In the last year of Queen Elizabeth II’s life, her courtiers canceled dozens of scheduled appearances on her behalf, usually claiming some version of “mobility issues.” We still don’t know exactly what was going on with her health, but there were rumors about bone marrow cancer, and there were rumors about falls and a significant physical decline, starting with her dramatic and secretive hospital stay in the fall of 2021. At some point, it was clear that QEII probably would have been up for certain events, if only she didn’t have to stand or walk. The palace treated QEII’s perfectly reasonable need for a wheelchair like it was something so heinous and shameful. It felt like QEII’s ableism was backed up at every turn by her advisors, her family and her staff, all of whom treated the idea of “the queen being photographed in a wheelchair” like it would be the fall of the monarchy.
Well, in Robert Jobson’s new book, sources described how heavily coordinated QEII’s last appearances were because (guess what) she refused to be seen in a wheelchair. The worst part of this ingrained and offensive ableism is that these stories are being promoted as if QEII was stoic and brave for being so stubborn about wheelchairs.
Resplendent in a stunning emerald green outfit, the late Queen’s surprise appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony marked the joyous culmination of last year’s Platinum Jubilee. Now a sensational new book by veteran royal correspondent Robert Jobson reveals Queen Elizabeth’s extraordinary effort to give a poignant ‘last salute’ to the tens of thousands of well-wishers who packed the Mall to celebrate her 70-year reign.
Serialised in the Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail, Our King reports how the 96-year-old Queen ‘didn’t feel strong enough’ to attend the final celebrations during last year’s historic four-day Jubilee weekend. The book reveals that while the then Prince Charles was sympathetic to his mother’s increasing frailty, he also felt it important that she should acknowledge the vast crowds that had gathered in London and ‘implored her to make a massive effort.’
With the Queen’s agreement, arrangements were put in place for her to fly by helicopter from Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace and for her to use a wheelchair – although a meticulously orchestrated plan was put in place to ensure that she was not seen using it in public.
‘On her insistence, a military-style exercise was put in place so that no one could see she was having to use a wheelchair,’ the book states. ‘In considerable discomfort, Her Majesty was taken by wheelchair to the helicopter pad at Windsor. At the Palace, she was wheeled right up to the balcony doors, then helped to her feet so that she could stand – with the aid of a walking stick – alongside Charles and Camilla, plus William and his family. After a firework display, the Queen smiled with delight. It was her last salute to her people.’
After joining her family on the balcony to witness a spectacular RAF fly-past on Thursday June 2, she was unable to attend a thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral the following day after suffering discomfort. The service was dominated by the attendance of Prince Harry and Meghan, making their first joint royal appearance since quitting their duties.
The Mail on Sunday revealed in March 2022 how Queen Elizabeth had made it clear that her presence at events of personal significance, such as the Commonwealth and Cenotaph services, should not come at any cost. In particular, Palace aides were anxious not to replicate a photograph of the Queen’s late sister, Princess Margaret, in a wheelchair, six months before she died. ‘It’s a haunting image and not one the Queen remembers fondly,’ a source told this newspaper.
Yeah, QEII was too vain and her courtiers, advisors and handlers reinforced that. At no point did someone say “stop being an a–hole and just get in a wheelchair.” She was 95-96 years old – it’s insane that people expected her to be spry and mobile constantly, especially if she was actually dealing with cancer!! Add to that, it was simply a missed opportunity for handicap-visibility. Instead, it became a months-long ordeal in which the queen’s ableism was reinforced at every turn, and people are *still* treating physical disabilities and wheelchair-usage as something shameful.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar.
