women. You don’t have to be a royal to be taught to give back and especially so for a work ethic! I’m not and do. The problem is that neither have them have a single iota of work ethic. I think Kate saw it as her job to land William. She did, now she doesn’t think she needs to do much more.
         That’s my problem with them. I think people are delusional if they think these two are suddenly going to change their whole demeanor and suddenly become work horses all of a sudden, when it’s their turn. People need to realize that they have never been workers and never will be.

         1. Right you are, Sarah. Kate certainly has other royal women setting her an example she is choosing not to follow.

            They say the first step is admitting you have a problem and I’m going on record that I’m absolutely delusional, but I’m just not ready to let go of my hope that Kate will wake up one morning with some gumption and a backbone.

   5. Interesting question, Ines. For me, the turning point was Harry’s and Kate’s nude photo scandals in 2012. Because up until that point I had not paid much attention to the royals and totally bought every sugary thing about them I read or saw on E News: That Kate was never a heavy drinker or a partier, that Harry had changed from his wild party days, and a whole bunch of other lies the press sold to me. So when those scandals happened I went digging and found sites and forums which showed me just how much whitewashing had been done to William, Kate, and Harry, how many lies I had been sold, and how William and Kate lie about work and sneak off on vacation. It was then that I knew they were full of it.

      1. Perhaps because i live in Britain AND my mother was always a royal watcher, but i’ve never bought the PR peddled by the Palace/media.

         Too many articles out there on all of them even during the white washing.

         However, i always gave all of them the benefit of the doubt based on youth and needing space to get their stuff together.

         I always knew marriage was the end of the line for resisting work duties, and Kate’s PR often said the same thing. That she was waiting to be a royal bride before really working because it was impossible to avoid getting into tricky situations like Sophie.

         In a way i was hopeful and optimistic when the mega whitewashing started during the engagement period.

         The wedding was the moment Kate would follow through on every PR lie that had been fed to the public, and William would finally stop fuffing.

         Harry wasn’t part of the equation in terms of duties because i expected him to have as long or as close in length a career in the military as Andrew who stayed for 20yrs.

         When the Palace did it’s u-turn 3 days after the wedding, i knew we’d been sold bollocks and that’s the moment my disillussion set in.

         1. Yes, and people still buy that W&K lived together. They did, sporadically; he was in Wales, she was mostly in London, even after the wedding! Or in Berkshire with her parents. Imagine the security nightmare of her going back home to Mum so often as she does, especially after the babies…

            William truly was footloose and fancy free even after putting the ring on Kate. Now he’s tied down more, and he is selfish and doesn’t like it. I also think he was caught off-guard by both pregnancies.

         2. For a really good friend of mine, it was the revelation that Kate had refused to join the RAF wives that set in her disillusionment. the very same promise that had made her view Kate favourably when it was announced at that 3days-in mark.

            Yet that friend is a wonderful optimist and she frequently reminds me to keep hoping that Kate will step up.

            She has no time for William.

            For both of us, our opinion of Harry changed for the better when he came back from Afghanistan and gave an interview in which he declared that he finally understood that there was no such thing as normal, his normal was different from other people’s normal, his royal title meant something and he was going to use it to do good.

            He followed through.

            1. I feel like I have so much to catch up on. So sorry to hit “rewind” but can someone fill me in on what the palace U-turn was 3 days after the wedding?

            2. In a nutshell, after the engagement was announced, the Palace PR in colusion with the media proceeded to sell Kate as the best thing since sliced bread who was hardworking and couldn’t wait to dazzle us with her hardworking, intelligent ways.

               Phrases like ‘hitting the ground running’, ‘ most prepared royal bride ever’,’most educated royal bride’ etc were repeatedly used in daily onslaught of articles about super Kate.

               3 days after the wedding, the Palace announced that rather than work as promised, Kate was going to be a housewife in Wales, adjust to royal marriage and join the RAF wives club in Wales as she adjusted to marriage.

               There was an accompanying pap stroll at her local waitrose to emphasise this new direction.

               http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1383965/Kate-Middleton-goes-shopping-Waitrose-Anglesey-pushes-trolley.html

            3. Thank you, herazeus!!

   6. I found this site after Kate’s multiple flashes on royal engagements when I googled “is Kate an exhibitionist?” Until then I did believe she was bright middle class breath of fresh air. Of course at the beginning they seemed to do more work. I never liked William, and always thought the way Diana involved him in her marital problems would scar him for life.

      I’m a long time royalty watcher and have followed the Europeans royals, too. A fellow fan said that watching royalty is like opera; people living lives totally removed from yours, and behaving in ways noble and crass.

   7. Good question Ines. I am not really sure when I lost the rose colored glasses with Kate. I think it was around her first pregnancy with George. She couldn’t work due to her severe HG, yet could fly on a very long flight to go on vacation. Her HG affected work, yet not play. That is when I started really looking at William and Kate and saw all the whitewashing about them. They weren’t the sweet fairytale couple the media had led us to believe. After that I started paying more attention to them and really saw them for what they are and not what the media was making them to be.

10. Spot on as always KMR.

    I roll my eyes.

    Yes, William, you hate your life. You want your fancy free single despite married life where you can do whatever you want and not have to worry about the welfare of your children. You still do whatever you want, man. you are so privileged and can do so much for others without. Shut up and walk the walk. Stop being a self-pitying little boy.

