Here are some photos of Prince William today at the “Official Opening of the New Remembrance Centre at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire,” per WENN. That tie… he looks like a conservative banker in 1985. Oh, well. I guess we should be happy that he’s doing his job. This was his first public event in weeks, since the whirlwind trip to Paris with his wife.
Over the weekend, there was a story about how William’s helicopter was in a near-miss situation with a drone. Maybe I’m just being an idiot, but I could not for the life of me understand why the story was reported with such breathlessness, especially given the fact that… William wasn’t piloting the air ambulance at the time? It was a “near miss” for another pilot (who is doing fine). The story seemed designed to remind everyone that Normal Bill Does Dangerous Work (when he’s actually on shift, which doesn’t happen often).
Meanwhile, today is Brexit Day. The Prime Minister has officially served divorce papers to the European Union. Was this the best day for William to be out and about? I guess he really wants to be seen as “doing something” and possibly being an “ambassador for Brexit.” He and Kate are being sent to various European countries in the months ahead. How long before William f–ks it up? I think by July, William will be tired of people “expecting” him to do things.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I can’t believe Brexit is happening. Life is so full of bizarre plot twists these days.
Me neither but here we are – we just have to carry on and hope for the best. But alas I think it will get nasty.
The world has gone mad!
Yeah those Brits would must be crazy voting to actually make and unmake the laws they live under themselves rather than via Brussels.
That is a military regimental tie. I assume he is attending something mikitary as he is also wearing his medals.
Can you explain the medals further – what they are, how he “earned” them, etc? Thanks.
They are both for his granny’s Jubilees. One he got in 2002 the other in 2012. That’s right. Both his medals were given by his gran. Wear them proud William! Incidentally Harry has three medals because he has one for serving in Afghanistan.
They are Jubilee medals handed out to all military. Golden and diamond jubilees.
Anyone a fan of ‘Cabin Pressure’?
This is basically Martin’s Millennium medal all over again, isn’t it?
Loved Cabin Pressure, you are so right.
Am sure at some point he will say something offensive and she will flash the royal biscuit at a memorial service. They seem to subconsciously deliberately screw up when they get bored or want to push back on doing actual work.
Re: His tie is from the Household Cavalry which he was a member of and is still an honorary officer. At least he repeats his clothes more than once.
Does the equivalent of a valet still exist for royals and upper class aristos? Like a Mr Moseley or Mr Bates on Downton abbey – somebody to help you get dressed, select the proper cuff links for the outing, stuff like that.
Just curious as it seems so unreal to me that there are still people who don’t even put on their own tie!
Also: so sorry about the May letter to all the British cb-ers.
Yes they do, and yes (unspoken question) William has a valet. He’s had one since he was a child, and more specifically, when a new one was hired in recent years, his name and picture was sent out to the media.
Yep they do but as he was in the army he would have had to dress himself then.
Thanks – the content of the letter could have been worse but could have been better.
I just hope the CB bar is well stocked over the next few years.
Churchill brought his valet with him when he was in the Army.
Why can’t William’s valet get him some trousers that fit?
I was listening to the BBC radio last night (that’s what I do when I have insomnia) and they had a town hall with pro Brexiters. Hate to be judgmental but they sound like our ‘deplorables’. When one poor anti Brexiter talked about how he was going to learn another language and leave the U.K. That upset the others and one Brexiter went on a rant about how he was English, how he only spoke English, how he loved the Queen etc. Makes me think they’re going to send out the Royals more during this transition to appease the masses.
Seriously, barely anybody in Britain understands shit about the EU. How it works, what its institutions are and what their functions are, what it does, how it does it, where it’s technocratic, where it’s democratic. And that goes for both Leave and Remain voters.
It was a vote based on identity and emotion for the most part. And the shrill Leavers you were listening to are, like US deplorables, the Britisher id. Panel shows pick the shrillest of them on purpose, too. There’s no reasoning with them, because emotion doesn’t respond to reason. And their emotions aren’t nice ones. That said, the utopian EU of wonders and riches for all that the extreme on the other side keep telling us about also only exists in their emotional attachment.
What I’d give for a strong centre position where sober policy implications, not tribal conflicts and heightened emotions, rule the roost. Sad day, when that’s no more than a pipe dream.
We are about to enter into a period of extreme instability which will attack the living standards of everyone but the very rich. It’s a given, no matter how much people who voted Leave dislike and distrust the EU and however true/untrue some of their objections to it are. And a Twitter troll occupying the White House combined with our status as an Atlantic Bridge between the US and the EU, makes the instability to come even more severe.