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- North America Rights Only – Windsor, UK -20220622- Queen Elizabeth II receiving the Governor of New South Wales Margaret Beazley (right), during an audience at Windsor Castle. -PICTURED: Queen Elizabeth II, New South Wales Governor Margaret Beazley -PHOTO by: Andrew Matthews/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- Not Available For Publication In The UK – London, UK -20220605- The Platinum Jubilee Celebrations Final Day -PICTURED: Queen Elizabeth II -PHOTO by: John Rainford/Cover Images/INSTARimages.com -51635815.jpg This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 23: Queen Elizabeth II is given a tour during a visit to The Chelsea Flower Show 2022 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 23, 2022 in London, England. The Chelsea Flower Show returns to its usual place in the horticultural calendar after being cancelled in 2020 and postponed in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. This year sees the Show celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and also a theme of calm and mindfulness running through the garden designs.,Image: 693865701, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Dan Kitwood / Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 23: Queen Elizabeth II is given a tour during a visit to The Chelsea Flower Show 2022 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 23, 2022 in London, England. The Chelsea Flower Show returns to its usual place in the horticultural calendar after being cancelled in 2020 and postponed in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. This year sees the Show celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and also a theme of calm and mindfulness running through the garden designs.,Image: 693865774, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: PAUL GROVER / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the fly past after Trooping The Colour – The Queen’s Birthday Parade, London, UK – 02 Jun 2022,Image: 696416836, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Copyright Paul Grover, Model Release: no, Credit line: Paul Grover / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II arrives to symbolically lead the lighting of the principal Jubilee beacon at Windsor Castle, as part of a chain of more than 3,500 flaming tributes to her 70-year-reign, on day one of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Over 3,000 towns, villages and cities throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories, and each of the capital cities of Commonwealth countries are lighting beacons to mark the Jubilee.,Image: 696553843, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Steve Parsons / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William , Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge,, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the end of the Pageant on the final day of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in London.,Image: 697182635, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Stephen Lock / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, after the Platinum Pageant on June 05, 2022 in London, England.,Image: 697224208, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Anthony Harvey / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II with Jonathan Jones, Chair of Trustees, during a visit to officially open the new building at Thames Hospice, Maidenhead, Berkshire. Picture date: Friday July 15, 2022.,Image: 707551854, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II waits in the Drawing Room before receiving Liz Truss for an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government.,Image: 719993378, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
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- Queen Elizabeth II waits in the Drawing Room before receiving Liz Truss for an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government.,Image: 719993385, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
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So basically, the queen was so devoted to her duties that she *checks notes* skipped out on them due to vanity?
This just proves the Queen’s supposed devotion to her people was bull.
EXACTLY what I was going to say! The commonwealth service, Remembrance Day, etc – all of that was so important to her UNTIL she had to be in a wheelchair and then, oh well, not actually that important?
Margaret’s wheelchair pictures – the ones that I have seen – are only “haunting” because she was relatively young and was overall so unhealthy, and it was sort of the final step in her fairly tragic life (as royal lives go.) It wasn’t just that she was in a wheelchair.
A 96 year old Queen in a wheelchair would have been a nice step forward for visibility for people with disabilities, and instead the queen was just too vain to do it.
The institution did not want to admit to the public that a 96 yo person was too sick to “work”. She should not have been “working” if she was too sick to “work”. The propaganda machine was in full force to convince the public that what was obvious was not true. The monarchy is dysfunctional and survives on propaganda. To think that Charles implored her to appear while she should have been resting is unimaginable in the mind of a non-royal. Who would want their 96 yo sick mother to get dolled up and travel miles to make a public appearance just look and to wave to a crowd when she was in pain and struggling to walk, if she really wanted to just be home resting and watching the event on television? I find the extent of the propaganda disgusting.
That’s what struck me. Worse than the ableism was that we had a 96yo, ill & in pain, basically forced to travel hither & yon, then walk however far (or near) in order to be seen? Be seen? Geez Louise, these people.
@Rapunzel: You’re absolutely right.
Not to make excuses for QEII, but there’s no one alive in Britain that would make me -a terminally ill 96 year old- stand in a balcony to salute or address or anything. She did more than a lot of people would, by anyone’s standards. I’m sure she was touched and felt pride for her country regardless.
Then what’s the point of the PR about commitment to duty and never laying down the burden and all that nonsense blah blah blah??
She SHOULD have done more than a lot of people would because she is THE QUEEN, with absolutely everything that goes with that, privilege etc.
All it shows is that these people are takers.
C, I think you’re lacking in empathy. Health goes over duty in every single case, in every single job or career.