11. I wish, just once William would take a moment to acknowledge that in many ways he and his family have it better than 99% of the world’s population, that they are in most respects hugely lucky people. His comment about simple aspirations and materialism – it would have a lot more impact if he said, “My family is very fortunate but I hope my children will grow up focusing more on other people than material things”, or “The more I meet people from different backgrounds the more I hope my children will have simple aspirations” or something.

    As it is, even if he means his comments sincerely, he comes across as massively, insensitive and out-of-touch.

    1. The fact that he doesn’t seem to be able to acknowledge his immense privilege poisons statements like this. He either comes across as cluless and out of touch or as a massive hypocrite. Neither options are good for his public image.

       He may be sincere in his words but he lacks self-awareness as well as a deeper awareness about the world outside the bubble of extreme privilege and wealth that he, his family and his friends live in. His idea of a “normal”, simple life seems to apply to the lifestyle of a very small section of society. In a period of recession, austery measures and hardship for ordinary people, he comes off as a modern day Marie Antoinette playing sheperdess at Petit Trianon and that can certainly breed resentment among the hard-working (and sometimes struggling people) that help fund his extravagant lifestyle.

       I honestly think that is somewhat dim and too lazy to educate himself on how life is for people outside his little bubble of wealth and privilege.

       1. I completely agree, and I made a comment about Marie Antoinette above too before reading this far down in the comments. I just finished The Crown and was struck by Princess Margaret and started reading more about her life. Several sites said she never found joy or purpose in her life. That sounds like William to me. He doesn’t seem to find joy or purpose in his life, not in his family or his job. I think the Queen, Anne, Diana, Sophie and Harry all find a kind of joy in service to others; a deeper sense of duty and purpose that is fulfilling to the soul. Perhaps Charles too. I almost, almost, feel sorry for William and Kate that they can’t/don’t understand that. Given their positions, they are able to do so much good, help so many, but they seem to see duty as a chore and burden. What a waste.

       2. ArtHistorian, I couldn’t have said it better myself. “Let them eat cake.”

          1. ArtHistorian, it is nice to see you back and your comment is so on target! I saw you on another thread and neglected to say hello. Sorry.
             Hope all is well!!!!

       3. AH I hope you are well we hear less from you these days.
          The thing that strikes me is that W&K throw out these crumbs always overseas. The Aussies and Kiwis see George, the Canadians see both kids, the Vietnamese get an interview. The Brits…you know those of us who are actually funding this lavish lifestyle get absolutely nothing.
          When did G and C do anything where Brits could see them other than on the balcony? When did Will give an honest interview /chat to the BBC?
          They need to consider a little more clearly who they owe the most allegiance to…those tax payers who are funding them.
          William , get a life. Britain is struggling at the moment with political uncertainty and an exchange rate that makes holidays in Europe or beyond very difficult. Does he understand that? Does Kate? Does Harry as he crisscrosses the pond insearch of love ?

          1. Thanks for the kind thoughts.

             Sadly, life hasn’t been kind to me and my family lately so my energy levels are low. Plus I just needed a break from all things Will and Kate related.

             It has been a trying year. My grandmother died this spring and my father had surgery this summer and therefore my parents needed a lot of help so I had to live with them for a couple of months to take care of all the practical stuff. Add financial worries and I’m just exhausted.

             1. AH, I am sorry to learn things have been so hard for you lately. It is always tricky, when you love someone and they (or their behavior) gets in the way.

                I know doing things for my mother is always balanced with me having to bite my tongue. She is not an easy person to be around, which adds to the stress levels this time of year.

                Difficult to deal with both the darkness of winter and the stress of taking care of aging – and difficult – loved ones. I hope things are brighter for you soon.

                Still hoping one day you’ll get to work with Margrethe and write a book about the Scandinavian tiaras!

             2. Thank you for the kind words.

                Winter is always a trying time – and there’s so much to worry about now, though my sister has forbidden me to read about Trump (because I tend to be a bit of a Doomsday thinker) 😉

             3. My sister has stopped me from watching the news. Good thing we have those sisters!

             4. Haha I’ve been in a self imposed news embargo since the election. Which is saying a lot since I’m a news junkie. I deleted all social media accounts this summer. I quietly joined Twitter so I could follow 3 journalists with out having to get the news. I think I might be up to print media next wk.

             5. ArtHistorian, I am sorry you have had so many serious things to deal with. I hope that life gets better for you. Knowing that you took the time to care for your parents is something to really acknowledge with pride. Not easy, I am sure, but a sign of a caring and special person. You are!

                May the coming holiday season bring peace to you and the New Year, if not before, happier days ahead. It is always lovely to read your comments.

             6. ArtHistorian, you have been through so much and I wish you the best . Winter can be a trying time, but when you have had to care for an ill parent and deal with financial issues as well, I can understand how tough things are. I hope that life picks up for you and happier times are ahead.

                Take care of yourself and know that we are here for you. Just vent whenever you want to do so. We may be miles away geographically, but the nice thing about this site is the caring nature of so many of the people who comment.

                Sending good wishes your way.

12. William is one more time trying to look “normal”. His nonsense comments are to look “down on Earth”, imagine, wanting “George & Charlotte ‘to grow up with more simple aspirations’, ridiculous. Those two kids will NEVER, EVER know what is to work for money, like their father doesn’t know. But William still wants to look normal by saying these words. Pathetic. William is equating huge aspirations and materialism. OMG. And you are right KMR, William was not single, he spent 8 years dating Kate. He must have “forgotten” about this.

