William and Kate visit Sweden (January 30-31)

[Kaiserin]

Good for the BRF when their members visit monarchies since the royals in these countries are in the same situation and have the same obligations which are generally formal and representative.

But it annoyed me when I saw my head of government, Ms Merkel, wasting  her precious time while meeting the dullards on their tour. If the British government really expects our  Chancellor to meet the Dumbs it cannot be considered as a charm offensive but just offensive. The only political impact of this visit was to keep Merkel from working.  

I don’t mind royals doing fluff - from the RDisher’s point of view it is a good opportunity to review the events and the participants’ demeanour and have some fun. Watching these shenanigans always fulfills me with gratitude that I do not have to feed an extensive royal family and that whether our head of state is adequately dignified or not - they will make way in a couple of years (5).

Honestly, Merkel is rather known for doing nothing than for working. She has cultivated "aussitzen" (sitting out). Furthermore, the Cambridge visit was during summer break of Bundestag, so it's not that meeting them on the red carpet and showing them round at Bundeskanzleramt has kept her from joining a session or the like.

But I agree with you that I fail to see the "charming offensive" when they actually do only fluff things. None of these visits has ANY impact on the Brexit negotiations, and I would bet also no influence on the future economic relationsship of the visited countries with the UK.
Besides the fact that Norway isn't even EU.

From dishing point of view, if they wouldn't do a Tour from time to time, what should we dish about? Their once a month appearances at their charities plus the big family pomp & circumstance like Trooping? Would be a bit meager for my taste  .

[pixiecat]

In a way, 'charm offensive' is the right term.  It offends me to think that the British government (in this case, at least) thinks they can send privileged people who have no negotiating skills, no skills in setting up trade agreements, no policy-making ability, etc to be official ambassadors in the hopes of establishing policy/conducting international business.   

[Chandrasekhi]

In a way, 'charm offensive' is the right term.  It offends me to think that the British government (in this case, at least) thinks they can send privileged people who have no negotiating skills, no skills in setting up trade agreements, no policy-making ability, etc to be official ambassadors in the hopes of establishing policy/conducting international business.   

**completely baffled** where was it suggested/reported that these two nitwits were send by the British Government to negotiate/establish policy/international business? If that's what happens in Britain, from the Southernmost tip of Africa, despite our problems with water shortages, a rogue president who will not go quietly into the night and is threatening civil war, Brits, you have all the sympathy I can spare!

[DejaVu]

In a way, 'charm offensive' is the right term.  It offends me to think that the British government (in this case, at least) thinks they can send privileged people who have no negotiating skills, no skills in setting up trade agreements, no policy-making ability, etc to be official ambassadors in the hopes of establishing policy/conducting international business.   

Yep - they have no skills, no competence, no power - but they turn up with their two little children which look like they were taken out of Victorian scraps. Is that what's called diplomacy in the 21st century … for real? 

[pixiecat]

In a way, 'charm offensive' is the right term.  It offends me to think that the British government (in this case, at least) thinks they can send privileged people who have no negotiating skills, no skills in setting up trade agreements, no policy-making ability, etc to be official ambassadors in the hopes of establishing policy/conducting international business.   

**completely baffled** where was it suggested/reported that these two nitwits were send by the British Government to negotiate/establish policy/international business? If that's what happens in Britain, from the Southernmost tip of Africa, despite our problems with water shortages, a rogue president who will not go quietly into the night and is threatening civil war, Brits, you have all the sympathy I can spare!

They're not there to negotiate anything.

Earlier in the thread there was a discussion about how they are often sent ahead of government officials who are working to establish agreements/partnerships/etc as part of a way to "sweeten" the deal/warm up the Swedes (or insert visited country here) to future partnerships/agreements. It's insulting (IMO) to think that by sending a royal, the receiving country will be so charmed and dazzled that they will then fall all over themselves to agree to (insert name of whatever policy/agreement they're trying to broker).  It's ethnocentric BS at its finest, IMO.

The post-Brexit visit to Luxembourg by Kate is a prime example of this douchebaggery that the British government is engaging in. 

[Margaret]

In a way, 'charm offensive' is the right term.  It offends me to think that the British government (in this case, at least) thinks they can send privileged people who have no negotiating skills, no skills in setting up trade agreements, no policy-making ability, etc to be official ambassadors in the hopes of establishing policy/conducting international business.   

**completely baffled** where was it suggested/reported that these two nitwits were send by the British Government to negotiate/establish policy/international business? If that's what happens in Britain, from the Southernmost tip of Africa, despite our problems with water shortages, a rogue president who will not go quietly into the night and is threatening civil war, Brits, you have all the sympathy I can spare!

They're not there to negotiate anything.

Earlier in the thread there was a discussion about how they are often sent ahead of government officials who are working to establish agreements/partnerships/etc as part of a way to "sweeten" the deal/warm up the Swedes (or insert visited country here) to future partnerships/agreements. It's insulting (IMO) to think that by sending a royal, the receiving country will be so charmed and dazzled that they will then fall all over themselves to agree to (insert name of whatever policy/agreement they're trying to broker).  It's ethnocentric BS at its finest, IMO.

The post-Brexit visit to Luxembourg by Kate is a prime example of this douchebaggery that the British government is engaging in. 

 

[getafix]

In a way, 'charm offensive' is the right term.  It offends me to think that the British government (in this case, at least) thinks they can send privileged people who have no negotiating skills, no skills in setting up trade agreements, no policy-making ability, etc to be official ambassadors in the hopes of establishing policy/conducting international business.   

**completely baffled** where was it suggested/reported that these two nitwits were send by the British Government to negotiate/establish policy/international business? If that's what happens in Britain, from the Southernmost tip of Africa, despite our problems with water shortages, a rogue president who will not go quietly into the night and is threatening civil war, Brits, you have all the sympathy I can spare!

