Here are some assorted photos of the royal family over the holidays. I’m including some photos of Prince Harry, Prince William, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cambridge at the Sunday church service in Sandringham, plus a ton of photos of Harry and William playing their annual charity football match in Sandringham on Christmas Eve. Both of the young princes worked up a sweat and their bald spots were practically glistening.
Meanwhile, England’s answer to Ryan Seacrest, Ant & Dec, sat down with Charles, William and Harry to discuss The Prince’s Trust and Charles in general. Ant & Dec are TV hosts and celebrity personalities in their own right, plus they’re ambassadors for The Prince’s Trust. All of that means that they got access to do a show called When Ant And Dec Met The Prince: 40 Years Of The Prince’s Trust, plus a written interview for Event Magazine. Which is how William and Harry got the opportunity to complain about how Charles embarrasses them:
He is, officially, His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. But to his sons he is just another embarrassing dad.
Charles has been known to make William and Harry squirm by laughing in all the wrong places, as the Princes reveal in an intimate new documentary with Ant and Dec. In the 90-minute film, William and Harry talk candidly of their father’s habit of ‘rabbiting on’ and recall how he used to embarrass them by laughing at the wrong moments when he would visit them at school. Prince William recalls one incident when the special effects malfunctioned while he was appearing in a school production – causing both Prince Charles and the Duke of Edinburgh to guffaw. He says it is a family trait to find it amusing ‘when things go wrong’.
William and Harry also describe how Charles will laboriously write vast numbers of letters by hand from his study – but say his writing gets harder to read towards the end of the day as he becomes more tired. The pair often struggle to work out if they are being praised or told off. Letters Charles sends to Government Ministers are famously known as ‘black spider memos’ because of his handwriting.
Charles has seldom appeared more relaxed on camera than he does in the programme, When Ant And Dec Met The Prince: 40 Years Of The Prince’s Trust. In it, he admits that he has yet to change one of his grandchildren’s nappies, but takes comfort in the fact they will be around ‘to look after me when I am doddering about’.
Ant and Dec, who are ambassadors for the Prince’s Trust, spent 12 months following Charles, but in their Event interview, the Tyneside-born duo reveal they had some difficulties communicating with him. ‘I think he may have had a few issues with [my accent],’ Ant explains. ‘I would ask him a question and sometimes he would just smile.’
Ant admits, too, that protocol occasionally became an issue. ‘I found myself getting a bit over-excited and grabbing His Royal Highness and slapping him on the back… I had to keep stopping myself,’ he says.
On one side, I’m not surprised that Charles has not changed his grandchildren’s nappies. He has people for that, and Will and Kate surely have people for that as well. Plus, it’s not like Charles spends a lot of time with George or Charlotte at all. But on the other side… I’m surprised that Charles even said that. As for William and Harry finding their dad embarrassing… it feels like William in particular is stuck in permanent adolescence, right? That he’s still in the grumpy teenage mindset of rolling his eyes at whatever his dad says. He should have outgrown that by now.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet and Pacific Coast News.
What a coincidence, when everyone in his entire family thinks WILLIAM is the embarrassing one.
Lol! So true!
I think everyone in the country finds him and his vapid wife an embarrassment.
William is easily as eccentric as his dad.
Harry with a beard-SO HOT! Does he have a bald patch?
I am going to give this one to Silly Billy- Charles would def be an embarrassing clueless dad!
My family is similar. You trip and fall on your face? everyone howls with laughter first, helps you with your bloody nose later. Such an adjustment getting to know my husband’s family, where they’d rush over to see if you were ok.
and not there’s anything wrong with it, but William doesn’t look very masculine on any sort of sporting field, does he?
Same here. My husband and I were stuck in London after an attempted terrorist attack about 9 years ago, and his family was hysterical with worry, calling to be sure we were alive and ok – mine was hysterical with laughter because they think I’m calamity Jane and all it took for London to fall apart was my going there. Nice.
GNAT
Mine worries, but can crack jokes or laugh as a coping mechanism. Not because they find great humour in the situation. Is that what yours is like? Or was it as blunt as you meant?
My in-laws laugh. It doesn’t mean they don’t like me. If anything it means I’m family and they’re comfortable being relaxed knowing I won’t take offense.
No, they actually think it’s hilarious. I wasn’t in any real danger and no one was hurt. They are very sweet people, and if there’s anything really wrong, they are right there to support me. I didn’t mean to sound like it bothered me. I know they’re just kidding.
That’s sweet!
It really did seem Harry had escaped the balding gene – sadly, he didn’t. However at this point I believe the POW has more hair than William, who resembles P. Edward more and more with every passing year.
This is a typical British trait, that you cover up true affection with deprecating humour. It may be genuine, but I suspect in the case of Billy, certainly, it is an affectation to make him seem more normal/accessible, when we all know he is the specialest of all the snowflakes. Harry, however is another matter entirely, he is more a man of the people, and knows how to relate in a more authentic manner. JMHO.
I struggle to understand their accent. Cheryl off X-factor too.
As for William, I find i’ve began to think of his interviews as talking points designed to make him appear as normal as the results of focus groups.
They talk from the back of their throats. Must be terribly posh.
To be clear, I was talking about the interviewers. I can’t understand their geordie accent.
Thanks LAK for clarifying. For the record, I have a hard time understanding a great many accents because I am deaf in one ear and the other one isn’t much for subtle sounds. I do the “smile and nod” too, so I feel for Chuck.
I’m 45 and I’m still embarrassed by my parents.
Then they’re doing their job, right?
who doesn’t?
My father is a very involved grandfather and great grandfather and he wouldn’t dream of changing a diaper.
Harry looks less than pleased in that bottom photo.