    1. Well he had a booty girl for eight years – she was and is a doormat

       1. Maybe I reading to much into his single comment.That means he didn’t see Kate as his girlfriend..They dated up until the engagement,so when was William single beside the 2007 breakup?Something isn’t right with Will and Kate fairytale story.

          1. I don’t think you are wrong. If you are serious about a relationship then you don’t call yourself single, and he never really was since his time at university. Except that maybe Kate was really just a receptacle for his tensions until shortly before the engagement.

             I don’t think he meant to reveal so much in that comment, but most guys I know who are living with someone call their SO a partner and don’t consider themselves single.

          2. I do think people might be reading a bit much into the “single to married” comment.

             Maybe I kick it old school but if you’re not married/living with someone/officially committed in some way then you’re single. Dating someone, however serious that dating may be, is not the same as living a combined life.

             1. Alexandra ,the reason I said that was because it well known before the engagement she was living with him in Wales.Even Charles said they had been practising enough.So William’s comment about being single was rather odd.

             2. Erica, it was definitely not the best comment of him to make, but I completely understand it: until they were married William was, indeed, single. They may have been cohabitating part-time but they did not lead a combined life (finances, family, responsibilities, etc).

             3. I was reading these comments and I am confused. Alexandra you said ” if you’re not married/living with someone/officially committed in some way then you’re single.” But then you say they were cohabitating but yet he is single. That is a contradiction. Living together is living together, so it can’t mean its serious for one couple and not another. That just didn’t make sense to me.

                Will and Kate were living together, and not just part time. They also had a marriage plan after the breakup, so he knew for years they would be getting married. Plus, as far as finances, we don’t know whether or not they had shared. In all likelihood they did since Kate wasn’t working and someone had to pay for everything. I doubt she split rent with him. To me all this says is how serious of a relationship they were in, one they knew would end in marriage (at least after the 2007 breakup when he supposedly promised Mike). I don’t know how a person can say they are single in a relationship as serious as that. I would have been hurt if my husband said that while we were dating. I agree that too much is being put into his wording. I don’t think he meant single as we are all taking it. It was a bad word choice. I get the sense that William in a way looks at his dating years as freedom since he can get out at any moment. Where as now, he is tied down in marriage-he can’t just walk away. I think for him single meant he was dating Kate, but could do whatever he wanted still. Marriage means he has to pull that freedom in. That is my interpretation and by no means means I am right 🙂

             4. Overit, I was really just wanting to point out that considering yourself “single” even when you’re in a relationship isn’t that unusual. One can absolutely be living with someone else and consider themselves single, for a lot of people it’s a hard line and that line is marriage.

                I think he worded this very poorly but I can understand where he might be coming from. Marriage is certainly a big change, even if you are living with someone part-time before. I don’t think that his considering himself “single” means he didn’t recognize Kate was his girlfriend.

             5. William has rarely been single since his mid-teens, but perhaps his attitude towards his girlfriends speaks to someone who considers themselves single despite having an official girlfriend.

                We have a public listing of all his girlfriends since teens, and often he had one foot in the old relationship and one foot in another as he transitioned to each new relationship.

                He and Kate broke up frequently during their 8yrs together.

                The 2007 break up received mega media attention because it was the break up that was supposed to stick, and probably would have if Kate hadn’t gone on a media tour designed to reel him back.

                if internet links haven’t been erased, you find articles mentioning these the many breakups of the William and Kate relationship. eg there were 2/3 break ups at university, one because William wanted space, another because Kate objected to his boys-only summer greek cruise that would be staffed with an all female crew and the 3rd because he wanted to concentrate on his exams.

                Tiny news articles that didn’t receive wide media attention.

                Once out of uni, there were frequent reports of William behaving as a single guy around women whatever the state of his relationship with Kate. Sometimes even with Kate present as he chatted up some other woman whilst everyone thought he was in a relationship with her.

                After the 2007 break up, there is one more quiet break up that happened in 2009 which was why the engagement was a huge surprise to royalwatchers, nevermind his family.

                Initially, immediately after engagement announcement, every talking head kept bringing up loyalty as the big reason for Kate finally getting the ring. They all kept saying that she had proven her loyalty because that was the most important quality to William.

                After that, the other whitewashing took over.

             6. Herazeus,

                I do think Kate got the ring because of loyalty…if by loyalty you mean William can do/treat her however he wants and she won’t go running to reporters about it.

             7. Me too Lillibet. That was my interpretation given what had gone on before.

                The irony is that the Middletons were/are leakier than a sieve. Alot of William’s shenanigans came to public attention via them or their cohorts!!

             8. Some of this confusion about single may be generational. I grew up when single meant not married. Later people talked about their status, and single meant available and not involved in a relationship.

             9. If Will and Kate were living together then he wasn’t single. I can’t speak for UK law but in Canada (Ontario) if you are living with someone for three years then you are considered to be in a common law marriage and then spousal support rights can accrue.

                Again I have never heard of someone in a serious relationship call themselves single. That is usually grounds for a breakup because it means someone isn’t into the relationship as much as the other one.

             10. What Nic19 said.

                 In this modern facebook age, irrespective of legal definition, ‘single’ means you are not in a relationship of any sort.

                 And if you are confused about that, ‘it’s complicated’ is the next best thing.

                 Fifi: i too grew up in an era when single meant ‘not married’, but by the time i was a teenager in the 90s, only our parents/grandparents defined it that way.

                 All younger generations took it the way facebook defines it ie no partner at all.