I think you are lacking in context. This woman sat at the head of one of the richest empires in the world built on colonialism, imperialism, slavery, and *theft*. People in her country have suffered from poverty and violence for years because of the influence of monarchy. Part of the reason it is always justified is by the constant repetitions of “well, they may have all this wealth and privilege, but it’s ok because they are committed to doing their duty” and that was absolutely strongest in Elizabeth’s reign. I feel worse for the 96-year-olds in the NHS that can’t get care because of her affinity with the Tories than for the most pampered 96-year-old refusing to take some pictures.
Yeah, the royals like to pretend they are genetically perfect. Elizabeth was never going to admit to health problems. Just like how they hide away relatives in an institution. Just like William will never admit he needs therapy or Kate admitting she has an ED. Because *other people* have mental health issues, but not *them* because they are perfect and genetically superior. That family is garbage.
@Selene
Betty’s apologists cant have it every way.
When she was in her prime, for more than 50 years, she dictated the course of other people’s lives. Even up to the point of the so-called “Sandringham Summit” when H&M’s lives were on the line; when H asked for Option 3 (i:e continued security and financing for at least one year until they found their footing) and instead, Option 5 (immediate & complete severance) was being foisted on him, what did betty do?
She. Sat. Dumb.
And then what happened to her in the end? The same Machiavellians who did all sorts of atrocities in her name, aided and abetted by her witless heir, forced her to “work” until she was at death’s door.
And we’ll never know if she wanted to stop and rest in her final days because the narrative is that she insisted on working till the end. And because we know that was her mantra throughout her life (“be seen to be believed”) we will never know the truth.
What we do know, is that the ONLY PERSON who expressed concern for her, was the grandson that she had failed to protect.
@ Kingston -“forced her to “work” until she was at death’s door”. So, we agree? She was still 96 and terminally ill, human and in pain like the rest of us. I stand by what I said. There’s not a soul alive in the Commonwealth that would make me get propped up to say hello.
While I agree that we’ll never know if Elizabeth wanted to work up to the end or not, we do know she refused to abdicate even as her health declined. So if I HAD to pick a side, I’d say she probably chose to continue herself. I don’t think that family “cares” about each other the way normal people do, so I could totally see Charles being utterly unconcerned about Elizabeth’s health. But I could also imagine him wanting her to be sidelined, so he could step into the limelight that much sooner. So again, either way would make sense based on what little we know about them.
She probably had multiiple myeloma, or similar, which is common in the elderly. She would have been anemic, and weak, and had extensive pain in her bones. Her non appearances probably were not just down to vanity, but basically, not being able to get out of bed. This topic is unnecessarily harsh to a sick old woman.
I agree @uNDERHILL.
Man, this family is a hot mess from top to bottom, just trash. I am sure Jobson thinks he is adding to hagiography of the British Royal Family. But these excerpts are doing no one favors.
Harry was right to nope out, and KC3 will end up being the last king of England.
I’m not sure any of this is true. If the queen actually did have bone cancer, she would have been in as much pain in a wheelchair as she was when standing. Bone cancer is an excruciatingly painful form of cancer. So telling her to just use a wheelchair wasn’t the solution people thought it was at the time. Was she ableist? Probably. But that is shown in how they hid her cancer diagnosis from a puzzled public more than in her refusal to be seen in a wheelchair which wouldn’t have alleviated her pain in the least. Mobility issues were a symptom, not a diagnosis.
@brassy, shortly after the Queen’s death, it was reported that she had been suffering from a rare type of blood cancer, not bone cancer.
Reports were she had multiple myeloma, which is a bone marrow cancer (my mother had it). And yes it is painful. Doggone if I would have forced my mom to go anywhere she didn’t want to go.
Yes, Charles urging his mother to do things she didn’t feel up to doing says a lot more about Charles than Jobson intended. “In considerable discomfort, Her Majesty was taken by wheelchair to the helicopter pad at Windsor…” Who does this to their cancer stricken mother?
@ Brassy Rebel, you have touched on a gleaming topic which seems to be lost by those that are reading Jobsons idiotic statements in his book. QEII was suffering greatly but her own son, her heir, simply refused to take her health seriously enough to offer her the comfort she deserved. KC3 is simply a selfish, egotistical and dangerous person whose own views vetoed the care that his mother, the Queen, was owed AND deserved.
