Prince Harry was in Washington DC yesterday! And he got to go to the White House and meet President Obama in the Oval Office. Last year, around this time, Prince William took a day trip to Washington and met Pres. Obama in the Oval Office too. That meeting didn’t seem to go very well, in my opinion. William’s meeting with the president was all about conservation efforts, and during the media scrum, Pres. Obama just didn’t seem into William’s conversation. My theory: William is kind of a lightweight?
As for Harry’s meeting with the president, Harry and Barry discussed veterans’ issues and the Invictus Games, which Harry basically adopted from the American Warrior Games. Harry’s turned it into a major event though, and the next Invictus Games will be held in Florida next year. Harry spent a good chunk of Wednesday morning with Dr. Jill Biden and Michelle Obama at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, doing an event focusing on veterans’ welfare. Harry made some remarks at that event:
“One thing we have to talk about more is breaking down these barriers around so-called invisible injuries, like post-traumatic stress, just as we have for physical injuries like the loss of a limb. This is a topic I know the First Lady and Dr. Biden are working hard to highlight so that people are no longer afraid to ask for help. This fear of coming forward, as a result of the stigma which surrounds mental health, is one of the greatest challenges veterans face. People from all walks of life struggle with issues like post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression, not just veterans. We have to help them all to get the support they need, without fear of being judged or discriminated against. Not only is it okay to talk about it, we have to talk about it.”
Well done Harry! Note by Celebitchy: NPR’s All Things Considered aired an incredible expose yesterday on soldiers with mental illness who get discharged on trumped up misconduct charges, cutting them off from needed services, retirement benefits, and healthcare. This is an important and timely cause that affects so many service members.
Also, that Fort Belvoir event was great for everyone involved, especially since Michelle truly has a little crush on the Ginger Prince. Watch her flirt with Harry:
When you get seated next to the cutest boy in class pic.twitter.com/pNC1h0QaxI
— GIF The News (@NowThisGIF) October 28, 2015
Today, we are all Michelle Obama. So girlish! She really does think he’s a cutie. Barry, come and get your girl!
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You stole my joke, Kaiser! I saw this on BBC News this morning and said to Mr Sixer, “Oh look – it’s when Harry met Barry and I am going to pun that on Celebitchy later.” Mr Sixer, who is behind hand like the donkey’s tail on all things gossip, spoiled the moment by saying, “Who the eff is Barry?” Now you have stolen my joke. (Because I thought of it first, OBVIOUSLY).
Double meh to you and Mr Sixer. I am now, officially, sulking.
I think your joke is funnier because of the inclusion of Mr. Sixer!
Agreed!
“Who the eff is Barry?” has made my morning. My thanks to Mr. Sixer.
It’s a perfect comment 🙂
He truly didn’t get the reference. He thought I’d gone off on some internal train of thought leading to a non sequitur. By the time I’d explained, the joke was RUINED. Then Kaiser STOLE it. Grounds for serious sulk, right?!
Definitely. Kaiser owes you some serious Bloke and Idris coverage.
I think you can legitimately throw yourself face down onto the bed and scream “no fair!!”
I can get why he didn’t get it. “Barack” and “Barry” are not all that similar upon first listen. In the US the wing nuts like to use “Barry” in a derogatory way, so we are used to hearing it more often on this side of the pond, I’m sure.
The joke I was initially going to use was “When Barry Met Ginger” but then I was like “No, that’s crazy, one of these people is actually named Harry!”
Well, at least Mr Sixer knows what a ginger is!
HAHA @ Mr Sixer!
Mr Lindy didn’t get why people called George Bush Jr “Dubya” until I explained it to him
British and Irish men: coming soon to a MENSA competition near you!
Dubya would not be that obvious to someone outside the states, I wouldn’t think.
Mr. Sixer is married to SIXER, GoodNames. SIXER. That should say it all. 🙂
Well I’m from outside the States and I knew it, as did all my friends, he was referred to Dubya a lot, especially in satire/comedy programs. People would actually emphasise it even when saying his full name.