             11. Hey, not all younger generations get their relationship definitions from facebook! I was born in the mid-80s and in a lot of my circles “single” is synonymous with “not married.”

                 I stand by my original comment that people are reading way too much into this. William was clearly discussing the transition from being single to married to parenthood, and while I think he’s a right little idiot for wording it the way he did (and if it were my husband he’d get a glare) we can’t deny that in his circles there’s a huge difference between being married and not.

             12. Herazeus- I never heard about a break up in 2009. Or the several that happened at University. I am not surprised, but how did you find out about them? Thanks

13. One thing to say in William’s favor:a live interview with spontaneous questions – can you imagine Kate doing that? But, yes, I agree with all of you that when it comes to the questions about his role, he seems very uncomfortable.

    1. Perhaps he, like Kate, means well but cannot articulate well? I think it was good to say he hopes his children will grow up thinking of others, but then to add he hopes they won’t be too materialistic (while living in a palace) sounds silly. It would have been better to say he hopes they will live lives in service to others and be aware of the world and not focus on the materialistic aspect of their lives.

14. “George is a right little rascal sometimes, he keeps me on my toes but he’s a sweet boy. And Charlotte, bearing in mind I haven’t had a sister so having a daughter is a very different dynamic. So I’m learning about having a daughter, having a girl in the family. But um, no it’s wonderful, it’s fantastic and it’s you got to make the time for the family.”

    Ok, George is the apple of William’s eye and Charlotte is what? “A very different dynamic.”
    Huh? What does that mean, exactly? Could he say something nice about Charlotte? Anything?

    Like most caring parents, William (and, I am sure Kate, too) want to leave a better world for their kids. He just realized that once he had children, though? Don’t most thoughtful and caring people think that way before they have kids, or if they don’t have children? The world goes on once each of us is gone and aren’t we hopeful that it will be a better place for the next generations and future ones? Don’t we want to do our parts to ensure that. To me, that is what life is about.

    William doesn’t want his kids to be materialistic? Well, move out of your current residence and get smaller digs and swear off any future stays at KP. Come on! His wife has the knack of spending enormous amounts of money on her wardrobe. I’m sure the furnishings at their residences are quite extravagant, too. Good message for Charlotte re: clothes, I think. Let’s see if she reacts in a similar way, or turns against it. How many coats is too many, I must add.

    Less materialistic. Does he honestly think people are going to buy that sentiment . Taking choppers home from engagements they were “forced” to make. Having everything and many people at his beck and call. Really, I just have to laugh. He not only admitted during his Canadian trip that he never reads his briefs, but he admitted in this statement that he thinks his audience (worldwide) is stupid and gullible. He’s clueless Truly, he is.

15. Oy vey. William gives me a headache. I haven’t read all the comments yet, but I feel compelled to say something about this because it’s just too much….

    First of all, being in a relationship for 8 years is basically like a common law marriage in my book. What does William mean he had to adjust? Weren’t he and Kate supposed to be living together in a committed relationship? He wasn’t “single”. What the heck? Or maybe Kate changed the way she acted with him once she had the ring on her finger. Maybe she expected more of him once they were married and William didn’t expect that.

    And regarding his struggle to adjust to fatherhood: I thought Kate said she was basically like a single mom for the first six months of George’s life because William was off flying helicopters somewhere or doing that course at Cambridge that I don’t think he ever finished.

    I don’t think William (or Harry) is very astute when it comes to dealing with the media. Doesn’t William realize that any time he complains like this the inevitable response will be “What does he have to complain about? He has a nanny and a house staff, doesn’t he?” Or “If he wants to live a simple life why doesn’t he give up his palace?”

    I think William needs to be a little wiser/smarter about what he says. He needs to think two steps ahead and anticipate what the response from the public will be when he says things like that. It’s kind of like the press statement harry just recently released when he began with “ever since Harry was a little boy he has been dealing with the press….etc”. Many people have responded by saying that Harry sounded like he was ‘whinging”.

    I think William needs to figure out how to share a little bit about his life without having it sound like a therapy session. He wants to be relatable, but he isn’t. The more he talks the more out of touch he seems.

16. Of course, this is pure speculation on my part but I think that the simple life that William so craves for his children is how he, in his mind, justifies why the family spends so much time with the Middletons compared with the Royals.

    1. What’s simple about the Middleton life? I think they have more of a materialistic point of view and make more money than the “average” people whose lives William seems to want so badly. They are the epitome of social climbers.

       William really is clueless. Just making such statements is so very annoying to hard working people everywhere.

       He does not want his kids to be materialistic? Hello, earth to PW, check out your lifestyle, please and the huge amount of money your wife spends just on clothes alone! What kind of a message does that send?

       William, the man who wants it all. The perks of Royalty, but the world according to his own selfish rules. Really, he is ridiculous. Such comments must make Jason bang his head against the wall! I mean, how do you spin such stupidity into a nice, caring, decent Prince among men kind of a guy? Pulease! I just don’t have the stomach for this right now.

       1. Jason may be banging his head against the wall, but when his time is up he can at least say he got a few pretty good trips out of his tenure at KP.

          1. I saw one pic of Miguel Head trotting behind William in Vietnam, so perhaps Jason skipped that trip to be with Harry in the Caribbean. He’s really racked up the frequent flier miles. Hope they don’t expire–they’re the only good thing that he’ll take from this position.