Another blaring example of how uncaring, selfish and cruel he is with regards to others except in the case of his mistress, now wife.
Maybe he knew she found no comfort in him?
In another era, some would think that the Queen had to be strong for her people, that she sacrifice her own confort for the love of her people. Actually, it was her not wanting to be remembered with pics of her, in history, after her passing, sitting in a wheel chair like her sister because she thought margaret looked weak. And her courtiers and heir were also so cruel to have her suffer like this if she had cancer
Actually, this is common with the elderly—it’s not just QE2. FDR did this back in the day as well. I have elderly relatives who are in various degrees resistant to eyeglasses, hearing aids, walkers, canes, a raised bed, moving out a house with stairs after falling… I help a couple of neighbors whose spouses have died: they don’t want to leave their homes, but they definitely need help. So I actually don’t think this was entirely weird behavior on her part, because I see this a lot.
It can certainly be common behavior in the elderly – I have seen it as well – which is why I think the Queen making an appearance in a wheelchair could have been very impactful.
Becks1, I absolutely agree with your statement: it would have been a wonderful way of removing the stigma of using a wheelchair. Yes! Having to deal with a great many stubborn older folks, most of whom are delightful, I suspect that it was impossible to convince her. Unfortunately, I can’t convince some of the people I like and love to acquire and utilize reading glasses/ hearing aides/ canes/ walkers/ a medical alert button/ a bracelet with medical information that could be handy/ among others.
It could have been impactful, if that was the impact Elizabeth wanted to make. But she may have thought it would have a negative impact on the public. Not that wheelchairs are shameful, but that it would be another sign that their “beloved Queen” is on the way out.
I agree, it really could have really had a positive impact. It may have also helped highlight how inaccessible many places are, and the mobility challenges that so many people face.
I like your commentary on this. It’s really nice when people call out this idea that wheelchairs are shameful or somehow ugly. That being said, i think it’s human nature not to want to admit decline in ability. I’m in a rehab hospital right now with my nephew who is fighting to relearn to walk after a brain injury. So I feel deeply both sides of my point above: he’s a hero whether he’s in the wheelchair or not but he wants very much to be out of one
In general, I think so much of this debate over the wheelchair and ableism would have been avoided had the palace been more transparent about the Queen’s health. No, people don’t need to see her lab results every time her blood is drawn or whatever. And they did say she had “mobility issues.” but if those issues interfered to the point where she could not do the job anymore, then she should have abdicated to Charles. Or the palace should have at least been more forthcoming about her condition.
I honestly think people at the palace knew that when she died, a LOT of sentiment for the monarchy was going to die with her and were trying to prolong that sentiment as long as possible (trotting her out for the Jubbly etc).
Yes, I was coming to say exactly this. I see the resistance in my own family, but it’s not ableism – it’s anxiety, about wanting to keep control of your own life and choices (even if the choices don’t always make sense to others). It’s about trying to not give in to the inevitable decay of the body. Elizabeth spent her life making nice for the cameras – I don’t see what’s wrong with letting her spend her last year on earth in the way she wanted.
FDR didn’t think that a person in a wheelchair would be elected president. QE didn’t have to worry about being elected.
FDR did this in the days when polio and other illnesses were seen by society as a moral failing. It’s not at all comparable to today’s mores.
HeyJude and Equality, Personally I wonder if the queen might have been mentally stuck in that mindset as well? She clearly believed her son committed no crimes against Virginia and other women. She abhorred her sister’s wheelchair and her family hid her mentally ill relatives. Times have changed, but not everyone evolves at the same pace. And to be fair, many elderly people I know probably would have done things exactly as the queen did.
@ML – it could be a generational mindset, but we won’t really understand until (if) we reach that age. My mother is the most rational person I know, able to accept much of her diminished abilities, but there some things she will not do, to the point where we think she’s being pig-headed. But for her stage in life, her priorities are different than ours, who have many more years before us.
If this story is true it just reinforces how out of touch the people providing counsel and advice to the BRF are and why they are so out of touch with the general public. They fundamentally don’t understand why something like this would be seen as offensive instead of inspiring just like they don’t get why kicking people out of their homes, keeping people away from their spouses while grieving and acting like someone committed treason for wanting to choose their own life’s trajectory goes down like a lead balloon.