From another site, she’s wearing $2500 worth of new Michael Kors. Remind me again how she’s thrifty and always promoting British?
The suit looks good, but I prefer how it was styled on the runway. We can forget about Kate ever being thrifty, though. LOL
Well, if she wears it twice, it’ll only be about $1250 per outing. ;-P
Charles did occasionally change William’s nappy.
Over the weekend, I saw a picture of the Queen laughing when someone tripped and fell flat on his face in front of her. From what I understand, things are always so planned and coordinated around them that they all find it hilarious when something goes wrong. It’s a bit snotty but I guess it works if it makes the pleb feel like they didn’t spoil anything.
I guess the Midds weren’t at Anmer this year or the papers didn’t publish pictures?
The Middletons went to the Boxing Day Royal Shoot, I thought, didn’t they? However, it wouldn’t surprise me if BP courtiers are attempting to tone down the Middleton presence, perhaps seen at times as overbearing by the Windsors.
Something needs to be done about the influcence the Middleton clan and Uncle Gary have on those in the succession. The fact that Sly Bill has access to secret gov files scares me as he’s the type to blab and show off. He also easily manipluated – the Midds have proven that one. They’ve been manipulating him for years.
@ Betti
I agree. Somebody some day is going to figure out how they can get secret info from Egotistical Bill and make money off of it.
Anne – those people being his in laws. Gary has very dodgy crim connections.
Was Camilla absent from the sunday (post xmas) church service?
I thought the coat Camilla wore on xmas morning church walk was quite nice and I normally don’t like Camilla’s fashion choices.
HM, of course, always looks wonderful and her xmas message was excellent, delivered with such grace and professionalism as usual.
It’s said she goes to her house right after Christmas to see her grandchildren for the holiday.
It would be nice if the children could stay at Wood Cottage.
Citresse
Considering how packed things get I sort of assume WC is filled.
Or another member has it earmarked for personal use. William does this as well as others.
I sort of like that Cam Does what is expected and then goes to be with her family. She doesn’t neglect her duties or the whole Christmas event for what the Queen requests overall. Or her role as wife to the heir and all that comes with on top of her own duties. That she takes some time for holiday with her family is nice. I suspect she is so busy she doesn’t get as much time as she’d like with them.
And did anyone else notice the photo of the Cambridges was positioned physically closer to HM than Charles and Camilla? Is HM still declaring Charles as “hopeless”?
That was a tabloid thing. Never reality. And no. It’s picture to picture differences. Lots can be created frame by frame without accounting for the other frames left out.
FLORC
With all due respect, HM should have one framed photo beside her during xmas speech. The framed photo be a group photo (updated every year) all of HM’s children, and her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Problem solved.
HM has always had individually-framed photos around in her sitting room, from photo evidence through the years. People give her framed photos, she puts them up. Why should everyone be required to do one group photo to please strangers on comment boards?
He is so insufferable! He is so repulsive not charming at all. Imagine him a leader. He is such a whiny baby.
What would be really embarrassing for George to talk about his dad is if Bill’s actions led to the dissolution of the monarchy.
Changing diapers is an act I highly doubt anyone except nanny Maria and the children’s staff does. After the novelty of doing so was done amongst the family. And there’s nothing wrong with that. They have the staff after all.
And everyone still cringes at their parents sometimes. No issue here. I do agree with a poster above that how William speak is like talking points. Sort of blocky without connective flow and all how “normal” is characterized. It doesn’t feel too relevant. Just points. And inarticulate IMO, but that could be my comprehension.
“The pair often struggle to work out if they are being praised or told off.” They sound quite alienated from their father. That’s sad.
I’m trying to make sense of that wolfie.
I think Charles might be no nonsense. He freely and without limits showers his boys in praise when it’s earned. It doesn’t sound sad to me. It sounds realistic. I got sassy with my parents as a child and they told me “off”. As I understand that they “put me in my place” of restating they were the figures of authority.This whole article… I can’t really find what is wrong within it. It’s all extremely normal.
From context, it is related to his handwriting. The later in the day the more tired he is, the worse his handwriting gets. That’s why they don’t know if they’re being cautioned or praised – because they cannot read his spider-scratch handwriting.
This makes sense. And sounds like a funny joke within families. Thanks Nota!
He could go modern and send an email / whatsapp / private message / SMS something.
I see, Nota – that makes sense!
I was going to tell Florc that in my family, complaining to the public about my parents would be considered, “Not Honoring”. I’ve let my children have their way with me, but it can hurt a little bit, when they complain.
Florc – it’s so late in the day, I can be frank. I wish that you had been my “mother” (please, this is wishful fantasy, only, and under a pseudonym) – I had a hell of a time! – perhaps you wouldn’t have seen me as such a challenge! At least you would have been kind, and explained things to me in a respectful way.
Florc, forgive my my unfortunate use of the word, fantasize – you know I don’t fantasize about you being my mother – you know that I’m just telling you that I think you’d be great – I really think so.
wolfie
Awww! I didn’t take your comment as anything more or less than a compliment 😀
I’ll enjoy being a mother when FMORC and I get there.
With my family and my inlaws it’s always been this way with sprinkles of intended insults. That our errors become jokes. Not to insult us, but to have a collective laugh at the situations. Very inclusive and not mean spirited. Best I can explain it.
It’s not without fail because there’s a time and a place, but if they didn’t tease me about times i’ve made silly or major mistakes it would show a disconnect from me. In other words, you tease because you care. Still, every family shows love and that they care in their own ways. It might not be best or what the child expects/wishes, but it’s genuine. IMO anyways.
Hey, where is my friendly letter to William?
Seriously, where is it? I had posted it here!