SIGH.
‘What I’d give for a strong centre position where sober policy implications, not tribal conflicts and heightened emotions, rule the roost. Sad day, when that’s no more than a pipe dream.’
This breaks my heart I have to say at least in the states we’ve had some wonderful informed media and politicians step up to the plate (yes too late to save us from the Orange one but still) and give really clear and informative coverage.
And these deplorable’s all seem to live in cloud cucko land. They seem to think that once we have control over our own borders it will magically be all alright with rainbows and unicorns prancing around. I know one person who was a leave voters and she doesn’t care about anything else other than controlling immigration as in her opinion thats the cause of all our problems – she’s the one who thinks Nigel Farage is the most intelligent and honest politician that ever lived (I am not joking). Apparently I am the only one of her friends who disagrees with her. She doesn’t seem to care that employment laws that protect her, she has MS, by ensuring she has a fair chance in the work place could be removed. She doesn’t seem to care that her care in the NHS, as not as great as it is at the moment, will get worse. All she and others like her care about is stopping those pesky immigrants.
I fear for humanity. I wonder if i can get a seat of Branson’s shuttle to Mars.
Digital, unfortunately it’s more likely that those who voted for it will have more to lose; in areas with high unemployment, over 50’s who will need more NHS services in the long term.
I was reading something in the press this morning that if things don’t improve, or get worse who are the Leave voters going to blame? Not themselves.
@Becky – yes and the other sad thing is they benefited the most from EU money that regenerated their areas and provided them with local level services. All that will go now. They have no chance now of seeing some of the wealth and jobs that they complained the cities have. They complained about being forgotten, well its only going to get worse for them.
They will of course blame others, shrieking that they’ve been lied to – they were lied to and were told that at the time but did they listen, nope! They were too busy behaving like Daily Fail readers and being hysterical over the wrong things.
I think the “left behind” have been left behind. I mean, they’re not wrong about that. The problem is that it wasn’t the EU that left them behind: it was the domestic policies of successive UK governments. And it wasn’t the democratic deficits in the EU that meant their voices weren’t heard: it was the democratic deficits of the UK’s FPTP and rotten borough council system.
Brussels has more than its fair share of issues. They just aren’t the issues that were affecting the left behind. Those issues live much closer to home.
Just to share about Deplorables – I live in upstate rural NY, and my neighbor just put up a Confederate flag. Sign of the south, their secession and a not-so-veiled sign of slave states.
“Seriously, barely anybody in Britain understands shit about the EU”
I not only understand it very well, I used to work for the EIB (European Investment Bank) for several years and was very pro-European Community (as it was called then) when I started that job.
And seeing it from the inside, my views gradually changed. I voted LEAVE.
But won’t they be appeasing the wrong masses? Who do they need to appease if the Brexiters are getting their way? Another question: Are Brexiters more likely to be pro-royal or republican?
The nativist strand in Britain is more likely to be monarchist than republican. A person supporting Brexit is more likely to be nativist than a person supporting Remain.
Watp, there was some more data released last month about the referendum vote. The differences were more values based, and one issue was a high predictor of a Leave vote which was capital punishment. 70 accuracy; not age, social class or income.
Don’t believe the hype or the press or the rhetoric. You can no more make sweeping statements about the personalities, attitudes and behaviours of people who voted for Brexit than you can for those who voted Remain. There is no good side and bad side. Everyone has their own reasons.
I voted Brexit and I am no deplorable nor are any of the people I know who voted the same. Nor am I uneducated, disenfranchised, northern, poor, old, English, a monarchist, in favour of capital punishment or a racist. I am a European and am happy to be so, but I don’t support the EU.
The people I know who voted Remain are not horrible either. We are all entitled to our opinions. The people who are name-calling and branding one side or the other deplorables and racists and snowflakes etc. are the ones inciting hatred and division and they should be ashamed of themselves. They are the problem not the rest of us who are getting on with it, as we always do.
Grumpy, I agree mainly with what you’re saying that people are entitled to their views, but it doesn’t help when publications like the DM brand the independent judiciary “enemies of the people” for upholding parliamentary sovereignty.
I don’t understand why anyone voted for what is it essentially a risk and an uncertainty.
And the issue with capital punishment was a 70% likelihood as I said (you’re obviously in the 30%), you don’t think that statistic is telling?
Since you accused me of wanting to euthanise the over 50’s on another thread, completely twisting what I said: this vote was decided by the over 50’s, who had approx 90% turnout in a certain age range. I’m sorry to point this out to you but it is a fact.