The Royal Family need a crisis manager and image consultant.
I don’t know that even Olivia Pope could help these people. The problem is that they keep hiring people, and then they don’t listen to the advice, so they quit.
I wholeheartedly agree with Dee(2). When reading Spare, I felt a twinge of sorrow for HMTQ when Harry covered him finally getting an audience with her and the Bee, the Wasp and the other evil courtier seemed to be controlling her instead of advising her. I know that sometimes with the elderly you have to use judgement for their best interest, but it seems like in her final days, QEII wasn’t allowed to do many things she wanted to do.
She appeared with a cane in some of her final public appearances, didn’t she?
The closer we get to the Clowning, the less I understand the BRF and the Press. If they wanted H&M to attend that fiasco, they’re going about it the wrong way. Plus them simultaneously criticizing Harry for writing his own book and then rushing out a terrible book of innuendo, speculation and half-truths is pretty terrible. Jobson should be dangled over a balcony, much like he what he wanted for Prince Archie.
“The service was dominated by the attendance of Prince Harry and Meghan, making their first joint royal appearance since quitting their duties.”
Harry and Meghan did not quit their duties. They were forced out of the institution because they were not allowed to have the same arrangement that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Prince Michael has had for years prior to the Sussexes requesting the same arrangement. The Sussexes were not allowed to be financially independent while serving the monarchy which is what the requested and were denied.
I am tired of the propagandists attempts to rewrite history. They are relentless. Thankfully there is Spare and the Netflix documentary series to remind us of the truth.
Boy Oh Boy they are chipping away at her “Great Reign”, She of verry few achievements apart from being the longest to stear the Ship. this is not a good look for any of them. The Chances of any of them having so long a reign does not belong to either Charles are William, and so far they are not leaving any indelible marks, from what actions i can see. i bet in true BRF fashion they will be attributing Harry’s achievments to William through sleight of hand.
Regarding the Harry/William achievements, they are trying hard to do so with the military angle. Harry’s achievements in the military and with military veterans and their families have eclipsed anything William has done in the military and it bothers them.
It was indeed a missed opportunity for the Queen to be a role model for the aged and the disabled.
If the Queen had some form of bone cancer, it would have been a good opportunity to educate the public about and to give support to those who are suffering the same illness. Harry has used his experience with grief and trauma to bring awareness and to help others. The Queen was 96- why not show some solidarity with the sick and elderly among her “subjects?” I suppose for her generation, her actions might be interpreted as stoic. Charles, on the other hand, is obviously self-centered, pampered, and a “let them eat cake” kind of person. In this day and age, since a royal can’t govern, what is left except their constitutional role as head of state? The great ones might try to be a source of unity, patriotism, and moral support to the people of the country. None of this seems evident in the next two generations. Wonder how George is going to turn out? The idea of “service” just seems notably absent. It seems the country exists to “serve” them. Only Harry has done some real things to “serve” others.
OK, being open about this, two arguments from me, as someone who has at times needs my wheelchair if I’m going out. One, HOW BLOODY DARE THEY think a wheelchair takes away from the Person in it. Does my cancer make me a second class citizen, NO it does not, and seeing the Queen in one could have done so much for disabled accessibility. Talk about bloody vanity on their part, “Oh the Royals must be super humans just look at them” and TWO, what kind of family is this?!!!! They wheel out (but only to the doors) a woman of 96 who is so obviously frail and going down hill, so that she can wave to the crowd!!! No it wasn’t some marvelous deed on their behalf, it was a fkng disgusting display of just who and what they will use and manipulate to continue the charade of their (family) charade
Well supposedly George is being raised in the “Middleton way” which looks to be grab whatever you can with both hands. Not sure where the “service” aspect will come from unless Baldemort does a 180.
I (and everyone else here on CB) could’ve told everyone that. Does that make us royal experts? Think you might be the OG @kaiser
I mean thank you captain obvious (referring to this guy)🙄 the way these “experts” take them self seriously is so hilarious. I always burst out laughing when I see the likes of this guy, that deranged racist levin lady, the Sad Little Man and the exposed carnival of YouTube because these people actually believe they are important! The seriousness of their lies, I mean all you can do is laugh at this point 😂😂😂😂
I came here to say two things:
– Few days ago Pope Francis greeted people in a wheelchair, and John Paul two in the final years had a special moving chair “gestatoria” because he couldn’t walk.