This is an ad on tv at the moment in Ireland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8MZTyccRS8
Mr Lindy repeatedly: “what’s with the cat and bird? I don’t get it. That cat would eat that bird, you can’t tell me otherwise. Our cats would. Why are they annoying him? Do they want to get out? Are they only in his mind???? ”
It’s even explained in the ad……
Mr Lindy is a literalist!
Mr Sixer makes the joke all the funnier.
#TeamMrSixer
I agree, Mr. Sixer makes the joke much funnier!
I was thinking the same as Mr. Sixer when I first read the article…I was like “was there someone named Barry there with them!?” D’oh!!! I’m okay now after the copious amounts of caffeine, don’t worry!
That’s funny. When I scrolled down and saw the tweet of Michelle and Harry, I didn’t scroll enough to see the caption and immediately thought, she looks like a grade schooler who got seated next to the cute boy in class…. And then scrolled and realized I was not original, but she did indeed have that face. Ha
He just gets better with time. Mmmm.
I second that! That beard does him nothing but favors…mmm mmm
Right? I would hit that “like a screen door in a hurricane.”
Yes he does.
+10000
I love his passion most of all, but, man, that voice!!
Loads of charisma. You don’t need to be handsome or beautiful in the classical way if you have charisma. He has a lot of it.
Cuteness overload! The GIF of Michelle giggling is adorable and I liked the interview or I guess it was more of a press statement. I thought both were very gracious. Everybody loves Harry. ❤️
The way we treat our veterans is a national disgrace. They have to wait so long to get benefits if they aren’t denied them for a bogus reason. It makes me so angry. For all the talk about how great the brave heroes are that every politician goes on and on about, you would think we would have the decency to take care of them after they come home.
+1 and +1 and +1 and x1000000000
so that would be +3000000000
Helpfully yours,
bluhare 😉
Served a vet coffee recently. Frankly he was holding up the line so I stepped aside to chat with him as he was highly agitated. He was wearing a shirt that referenced the VA. I commented that I don’t believe nearly enough is being done to help veterans and I said that I thought it was egregious what happened with Vietnam veterans. He told me the story of a friend of his who is a double leg amputee currently living out his truck in Colorado.
We can and need to do better for the men and women returning from combat. So many are so young and their experiences are life altering in ways I cannot imagine. I cannot fathom how it feels to return home and find so little help or even no help available to assist in the transition from the institution of which you thought you were a valued member.
I hear less about it here in Canada but maybe that’s because having (mostly) free healthcare deals with the physical injuries. Not the invisible ones though – mental health care is for the most part very expensive, and difficult to access especially if you don’t live in a major metropolitan area. How horrible is that?
As an aside, I used to know a lady who owned a small scrapbooking business down in the States. She was a single mom and almost lost her house and went broke before starting up three small scrapping related businesses to be able to take care of her son who was only 19 when he went to Afghanistan. He suffered a brain injury and almost died, but pulled through after months of medical intervention only to be left with a vocabulary of a few hundred words and functioning at the level of a 5-6 years old. This poor woman had to go to Washington and actually spoke in front of Congress to try and get support for her son. Her biggest fear was and I suppose still is that of anything happens to her her son would become a homeless man within a month. She was sleeping 4 hours a night and killing herself slowly working to make sure the house would get paid for and she could leave enough money for him to have some level of care after her death. That is absolutely disgraceful. For all the politicians’ rhetoric and billions invested in the army, why is so little being done for vets?
Oh my goodness that story is heartbreaking – I can’t even begin to imagine what she and her son are going through, after sacrificing so much, just to survive.
Vauvert – what a sad story. The way you describe Canada is how it is here in the UK. Physical medical care is good for ex-servicemen but mental healthcare generally lacks parity of esteem (and funding) so the invisibly wounded suffer once they’re out of the service. We have good charities but they aren’t enough. One in five rough sleepers in the big cities here is a vet, usually due to chaotic lives caused by mental ill health.
That is so heartbreaking, and sadly, it’s not that uncommon. As to why, I think it just boils down to money. We spend it all up front on the weapons, etc. and then get stingy with the aftercare. These men and women and their families make huge sacrifices for us because they believe it’s the right thing to do, and this is how we treat them. It’s sickening.
