William vs Prince William

[Kuei Fei]

William, honey, please stop being stubborn and picking out girls who are man hunting social climbers, who boost your ego and play mummy to you.  You need a intelligent, independent girl who will be your equal.  Beauty fades but dumb is forever.  Please stop hanging around with your exs and calling them "trusted friends" that never works and it is just weird.   Have you not learned from your father's relationship with Camilla?  Finally, you are the future King of England start acting like it

I sometimes think he needs to hear that more often.

[4321BAM]

I have to agree; there are too many opinions about his life for him to be able to make sense of it all 100% of the time... Having said that, I do get the impression that he needs to learn to make choices and stick to them. Every decision will need to be modified at a later date, and mistakes that you make today need to be a path to a better tomorrow :shrug:

IMO, knowing 'himself' is the first step to knowing 'the rest'... Like they say: "You can not be at peace with your surroundings, until you are at peace with yourself"

[Mary Rose]

"The greatest mystery of life, is who we truly are" ~ Jeremy Irons.  Man in the Iron Mask.

[4321BAM]

^ Excellent point! Though I don't think it should be used as excuse :shrug:

[Mary Rose]

You are right, there should be no excuses.  If he wants to be a good King, he has to learn to make his own decisions and stick with them. 

Although, none of us know him personally, the real questions are, does he have an analytical mind?  Meaning, does he have the ability to sit down and look at a situation and figure out what is the best course of action?  Does he have the ability to understand that to every action good or bad there are consequences?  Does he have the ability to figure out which consequence he can live with and which one will not harm anyone else? Not everyone has the capablity to think like that whether they are book smart or people smart.

Or is he someone who acts totally on impulse without thinking anything through and does not care who it effects?

As just William he could have either one.  As Prince William and future King, to be a good King, he has to think his decisions though and not act on impulse.

[The Queen]

Really that doesn't even matter. The King/Queen doesn't do anything important they're just a face to keep up PR.

[Mary Rose]

I understand they are just figure heads but the fact that they are still popular, and people discuss them on internet forums to a great extent means they are important in some ways.  Those are legimate questions.

[The Queen]

I disagree. If the king/queen makes a bad decision there are no external costs. Sure there's a few tabloid articles and the PR people get a bit of overtime, but really no harm done. The UK didn't shut down when Harry wore the Nazi costume. However, if parliament or the PM makes a bad call everyone is affected and it has the potential to completely destroy the nation. The job of the monarch is not political leader, it is model for postage stamps and monitary notes.

[Mary Rose]

So, if they are only symbols for the UK, then regardless of how bad their behavior might be, it does not matter?

[PrincessKLS]

I think that's what she's trying to say. And honestly they are nothing but figureheads and world celebrities. True they do alot for charities and awareness of issues like Princess Diana did but anyone with a high profile can do that.

They are great people, I can say that about a few of them but really it's almost equivalent to a Hollywood celeb making a mistake. Funny how we say (in America) celebrities are our royalty but it's come full circle and royals have just become celebs.

[Mary Rose]

Well, I disagree in the sense there is a difference between being a symbol and a celebrity.  The celebrities in Hollywood might be the ideals of many, but they are just actors and nothing more.  There is nothing for them to uphold.

The RF is a symbol of history, a history that has survived a thousand years.  Although, they are just figure heads, as symbols they do have a job to uphold that for the time they remain a monarchy.  Therefore, how they behave does matter and if they start being compared to celebrities, then Queen Elizabeth II and her family should step down. Obviously, that is why they have been allowed to stay a monarchy even as just figure heads, when all other monarchy have crumbled around them.

Prince William has the symbol of history to uphold, so how he behaves does matter.  One wrong move on his part or his relatives, and the UK people could easily remove them.  They almost were brought down because of Diana and clearly how the monarchy behaved when Diana died did upset a great many people. 

[Wombat]

I think HM would be appalled at being compared to a celebrity. I read somewhere that she and PP were asked to stop and do a photocall during a royal trip and she snapped "We are not celebrities" <---- Not amused :notamused:

I agree with you Mary Rose...except for the Diana bit :thumbsup:

[PrincessKLS]

Yes I know there's history and symbolism to uphold and they are supposed to be a head of COE but times are changing a lot.