17. Oh, and KMR, I did want to respopnd to what you wrote so well concerning William looking at people who have huge aspirations as being materialistic. I know so many artistic people who work regular jobs to support their art and then take time for their families and their creativity. While some dream of “cashing in” one day by writing a best-seller, or selling a screenplay, or selling some of their artwork for huge sums of money, they also realize how the odds are often stacked against them. Yet, they have huge aspirations to create … to finish projects and start new ones because they are essentially feeding their souls.

    And, anyone in the business world, scientific or medical field surely has great aspirations. Those aspirations are to make a mark and benefit others. It’s about being true to one self. What is sad to me is the fact that William and Kate really don’t know who they are or what they want. Or, maybe, they do and what they want is to have it both ways. He’s been pampered for so long, why would he think of being another way?

18. “Wonderful lows”?? I heard that statement and couldn’t make head or tail of it.

    1. Word vomit.

19. I’d venture a suggestion that we be a bit open minded with our interpretation of Will’s words.

    I grew up in the Soviet Union. I thought we were doing just fine. We had food on the table and roof that did not leak. But for most American people I know, our life would have been called “poverty”. Anyway, nothing was simple about the life my mother wanted for me, and a lot of it was about materialism. She wanted beautiful things, lots of things, and she was very focused on things. I love and want beautiful things too, but a lot of what she wanted was unnecessary and quite frankly silly. She would twist herself into knots about wanting wallpaper that had 3D flowers and sparkle on them. She would have ratty underwear that barely held on to her body, but bought a TV for every room in the house, including the kitchen. She needed to have mirrors 360 degrees around herself. She wanted her environment to look a certain way, an upscale way. And the arguments around it all ruined her relationship with both me and dad.

    Dad grew up when we still felt the consequences of the Second World War, just like Mom. They both grew up in true poverty, eating what God sends from the sky that day. But Dad cares nothing about the material things. He wants some basics – food, shelter, decent people, a little entertainment, a strong family unit. You know, values. He would live a simple life, if she’d let him.

    My husband grep up in a 5-story mansion in New York City, eating with real silver off the fine china, wearing Brooks Brothers and going to expensive private boarding schools. Yet you would not find a man with simpler tastes. He wants quality, and his upbringing gave him an appreciation of what that is. He can tell the difference between a well build oak dresser and a chintsy piece of trash. And he will scour garage sales and estate sales for years, looking to buy one that he likes without paying thousands for it. He has money. Heck, he still has his trust fund. But he does not want fancy.

    We live in a 2-bedroom home without sparkle or 3D flowers, and our aspirations are to look after our families and do well at our jobs. Our tastes are simple, but our lives are not. I juggle a team of 13 with dozens or projects running simultaneously, often intertwined in complicated ways. Nothing is ever easy on my job. I could go be a janitor, and maybe my life would be simpler. It’s an interesting life choice.

    The point is, having lots of things, being impressed by them, and wanting more/better things are not all the same. I can easily see the Cambridge family living in a castle with the servants, yes, because their station in the Royal family obligates them. Yet having very simple environment within their own private space. We have only seen their formal parlors.

    1. They had to renovate the kitchen at KP because they didn’t like the colour. Kate spends close to 200k each year and they both use the helicopter very often instead of the train or other less costly travel. They stayed at an exclusive hotel in France this summer, went skiing in the Alps this past winter, and then there are the trips to Mustique.
       Nothing Will and Kate have done so far shows signs of them being anything but materialistic.
       And both of them were born into wealth and privilege, so it is not like they are making up for a childhood of poverty and deprivation.

       To quote KMR- William can take all the seats. He’s not credible at all.

    2. Yeah, the frugality of true American WASPs is legendary. But Kate’s childhood is not like you or your husband. No self-respecting true American WASP would be in 15 different black coats. They’d be in the same damn coat for 30 years and have the arms darned. I think we are reacting more to the idea that Kate and William both haven’t been incredibly materialistic. He also has flashy cars and motorcycles, and swaps out those Range Rovers all the time.

       1. Absolutely true!

       2. +1

       3. This is my grandparents to a T. Reared in the Depression Era, served in WW2, did very well in the economic boom of post war with major companies- Chevrolet and Pac Bell. Executive levels… but super frugal. We’re talking saving Christmas wrapping paper and rinsing out ziploc baggies to reuse them. But completely generous to those in need. I completely agree with you Birdy!!

    3. Interesting perspective!

20. Oooosh. This interview is an absolute own goal.

    First — I have to say, that whenever people have commented that Kate/William barely lived together and were separate a lot of the engagement/pre-baby marriage/after the first baby, I didn’t pay much attention to it. Now I do. My God. He wasn’t a 22 year old stumbling into marriage. He was 29, about to be 30, marrying the same woman he had dated for nearly a decade. There’s no excuse for what he said. And talk about breaching his own privacy and that of his wife.

    Second — I am glad I had a father that didn’t see having a baby girl as a totally different dynamic. Woof. Again — just wow, I don’t even know what to say to that. She’s not even two. This isn’t dealing with a teenager. She loves her father and whatever her father likes. From what we’ve seen of her, she certainly is a tough little cookie. Perhaps we’d see more of it if her or her mother were allowed to appear in public in pants.

    Third — The British upper classes have always used aspiration as an insult. So not only is he out of touch and insulting he’s implicitly endorsing the British class system. As someone who came up out of a blue collar environment and was encouraged to pursue college and beyond, I am just appalled.

    His commentary is appalling. He is every out-of-touch joke about Charles in one person.