@Vauvert, so sorry to hear that story.
One of my cousins did three tours of duty in Iraq. He is a physical and emotional wreck. The Army and then later the VA fought against getting proper treatment for his ailments – the Army wanted him back out in the field and refused to acknowledge the PTSD at all. There have been some improvements in the past few years – his many physical problems are getting the necessary treatment as is his PTSD. He now has a comfort dog to deal with his anxiety, which has allowed him to finish his education and get a job. But these changes only came about because the administration changed and I fear possible backsliding. Especially since all some candidates talk about is “cutting taxes and repealing Obamacare.”
I know you guys. I spent hours talking to her – I was interested in buying her small scrap kit business that she was trying to sell because it was just too much work. In the end the transaction never happened because NAFTA aside, trying to bring in goods from the US when you are just a small business not a MN is insanely expensive… she was just worn out from everything but was determined that she would somehow ensure that her son would have a home and care when she passed. It was disheartening. She was a hard working, smart woman who had struggled financially all her life, never could afford college for herself or her kids, saw her son go to war only to come back a broken person and then to have to fight for scraps of benefits – all in a country where there’s so much rah rah rah about service and heroism. Heroes need to come back to something, not be reduced to begging. Hope you guys prevail in the next election, it would be terrible if things got worse not better.
This is interesting to me and opposite of what I understand to be true for US vets. My friend is a psychologist with the Indiana VA — she works in the drug/alcohol treatment area — and she said that last year Congress ordered the VA to fund mental health benefits to vets, since there weren’t enough therapists in the VA system to cover the needs nationwide.
One of my clients is a private therapist and he sees numerous vets and has his full fee paid within 6 weeks each time he bills. So it seems to me that as of last year at least, the gov’t was finally beginning to make the help available, no matter how far away a vet was from a VA facility.
My friend told me that the program is continuing on this year under a new name so that there wouldn’t be a loss in coverage once the appropriated funds run out, which is great for my client as we live a military town with a ton of vets in need of help. Are some of you saying that vets elsewhere are not able to see a private therapist and get it covered by the VA?
@Nutballs, the VA operates by region and, although they are all subject to the same statutes and regulations, there are some regional variations written right into the laws and implementation will vary by region. The congressional members for the region have input into who the regional administrators are. Some regions have better on site services than others while some have greater access to and coverage for outside services. Veteran status and whether the ailment is service related can also play a role.
Canadian here too. A friend of mine does therapy work for vets to address their mental health. She’s contracted through Veterans Affairs. I’m sure we aren’t doing enough either. There’s minimal mental health for non-veterans so I’m highly doubtful veterans are getting any extra assistance.
@Nutballs,
I think it is finally being addressed and getting better IF you are eligible for benefits. I have read of many cases where someone was suffering from PTSD and they were discharged on some minor offense and not eligible. And even if you get benefits, I think the wait is still almost a year. That puts a lot of people under.
Goodnames. Yes and Heck Yes. Our treatment of vets truly is disgraceful.
I believe part of the problem is that there are almost no vets serving in Congress. Almost all the “patriots” in office have never served a single say in uniform. Fighting terrorism and sending (wo)men off to fight makes good campaign fodder. Taking care of those who serve afterward seems a lesser priority.
This problem is heart breaking, and far reaching. Vets all over the world slip through the cracks more often than not. To fight for one’s country, and then come home to be treated like used garbage is despicable. Of course it doesn’t happen to every vet, but it shouldn’t happen to even one. Harry is doing the work of the angels to bring this issue to the attention of those who can do more to support our Vets. As they say so often, in the final analysis, freedom isn’t free.
Just from the body language and facial expressions between Obama and Harry, you can tell they are having a great conversation and probably making some inroads to help veterans.
Yes — and I loved that the president mentioned that his wife and Harry have become very good friends for a variety of reasons — from the body language and expressions you can tell this is a real “not just our roles” friendship —- and it can help the veterans’ cause for a long time to come, I hope. Bravo to Harry. (He and the First Lady are soooo cute together! The DM has great images.)
