# Am I the only one who doesn't give a damn about William and Kate?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 3, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016 "2011-04-03T05:48:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 7
### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/121 "2011-04-05T08:45:04Z")
We’re not talking about Freddie Mercury, are we?
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### Author:  [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/122 "2011-04-05T09:57:11Z")
> [@a35362](#):
>
> \<…\> I start to get more impatient and disgusted thinking about monarchies in the modern world and what the heck is the _point_ \<…\>
Slight hijack – I cannot vouch for others, but in Spain the monarchy had a very important point, on February 23-24, 1981.
Long story short: On that date, had it not been for the king, and for the fact that the head of state was a king, we probably would have ended up with “Spanish Civil War - Part 2” becoming all the rage in my country.
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/123 "2011-04-05T12:04:07Z")
> [@JoseB](#):
>
> Slight hijack – I cannot vouch for others, but in Spain the monarchy had a very important point, on February 23-24, 1981.
>
> Long story short: On that date, had it not been for the king, and for the fact that the head of state was a king, we probably would have ended up with “Spanish Civil War - Part 2” becoming all the rage in my country.
Agreed. Juan Carlos was the epitome of what a monarch should be in that crisis. Franco actually did something right for once if he had anything to do with Juan Carlos developing a sense of sovereign’s responsibility.
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/124 "2011-04-05T12:32:53Z")
Well yeah, but remember that a favorite conspiracy theory is that he orchestrated the whole thing. I know people whose take on the issue is “nah, _he_’s not that smart… _she_, on the other hand…” Curiously enough, I also know many people who think that if he did, it was well done (there were a lot of political changes stemming from that day).
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### Author:  [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/125 "2011-04-05T14:28:01Z")
> [@Nava](#):
>
> Well yeah, but remember that a favorite conspiracy theory is that he orchestrated the whole thing. I know people whose take on the issue is “nah, _he_’s not that smart… _she_, on the other hand…” Curiously enough, I also know many people who think that if he did, it was well done (there were a lot of political changes stemming from that day).
Personally, I doubt those conspiracy theories. Especially given that, if anything, the final result was that the Spanish democracy itself ended up reinforced, with the King firmly put into a ceremonial role, divested of any real power.
That, combined with the facts surrounding the coup that had been prepared for October 27, 1982 (the day before the Elections), a coup attempt that was much better organized (the involved military leaders had already prepared “black lists” of people to be shot and had decided that one of the things they would do was to surround and isolate the residence of the Royal family)… As I said, all that makes me think that the elements within the military, after the 1981 coup attempt, had become distrustful of the King.
That doesn’t jive with the King being part of the previous conspiracy, at least that is my feeling.
[(For those who don’t know about that one, on October 2nd, 1982, the secret police swooped in and arrested the three leaders of the planned coup)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Spanish_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_attempt)
There appears to be yet another coup that was due to come into fruition on June 2, 1985 ([info in Spanish](http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiraci%C3%B3n_golpista_para_el_2_de_junio_de_1985_%28Espa%C3%B1a%29)) – There, the plotters were going to murder the King himself (among a bunch of other people). Thus, I think that chances are Juan Carlos I was not really involved in plotting attempted coups in order to bolster his position.
Just my 2 eurocent, though!
(And sorry --again-- for hijacking!)
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/126 "2011-04-05T14:59:13Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> I do not care an ounce about William and Kate. I don’t want to watch their wedding. I don’t to read about it or see updates on the news. I think Charlie Sheen updates are more newsworthy and more fascinating than these two. I don’t see why anyone is supposed to care that some useless, walking anachronism is going to marry some golddigger, then spend 50 or 60 years doing nothing. I don’t get the fascination with these people. I mean, I never care about _any_ celebrity weddings/romances/gossip, whatever, but at least most other celebrities have actually done something to make themselves famous other than just be born.
>
> Am I alone?