You obviously decide to pick on my comments, giving actual stats, I’m so very sorry you don’t want to acknowledge them.
Btw Im not a millennial, I’m probably nearer in age to you. Your username appears to be appropriate.
Well, my protection-from-Brexit plan is as belt-and-braces as I can make it. Nothing to do now but watch reality bite, I guess. Best of British to all other Britisher Celebitches.
And when reality bites it will bite – there will be a recession and it will be just like the 70s/80s.
The brainwashed masses have NO IDEA what is about to hit them. When the King Rat himself talks about leaving the UK you know its going to be bad, very bad. The negotiations are going to get nasty.
So sorry this is happening to you, for you … reality will unfold and be felt day to day and then people will realise. “Speak in anger and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”
I am one of the EU nationals settled in the UK. I have a British husband and we’re expecting our first child but I cannot be certain this will be enough for me to continue living my life without legal issues. God knows what awaits the society as a whole. I have no confidence whatsoever in the competence or good intentions of people who are supposed to lead the country through this process.
I’m afraid that at present we are led by the least among us, right at the time when we need the best among us.
I hope for the best for you, I really really do.
(Three of the four of us in this house are entitled to Irish citizenship and the applications are underway. Even those of us in families who were all born here are working out escape strategies.)
Anitas: Free advice sent by my lawyers which i’m passing on to my EU friends. If you do not have your residency sorted yet, start the process now. Do not wait until later no matter what plausible reason you have. The Home office has apparently advised companies with EU employees who don’t have residency to do this. (Advice is also applicable for EU residents). The idea is that you should be on the Home office register before the Brexit process is complete because everyone on it will be honoured (assuming paperwork is in order of course), even if their case is still pending after Brexit has been completed. If you wait until the Brexit process is finished, there is no telling what the outcome will be, but for now, starting the process guarantees a positive outcome.
I know that marriage residency is not cast iron residency anymore so i advise you to apply for residency in your own right if you haven’t already.
I’m not British, but I’ve lived in England for a while and I wanted to move to England after O’ve graduated, but I don’t think that’s an option anymore :/
This is will not be an option is very unlikely to be true. I have American and Chinese neighbours on either side of where I live (i.e. non-EU) and they are not worried in the slightest. The notion that Brexit means Hadrian’s Wall gets extended to wall off the entire UK from Johnny Foreigner is just a hang over from Project Fear.
Thanks Sixer.
We’ve gone and done it haven’t we? Deliberately set ourselves on fire. Ah well, I guess all we have to do now is sit back and enjoy the flames!
Hello darling. Long time no see. I must keep missing you on here. Hope you’re good, Brexit notwithstanding.
Hi Sixer,
How’s it going? Yep, all good at the mo – hope you and the sixlets are doing Ok. Just been a little busy with a new job but hopefully I can come back to blogs soon.
Brexit is going to be a hoot isn’t it? I cannot wait for Mayhem to go down in flames – her time will surely come.
My best to all Uk friends! God knows we Yanks have our own “dumpster fire” burning in the Oval Office.
Yes but as bad as it is for us at least one day god willing sooner than later he’ll be gone. There’s no end in sight for the U.K. I’m so sorry guys.
Are you guys really afraid that the monarchy will be in trouble now we are officially Brexit?
Yep.
Scotland will be exiting the UK at some point in the future. Let hope HM dies before it happens – to avoid seeing her kingdom break in two.
Isn’t his contract with the EEAA already done? There were articles back in the fall that his contract would expire in the spring and would not be renewed. Well it is now spring. I also wonder if the trip to Verbier wasn’t also a celebration of his “normal” job being finished.
He started training with them in March 2015, but officially the work contract didn’t start until June.
maybe they’re sending these two out as “ambassadors” because other countries won’t be as upset about Brexit after meeting the two dimwits. Like “at least we won’t be tied in with them as king and Queen!”
There was a brief story on US news (maybe it was actually the brief BBC news broadcast we get) that detailed the bureaucratic nightmare that was about to befall trade and immigration between Ireland (staying in the EU) and Northern Ireland (Brexit-ing). Since they share a border, and people and goods have been moving freely for years, no one is quite sure how to start getting a handle on it all and one of the gov’t types suggested they might have to fortify the border again and take all the guard posts that were in place during the Troubles out of mothballs in an effort to control smuggling and illegal immigration. That’s just a drop in the bucket for what Brexit will mean for the UK, and it sounded like a nightmare come to life.