And I love that Harry eschewed the limo service and just walked to his meeting with two aides.
This is the stuff of kings.
I’m a fully paid up fangirl of FLOTUS. I love that woman.
What is kinda noticeable about this to me is how much charisma counts when you’re in a public service role. FLOTUS has in shedloads and so does Harry. Normal Bill and Katie Bucket just lack it. I think it’s innate so not really the Cambridges’ fault. But it seems to me that the only way out of that bind for them is hard work – Anne is greatly respected here and she also lacks even the tiniest drop of charisma. She makes up for it with sheer hard work. A little flurry of work here and there, as we have seen with the Cambridges in the last couple of weeks, won’t cut it for them long term. But Harry could probably get away with it.
I think it’s remarkable if someone can look comfortable with both world leaders and the average person – and can make both types of people feel comfortable, too.
Harry has loads of Charm! His looks never win me over, but charisma/charm/”IT” are all there in clumps.
Adding in how he works hard for his causes and not for the tallies he’s kind of awesome.
Yes, very different from when the Dolittles visited.
Harry spoke much better than when William did for his visit ‘ people said William was mostly making jokes w the President and looked awkward.
Love it! He and Michelle are adorable. You missed the best picture though- the one of harry giving a vet with PTSD a real, meaningful, full-on hug. Can u imagine the doolittles doing that?
Also: the U.S. military covering lasting and damaging effects of war on soldiers by cutting and running? Ya don’t say. I wish a big media outlet would turn their attention to the abnormally high occurrences of brain cancer in vets who served in the Persian gulf during operation dessert storm.
I heard it took Harry a half hour just to get settled and a half hour just to leave because he had to say good bye to each and every person there.
I love Michelle so much. Hands-down my favorite FLOTUS of all time.
Kitten, I agree with you about FLOTUS, she is absolutely gorgeous inside and out. Also, Dr Jill Biden is no slouch either. Both women are such positive examples of grace and power for our children, girls and boys.
But there were some truly amazing FLOTUSs of the times. I like Michelle, but there are a handful of others that blow her over.
Eleanor Roosevelt comes to mind as one of the top.
Dolley Madison is a top FLOTUS for me.
That woman took the initiative during complete chaos. And for a woman at that time it was no small achievement.
Wow. My uncle served in the Gulf War. He died 5 years ago- brain tumor.
I personally know two people who served in the gulf and came back with brain tumors. One was trying to organize others but she died before she could (but not in a VA- VA wouldn’t treat). Their hypothesis is that it was from the burning trash that they burned right in the camp. My other friend is trying to raise two kids alone with a terminal cancer diagnosis and very little government help (her kids get social security but she is turned down for housing assistance etc.) US military just pushes them out of sight out of mind. Both friends were honorably discharged, so why isn’t there at least something to help these people?
At least Bernie Sanders seems to get it- the cost of war should include taking care of veterans. Military just doesn’t want to open themselves to the deluge of lawsuits I guess, but at what cost to society? What really pisses me off are people who post all this “support our troops” crap on fb then turn around and talk about cutting social benefits or closing down homeless shelters (where many vets live, sadly). Effing hypocrites.
Could it also be the depleted uranium thing? I read about cancers in Iraq the other day – for Iraqis rather than US/UK veterans. Hang on, let me find it. Incidence of cancer in Iraq: 40 per 100,000 before the First Gulf War in 1991, 800 per 100,000 in 1995, and over 1,600 per 100,000 now. That would also bode ill for veterans, right?
My dad has Alzheimer’s & believe me we did everything we could to find him the best help, & met great people along the way that had the same problems. They serve their country & then they get forgotten when they need the help. Thankfully he gets his care home & medicines covered now.
My cousin had a benign brain tumor, although even benign ones cause serious problems, and several benign lung tumors. He has also been warned against having kids. I suspect whatever they were exposed to is going to have devastating long term effects.
A guy I went to high school with came back from serving in the gulf and died of a brain tumor.
Senaber: “What really pisses me off are people who post all this “support our troops” crap on fb then turn around and talk about cutting social benefits or closing down homeless shelters (where many vets live, sadly). Effing hypocrites.”