Well, whenever I see news coverage of the British royal family in the American media, my immediate reacion is always… “Didn’t we have a revolution 200 years ago so that we wouldn’t have to pay attention to those inbred German dorks any more?”
Of course, I come from an Irish family, so I may be prejudiced…
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### Author:  [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/127 "2011-04-05T15:23:35Z")
> [@gonzomax](#):
>
> I have zero interest in their marriage. Good thing I have a remote control for my TV.
Last I heard, **Dio** has a wife & two daughters. So he may have competition for the remote. Thus, he’s heard & seen more about The Royal Wedding than he’d ever wished to know. And he’ll get to learn more before the thing is over!
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### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/128 "2011-04-05T15:28:55Z")
They seem like nice people and Kate is quite a looker, but beyond that not really.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/129 "2011-04-05T15:31:44Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#):
>
> Last I heard, **Dio** has a wife & two daughters. So he may have competition for the remote. Thus, he’s heard & seen more about The Royal Wedding than he’d ever wished to know. And he’ll get to learn more before the thing is over!
Three daughters, and you are correct. I seldom have possession of the remote.
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### Author:  [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/130 "2011-04-05T16:25:57Z")
I understand your pain. I’ll be watching for coverage like Tom Lorenzo gave a [Swedish Royal Wedding](http://tomandlorenzo2.blogspot.com/2010/06/princess-victoria-wedding-guests.html). Since I have the misfortune to know what Snooki looks like, I find foreign celebrities a refreshing change.
Left to yourself, you could peacefully avoid the whole affair. Alas, you have responsibilities!
I like BBCamerica’s news but they augment their Serious International Coverage with Frivolous Wedding Stories. And Cricket!
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/131 "2011-04-05T16:43:37Z")
So many of those princes have fancy naval outfits. I assume it has a lot to do with the seamen.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/132 "2011-04-05T17:15:28Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> So many of those princes have fancy naval outfits. I assume it has a lot to do with the seamen.
A few of those princes heard about rum, sodomy and the lash, and said, “Where do I sign???”
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/133 "2011-04-05T18:09:42Z")
Really, what’s not to love? And the hats!! To die for.
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### Author:  [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/134 "2011-04-05T22:16:34Z")
What’s sad is that until I see things like this thread, I can’t even remember what her name is. And it’s the same as mine!
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/135 "2011-04-05T22:41:55Z")
> [@OpalCat](#):
>
> What’s sad is that until I see things like this thread, I can’t even remember what her name is. And it’s the same as mine!
She’s on Time Magazine this week as “Kate the Great” and I had to look inside to find out who the hell she is. Kate Bosworth? Holmes? Way too young and alive to be Hepburn…
When I learned who they were talking about I felt “the Great” is kind of like Obama’s Nobel in jumping the gun a tad.
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/136 "2011-04-05T22:50:28Z")
Correction to above: Newsweek, not time.
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2011, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/137 "2011-04-06T07:04:07Z")
> [@JoseB](#):
>
> Personally, I doubt those conspiracy theories. Especially given that, if anything, the final result was that the Spanish democracy itself ended up reinforced, with the King firmly put into a ceremonial role, divested of any real power.
He put himself into that role, though, and politicians suddenly remembered such words as “Spain”.
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### Author:  [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2011, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/138 "2011-04-06T09:08:33Z")
Nope.
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### Author:  [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2011, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/139 "2011-04-06T09:30:14Z")
> [@Nava](#):
>
> He put himself into that role, though, and politicians suddenly remembered such words as “Spain”.
_shrug_ OK! Although I still think that, given the increasingly belligerent attitude of the military towards him in later coup attempts, he wasn’t colluding with the military.
Just my 2 eurocent!
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### Author:  [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2011, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-william-and-kate/577016/140 "2011-04-06T09:53:15Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> I do not care an ounce about William and Kate.
> \
> Am I alone?
No. I do not care about them or any other British monarchy related press stuff.
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