[Mary Rose]

That is true.  Times are changing and monarchies are going out the door.  Perhaps in a few decades they will be no more.  Unfortunately, for William, until that happens he has no choice but to play the part of a Prince, unless he gives it up.

[The Queen]

"Being royal is not like being famous or rich. It is much much more" (From The Prince and Me)
Which I agree with, it is an insult to the RF to call them celebrities like an actor or model, etc. But, no one can deny the fact  that their personal opinions and actions have no serious effect on the entire nation. Even if they were to be taken off the thrown, sure the continuation of tradition will be gone, but other than that and the absence of tabloid articles, there is no serious effect. Though I will agree it would be a tragedy to lose them and I doubt we ever will.

[Mary Rose]

The Queen and her family will no doubt be around for sometime longer.  The UK will never give them up because they are a symbol of a great history that has managed to survive for over a thousand years.  However, I still think that in that symbolic position there is an expectation for them to behave a certain way.

Oh and I worded that wrong, Wombat.   :P  How badly the RF treated Diana did almost bring them down, not she herself almost brought them down.

[PrincessKLS]

Well I didn't mean to be offensive but celebrity these days is a loose term, it just means your famous for anything. You could argue that George W. Bush is a celebrity.

[Kuei Fei]

However, I still think that in that symbolic position there is an expectation for them to behave a certain way.

I agree. They're symbols of a glorious past and can help lead their country to a glorious future, but they have to remember who they are and who they are descended from. If they act like Eurotrash and get involved with unsuitable people, then they'll be letting down the public that they represent (and who pays them).

For example, a lot of people have been let down by the actions of Beatrice recently because of her nonstop partying and undignified behavior. This is not what royalty is supposed to be, prancing around drunkenly wearing hideous outfits and partying with people with dubious reputations. They should be out there, pounding pavement, and representing their country to the best of their ability.

[Mary Rose]

I agree.

What all royal children should be taught from the time they are born until the day they die is that, they are human beings and are only in the position they are in because of other human beings' good graces.  I believe Diana tried to instill that in William and Harry.

The people of the UK are only allowing them to be in those positions because of what they represent.  That can be taken away at anytime.  Some people are working even now to try and do that.  I understand they hardly have any power and will make mistakes, but they at least should make an effort to uphold some of those expectations.  The younger generation does not seem to be bothering to do that and are giving reasons for people who dislike the monarchy to want to end it.

Well I didn't mean to be offensive but celebrity these days is a loose term, it just means your famous for anything. You could argue that George W. Bush is a celebrity.

:lmao:

No that is not offensive you are right.  The standards for being a celebrity have been lowered a great deal.  Society now is great for making heros out of nobodies, who do nothing. 

Bush, however, is in kinda the same position as the RF.  He is the President.  The President is a symbol of the USA and its history, so even he has to behave in a certain manner.  And, since he has the job of actually running the country, the expectation is even greater.  When you are a symbol of something, it is not the same as being a celebrity in terms of what is expected of you. 

[caroes24]

We’ve discussed the scenario where a girl likes Prince William more than William. And true enough, in a perfect world, Wills would find a girl who loves William and likes Prince William. But what if he finds a girl who loves William and dislikes Prince William?



i dont know but i think he as a person has to be first in the love department there isa planty of people that juggle with important positions and are able to love who ever they want

For argument sake, let’s assume that the girl is perfect in every other way: she’s from an aristocratic background, she’s gorgeous, big heart, fantastic mind, etc; but she’s not into becoming a princess. Do you think she should go for it anyway?

What if the girl isn’t perfect: she’s your ‘average Jane’; shy and perhaps even introvert, but he finds her perfect even if no one else does – should she go for it then? Should he like this kind of girl?    

In fact, should he ever like a girl who’s completely unsuitable for Prince William even if she is completely suitable for William? Do we think this could even happen? Does he ever separate William from Prince William?  :shrug: