Here are some lovely photos of the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Autumn Phillips at the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland a few days ago. I have to say, the Queen looks absolutely radiant in that rich red, and I’ve always thought that Charles really pulls off the kilt. Everyone looks really great in these photos. The Queen is about to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history, and with that landmark comes renewed speculation about how Charles feels about his mother, his role as Prince of Wales and whether he will ever be king. The Daily Mail had an absolutely fascinating story about what Charles is feeling these days, and there’s even some very INTERESTING speculation about his feelings towards William. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
His relationship with the Queen has changed: He is closer now to his mother than he has been for years, even regretting, it is murmured, some of the things he has said in the past about her long absences during his childhood. He is said now to ‘understand’.
He’s no longer “hurt” by not being king yet: One former aide says: “People would have been tiptoeing around, careful not to make any reference to the occasion. You never knew when he was going to blow up.” Now, a courtier says, he’s fine with it: “Everyone expects the Queen to live to be 100 at least — just like her mother — and that includes the Prince of Wales. The Prince has come to terms with this, though the phrase “the eternal wait”, which has long been used privately, is still never mentioned in his hearing.”
Charles wants to be the best Prince of Wales ever: He thinks that if and when he gets on the throne, he’ll be “too old to make much of a difference anyway, if any difference at all.” So he’s focused on his legacy as Prince of Wales: “That’s exactly how he wants to be seen as Prince of Wales — someone who didn’t spend his time just being someone, but went out of his way to do things as well. He’s quite enjoyed the row over his so-called “black spider” letters to government ministers.”
He does love the spoils of royalty though: “He’s blind to the hypocrisy of lecturing the world about the dangers to the planet and then getting on a fuel-burning helicopter instead of taking a simple car ride. He simply doesn’t get it. He once had it in mind to use the throne to challenge things, to get things done when he is king, but now some think he is realising he can be more effective where he is rather than having to have every word vetted by Downing Street, every attempt to break protocol queried by his private secretary as king.”
Concerns about William: Charles is developing and expanding the role of Prince of Wales to cover so many areas of national life that courtiers are worried he has made the role of succeeding him immensely difficult for William, who doesn’t noticeably have an interest in anything much beyond his family, flying helicopters and animal conservation. There is a feeling in palace circles that hovers somewhere between amusement and unease that when the time comes, King Charles and the new Prince of Wales will have difficulty making their mark.
Charles doesn’t want pity when he meets monarchs his age: “The Prince detested what he took to be sympathetic looks and comments that occasionally reached his ears when he appeared in such company. He doesn’t want sympathy — he hates it. So, by agreement with Buckingham Palace, he no longer has to attend such occasions.”
The danger of Charles’ idea for a ‘streamlined monarchy’: “The danger is that this doesn’t mean the spotlight falls more intensely on Charles and Camilla, but on the glamorous Kate and William. This might lead to people calling for them to be the next king and queen.”
There’s a lot more in that article, especially about how Camilla has changed Charles’ views about his place. Like, she’s made him live in the moment more and stop worrying constantly about what he would do as king. And it’s true that Charles is in an interesting position politically, where he can be an advocate-royal for a host of issues without having to be constantly censored by Downing Street. And I do think Charles will go down as one of the best Princes of Wales in history. When William comes into that role… God help us all.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Pacific Coast News.
Family get togethers must be hella awkward.
i think they are used to it by now.
In Fergie’s autobiography, she describes coming down to breakfast at Balmoral to find many of the family seated at the dining table with a copy of the tabloid that had her toe sucking pictures. All unashamedly looking at the pictures…….
or the first christmas that Kate missed where Camilla’s present was a framed cartoon of a naked Kate being chased by badger paps, a reference to the naked pics from france…..
Copying this from an earlier thread. Andrew Parker Bowles gifted Camilla with the original cartoon by a respected political cartoonist who works for the Telegraph. The cartoon was drawn during heated debate about badger culls.
Badgers were being blamed for everything from spreading plague to spreading tuberculosis, as an excuse to cull them. The cartoon was of a cow and a badger, holding a copy of Closer magazine, with the headline ‘Badgers blamed for spreading Kate photos’.
Oh wow! At least they can laugh and absorb it.
Note: thanks for the correction. still embarrassing though since everyone had forgotten the France photos by Christmas.
lisa2 I like Charles too. He has worked hard in his position. I think with age, one mellows anyway not much he can do about the future, except live his life and do his duty.
I love the inside stories about the family gatherings. The old People magazines from the 80’s and 90’s had some good stories , especially during the Fergie scandals and War of the Wales, when the magazine was not so sugar coated.
I read one story in People mag a few days ago from the early 90’s or late 80’s..? ….where Sarah, sat her friend/alleged lover Steve Wyatt next to the Queen at a private party. The Queen and Palace staff thought Sarah must have lost her bloody mind. The Queen shot her a look.
The Christmas gift/ Closer/badger cartoon-nude picture thing about Kate at Christmas. Lol Too funny.
I wonder if William was bothered?
The badger reference also made me nearly spit all over my screen – in the UK is slang for lady parts 😉 Double meaning there.
ROTFL 🙂 🙂
Betti
In the states it is too. Though more commonly used is Beaver, Badger is still valid.
I’m in the minority I’m sure.. but I like Charles..
he is such a combination of both of his parents. He seem so much calmer in is older years.. Happier.. and closer to his mother.
Really? – he always comes accross as rather petulant to me – like his letters demanding input into government policy. Cannot imagine the Queen crossing that line
um she crosses that line from time to time eg when she demanded the govt remove that hook terrorist who was using human rights act to fight extradition to the USA. 8yrs he fought and won. one word from HM and he was gone in less than a fortnight.
I’ll join you lisa2. I like him as well. I think he’s matured very well.
I like him, too. I think he’s been an excellent Prince of Wales, and I thought his letters to the ministry (at least the ones I read) are just what I would want in a leader: he was advocating for his people, especially the people with the quietest voices.
Red is definitely the Queen’s color!
ditto!
Me too. And I loved his comment when asked by a journalist about becoming King, and he said something about that only happening because his mother will have died and that would be very sad. I rather liked him pointing that out.
I like him too, despite his quirks. I think his legacy of The Prince’s Trust has had an enormous positive impact on the UK.
He took inspiration from his father when he set up the Princes Trust. The DoE Award scheme is another amazing legacy – i did some things via them thou i never completed the bronze medal but i loved it, was a great experience.
Yes, a lot of what he does is following in Philip’s footsteps, including his organic farming and making royal properties sustainable.
Wasn’t Charles laughed at at that point? He was a prince playing in his garden and talking about organic foods to use the land?
A lot can be picked apart on Charles. Mostly petty, but some valid imo. What he’s accomplished though is admirable. He’s stepped into the role he has and went above and beyond to displayy he’ll be a good monarch too.
I’m curious to see what William will do. We see what he does now, but POW… I’m wondering if he’ll turn it around. Hoping so.
He’s relaxed enough to laugh about it now. From Countryfile a few years ago:
“While making hedgerows, another of the prince’s pastimes, presenter Julia Bradbury reminded Charles, 64, of the 1986 interview when he famously said: ‘I just come and talk to the plants, really – very important to talk to them. They respond.’
When asked if this was something he still did, Charles joked self-deprecatingly: ‘No, now I instruct them instead.’”
Me too, Lisa2
I like him too.
I’m with you lisa2. I’ve always liked him. He became interesting to me when he got into organic gardening way back in the dark ages. And architecture. The guy strikes me as one of the last active royal patrons of the arts- he commissions music, he commissions gardens and art works and is creative. He’s helped restore grand houses like Dumfries in Scotland and brought work to the area. He’s brought great success to his Duchy. He has cultural interests. He has a mind and he seems to care about his realm and seems well informed, and has an opinion. Etc. etc.
I also love the way he dresses and especially the eternal buttonhole, often a pink. The man loves flowers. What’s not to like?
It’s obvious that Camilla has helped mellow him, as has age and wisdom. He will make a good monarch. The last, I hope.
I think he’s got an eye on a house in Cornwall too. Port Something Or Another? Can’t remember the name. A grand old house that needs a lot of work. I just read something in Tatler I think, and how the Palace was a bit miffed that the Countess of Whozitz announced it before everything was done.
Bluhare: the house is in Port Eliot. i’ve visited it in the past for a literature festival. it’s a beautiful house, but it’s run down. http://www.porteliot.co.uk/
also it”s not easily accessible, so they will struggle to have tourists visiting it.
ETA: I read somewhere that he has decided not to buy the property.
Fun fact: The widow of the late heir to the Earldom was briefly engaged to Earl Spencer. she would have been wife no 3 if they’d gone ahead with the wedding.
LAK
Thank You for the link! That home and gardens look STUNNING! Absolutely gorgeous!
I like him!
But, I also think the people here, particularly the royal watchers are a lot more rational than the general population esp the considering it’s the internet.
Yes Charles was way ahead of his time concerning gardening /organically grown.
I think Diana made fun of him ,for it, at some point when she said to friends something likeCharles would rather spend time talking to his plants, the press picked it up and made him out to be the kooky gardener.
I like Charles, too. Much more than Will, to be honest.
Me, too. I am Diana’s age, so I remember when Charles was a jerk to her. Their split was ugly and brutal, played out on television and in the papers. Very damaging to him, mostly.
But I think Camilla was the woman he should have married in the first place. She always seems so warm and friendly, and she loves the old men and sharing cocktails with people! I think I’d like her as a friend. And Charles looks happy and relaxed when with her, because she seems very comfortable in her own skin. Unlike William, who always looks tense when in public with Kate, and Kate, who looks awkward and tense, also.
Charles is a much better royal than Pilot Wills. William does have big shoes to fill.
Not buying it – Charles is very bitter about spending his life in waiting
I was just going to say his only options are to be bitter or get over it. Maybe he really did mellow with age.
Doubtful
This whole articles reads like a Blind Item. Fragments of half truths easily debunked if you scratch the surface. Another case of confirmation bias imo. You read what you want to agree with so you accept it as more than plausible
I hope HM outlives him. But then look what’s on deck.
I think he’s over it and isn’t fixated on the crown. He can continue to accomplish much more in his current role and would be restricted being monarch. Diana knew him better than any of us. The Panorama interview wasn’t that shocking until she basically said William should be king instead.
Given what she said about William and Harry as kids, even she knew William wasn’t the best choice but she said it anyway to get back at Charles. She let her understandable bitterness spiral out of control during sections of the Panorama interview, but this part fits:
BASHIR: But you would know him better than most people. Do you think he would wish to be King?
DIANA: There was always conflict on that subject with him when we discussed it, and I understood that conflict, because it’s a very demanding role, being Prince of Wales, but it’s an equally more demanding role being King. And being Prince of Wales produces more freedom now, and being King would be a little bit more suffocating. And because I know the character I would think that the top job, as I call it, would bring enormous limitations to him, and I don’t know whether he could adapt to that.
Thanks notasugarhere for posting that quote.
I agree with Diana. While Charles at the time might have thought it would be better to be in the ‘top job,’ the lesser restrictions as PoW made his legacy even better than if he had spent decades as a stifled King. And I’m glad he realizes and accepts that now. Good on him. Personal growth. Too bad W&K don’t value that characteristic.
In order for him to be King his mother has to die. That’s one hell of a place to be. So, he’s either outright planning matricide or he is twisting in the wind re: his purpose, his role, and his life. People, of course, would condemn him for the former and do criticize him for the latter.
I think he’s done very well for himself living in that limbo-like no mans space of aimless potential & purpose. Instead of continually being bitter (unlike someone who won’t be named) and overwhelmed by the long wait–albeit a wait he can’t control but a wait nonetheless–he stepped up, created something or had something created for himself and has made peace with his life, his role and himself. Think about all of the regular folks you may know who are bitter about careers and families and paths not taken or of events colluding to hold them back and who have allowed the reality of their situations to defeat them instead of creating what small comforts they can. At the end of the day, and outside of the big structural/societal BS & inequities, wouldn’t they be so much more happier if they found the courage, the humility and the dignity to do what Charles has done?
Wow. He sounds rather noble when you put it like that! I agree with you.
+100
I love your comment, Dena – so wise!
A wonderful, very insightful comment, Dena. He created a worthy life for himself, at great odds. Look at his eventual successor- lazy, useless bugger in an historical stream of lazy, useless buggers (as far as I know). The POW role turned out to be demanding, because Charles demanded it of himself. William has great shoes to fill but he doesn’t care for them at all and obviously does not care for or take pride in his father’s legacy.
I think Charles is over it too.
He knows the longevity of his family.
I agree Kaiser: God help us all if that lazy, petulant twit William ever becomes the Prince of Wales or much less King. And as for his trifling wife, she is and will be a disaster beyond compare.
Trifling? How? That woman is still a figure that by name and appearance can bring attention to a cause. Even if it’s simply her PR making claims the image of Kate existing will do good.
I agree with trifling too. Because she doesn’t put anything into it. She’s all about the pretty picture and not much about what’s underneath. She’s got time to get past that, I think, but I haven’t seen it yet.
I can’t speak for India but for me, having been raised by southern black women, “trifling” is just an insult. It CAN be used to mean (and actually does mean) that someone or thing is inconsequential. But I’ve only ever heard it used to say that someone is being petty, tactless, deceitful, selfish, insipid, inconsiderate, shady, and just plain “not-right”. It’s closer to meaning someone’s insignificant because they’re petty and shallow, so they’re pitiful/loathsome, rather than impotent, insignificant and simply unimportant. It’s a quicker way to say, “You ain’t s**t” or “That ain’t s**t”. Though even by the dictionary definition I think trifling can mean someone who is insignificant due to carelessness and being consumed by petty, trivial matters, and often superficial ones. So a person of extraordinary privilege who could make a difference by simply showing her face, yet doesn’t because they don’t appear to give a crap about most things, let alone helping others… Well, they might be considered trifling 😀
I agree that Kate is trifling.
And I agree with both India’s and Amber’s use and definition of the word. I’ve always heard it used in the way Amber defined it.
You can be in a position of immense influence and importance, but not using it in a productive, good, and beneficial way but making it inconsequential and trivial can make you be described as trifling.
Might be a cultural thing. I’ve mostly heard it used to mean “something trivial”.
I just looked up the etymology. It’s originally from Old French, where it meant “mock, deceive” (c. 1200). Changed in Middle English to refer to an idle story, meant to amuse (c. 1300).
Out of curiosity, did the woman who raised you have some French influence Amber?
I took the meaning as more of an insult and Amber’s definitions and if so it’s ill-fitted. And it takes an invalid criticism imo to make me defend her.
Kate is flighty and wasteful at best. She chose her path and regressed mentally except what was needed to maintain her role years ago imo.
I like to keep a balance here. I’m no fan, but won’t criticise without cause. JMO.
And I took the meaning to be inconsequential and I think Kate has turned out to be very much that way. It’s why I’m really disappointed in her.
I don’t think so, @Lucrezia. More Irish/English maybe, if anything. Like I said, it’s something I’ve only ever heard black people say. In fact, I think I’ve only heard the word trifle used in “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid, LOL. And I can say my vocabulary has befuddled a few of my English professors and tests like this http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html never work for me either. I think it’s cultural and might also be geographical and generational as well. It’s definitely very colloquial, as I’ve never heard the word used to exclusively reference triviality. It might imply that something or someone is inconsequential, but there’s always more to it. The thought of being nonessential is the least of your problems if someone calls you trifling where I’m from.
I think William will hide when his time comes and the public will wonder where the heck the Prince of Wales is? He said a few weeks ago something to effect that there is no such think as a real royal job or real royal work,msomething along that line ,,…I think that was a big Tell! He doesn’t ever plan on doing much.
Amber, you got it in one😄😜!! Kate is trifling or fast on her way to being there. And, while strictly not true, describing her as a hot mess would be better. Hmm. Perhaps the Brits on the board can come up with a culturally relevant phrase to describe her. This could be fun.
A plodding wanktress? I’ve lost a lot of Britishness, so I’ll eagerly await Sixer and Frisbee!!
Cockwomble.
A Womble is a hairy, mythical creature, rarely seen, that collects the rubbish other people don’t want and uses it for their own benefit. The rest is totally self explanatory.
PS. Real Wombles are lovely.
“Scabby queen” was the insult of choice in my junior school’s playground!
Something a bit nicer? Fanny Fanackapan. You kinda use that as a term of endearment but when the recipient isn’t quite measuring up – when a mother is nagging a daughter who hasn’t done her chores yet, or similar.
Otiose nincompoop…
But Sixer, does she smell of cat’s wee?
Nodcock!
Channeling my dad, who was the best at this stuff, the one that is the most fit to print is “daft bugger”.
But…but… W&K apologists have said repeatedly that they’re just waiting to become Prince and Princess of Wales in order to start working because in their titles now, nothing should be expected of them. You’ve got to have the big titles in order to give you an incentive to work, right?
“Trifling”, indeed! What a novel and apt word to describe her. Oh, now it made me think of trifle. Yum. A much more felicitous thought!
William will HATE being Prince of Wales. He’ll probably flee the country in the middle of the night to avoid being King lol.
I think Prince Charles is doing a great job. He’s long come to terms with his position. Might as well make the most of his time now.
The Queen does look radiant! I was watching the live BBC coverage and she looks very gracious toward the crowd. I’m pleased to see her out and about once more along with Prince Phillip. Long may HM reign!
He really would, wouldn’t he? Next in line to the throne pretty much means actually performing the functions of that job. I could see him abdicating then. I think Diana would be mortified at him.
I’ve always thought (and said here a few times) that Willy boy will bottle it when he becomes PoW. He’ll probably carry on as much as he is now with duties/bad attitude and will force his fathers’ and gov’s hand, resulting in him being given a choice: walk away willingly or we will forcibly take you and ur family out of succession. Just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it can’t. All it takes is an act of parliament and judging by the public feeling toward the Dolittles at the moment they would have the backing of the people.
He’s another Edward VIII and it will ends in tears. Maybe we can send them off to be Governor of Mustique – Waity would love that.
Agree with you and Betti – we have been saying for a while now William is Edward VIII part two he has that smarmy, ‘secretly laughing at the peasants’ look about him. At this point I honestly can’t see William ascending to the throne. I think his behaviour is entirely destructive towards the monarchy and he’s encouraging and herding Kate into supporting his position. Kate – Stepford wife (waives madly at Sixer) and congenitally lazy as she is will just go along with it, their relationship is nothing if not mutually disabling and destructive. I agree with the idea that Normal Bill is pushing, and pushing to get as much as he can out of his position now and hoarding his existing resources so that when he does bugger off he’ll still have a very wealthy lifestyle. I can see huge resentment given that lifestyle will have been built on the back of the British taxpayer. There may be pitchforks.
*waves*
So how long do you think his personal money stash is going to last before the memoirs start pilling in? Will Wife stick around with a mere Mr. Windsor(changes name to Spencer for some drama)?
IF William’s sent off, he’ll be set. Much like the Duke of Windsor. The biographies, however, will be epic.
I really can’t envision William taking himself out of the line of succession. As much as I’d like to see that happen, I don’t believe it ever will.
@Frisbeejada; “I agree with the idea that Normal Bill is pushing, and pushing to get as much as he can out of his position now and hoarding his existing resources so that when he does bugger off he’ll still have a very wealthy lifestyle.”
This is exactly what Edward VIII did – when he was negotiating his abdication he pled poverty to his brother resulting in a large pension for him and Wallis to live off, he hid the wealth he got from his time as PoW. When the deception came to light later it was one of the bones of contention between them – he lied to his brother and gov about money. Willy will do the same – when he walks away he’ll make sure he’s ‘rewarded’ handsomely. Thou i wonder if he will still be married to her – there is no way she and Carole will allow him to walk away from the throne. Kate wants to be Queen and Carole wants the power behind the throne (via her obvious influence over Willy and grandson).
Charles is ruthless and there is no way he will stand by and watch his son ruin the Monarchy. He will want to make sure that it survives after him – he must see that it won’t if the Dolittles ascend.
Edit
PS. Bollocks i posed this in the wrong place.
I should have scrolled down and said “What Betti said”!!
Exactly Betti – we have no real idea how much money these people are really worth, their finances are kept deliberately opaque, there will be all sorts of schemes to ensure they pay as little tax as possible – Normal Bill will have a much bigger wodge of cash to fall back on than we will ever know.
Going back to Edward VIII – Wallis had a fabulous jewelry collection – none of which was paid for. The pair were notorious for ordering jewels from the best French makers and cynically and deliberately never paying the bill’s. Deeply unsavoury pair of people.
Shouldn’t worry too much about posting in the wrong spot today – I can’t seem to get my username right at all!
Wallis had remarkable taste and her jewelry collection is one of my favorites.
also, (thanks Frisbee, for the book recommendation yesterday – I am looking for a textbook used in British classrooms that teaches the story of American colonization from the British point of view – I also am interested in their point of view of the Civil War).
@ wolfie, she had amazing taste do you remember the leopard bracelet?
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/12/01/article-1334499-0C47CB30000005DC-67_964x547.jpg
Stunning. There was a documentary on them a few years ago in the UK and based on that, I’m betting they never paid for it.
This book is about the American Civil war written by a UK military historian, I doubt if it’s used in UK schools (where the War of Independence tends to be covered because it concerns us) but it might be worth a look
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-American-Civil-John-Keegan/dp/0712616101
Thanks so much, Frisbeejada (as I see from your moniker below).
And Carole probably wants a title too, even if it’s ‘Lady.’ Someone has to knight Michael and for how Charles might be feeling about them right now, I doubt he would do that if he became King tomorrow. I hope QE2 doesn’t do it though. Am I right in thinking she’s a bit of a pushover when it comes to W&K?
The trial balloon floated when Kate was pregnant with George was Earl and Countess. Otherwise George would be the first monarch EVER with untitled grandparents!
I think William may give the public a big ….finger
and abdicate, I think he hates royal obligation. …and I don’t believe anything Carole or Kate can say will stop him.
I think your’e right, I don’t think anyone can stop William doing what William want’s to do.
He’s clearly mellowed with age and Camilla’s influence and we can see where Willy gets the ‘tude from. Charles was a bit of a twit in his younger days, thou Wills takes it further than his father did.
I get the sense that possibly Charles found his happy place.
At least he’s stopped stepping on the cracks in the sidewalks – whining about his mother’s death was so extremely undignified. Charles seems to be a romantic, in love with the royal stories of yore with all the infighting and killing of relatives for the throne (and justifications for affairs). I could be wrong, but that’s how it looks from here.
“At least he’s stopped stepping on the cracks in the sidewalks ”
LOL!
This is why the British Empire needs the come to terms that the Monarchy is outdated and the the rest of the dynasties should follow suit. I am an anti-monarchist and this monarchy needs to be defunct.
As I consider the royals the backbone of the 1%, I’m in agreement with you, Kiki.
I completely agree.
As a member of the “British Empire” I’m a monarchist for selfish, practical reasons.
I’m an Aussie, and having the Queen as our monarch means we get to have a Governor-General. Someone with veto and constitutional powers who can cut ribbons and open hospitals, but is non-political (no election dramas!) and fairly cheap (salary is a touch less than that of the US president, but security would be much cheaper because they’re not famous … the majority of Australians would be hard pressed to name our Governor-General).
I am also from the member of the ” Bristish Empire” as well, but where I came, my fellow island countries wants to be republic. Which means we as in island countries want to be free from the British rule. I am just saying that since a lot of countries are breaking free under the establishment of “elites”, instead of the little Royal family should not be royal and just look for work like the rest of us and government official should be handsomely for their hard work for the PEOPLE and we the normal citizens should be paying more handsomely as well.
I agree, everytime the republic gets brought out of mothballs for another look, I sigh at the thought of it.
Sounds like you haven’t had a chance to vote on the idea Kiki, so I’m sorry about that. But you might be wrong about your fellow countrymen feel. Down here, the opinion polls had most Aussies supporting a republic by a wide margin, but when it actually came to the referendum (in 1999), the idea was comfortably defeated.
Part of the reason we voted no to a republic was that people who were pro-republic were split over what TYPE of republic we should have. It’s not so simple as “get rid of the monarchy”, you have to get everyone to agree on what you should have instead. And that is not easy at all.
Most of the countries with constitutional monarchies have their parliament set up in such a way that gives a lot of power to the Prime Minister but power of veto to a non-political appointed figure (whether that’s a monarch acting directly or a Governor-General acting on behalf of the monarch). If you become a Republic with an elected President, the balance of power changes (because the President would likely be from the same political party as the PM). So you’d have to make substantial changes to the entire system. If you just re-name the GG the President (and keep them an appointed figure) then what’s the point?
was there a time when him and Prince Vajilalongkorn ever thought of commiserating with each other?
The Mail is really developing its talent for getting in a sneaky dig at the Cambridges in articles that ostensibly have a different focus, isnt it? It certainly is the spawn of the devil but I can’t help but have a grudging admiration for this level of sneakiness!
In other royal news, the #longestreign hashtag has had some corkers this morning. They are distracting me from work. Favourite so far:
“Bunch of dole scrounging Jocks hanging around Waverley Station waiting for the Head Scrounger to appear. #longestreign Get a job you wankers”
My compatriots can be a charming bunch. Not. Still, you have to give some more grudging admiration to getting THAT much obnoxiousness into just 140 characters.
I dig your compatriots.
I think there are certain members of the BRF who need to either get with the program or get off the dole, too. Their dysfunction is showing.
In the interests of balance, I should post some nice ones. But I won’t because the nice ones are all boring! Instead:
“Nicholas Witchell declares Queen a living God. Prostrate, he offers burning livers of 5000 homeless in sacrifice. #longestreign”
They are making me laugh, the disgruntled ones!
New favourite cos it’s as non sequiturish as you could get:
“The Queen has reigned for 63 years and 217 days. If a bulb was on for that long it would cost £54,312💡 #longestreign”
What the what?! Ok. I’ll stop now.
Don’t stop – they’re funny. Comparing the cost of the monarchy to a light bulb is genius.
“Our monarchy are all really good looking for about 5 minutes. Then the shallow gene pool kicks in and its all teeth, baldness and weirdness”
Now we’ve descended into pure meanness!
(aka as frisbee – honestly I keep forgetting to change it- sorry)
On a lighter and positively surreal note Tesco’s ( a large British Supermarket and also b*astards) are actually using the event to advertise Scones (Mr Cholmondely- Warner style voice-over at this point!)
‘Why not toast her Royal Highness today with a splendid scone or two. How do you have yours?’
None UK readers – this is Mr Cholmondely- Warner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQWPR9TM0Gk
Richard Kay did manage to get in a good dig at them, didn’t he?
Most of the stories in BBC News The Queen and I 63 memories for 63 years as monarch are overly-sweet, but this one caught my eye
I was two feet away from Her Majesty and I just pointed and shouted “Oh my [expletive] god, it’s the Queen!” Mark Malik, London, England
Frisbee – I was just looking for more fun for Suze but I swear every company in Britain has hijacked that hashtag for a bit of advertising today. It’s like a stream of bloody adverts. Gah. The internet’s ruined.
“The price of #farmland in England & Wales has increased 5,870% since the Queen’s coronation #longestreign”
That’s from a freakin’ estate agent, for freak’s sake!
#ProudtobeaBritishWanker
Can’t find it, what I did find was rather surprising and probably wouldn’t be FFW (I’m falling about laughing here!)
Frisbee you need a blog to post the links to everything you can’t post here. Then I could click on your name and see it!
I’m too incompetent to put a blog together which is a shame, I’m still laughing my head off at what I found – but then I’m very broad minded 😀
Keep ’em coming. While I enjoy QEII, part of me is scratching my head and going wait a minute, are we celebrating the fact that she out-reigned Victoria simply due to stout genes, a good diet, and low stress relative to the population as a whole? Has she out-reigned Victoria or has she simply out-lived her? What’s really going on?
I’m voting for out-lived her. in terms of reigns, they both reigned over periods of great and fast change. the question is which changes were better?
I’m giving it to Victoria for the simple fact of the industrial revolution. of course the horror of her reign was empire, so i’m not singing her praises.
And her anti-suffrage view as well.
“The denial of equal voting rights for women was supported by Queen Victoria who, in 1870 wrote, ‘Let women be what God intended, a helpmate for man, but with totally different duties and vocations’.”
Private letter to Sir Theodore Martin in 1870
‘I am most anxious to enlist everyone who can speak or write to join in checking this mad, wicked folly of “Women’s Rights”, with all its attendant horrors, on which her poor feeble sex is bent, forgetting every sense of womanly feeling and propriety. Lady Amberley ought to get a good whipping. Were woman to unsex themselves by claiming equality with men, they would become the most hateful, heathen and disgusting of beings and would surely perish without male protection.”
Nota: there is a lot to unpick with Victoria, but the one thing that never ceases to amaze me is that a woman so aware and jealous of her own agency and position was so against women achieving the same. Not just passively, but actively.
Oh so well put, Dena.
Totally off topic, but whenever I see QEII, my first thought isn’t of the Queen, but of the ocean liner the QE2. So for a second there I thought you were saying something about how you’d enjoyed your cruise. An ocean liner is certainly stout, but I’m not sure how good its diet is.
I’m glad Kaiser finds these articles interesting, too. There’s no other place on the net where I can discuss this type of thing. It’s either all Duchess Kate clothing discussion or a bunch of disgruntled republicans who hate everything about the royals and just want to lob stones.
I think Charles has mellowed too. It’s an interesting point that this BRF is now isolated from their European counterparts, who are apparently all close to each other. All have somewhat similar views on how to steer themselves into the future without losing their own (very cushy) positions. That means everyone in the family is on board with the brand and pulling their weight – something that I think is notably missing in the BRF. They are a bit of a mess right now – although Harry is doing yeoman’s work.
Hey Kaiser – here’s a good example of “royals for good”. The new Princess Sofia of Sweden just traveled to South Africa to gave a speech on the Syrian refugee crisis. A very well delivered, well received speech on a serious topic. After two months as a princess, she traveled several thousand miles from home, ALONE, and delivered a competent speech in front of over 2000 people.
some very good points.
pre-wedding, i refused to judge her, and post wedding i’m already impressed by her. then again, she’s being weighted against Kate. that bar is so low that Sofia showing up properly attired gets lots of points from me.
Bwah. So true.
However – it appears that entree into European royal families comes with certain expectations. Minimally, that you will take on a roster of royal duties with commitment and execute them as best as you can under the circumstances. I can go on and on about what Mary, Letizia, Maxima, Mathilde – even Charlene and Daniel – have done. And those are the majors, it appears that the even the minors like Sofia are expected to onboard themselves ASAP.
They are all being rewarded for existing. So they put out.
Phooey. I won’t stand for any dissing of disgruntled republicans! Harumph.
I think you’re right. They’re in a mess. It’s a shame for Charles in terms of monarchy really. He could be a pretty good king if you like that kind of thing. But he won’t get a decent run at it and we’ll be left with a scramble round to sort out William that probably won’t actually happen until two ticks before accession.
What the BRF is exceptional at: kicking everything, including institutional-risk problems, into the long grass.
HA!, I am using delivering “a competent speech” as a bar, so I do have low standards. I can understand the republican eye rolling over that!
Kicking everything into the long grass. Going to use that at work today.
If the monarchy can’t get dismantled in favor of a republic, then Chaz has got to be a better option than Plonker Bill.
(Day 2 of inserting that word into my everyday convo, Sixer)
ETA: Since you’re recommending smart Brit TV shows to me, can I point you to Short Term 12? Brie Larson is amazing in it and the story isn’t OTT cheezeball as many with that kind of subject matter. It’s her Martha Marcy May Marlene…
Oh, and I loved that Martha film. Ok. Merci!
Well I’m sorry I quite like lobbing stones – as is my democratic right 🙂
let’s hope he doesn’t take the attitude of the other long waiting POW…….https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgcVa7ym-D4
also, he should dismiss a short reign and it’s effectiveness. Edward 6, Victoria’s heir who also waited 60+ yrs, was on the throne for less than ten years and he was a very effective monarch.
LAK – Thanks for the giggles. George IV wore a corset and his nickname was Prince of Whales, I had no idea.
i love that show. technically it’s a kids’ show, but they do such a good job of explaining history to the little ones.
And now i’ve fallen into a hilarious black hole of youtube videos. Thank You LAK! I’ll enjoy them until my mobile flashes 10% battery life at me 😀
Lol I’ve fallen into that hole of YouTube videos, usually late in the evening when it should be time to turn down the computer….I just can’t, because there’s another video that looks soooo interesting…
Horrible histories started out as a series of books, but I think the TV show is amazing too.
Especially when they got rid of Stephen Fry after the first few seasons. It’s hard for me to Diss Stephen Fry since I tend to think him very funny, but this was a very poor fit for him. He just doesn’t have the right tone of silly that this requires.
Maybe it’s because I’m an American, but I really don’t understand why the Queen did not, at some point, step aside and let Charles become King. Perhaps at the age when most of her peers retired, 60’s or thereabout. She could still have done as many ceremonial ribbon cuttings and charity sponsorships as before, the British people would still have loved her and greeted her in adoring crowds, and she would have had the joy that other parents the world over have at seeing their child come into his own and succeed in their career. Because, mellowed or not, this is a man that is almost 70 years old, whose sole ordained role in life was to be an inspirational figurehead for his county, who still has not gotten to be that because his mother doesn’t seem to want to allow him that fulfillment.
I don’t think that she trusted Charles with the job for most of those years. And it feels best to be Queen; I believe these royals love their positions.
That isn’t how it works in some countries. Abdicating or retiring is a modern concept for royalty (oxymoron I know). Elizabeth publicly swore an oath to God that she would serve until she died. She meant it.
Monarchy is a lifetime commitment. That means life.
HM didn’t choose to live a long life, nor is she the first monarch to make her heir wait a very long time before they got the top job. Victoria’s heir also had to wait 60+ years as did George 4.
HM isn’t selfishly holding on to the top job just to wind Charles up. she didn’t make the rules. the rules have been in place since monarchy was invented. Monarch dies, long live the monarch.
Some royal houses have different set of rules that allow for retirement of the old Monarch, but if you look around the world, those are very few.
The queen also believes she reigns by divine right. Seems a bit old fashioned and dodgy these days, but that’s why she won’t give up.
And, unusually for a Brit, she is actually religious. And being monarch also means being head of an established church. Retiring is a bit tricky.
On top of appearing to be 1 of those people who lives with a purpose to serve as she has stated before. She strikes me as someone who stops working only before passing on.
Meh. At this point I am going to ascribe major ego to the queen. She really is basking in all her milestones, getting a kick out of it. She is wallowing in it.
So the heck with her boy.
What does she think of him, anyway? He has shown himself to be worthy, but yet she’s hanging on by her fingernails till the end. It seems to me that she’s totally possessive of the throne, beyond her proclaimed promise of “duty”. Forward thinking she is not.
About Charles doesn’t ‘get it’ regarding his hypocrisy in preaching about global warming versus his carbon foot print — that must be a sentence long typo, right? Instead of ‘he doesn’t get it’ they meant to say ‘it’s too inconvenient’, amiright?
His position! His perks! His right to waste resources as he sees fit!
He may think he is doing enough on sustainability to offset it. He probably isn’t.
Perks!
It’s entirely believable that Camilla has made him live in the moment. If anyone could, it was her.
William won’t know what to do with that title or position. Or maybe (most likely) by then the kids will be off at boarding school or even at uni and he’ll actually need something to pass the time. Who knows with this guy.
I have to say, his attitude surprises me constantly. Where does he get it? Say about Chaz and Di what you will but they both made sure he knew what lay ahead and that he has responsibilities. Seems to have worked with Harry so what the hell happened? Is it just his personality?
Diana had a strong sense of duty. I think she would be puzzled and perhaps appalled by William’s retreat from his responsibilities and into “the warm close middle class Middleton family”.
I’ve wondered how much of Diana’s resentment toward the royal family has influenced William. She is still a powerful figure for him – she’s the one who wished that she had just married an aristo. It doesn’t add up when you add class-climbing Carole to the mix, however.
wolfie I have wondered the same. Especially given the PR games Charles’ press office played with William when trying to rehabilitate Camilla’s image, and the recent press war between Charles and the Middletons (although I think it’s still William who is speaking on their behalf). I feel that the PR war between the two of them has become much more open with both of them taking shots at each other through the DM. I feel that William is in a way ‘punishing’ Charles for what he perceives to be his faults. There was one person who said at one of the Kate blogs I read something like: maybe William needed the sense of a strong family and resents CHarles the same way that Charles needed extra sensitivity while growing up and resented the Queen. And there could be some truth in that. He probably blames CHarles for Diana’s misery and his obvious distance from the RF – maybe it is a fallout of years of anger about that ?
Whilst it is unfair to blame them completely, i think what happened was the middletons. His interviews pre-middletons showed someone who at the very least was aware that he had to do something. these days we have #whateverworkmeans.
The Middletons, despite being accomplished and hard working themselves, have managed to produce children without a work ethic or charitable bone. William has spent the past 10+ yrs with them, and that has rubbed off on him too. The fact that the various services let him coast instead of treating him like a proper member of the military didn’t help him at all because he probably came to see that he will be rewarded whether he puts in the work or not.
It’s a bad symbiosis between Wills and the Middletons.
He looks at them and thinks “This middle class life isn’t so bad. It’s what I want!” – which is absurd because they are hardly a model of middle class values – they are/were hardly happy/content with their circumstance. They so wanted to be aristocrats the strain shows everywhere.
They look at him and think “Here is our entree into the next level of society. A pox on middle class life!”
And the two sides go happily on while royal duties sit waiting…
Families that earn vs aquire wealth are more likely to spoil their 2nd generation (children) than instilling work ethics. To give their children what they never had/always wanted. Or even as a misguided attempt to make life easier to excel, but ultimately making them lazy.
Because of this that 2nd generation is more than 50% likely to burn the funds. Should the money last to a 3rd or 4th generation isn’t almost certain the funds will be all gone without being replenished.
And agree on William’s views. I’ve stated before I think the midds treat William like ure gold. Pay for him, indulge him, forgive him. And they do not understand what role William should fill. He’s morphed into a person with middleton values. Not Carol work ethic values.
#whateverworkmeans
I am SO stealing that.
I agree with everyone. It appears William is cherry picking from both to come up with what he likes the best. Middle class family AND all the royal perks he wants. And is encouraged/enabled in both by the Middletons.
Yes I agree with you LAK. He was not this cavalier or bitter about his “role” before the Middletons came along.
No one can make anyone else do anything. I think it was said best upthread: He seems to have found his happy place.
I didn’t think anyone would be THAT nitpicky with how I phrased it but no, I didn’t mean she forced him to do anything. Marrying her probably caused him to see things differently or live his life differently. There are many reasons why someone finds their happy place. She was most likely a factor.
And she helped him find it.
Can’t wait for William’s ‘reign’. As a Canadian who is baffled by the fascination with British royalty, it may be the final kick in the pants the Commonwealth needs to just relegate the royalty to the past. Or at least make them token figures like Spain.
He’s not the right type. He doesn’t like the limelight and he detests the media. Though Willy does enjoy the Royal perks, so he will have to find a suitable balance aka a “token figure” I guess but I’m not so sure the taxpayers would be so patient with a token figure. If William is expected to work as hard as HM, then he needs an attitude adjustment now while he’s still relatively young.
He likes the limelight plenty when people are fawning over him. See the charity concert where he’s on stage with Taylor Swift, hanging with famous athletes, or the ridiculous center court meet and greet with Beyonce and Jay Z.
Her as well – her face really lights up when she’s talking to celebs or should i say when they are fawning over her.
notasugarhere
yeah I know the ones you reference, however knowing his attempt to sing with Bon Jovi (a total failure) I just can’t take William’s goofiness with them since it’s usually on overdrive. He can’t dance either.
The Queen looks beautiful. Is it cold in Scotland now?
Well it’s not warm anywhere in the UK now, we’ve had a lousy summer. Scottish weather is notoriously upredictable but when it’s nice (best bet is the middle of May) it is a heart-stoppingly
beautiful country and the people are lovely. I’m always threatening to emigrate to Scotland.
When you go, let me know. I’ve always threatened to go back to Britain. And if Donald Trump even becomes the Republican nominee I may make good on my threat.
Your’e on, Sixer, Mr Sixer and all the Sixlets are going as well, it could get messy!
We could make our own little commune on one of the islands!
Sixer, I’ve actually dreamed of that. Of course, *you* weren’t in it, but Aidan Turner was. In a kilt. He was Scottish in my dream. 😀
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Aidan is Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine (but for the sake of communal peace I’m prepared to share shall we say every other day?)
Now I have to go and look at him…..
http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/82039000/jpg/_82039344_8259981-low_res-poldark.jpg
sometimes I just think I overshare….(sigh’s dramatically)
Good god; you like him too and I’ve got to share? One day on, one day off. He’ll need it after I’m done with him.
If Scotland is anything like Alaska this time of year, jackets have been required since August.
The Queen looks lovely in that red coat and hat. That color pops off the page!
I really believe Liz wouldn’t give up the top spot even if that was acceptable.
Lightning has struck! For the first time ever, I totally agree with you! LOL
first time commenting but I believe you are totally right
I totally agree with you IMO.
There’s something around “waiting” in this family. Prince Charles has been waiting for years and so has Camilla. Then, we have “waity” Kate and Prince Harry is waiting to meet somebody….
I personnaly think it’ll stay the same as it is now, up until the Queen passes away.
Then we’ll know their true colors i.e. will william step up the game or not!
I never thought I’d say this, but Charles looks kind of handsome!
I never liked Charles. The staff around Charles need to “tiptoe” around him, yeah it’s no surprise to me. Imagine in private what Diana experienced? There’s reasons why Camilla keeps a separate life to some degree, away from him.
All staff it seems has to tiptoe around all royals.
I do suspect William is worse than Charles by reports over the years.
What Diana dealt with is covered in the book of a former housekeeper. As disgruntled as she was the former staff member was saying what we all found to be true in the break down of the marriage. Charles and Diana had huge fights. Charles more shutting down and Diana needing some engagement in the aggression. I’m not blaming 1 over the other. Both behaviors are immature and unhealthy at addressing issues. I’ve really digressed here.
On another side point I’ve come to find I know lots of older couples that have seperate homes or seperate sections of the house and seperate bedrooms. It’s not for a lack of love, but they just like their own space.
Yes, having one’s own space is fine. Charles even has his own little house/shed in the Highgrove garden. I think he prays and meditates in there but no one really knows for sure.
Anyway- if I was a British Royal, I’d try as often as possible to do my own cooking.
good for Charles. “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” and that’s what he is doing. he’s creating a role, a job for himself. Charles and Carole are actually very similar in that respect, they are hard workers and unfortunately created dependent, spoiled children.
And the only person that’s hurting William is William. In doing next to nothing he’s painted a bullseye on his back that he and his wife as lazy and now, for the rest of his tenure, people will always pick at that and he’ll have to prove again and again they aren’t. What a headache. It all could have been avoided with just a couple appearances a week. That’s all. Reputations are a nasty thing to get rid of in the press, especially bad ones.
So Charles working hard now is the reason why Will can’t be a proper POW? Have several seats, Billy.
(aka as frisbee keep trying to simplify my user name and keep forgetting to change the darn machine!)
Can I go off on a tangent and just say I love a man in a kilt, a kilt and a Scottish accent does it for me
http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5w8osxPHm1rv23meo6_r1_1280.jpg
Tangents are allowed for that, thank you very much. A windy day would take it all up a notch, just sayin.
Well if you believe the story about what Scotsmen wear under their kilts – rather more than a notch (no pun intended) 😀
I will be looking at this later on! I love a man in a kilt. I just got into it over at Duchess Kate over kilts. Someone was going around trolling about them (men in skirts; ugh) and I finally lost it and said how disrespectful she was being to the national dress of a country. I knew it was trolling when the responses started rolling in. But I so wanted a Scot to weigh in and let them have it. Oh well.
I just don’t get that, I think they look fantastic and, conversely very masculine – although that might be the accent – whoar…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-cuNXsqJZA
I’m a long time lurker over at Duchess Kate and I for one I’m glad you’re there to keep them in line. Your talents are needed there. 🙂
frisbee, There’s a bloody typo in the title!!! GAH!! Shakespears sonnets? But his voice. I’ll take you’re whoar and raise you a whoa. And a “gulp”.
HK9, thank you. It’s actually (up until the kilt fiasco) been much more civilized over there recently, although I really hold back. I do feel a bit like I’m twisting in the wind sometimes, but thanks for the vote of confidence!
I’m a lurker there too bluhare and echo HK9’s sentiments !
Thank you, Maia. I will think of you and HK9 watching when I go weighing in on the latest one. As I say, I’ve been holding back because I truly do get sick of it. I often wonder why I am still there.
I’m with you there, frisbee. There’s something fierce, assertive and prideful about wearing a kilt. Strength.
gald some spotlight is reflected back on William. I am enjoying this passive aggressive burying the snarky methods the press has been putting against William.
Really. What is he doing? He doesn’t even work his full part time shift and has loads of time off.
When we hear about Kate it’s what she’s doing alone. Like William isn’t around? Posing with the kids? Praising her drawings? I have been expecting at least a single story of how they’re enjoying being a family in the country through pr approved outlets.
There’s just such a disconnect from William and his family. We hear about both, but never together. And it’s hardly a want for privacy with so many details we get.
Isn’t it ironic? The more he tries to protect…ahem…whitewash his private life, the more we learn about it. Doesn’t he realise more people are now questioning his& his wife’s behaviour/spending/work ethic? Harry is alternating w/ HM on the favourite royal polls. Is he really ignoring all this?
They are playing him at his own ‘passive aggressive snarkiness’ game and well, are just doing it better.
These little facts only seem to highlight that they are not a normal family – a normal family wouldn’t spend soo much time away from each other and young children in particular. Willy has his ‘job’ and Kate, well she has her mother and nanny raising the kids while she sketches, plans the new tennis court, online shopping of DIL credit card, beauty and fitness regime, the odd glamour event, holiday plans etc..
it paints a picture of a dysfunctional family who jumps to the whims of Normal Bill whatever they maybe. Neither of them are coming across as particularly hands on parents.
They really, really are being passive aggressive.
“who doesn’t noticeably have an interest in anything much” is slyly put in as a little offhand statement within something else. And the way it’s done just makes the assumption that everyone knows this already: it’s not announced as an insight. And they shove a bit about animal conservation on the end of it so nobody can call it an insult.
That’s how you create received wisdom. And the Fail is a past master!
Sixer: one of my friends call those trap doors. they’ve been evident in so many recent articles praising WK.
in they past they used what i call the mark anthony ‘honourable gentlemen’ speech from Julius ceasar method eg the article Amanda Plantel wrote praising Kate whilst simultaneously pointing out all the different ways she considered her useless.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2078175/Kate-Middleton-Im-sorry-getting-wrong.html
LAK – that’s exactly it. And it just underlines to me that we’re still in the “needling” stage with the press at the moment. Normal Bill is trying hard but he hasn’t pushed them into outright rebellion yet. He should be careful though – and Poor Jason – because it’s very clear they’re sowing their subliminal little seeds.
They are going for the slow, insidious drip of critique rather than all out war. Clever actually, it’s not blatant enough to activate their supporters but will damage his image within the general population in the long run. It is working as well, I keep mentioning my elderly Royalist neighbour and her friends who all think the Queen is completely wonderful and have gradually concluded that William and Kate are a waste of space. I said they were a ‘waste of human organs’ the other day and she made no attempt to defend them at all. I’m just wondering what the next move will be. It will get really interesting when #poorJason leaves – and I think he will leave sooner rather than later.
Death by 1000 cuts. Quite unpleasant in the long run.
I agree about Jason. Wish we could actually wager and make it interesting.
Wow. To all. This is turning out to be epic. I had no idea of the drama involved and the cunning. Well you learn something new every day. Thanks to all the savvy commenters. I’m getting kinda excited to see how this plays out. Not rooting for the Dolittles though.
I never noticed before seeing that picture of Charles and his parents how much he looks like his father. More so than the other Windsors.
I have to admit, I like him. I think it’s great that he’s figured out how to make the role of Prince of Wales meaningful. I hope William does try to live up to that when the job comes to him.
He hasn’t tried to make ‘Duke of Cambridge meaningful, so i doubt he’ll make a go of POW beyond the statutory requirements.
I honestly think Charles will be a fine king; he certainly has had time to learn the role, seems to relish being out and about, etc., but William? God… ugh… ick… ew… no thanks. I love the BRF but… thanks to Whiny-William and Waity-Katy, I honestly hope it’s all shut down by the time that man-child even glimpses the throne because if not… oh, dear God… if not… x_x
And Charles doesn’t care about the “eternal wait” any more because certain extracurricular activities can’t be criticized much, sp by the press.
And Charles was much more concerned about his ability to “adapt” to being King when he was still married ie he was sneaking around the UK much of the time attempting to shag Camilla and probably others. He’s slowed down now.
Charles is a disaster on all fronts. He void of personality. Lacks sensitive when it comes tothe plight of the people. He comes off as to entitled when in reality he’s really done nothing to endure himself to the people of
England. It looks as though he can barely tolerated keeping company with anyone who’s below his title. He’s pompas,snide,cold and nothing more than a cuckold.
William is everything he’s not thanks to Princess Diane’s saving grace. Is it possible of the Queen pass over old Charlie for William who is more suitable to over see the reign of the monarchy.
Why I do believe you got all of that backwards.
Charles has been an incredible success, he’s engaging and funny, and he has ENDEARED himself to lots of people especially Country folk as Sixer will attest. Andrew Parker Bowles was the willing cuckhold, he considered it an honor that Charles like Camilla.
William didn’t get Diana’s charisma nor her caring heart. Harry got both of those. William got her unfortunate petulant and emotional seesaw nature.
Without a great deal of legal work, it is not possible for HM to pass over Charles and she wouldn’t do it if she could. She believes in the line of succession, just like she believes she is supposed to reign until she dies.
I can so attest! I can also attest to the respect given to him for the causes he’s espoused and the charities he’s founded. (And I don’t even like him).
+1000000!!!!
Totally agree, I’m no Royalist but Charles has worked his arse off to make his life and position meaningful – credit where credit’s due.
sea lion!!
i will feed on one point only……only Parliament can create the law that ignores centuries of constitutional law in order for Charles to be skipped in favour of William.
@Funcakes – a little history lesson. First, Charles has been a leader for the past 40 years in identifying charitable needs and setting up organizations to meet those needs. He created The Prince’s Trust in the mid-1970s, and his charities cover the Built Environment, the Arts, Responsible Business and Enterprise, Young People, Global Sustainability and Rural Affairs. He has been responsible for raising more than £100 million each year to support his charitable activities.
Secondly, he is an intensely intelligent, curious and witty man – the kind of person I’d like to sit down with over a bottle of wine and discuss world issues and his favourite comedians.
Thirdly, I think he is clearly disappointed in how William has taken the easy way out and become a petulant, work-shy and arrogant person who enjoys all the financial and social perqs of being royal, but does not give back a thing, nor does his wife.
Finally, the Queen cannot “pass” on the position of King to William. It would have to be a case of Charles deciding to abdicate in favour of William, followed by a complex process by Parliament and lawyers to pass the appropriate legislation.
Jaded, Dena Nota Lak many posts – Amen
+10000000
Jaded, well stated facts on POW – Prince Charles Trust.
(Prince Charles may not care of the wait bc he view his Petulant heir snowflake and carol meddlesome (even grumpy PG ) – a disaster in waiting for the Monarchy /RF business … )
So if Charlie’s so mighty why hasn’t his mother stepped down so he can run the empire? Because mother is privy to information the public has yet, and never will, receive.
Oh well, I guess we’re going to have to be patient for the mighty reign of King Charles.
Please see answer 12 above. Many monarchies do not have abdication, that is a modern invention. HM is very religious and swore an oath to God to serve until she dies. She will not step aside because she swore an oath. It has nothing to do with what Charles has or has not done.
Funcakes: This isn’t some sort of conspiracy nor is it a comment on any of their public images or standing. That is simply how the system works. End of.
His mother will never step down – she’s there till she dies or becomes mentally incompetent (dementia etc..).
Personally i think we might be surprised by Charles’ reign – as others have said up thread he’s mellowed a bit in his dotage and seems to relish his role as PoW. I’m interested to see what changes to makes. He knows that when he does ascend he won’t be Kind for long, maybe 20 or so years.
The problem he faces is the legacy he leaves behind in sons – he knows both sons probably don’t want the throne and one is capable of being a good King while the other would be the worst thing that could happen to the institution.
Willy will walk away – he’ll just make sure the country/crown pays throu the teeth to make him go away.
Funcakes, I don’t know what world of secrets and conspiracies you’re living in but as long as the Queen remains healthy she will be Queen. She took an oath to God to serve her kingdom faithfully and as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she will remain Queen until she is no longer putting a haze on a mirror. Period.
Charles apparently loves what he’s doing and is making a meaningful difference in his charitable work. He’s not “mighty”, he’s just doing his job – something his son and daughter-in-law could learn to emulate.
http://www.dcscience.net/2015/05/15/prince-charles-letters-confirm-that-hes-not-fit-to-be-king/
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/03/prince-charles-meddling-monarch-royal-neutrality
I like Charles. But I feel smug in saying the long wait is his Diana Comeuppance. Karma!
Nah, more like good genes. His grandmother lived a very, very long life too.
His comeuppance, if any, is having William for a son and, especially, his heir. Not to mention Kate and her family as in-laws. LOL Lots of comeuppance to be found there.
At this point I honestly don’t understand trashing Charles because he had a bad marriage. As if Diana was a saint, too. This was DECADES ago and yet some people still carry a grudge on Diana’s behalf as if royal marriages are not prone to dysfunction and dissolution. Even Diana had gotten past it.
Does he have a dagger tucked into his knee socks in the photos?
Yes. It’s part of the traditional dress. It’s a dagger tucked into the socks with the top part of the hilt showing. It dates back to a tradition of making all weapons visible when visiting people’s homes.
I presume for the modern age it is primarily ornamental, but don’t quote me on it.
If you look at scotsmen in properly attired traditional dress, you should see a dagger hilt at the top of their socks, including in the other royal thread today of the Queen out and about in Scotland.
ETA: there is no set side (leg) to tuck the dagger. You tuck it on the side that matches whichever hand you favour ie left handed or right handed. If you compare Charles and the Mayor in the other thread, they’ve tucked dagger on different legs according to the hand they favour.
Ha! I thought it was a flask. A wee nip to keep the cold at bay-
I know some of you are Brits, and I can absolutely see where you are coming from with your views on the royals, but..The Queen is fierce AF. Wills and Wate, get big WTFever from me(minus Prince G & Princess C), but The Q has my admiration.
Philip looks so sickly lately, he hasn´t much time left and his wife might follow him soon after. IMO Charles will become King in the next years. It will happen and this day will be the day William takes his helicopter and disappeares. He will ride into the sunset…or fly to neverland.
I’m guessing Philip is ok. He was at Braemar.
We had Katy-Waity. Then there is Charlie-long-waity.
Charlie’s mummy, will probably sit on the throne till she kark up (pass away) for some reason she thinks Charlie is not fit or strong enough to lead the British subjects.