    ETA: And the comment about parenting… he has a stay at home wife with a steady support system, both paid and otherwise. Their parenting situation could not be cushier — especially his, since it’s quite clear from this interview who the bulk of the parenting responsibilities is falling on. Do you think he’s even once gotten up with her at night, just to hand over the baby and kiss her cheek? Gosh, no wonder she looks like a shell of a person.

21. “Bro, you yourself aren’t simple in your approach and you yourself live in a world of materialism, so have all the seats.” — KMR this x100, thanks for cracking me up this morning.

    This whole interview was so confusing to me… I know it’s often discussed on this site that William isn’t reading his briefings and I hate to beat a dead horse (j/k I love it) but MY GOD MAN!! Was there any actual point to the way he rambled on?

    Two things:

    1. Do we think William is OK? Is anyone else getting the sense that he might be truly struggling, in an outside-of-completely-healthy kind of way?

    2. George is going to be the G-D KING OF ENGLAND one day, so I certainly hope William is raising him with some sense of “great aspiration.” It’s unrealistic to think it’s going to be A-OK for him to start parceling off royal lands and chucking family heirlooms.

    1. Yes Alexandra to your #2!!! Spot on. I was thinking the same thing. He wants his kids to have simple aspirations, yet George is in line for the throne. It is almost like William is giving an excuse for his own ‘simple aspirations’ and not being a full time royal.

       1. Ugh, yes! I can totally see how he’s explaining away his own behavior. Do we think it’s appropriate to blame Charles? Like was William just not raised with the sense of duty that he should have been?

          1. I think it is partially Charles and really the whole family for allowing William to do whatever he wanted. I don’t think he was ever told ‘no’ growing up. After Diana died, they especially used kid gloves with him. So, I think his family is partially to blame for not cracking the whip, so to speak, on him. But I think the other part of it is all him and his personality. William saw what true duty was in his Grandma and dad’s actions. They set the example for him, even if they let him get away with murder. I have to think he is just a naturally lazy person and bucks against authority. What do you think?

             1. I think you make such an excellent point about the example his grandmother and father have set. Like… he can’t really pretend that he doesn’t understand how she and his wife should be acting, right? It must be at least partially due to his laziness, and I sometimes wonder if he ever really got over how his mother was treated by his father and grandmother, and that maybe his behavior is reactionary.

                I have thought a couple of times that this (William, who he is now) is what comes of too much good looks and not enough good sense.

                edit: to make clear I mean his good looks as a child/young adult, not that he’s so dreamy now 😉

             2. I think being raised as an heir is what set him on this path with no-one to counter it.

                We can’t say that Charles or someone didn’t ibstill a sense of duty because Harry has a sense of duty and has had it since he was 19yrs old when he took a gap year that ended with him forming Sentebale. Against Charles’s wishes if i may add.

                I think sending William to Eton was a mistake because he grew up in a bubble. He should have gone to Gordonstoun like his father and grandfather and cousins Peter and Zara. He would have found an atmosphere that checked his heir privilege instead of coddling him like Eton did.

                Not saying you can’t find regular people at Eton or that all Etonians are out of touch elitists, but it is a school that creates a bubble for it’s students and if they choose to stay in that elitist bubble, there are plenty of people that can facilitate that.

             3. I agree that Eton was a poor choice. I thought he should have gone to that art school where Margaret’s kids went. They turned out well, even with a chaotic home life.

22. He lacks the maturity to realise that he and his family do already live a “normal” life”. Not normal live in a 760 sq feet, one bathroom house, drive a 10 year old car, and hold breath while waiting for purchase to clear account at grocery store normal like me but born to the elite and privileged. He would gain immeasurable respect if he stopped bemoaning the silver spoon he was born with, accept it and take advantage of what he can do in his position with that privilege to benefit the rest of society . And I cannot believe he said he suffered with the transition from single man to husband to father – oh Mylanta! Poor baby . News flash William – it’s called growing up, maturing and becoming a responsibly functioning adult.

    1. +1

23. Hello KMR,
    Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our thoughts about this very embarrassing interview!
    Once again I find it very awkward and inappropriate. When is this future king going to turn into an adult and stop talking about his personal matters? I am not sure that people care about his family life. To a certain extent he is a state man and he has to stand for public interests and distresses such as unemployments, violence, society changes… Talking about his privileged children is so unappropriate. I always cringe when he says that his children made him more aware about the world around him. It shows how ignorant he is about people’s worries. Did he have to wait until being thirty to have a distorted picture of how difficult life can be? (I say distorted because he has absolutly no idea about hardship.) Does he realize how naive he looks when he confesses about his poor life experience? Is he aware that he looses his credibility when he makes such statements? He makes me thinks about a little boy who brags about what he has just discovered to mature adult. The adult nods to the kid and adds: wait there are much more to discover!
    Besides, everybody knows that it is better not talking about his/her family life in the workplace. When he gives an interview, he is on his workplace. A little bit is okay but on a regular basis as Prince William does is ridiculous.
    His lack of maturity is so embarrassing.
    Please Mister I-Got-Everything wake up, go to work, go shopping, pick up your kids at school, fix your diner. And for real, not just to have an experience that gives you the feeling to share our lot.
    Have a nice evening
    Caroline

    1. I personally don’t see any problem with royals sharing tidbits about their personal lives, it makes them more relatable to the public. Also I think people are way more interested in G & C than in William himself. The problem is he’s so out of touch that when he tries to get personal we end getting these clueless comments.