So the Catholic Church is still more progressive than the RF.
Their courtiers are so incompetent the cannot even take notes.
– in the last picture of QE her hand is BLUE. She was sick and being treated.
QE knew Charles was a Tool.
Did everything she could to keep him #2 for as long as possible. 👍
Joking, but not far from the truth IMO.
If anyone has health concerns/mobility issues be safe and use w/c or whatever is needed.
I broke my heel in August (I stepped off a curb; I wish I had a better story). Since it is VERY slow to heal, I was given a temporary disabled parking placard, and I wear a boot at all times, except when I drive or shower. I have one of those knee scooters (they are knee killers though), and a wheelchair. At times I’ve been criticized for using an electronic wheelchair at grocery stores because I’m
fairly young and not everyone sees the boot. I need these devices for mobility, but it’s a blow to the pride when my children have to push me in a manual wheelchair, or I use the electric one. I hate that people treat disabled or injured people with such disdain, as if there’s an age limit to using the electric wheelchair, or I’m not “disabled” enough to use it. I’d like to see them push a car through Target while walking on crutches or using a knee scooter where you need both hands to steer, but you also have to push a basket/trolley. The whole experience has been humbling for me, but it also makes me so much aware of hidden disabilities and not being the judge of who needs it and who doesn’t.
Interesting, thank you for sharing. I think your age is indeed a part of that. I’m in my 60s & have been using a cane every time I leave my house for about a year now. I have a progressive neuropathy, and it’s only just gotten to the point of needing the cane (I used to need a walking stick for hiking only). I’ve found this past year that people are very kind to me, helping me with my groceries, crossing the street, with my luggage when I’m traveling. I am the proverbial little old lady! And this I don’t mind. What I do mind is, when I go for my daily walk along a river path, people will say to me, ‘keep it up!’ and ‘good for you!’ and so on, which I find infuriating! I used to run marathons! I ran an hour a day every day Monday through Saturday, two hours on Sunday! I don’t need to hear ‘keep it up!’ from strangers! I know this is coming from a place of kindness, which is why I don’t shout or brandish my cane at them–that & the fact I would topple over–but still. That’s where the ageism comes in. I’m willing to bet if I were a couple of decades younger, but walking with a cane, I wouldn’t hear that.
‘On her insistence, a military-style exercise was put in place so that no one could see she was having to use a wheelchair,’ the book states.
So, massive resources were extended to preserve the queen’s vanity … ugh.
It’s true that older people offer resist using mobility devices, but we’re told that the queen was made of better mettle — yet she still refused to send a message to “her” people that there is nothing shameful about disability. How very ordinary of her.
So are we not in favor of letting women chose what to do with their bodies now? Huh ok.
How on earth does suggesting a frail 96 year-old use a wheelchair have anything to do with not letting women chose what to do with their bodies? My mother, at 92, refused to use a cane or walker despite several bad falls and stays in hospital as a result. I tried to convince her again and again but she was too stubborn and vain about needing assistance. Her last fall ended up with her dying in hospital a week later. Using a cane or walker could have saved her life.
So no, we’re not saying women can’t chose what to do with their bodies, we’re saying there’s nothing wrong with needing a wheelchair or walker or whatever to get around more easily and safely.
Because people are calling her ableist. It just seems like everyone loves to hate on her. I’m not a fan but jeez. If she didn’t want to use a wheelchair that’s on her. She could have made a statement but she obviously didn’t want to.
DeltaJuliet I get what you are saying. I mean, if someone doesn’t want to use a wheelchair or walking aid, they don’t have to. It’s autonomy. That doesn’t make her ableist. Many elderly are mourning the loss of their independence, and it’s a whole thing. My grandmother before she passed, hated using her walker in public. She didn’t owe people an explanation. She wasn’t ableist because she didn’t like using it in public. It was more about coming to terms with your immediate mortality. That’s a heavy psychological burden. Same for the Queen. If she didn’t want to use it, it was her choice.