Don’t even get me started. 🙁
Harry has an obvious, real affinity for this cause.
Sometimes it appears the Cambridges are barely acquainted with their patronages.
This is too cute. I’d probably be giggling too. Harry is so charming even grown women find him adorable.
This situation has got to improve. Sending people to war without supporting them when they come back is evil. All the people who call for boots on the ground upset me. I for one do not want to see soldiers coming back in boxes or maimed for countries that would turn around and be against us.
Oh no. The Cambridge bus is being gased up. There is no saving Harry the Scamp from this one. He did too good of a job. He came off too accomplished and at ease. He will be thrown under the wheel/Will.
I bet Charles is very proud of Harry. He seems to have found his passion and his confidence and is becoming his own man. Common Bill is still struggling with these issues.
“Thrown under the Will” 😂
Whatever William’s struggles in life, I hope above all else, he someday experiences true love.
There are numerous moments in video and photos where Charles shows up to support his son and always appears to be BEAMING with joy.
Something that stands out was when Harry was at a rededication or just a memorial service in a section of a garden for Diana. Everyone turned out with exception to WK. TQ, PE, C and C. It was lovely.
Another time for Invictus was William there, but Charles going straight for Harry and again BEAMING. He all, but seemed to ignore William as his presence was a last minute addition to what was in the books for nearly a year.
FLORC, was that his first Sentebale garden at the Chelsea Garden Show? I remember HM beaming at him throughout that event. There was a Diana motif on the garden patio’s floor, intertwined hearts maybe?
Nota
That sounds right, but I want to say it was a bush of some importance. I could be wrong. There was maybe a fountain or pond in the pictures. I do remember that.
Everyone was there and appearing to be very proud and supportive of Harry. WK were absent.
His speech was about his mothers causes and how important it was to her. He made it entirely about Diana and it was lovely.
It’s interesting, you can really tell the British royals like Michelle Obama, in particular. I always loved that moment she had with the Queen, patting her on the back and all the etiquette experts freaking out! Haha
Yes, I’ve noticed that, too and I think it’s great. I’ve only seen her a couple of times at a distance, but Michelle must have a real warmth about her that the Queen, in particular, felt comfortable with. Their interaction was so charming.
I met Michelle (and Barry) when he spoke here at the 2004 democratic convention. They needed directions and she was teasing him about how men never ask for directions and she made him do the asking. They were hilarious together.
@lilac, I’m jelly! I’d love to meet both of them before he leaves office.
And it’s not just the BRF. Every time she comes here, she speaks to young girls and she gets the same level of rapturous reception as One Direction. I would steal her for this country if I could.
I’m hoping that she doesn’t disappear after his term in office is over. I do not expect her to run for office herself, but I hope for an ongoing global role for her in the future. They don’t have the financial backing for something like the Clinton Foundation, but I don’t want her drive and commitment limited to a law office in Chicago. She set her career aside to be the politician’s wife. After 2016, it is her turn.
Harry has grown up so well 🙂
Will should take a leaf out of his brother’s book. Seems like marrying Kate was a mistake. Maybe she’s a bad influence, or maybe it’s two lazy people in a codependent relationship.
I love that Harry keeps it real. He’s a real people person and seems to put his whole heart into his work , like his Mum did. No airs, no BS, you feel like you could have a beer with him. He honestly loves what he’s doing. And people love him for it.
William really seems to be the opposite: uptight, selfish, cynical and lazy. Marrying Kate meant marrying Carole and that whole family just seem like sycophants who to pander to him and encourage his faults and bad behavior for their own ends. How he could not see them for what they really are amazes me. All his cronies and everyone else see right through them though.
Admire that he is forceful and direct; he begins this paragraph with “One thing we have to talk about…” and ends it with the distinction and directive of “Not only is it okay to talk about it, we have to talk about it.”
Spoken like a man of action, who walks the walk. He commands a sort of respect – and has a sort of credibility coupled with his sense of humanity – that I find almost impossible to imagine Monsieur Bucket passing off.