       1. Hello Paula,
          Thank you for your answer, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to be more precise.. You are right to pinpoint that it is comforting to know that PR goes through the same worries than anybody else. It is always nice to know that the rich and famous have the same problems than everybody else. But, let say that his personal ups and downs could be a venue to lead to social or political issues and offer relevant judgements about education, or economic entanglements. His remarks have the scope of a family discussion around a nice open fire in a cosy family room. Once in a while it would be nice but it seems to me that he is having hard time to broaden his panorama.
          I send you my good thoughts.
          Caroline

24. I would be furious if my husband said this about me.

    “Seattle is a great wife and mom, but i was so much happier as a single, independent man and it’s been a tough transition to make. However, i did my duty and married and reproduced.” WTF??

    The “lack” of joy he gets from his marriage is stingily obvious. It’s as if he just shrugged his shoulders one days and said “meh, Kate will do.” Charles shows more appreciation and passion for Camilla than Will has EVER shown towards Kate.

    1. Yes but Will saw the way Charles was with his mother..jealous and unloving and pretty openly continuing his relationship with Camilla from day 1 of his marriage, this is where he learned about royal perogative.

       1. Diana said that she and Charles loved each other, very much, and anyone who said otherwise was lying. It was clear in the early years that they had happy times together. Diana even befriended Kanga openly, when she knew Kanga was in a relationship with Charles.

          Camilla, Kanga, or any other woman aside. Charles and Diana were never going to be the right fit for a lifetime. He needed someone who would be a good royal, she wanted the fiction of a Barbara Cartland prince to save her. They never would have lasted, no matter what.

          William lives in the house where Charles and Camilla had their relationship. He’s friends with the family that enabled it. He’s a known cheater who began his relationship with KM by cheating on his girlfriend Carly.

          I don’t think William ultimately has a problem with infidelity, no matter how it impacted his parents. If he did, he would never cheat. Remember KM’s “cheating comes with the territory” comments to Chelsy? He has a problem with how his life was disrupted by it, not with what did or did not happen between his parents.

          1. Exactly Nota.

             People gloss over the fact that Anmer Hall was one of Charles and Camilla’s frequent trysting places, rented by the Van Cutsems who were a convenient cover for those trysts AND publicly and privately sided and facilitated the relationship.

             William is besties with all 4 Van Cutsem boys, hunts and parties with them regularly.

             Grace, the little grumpy bridesmaid in WK’s wedding is the daughter of one of the brothers plus another brother is PGtips’s godfather.

25. Humm KMR I hope you won’t be angry at me for this. I was reading your recent Royal Roundup and I’m guessing (maybe wrongly) that nobody would see my comment if I posted it there so I post this here.
    I’ve been reading how some commenters want Harry to find a job. And I was wondering what job do you have in mind? He didn’t go to university so what can he do that will allow him to perform his job and royal duties at the same time? And let’s not forget the security aspect of the job as well.
    I think Harry would have gladly stayed in the Army if he was knew he’d be deployed more. His two tours were a nightmare for many officials so they basically made sure that he won’t be allowed to be deployed again and when Harry realised that he quit.
    He talked about the difficulties on finding a job during the IG2016. And also when I see all the trouble created to allow William to fly heli, I can’t see the palace doing the same for Harry.

    Again sorry KMR for hijacking this post.

    1. For me, I think the best scenario would still be work on the philanthropic side. It’s been reported that William doesn’t want to take over the Prince’s Trust. I think Harry would be great at that. It would still give him the flexibility needed to do functions and continue with his own charities yet make him step up the work.

    2. He volunteers regularly with veteran rehab. He could seek training in that area and get a part-time “real job”. That wouldn’t be conflict of interest or cause massive security problems.

26. What gets me is not that he’s struggled. Just because someone is rich doesn’t mean they don’t struggle. The issue is that his comments make it seem as if his struggle has been having to grow up and be responsible. If he had said, “I’ve struggled with how to teach my kids good values” or “to understand the value of hard work in a world where it’s not required of them” or “to appreciate the duty of their lives without a sense of entitlement” etc. that would have been totally understandable and even relatable. But those things don’t occur to him because he doesn’t have those values and hasn’t learned those lessons.

27. I wonder, if William wasn’t Royal, but instead was like his aristo friends (lots of money, no need to work, no expectations)-would he be married right now? I feel like he had to marry since he must produce an heir and honestly it is expected in the royal family. But I wonder if at 34, he would still be single and having fun if he were not royal?????

    1. I don’t think William was pressured to marry and produce heirs. I think he trapped himself by dating Kate for so long, especially after the break-up/make-up in 2007.
       Many heirs were single well into their 30s and 40s.

       I think William also realised that he was not the most eligible prince, that many women were not interested in the life he was offering. Something Harry has also realised. Kate was the only one willing.

       So would he be single if not Royal? Yes. Absolutely yes.

    2. Interesting question. But I also think William was already having trouble finding anyone other than Kate to have fun with. Girls he thought he deserved weren’t interested and as he grew less attractive as he aged that would have gotten worse.

       1. Absolutely. Many aristocratic families consider themselves to be above the BRF and none of them want to live in that dysfunctional fishbowl. I’d read where he’d tried to snag a couple of society girls and they wanted nothing to do with him or his title.

          1. Interesting. I had no idea! Is there a reason why they think they’re above the BRF?

             1. Once Diana reportedly snipped to Prince Philip “My title is older than yours.” Meaning as the daughter of an old, aristocratic English Earl. The current strain of the British royal family was considered rather too foreign, too German after the Hanovers took over in 1714. Many aristocratic families descend from earlier monarch like the Stuarts, Tudors, etc, therefore being more authentically British?