They're not there to negotiate anything.

Earlier in the thread there was a discussion about how they are often sent ahead of government officials who are working to establish agreements/partnerships/etc as part of a way to "sweeten" the deal/warm up the Swedes (or insert visited country here) to future partnerships/agreements. It's insulting (IMO) to think that by sending a royal, the receiving country will be so charmed and dazzled that they will then fall all over themselves to agree to (insert name of whatever policy/agreement they're trying to broker).  It's ethnocentric BS at its finest, IMO.

The post-Brexit visit to Luxembourg by Kate is a prime example of this douchebaggery that the British government is engaging in. 

IOU 

G

[pixiecat]

In a way, 'charm offensive' is the right term.  It offends me to think that the British government (in this case, at least) thinks they can send privileged people who have no negotiating skills, no skills in setting up trade agreements, no policy-making ability, etc to be official ambassadors in the hopes of establishing policy/conducting international business.   

**completely baffled** where was it suggested/reported that these two nitwits were send by the British Government to negotiate/establish policy/international business? If that's what happens in Britain, from the Southernmost tip of Africa, despite our problems with water shortages, a rogue president who will not go quietly into the night and is threatening civil war, Brits, you have all the sympathy I can spare!

They're not there to negotiate anything.

Earlier in the thread there was a discussion about how they are often sent ahead of government officials who are working to establish agreements/partnerships/etc as part of a way to "sweeten" the deal/warm up the Swedes (or insert visited country here) to future partnerships/agreements. It's insulting (IMO) to think that by sending a royal, the receiving country will be so charmed and dazzled that they will then fall all over themselves to agree to (insert name of whatever policy/agreement they're trying to broker).  It's ethnocentric BS at its finest, IMO.

The post-Brexit visit to Luxembourg by Kate is a prime example of this douchebaggery that the British government is engaging in. 

 

In a way, 'charm offensive' is the right term.  It offends me to think that the British government (in this case, at least) thinks they can send privileged people who have no negotiating skills, no skills in setting up trade agreements, no policy-making ability, etc to be official ambassadors in the hopes of establishing policy/conducting international business.   

**completely baffled** where was it suggested/reported that these two nitwits were send by the British Government to negotiate/establish policy/international business? If that's what happens in Britain, from the Southernmost tip of Africa, despite our problems with water shortages, a rogue president who will not go quietly into the night and is threatening civil war, Brits, you have all the sympathy I can spare!

They're not there to negotiate anything.

Earlier in the thread there was a discussion about how they are often sent ahead of government officials who are working to establish agreements/partnerships/etc as part of a way to "sweeten" the deal/warm up the Swedes (or insert visited country here) to future partnerships/agreements. It's insulting (IMO) to think that by sending a royal, the receiving country will be so charmed and dazzled that they will then fall all over themselves to agree to (insert name of whatever policy/agreement they're trying to broker).  It's ethnocentric BS at its finest, IMO.

The post-Brexit visit to Luxembourg by Kate is a prime example of this douchebaggery that the British government is engaging in. 

IOU 

G

And I owe both of you ladies a  when the time limit is up.

[Suzerain]

Just to clarify things, I didn't say they (William & Kate) were actually negotiating anything themselves. But if you know anything about marketing campaigns and how they are executed, it's pretty clear they are part of one. Just like the recent Space X launch wasn't just about scientific exploration, it's also a giant publicity stunt for Tesla and SpaceX. They could have sent British celebs instead of these two (because you need "shiny" things to catch people's attention which is what gray bureaucrats do not do) but they chose royals. Whether their campaign is a successful one or not, remains to be seen.

[fairy]

Suze: "I hear the message well, but lack Faith's constant trust" 
This is what we hear so often from the pro-monarchists: that the royals draw the attention, soften the deals or at least the mindsd of the people who make the deals.
But I am not convinced: Those who haggle, fight tooth and nail for the trade deals between Britain and the EU (and the individual countries) are IMO not swayed by the fact that a royal came to town and hugged a baby and visited a hospital (or shop, museum etc). It is not like those deal-makers and politicians had been invited to tea and personally charmed.
It is as removed as two sports teams fighting for the championship being influenced by a tea visit of the aunties of the fan club pres. 

[Maria]

AFAIK the negotiations between the EU and the U.K. takes place in Brussels with a EU delegation negotiating for the EU. So while someone somewhere may think it might sway the negotiations sending various younger royals around in Europe, it obviously only has a minuscule effect on the negotiations, especially when the U.K. themselves are actively going for a hard Brexit. I guess they could also be sent to counteract the effects of this? A sort of “please, don’t forget about us once we sever the ties” apology tour That would sort of make more sense to me, even though I pity the Brits then. I think everyone in the EU would much prefer they stay than go.

[Suzerain]

Yeah, I don't think it really has an effect one way or the other to be honest. But obviously there are people who think otherwise.

I must say there are things I don't like about the EU (I wish it had merely stayed a trade union) but many countries in it would not do well without it. It's not an easy topic.

[Maria]

It’s also O/T

[Suzerain]

Which is why I wasn't going to discuss it any further and won't. And to bring us back to the topic. I do have a question about the visit to Sweden. I know they were supposed to visit Uppsala too. Was it only for W & K or were Vic and others supposed to accompany them?

[Sunshine]

Just catching up on all the events. Dishers what happened to Vic? I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her outfit (black skirt with high cut) that she wore when the Cambridge was there. She look like a high class you know what..
Did she rob the snake closet? That outfit is something I expect the snake to wear. I am so disappointed and shocked.