Belle.. I totally picked that up in his speech as well. If he has a speech coach, they are a great pairing! He comes across as passionate and serious about his efforts which is also indicative to his actions – the hug at the drum kit today was priceless..
I have a neighbor who is a vet from Afghanistan and he loves Harry! He is no fan of the royal family but really likes Harry and all his efforts and support of the troops world wide. I really hope the Invictus Games in Orlando are a whopping success! And I hope that Michelle is there cheering him on all the way – will she be first lady still or will that be a new president? She and Harry seem to have a great relationship and respect for each other. I like how she teases him, there is a great photo of her speaking and clearly teasing him and he has the face of sheesh, make it stop. too cute
William and Henry (Harry) are two different people. I’m sure there’s people here who experienced favouritism by their parents or others while growing up. It’s wrong.
William processed the War of Wales’ and the death of his mother differently from Harry. Now the “why can’t William be more like Harry???” They’re different people. Get over it.
Sixer’s reply above is very astute. Harry just has more charisma than William. That’s not William’s fault, but if he wants to be loved by the public, he needs to overcome that charisma deficit by doing, oh let’s say, hard work. Like Princess Anne, and especially like Charles. Charles has earned whatever respect he has from the British people by working for it.
Um, I think it is valid criticism. One person seems well-suited for becoming king and one actually will become king. I also think exploring the personality dynamics of two public figures is par for the course for a celebrity gossip site…
I take your point; but beyond personal aspects of charisma and personality, I can’t help but notice the differences between the way the two of them have publicly accepted the responsibilities of privilege, or what they’ve done for others because of the opportunities that privilege has afforded them.
Right. Some people process life as it’s a burden and things are owed to them. Others as an oportunity and their position of entitlement isn’t to be wasted on themselves.
They are totally different people. Have been since toddlers.
I think she married the wrong brother. To me, she seems to have a playfulness about her that would have been great with Harry.
He supported the set calling her “The Limpet” so I doubt Harry would have been onboard with the idea of a relationship with someone like that.
Agree Nota. And everyone appears more comfy around Harry. Especially when compared to William who often appears stiff with limited physical contact.
Harry is his mother’s son- he has a real empathy for people, a great work ethic, and charisma from here to eternity.
Will, um, not so much.
Nice to see Harry coming into his own niche like this. I hope he continues to find success in the world arena.
As I watched that press conference bit, I couldn’t help being reminded of William’s WH press conference and how awkward that was.
The president mentioned that the bonds between the US and UK are strengthened by Harry’s service and he wants to promote Harry’s games, which shows Harry’s a natural ambassador for the UK. Will was clumsy with his talk of elephants and baby genitalia – and afterward the president almost bolted from the room.
Wolfie, I love your description of Will’s visit. LOL!
Grownups all around, which sadly isn’t a given much in our world lately. I do appreciate the focus on veterans, but especially on mental health issues. There is such a stigma around mental health. Sen. Paul Wellstone, may he and Shiela rest in peace, worked very hard on this issue.
Oh, you just gave me such a sniffle! I interviewed Senator Wellstone for my college newspaper in Minnesota, and found him the most patient, honest man. Too good to be true as a politician. Miss him still–and believe he’d be stumping for Bernie Sanders if he were still with us.
The U? Ski U Mah!
I was reading an article about Wellstone at Salon and despite knowing the ending ended up fall on bawling.
Harry Barry! sounds like a male alter ego of Halle.
or a special edition care bears plushy.
May I just say that Michelle already has Barry (my crush), thus no more interactions with Harry (another crush). She can’t have all the cute, charismatic ones. Completely unfair, leave some for the rest of us….:)
I know we are drooling over Harry, but does any one else like Michelle’s dress? I want that dress! I work at a large state university and I’m always looking for really nice dresses that don’t scream old lady
The Daily Mail article says it is Tadashi Shoji. They have a link to the designer’s site and some other lower-cost suggestions. I cannot post links, but if you do a search for the title “Prince Harry’s hug for a wounded hero as he launches America’s first ever Invictus Games with Michelle Obama” it should come up.
Nota
He’s a favorite designer of mine. I’m all about his gowns. And as they are the prices is reasonable imo.