                Also, at the time of Diana and Charles engagement, her father was asked if she was intimidated by joining the royal family. He said not at all, that the Spencers had served monarchs for centuries, and there was no question of her feeling “inferior”.

                I think many aristocratic families must feel that way. Whereas someone like Kate was probably dropping dead at the thought of just being present at the same school as William.

             2. Miss K: What Amy said.

                Many aristo families really look down on the royals in terms of bloodlines and prestige.

                At the time of their marriage, diana was said to have married DOWN whilst Charles married UP.

                Amy: William + kids, Harry, Eugenie and Beatrice are the first set of heirs descendend from the main branch Stuart line since 1714.

                Perhaps this will quiet the few people who still moan the loss of the Stuarts?!

    3. Yes, he’d be married to someone he loved, like Jecca or Isabella. I believe he settled for Kate, since she was the only one who wanted to be Princess.

       1. More likely Jecca i think.

          Isabella is rumoured to have found him boorish which indicates that with or without royal title, she wouldn’t have him.

          Jecca’s dealbreaker seems to be Kenya. If William didn’t have obligations here, it more than likely he would be in Kenya with Jecca. She doedn’t appear to find him objectionable in all other respects.

          1. I think Jecca is lovely. I just get the feeling there was no attraction towards her. William was rumored to have hugged a girl from behind at the army ball. I do not think Kate went. I am surprised Kate went to his graduation there. Maybe Kate just turned up with her mum.

    4. It’s hard to say, maybe he wouldn’t have been as coddled as he was, being the future king and all. Perhaps he would have developed a nicer personality… But I agree he only married Kate due to his lack of options.

28. William strikes me as petulant and spoiled with no real strong sense of duty. He really should stick to “The Script” and keep his personal thoughts to himself.

    1. Herazeus – November 21, 2016 at 7:47 pm
       ”I think sending William to Eton was a mistake because he grew up in a bubble. He should have gone to Gordonstoun like his father and grandfather and cousins Peter and Zara. He would have found an atmosphere that checked his heir privilege instead of coddling him like Eton did.”

       After all I had read about that school, I wondered why anyone would send their child there. The place now isn’t the same school his father went to. It isn’t a cakewalk now but its curriculum still pushes the individual development of character, responsibility for one’s choices, respect of fellow students and diverse backgrounds, spiritual fundamentals and a framework for studying essential subjects with an eye to incorporating them into life skills. Charles unhappy experience colored his view of the changes the school had made.

       Instead, William went to uni and then on to a military tour of the branches that didn’t hold him responsible for the indiscretions and lack of progress in training that would have had any other service member disciplined severely or thrown out of the service. He didn’t experience any rigorous consequence or hardship for his poor performance in any aspect of his education or military training. Excuses were made and he skated away without repercussion.

       The ‘bubble’ enveloped him everywhere. Any shift in responsibility would have been a shock. The experience of pregnancy, birth and fatherhood was more personal that any other experience for him up to that time in his life. It must have been shocking. There was now evidence of his activity and he is responsible for two lives. A big shift in attitude was required. He didn’t shift.

       Maya86 – November 21, 2016 at 5:25 pm

       ”I think William also realized that he was not the most eligible prince, that many women were not interested in the life he was offering. Something Harry has also realized. Kate was the only one willing.”

       ”So would he be single if not Royal? Yes. Absolutely yes.”

       Living in a fishbowl, being fed by the minions is easy. Mixing with one’s peers, making new connections in uni, viewing and adjusting one’s social views and learning how to discern which companions offer true and unvarnished friendship and loyalty is an ongoing process. If you aren’t willing to spend the time to sort out your acquaintances, then you deserve whatever deception you get. He could have found a match within his ‘set.’ He didn’t want to take the time to do it. I suspect, he didn’t want to adjust his attitudes and treatment of women companions. Only one person was willing to be treated badly. This is a sad assessment of him as a life partner.

       William doesn’t seem to be able to view himself as responsible for his behavior when it surely intersects with someone else’s life. The consequences of fatherhood have caught him unawares. As a uni graduate, that training should have prompted him to research all that he needed to inform himself about the changes in his life. I suspect he didn’t. His MIL probably schooled him. That must have been an eye-opener. ‘Tis a pity that he was unable to use his uni skills to prepare himself for his life as a husband and a father.

       1. A very thoughtful assessment, GraceH.

          As you say, everyone around William has made the adjustments to accommodate him to the point where his character atrophied. Unfortunately, it is other adults who let him down as a child by not demanding more of him, not preparing him to test his mettle in the world: his parents in the first instance through lack of instilling personal discipline, and then at Eton, where they failed to break William’s sense of entitlement; by that stage his parents could do little either. But as a young adult, St Andrews rewarded William’s poor performance, and the military tolerated, by that time, a lazy undisciplined man. And a placid wife and a mother-in-law well schooled in obsequiousness protects the bubble from being burst for their own venal reasons. William presents as an unhappy, distrustful man and probably doesn’t know why. And now there are children who will look to him for guidance yet he is little more than a child himself. Do they have to accommodate him too?

          1. Jen and GraceH, it’s sad yet profound what you’ve said. I’ve seen the consequences of when fathers and husbands don’t take responsibility. They become atrophied, unhappy and then blame everyone around them for their lack of happiness and self-actualization.

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