Self centered asswipes
These people live up their own asses in their own world. Totally and completely useless
Contrast this with Queen Ingrid of Denmark who has been praised for not only helping to normalize the use of a walker during her last years but also for using the standard issue walker provided by the NHS even at gala events
Here is a photo of Queen Ingrid in tiara with her walker https://twitter.com/RoyalArjan/status/1004352099768061952/photo/2
But my Grandma was the same way about being too vain and proud to use mobility devices
That’s a standard issue walker? Aqua, to match her dress? Or did she have her dress made to match her walker?
Definitely had the dress made to match the walker since the walker is always the same in color.
Nothing wrong with being in a wheelchair!
I remember the pic of Margaret in the wheelchair. She looked old and frail, but I seem to remember the queen thought Margaret in a wheelchair was a bid for attention or sympathy. This is a harsh, unfeeling family. And everyone above who said they are not well served by their YES men and women were absolutely correct. If a lead courtier had insisted everyone in the family wish Harry and Meghan good luck then ignore them, then there wouldn’t have been 3 YEARS of the nastiest backstabbing imaginable. I pity the people in the palaces seething with hatred day in and day out.
As is to be expected, they have completely missed the point. These people are so useless and lazy that standing on a balcony is what passes for work with them. In their minds, since they do so little, it has to be seen to be done perfectly i.e. without aid of The medical devices that make life and work possible for hundreds of thousands of people.
Over on the Sophie/Princess lessons thread there’s lots of talk about putting words in a dead woman’s mouth and I gotta wonder how much of that applies here, too.
For one thing, it might not have been the queen saying this stuff at all, this might have been her courtiers who, let’s be honest, don’t exactly have their fingers on the pulse of “what’s normal right now.”
For another thing, if the queen herself didn’t want to use a wheelchair, it might have been a point of pride thing, as in “I’m 95 but I still don’t need a wheelchair.” I think a few of us have had parents and grandparents in that phase. They see nothing wrong with people using a wheelchair, but do not want to admit to their own frailty.
Isn’t the picture posted the SECOND balcony photo? Didn’t the first photo have more family and Louis and Wails was next to QE2? I thought this picture was taken to get Fails and George next to QE2 because Wails fu the first one by putting herself by Lizzie. So, KFC made his mother do this twice?
Since all we have are rumors about what kind of cancer QE2 had, I don’t think we can specifically say it was pain holding her back. I’m sure she was quite ill and frail and she wasn’t always able to walk. I wonder if her anger at Wails made her do a second photo and gave her the energy to do it.
I think it’s harsh to condemn the Queen. I had a seriously ill family member who occasionally used a wheelchair and she hated it. Once you’re in a wheel chair people look right through you as if you’re also mentally disabled. It infuriated me.
The Queen probably also realized that the press wouldn’t be “Queen make wheelchair ok” but a series of lurid red top headlines asking what was wrong with her and speculating about her health, mental condition, death, and succession.
At the end it was her decision and she went with what was comfortable. At 93 I sympathize.
What makes this especially weird to me is that William has done royal events/visits/whatever where he was photographed playing sports while seated in a wheelchair. I remember it because he was wearing a suit so the pictures were memorable. I know Harry’s played sports in a wheelchair as well and been photographed doing so, though I don’t know off the top of my head if those were more recent Invictus related things or official royal stuff.
So like… what kind of message was the Queen sending with her absolute refusal to be seen using a wheelchair, or what kind of message is this book trying to send by presenting this an admirable choice? That’s it’s okay for someone who looks young and healthy to be photographed in a wheelchair that they don’t need or use for anything aside from that PR event, but not for a person who is elderly or legitimately needs a wheelchair to move around more comfortably (or even just with less pain)? Or that looking young and sporty makes needing & using a wheelchair in public socially acceptable, but people who look older, or frail, or like they visibly need mobility aids should be hidden in the attic? It’s a toxic stew made of pretty privilege, ageism, and ableism.
Every time I read one of these Jobson excerpts I keep wondering “is he trying to make the BRF look bad, or is everyone involved in this book completely detached from reality?” I mean, it might be a bit of both- but wow.