While he went to the lace trend a year or so back like everyone else I have to say his were awesome. I bought 2 with lace and I don’t think the pictures did them justice. The details were lost unless there was movement and lighting.
Barry looked kind of bored talking to William (especially when he brought up George), but looks engaged when talking to Harry.
Well done, Harry! He has done a good job on this short visit and really cemented his place as the patron prince of veterans. You can see his passion and dedication in his words and actions. Diana would be so proud of him.
I loved Michelle’s dress. Hell, I’m envious of her hair too. Dr. Biden looked great as well, but she always does. Those ladies are both fierce. Gonna miss them.
I would be more proud if Harry clearly stated that wars are unbelieveably costly to all sides and that that is why there should be less wars.
Certain circles did set the middle east on fire and they want to keep going. Just listen to the likes of McCain in the US.
That is far too political a statement for him to be allowed to make. He will be skirting it as it is if he starts suggesting that the military isn’t doing its best to serve wounded veterans.
@ Notasugarhere
Please do not twist my statements. It is entirely possible to demand the best care for veterans while at the same time demanding that their lives shouldn’t be wasted in pointless wars (in the middle east currently).
And no, it is not far too a political statement for him to make. Each and every statement can be clouded and hidden and weakened and made less pointy and made subtly and made in such a context that the question arises if the war were questioned or not. It would start a discussion. It would make the public pay more attention to it.
But Harry makes no statement at all concerning the pointless wars which waste the lives of the very same soldiers he claims he cared for. Certainly preventing an injury is preferable to not preventing it and treating it?
Harry doesn’t do his part to prevent injuries.
Yep, I know, the British Royals aren’t supposed to interfere in politics. Which is both bull***t and a lie, from my point of view. If the British Royals had no political influence at all then there wouldn’t be any need for them nor any need to pay them. So their political influence is clouded and hidden and intransparent and currently not controlled. That needs to be changed, too.
So far I don’t see any efforts of the British Royals to prevent those wars that injure and kill so many British soldiers. As the Royals say they cared about soldiers and veterans then they should take their job of caring a bit more seriously.
Btw. if “not interfering in politics” really means that the Royals mustn’t make an political statements in public then
a) they couldn’t do a lot of those remembrance days for military victories and dead soldiers as those are essentially political statements
b) it would mean the Royals didn’t have the right to free speech which they do definitively have!
Adding sums
I think you misunderstand the constitutional settlement. There are plenty of blurred lines and grey areas. The BRF is not supposed to be politically partisan. But they are supposed to represent the settled will of the country – expressed in terms of its democratically elected government. That’s exactly why so much fuss about Charles’s spider memos – even though it turned out he was lobbying about issues most of us find we can agree with.
The BRF cannot publicly express a view on whether or not the UK government should or should not enter a war. And nor should they be able to. The very point of them is to embody the country *and* its government: the settled will of the people.
And, for all you know, Harry thinks UK military interventions are/were entirely justified and it’s only the services for veterans that need promoting and advocating for. I think he probably does think that. And advocating for veterans as Harry is here, through government services *and* third sector support *and* social attitudes, in no way crosses the settled will of the people or the view of the UK government.
Personally, I’m anti-war, anti all the recent NATO interventions, belong to anti-war campaign organisations and all the rest of it. It’s a PITA for me when the rest of my countrymen elect governments to office that get involved in these things. But elect them, they do. Cookies don’t always crumble how you want them to.
Michelle is behaving so well compared to what I would do!! I would be trying to climb him like he was the beanstalk and my name was Jack. She’s showing admirable restraint in the fiery face of so much Ginger Hot Charisma.
My thoughts exactly, kri. I would make an utter fool out of myself in the presence of the Ginger Prince.
Argh, he’s so cute. I wonder if his grandmother hates his beard.
Whether HM likes it or not, some of the BRF men are just better with beards. Prince Michael comes to mind.
Well, if you want to keep going to war then there mustn’t be any press about soldier’s health or employment issues. So that is why they sweep it under the carpet.
The Good Prince Harry for King!!!!!!!!!!!! Off with Normal Bill!