WILLIAM AND HARRY HERALD ROYAL REVOLUTION

[lurker]

http://www.express.co.uk/blogs/post/267/blog/2008/06/13/48194/William%20and%20Harry%20herald%20royal%20revolution

THE Royal Family's advisers like to portray the monarchy as an institution for stability and continuity but in their own quiet way, Princes William and Harry are revolutionising royalty.

The two young princes have vowed to turn their back on tradition and follow in their mother Princess Diana's footsteps by concentrating on only a handful of charities as working royals so that they can take on a more hands-on role.

In December 1993, Diana famously announced her intention to withdraw from much of her public life and focus on six charities that were closest to her heart, dropping her involvement with 100 others.

William, who is patron or president of 10 organisations, and Harry, who is patron of five, have ruled out any major expansion in the number of charities they support in the near future because they want to pursue a similar approach.

[fawbert]

This is nothing new. The Princess Royal concentrates on the "Save The Children Fund" for instance.

[Amun]

That will give William more time for vacations.

[MapleLeaf]

I don't have a sarcastic comment to make about this article because I don't see the need for one.  It's a nice article, and I think it's nice that Wills and Harry want to concentrate on their existing charities. 

Harry has a hands-on approach with Sentebale, maybe by keeping their list of charities low it will enable Wills to follow Harry's excellent example and choose one of his charities to take a more hands-on approach with.

And on an even better note, I think it's fantastic that Wills went to South Wales to visit Dinas in the Rhonda Valley!!  People talk about Wills, yet we find out he did something and the cameras weren't along.  Good for Wills, I'm proud of him for taking the initiative.   Quote about it from the article:

William, who works with the Centrepoint charity for homeless young people - one of Diana's favourite causes- is passionate about improving the lives of disadvantaged youngsters and feels he has much to learn about how others live.

On a trip to a run-down block of flats in one of Europe's poorest areas, Dinas in the Rhonda Valley in South Wales last month, he was frustrated that despite meeting teenagers on the estate he was unable to go inside and see their homes.

Anxious, like his mother, to get closer to ordinary people, he asked if he could go and knock on random doors and see if he could get invited into a flat.

But his advisers, worried about his security and the potential embarrassment to residents opening their door to him, vetoed his idea.

Good for you for doing something constructive and helpful Wills!!

[Stix Chix]

good article....thanks for posting it Lurker.

i figured Harry and probably William would like to keep up with concentrating more fully with a few charities rather then acting as a figurehead for many.  dont get me wrong, being "just a figurehead" is an important role....Diana could double a charity's donations just by showing up to a dinner.  in the future i'm sure William and Harry will both do the same for a number of charities.  but i dont think it would be as satisfying for them as going hands-on and playing an active role in one or two charities in particular.

[QueenK]

This is a very good idea I've thought about donating to one or two of the charities William is a patron of.

[Haidee]

Its a nice article. Its a good idea too!! Although figureheads are important, but how can you be actively involved in 500 charities... its impossible. IMHO I think it is better to concentrate on a few and do he most you can with that charity. EG Harry and Sentabale.

They are certainly trying to do things there way - good on them

[Countessa]

Isn't this really an article trying to justify why the boys really don't have hardly any patronages at all and don't do charity work in general? This coupled with the excessive amount of money spent on booze and holidays seems suspicious. I admire the Queen, Princess Anne and other members of the RF who do hundreds of events every year. And I notice that while Prince Andrew attends hundreds of events a year (at home and abroad) he is constantly being critisized for doing nothing. Why is that? Because he's not the golden blonde heir to the heir?

It shows how shallow the press is when covering the RF and my opinion is that as Wills and Harry benefit from that shallowness (including the media's almost demanding that PW marry do-nothing KM because she looks good in clothes) that eventually the bottom will fall out once they become aged and bald and the media find other "celebrities" to focus on. I just don't think the boys are the savior of the monarchy. Other european RF's seem to keep their positions because they are quiet and remain local by not letting the world in but also reaching out to the world such as W-A marrying Argentine Maxima and Frederik taking Australian Mary as his wife. Jmo.

[wannabe]

Those other Monarchies are not 'press' searched out worldwide like the British, followed by the Spanish.  Its a question of "fascination" with the BRF, always has been, even the best and most watched royal - history related are the British ones and translated in all languages.

Perhaps KM and her family's boyfriend, if true that they intervene in her private life, should be completely public, so we may really know what she does with her 24/7, instead of the contradictory articles since keeping her life low profile.

[fawbert]

Its a nice article. Its a good idea too!! Although figureheads are important, but how can you be actively involved in 500 charities... its impossible. IMHO I think it is better to concentrate on a few and do he most you can with that charity. EG Harry and Sentabale.

They are certainly trying to do things there way - good on them

The modern day thinking that royal = charity worker is tiresome, but I suppose necessary to ensure the survival of the monarchy.

[Dizzy13]

Just a quick thought...maybe they really liked the hands on role they did with the concert, and the City Salute, by doing a hands on role it is more meaningful to them, than just showing up at a function, and not really getting the whole picture of a particular charity...lend my face that's it, doesn't work for them, to them being a Patron should be more than just a figurehead.  Maybe they want to make a difference, and see the end result of the work they do, which in turn will tell themselves that they are actually working, and doing something productive, and will make them feel important and proud.  I'm sure they will still go to functions, but they just won't commit themselves as Patrons, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is what happens with KM...but time will tell, depends on how many she takes on and what she does (1-2 just won't cut it).  I do think though that both Will and Harry could take on a couple more charities, but I'm sure if they do they would be charities that mean something to them, and where they think they can make a difference and see results from what they do.

I think this is great...

[Stix Chix]

^agreed!

The modern day thinking that royal = charity worker is tiresome, but I suppose necessary to ensure the survival of the monarchy.

royals involving themselves in charity isn't really a modern way of doing things....its been going on forever!   royals have always acted as patrons.  to artists, writers, doctors, schools and universities, musicians, explorers, scientists etc.....if royals hadn't been so charitable over the past 1,000 years we'd probably be a few centuries behind where we are now.

kings were thought (long, long ago!) to cure certain diseases just by touch and people suffering from them would flock to the king in hopes that he would touch and cure them.  i think its were the term "laying on hands" comes from.  and the giving out of Maundy money is an ancient tradition that's still kept up (although its no longer just given to the poor). 

and aristocratic women used to keep themselves busy by visiting the ill (either in hospitals or on their estates), making up bandages etc during wars, and raising money for good causes.  some old families even allowed their estates to be used as hospitals for injured soldiers, like the Queen Mother's family did during WWI.

[Fitzhay]

Good for both of them...Their hearts are SO in the right place....