Is manipulating a child acceptable by their parents?
Be it far from me, an ordinary, but all the same, a concerned citizen, to complain about the manner the Cambridges manipulate their children to serve their purposes. However, it should be highlighted and discussed.
The world seems to enjoy seeing children act in all sorts of ways, either ridiculously funny or just plain laughter to brighten and lighten an occasion. Prince Louis and his senior sister have done that in public. Master Archie did that in Cape Town, South Africa. In some societies in the developing world, children have been used by parents on begging expeditions for money from the public. That is the exploitation of innocent children.
However, when the Cambridges deliberately manipulate their children to serve their own purposes, there is not a scintilla of murmur from the United Kingdom news media. There is not a day gone by when one does not see in the tabloids and sympathetic conservative newspapers reporting Prince William or Duchess of Cambridge saying something or the other about one of their children.
With the Sussexes away on a long break from royal duties to recharge their ‘batteries’, the media space is wide open to hear terrific ideas and plans for the charities the Cambridges champion. They have rather been leaking stories about their children to sympathetic newspapers. That is something no royal family member has indulged in before. It does indicate how low they are prepared to go to court public sympathy, not by dint of hard work.
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Can anyone imagine what would have been the news media reaction, if the Sussexes use their son as a prop to garner public sympathy and support?
Diana, Princess of Wales did that a few times, like when her sons were older and on necessary occasions. They were shown with her in public places. However, not like what the Cambridges are doing. Even then, she still had time for her charities and made a few public speeches in her time.
The Duchess of Cambridge cannot string two sentences in front of four people. That scares her to death. Even where someone has written a speech for her, she still has a problem reading it and making herself heard. She is just terribly terrified. Hence, her duties have mainly been turning up, smiling, waving and going back. It is no surprise therefore, her children are being used as props as opposed to what should be done.
Unlike the Cambridges, the Sussexes are totally different. Even though Master Archie at only seven months old, is more popular than all the royal children, the parents do not manipulate that. They have only said something about him at events when they have been asked about him. There are no leaks to sympathetic newspapers. Master Archie is not totally closed off.
I do remember when the then Ms. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got engaged over two years ago, some in the newspapers and on television news programmes felt they had to give the new lady on the block advice. Most said Ms. Markle would benefit greatly from the experience of the Duchess of Cambridge. Because she had hanged around Prince William forever and eventually married him, they thought she had something to impart to the newcomer.
How wrong they were. There is absolutely nothing really to learn from Duchess Cambridge. Whatever had to be learned about the family, has come from the Duke of Sussex and her father in law Prince Charles. Duchess Meghan is highly intelligent and has learned quickly to the dismay of her detractors. They would not admit that in public, but that is the case.
For someone who has a degree in international studies, with two foreign languages in the toolkit, it is no surprise that she has used that to navigate through the archaic institution we have. I have a sneaking suspicion that the mandarins at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office can see the potential in deploying that background and position of the Duchess of Sussex post-Brexit. Britain has not seen the potential of the Sussexes yet.
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