Trooping the Colour, the monarch’s official birthday parade, will go down on Saturday. It will be King Charles’s second Trooping as king. If you ask me, his first Trooping was rather threadbare and sad too, especially since his heir decided to steal the king’s thunder by giving an interview about being the savior of homelessness. Prince William also released a new Father’s Day portrait with his children. I wonder if that will happen this weekend too, if we’ll get a “new” photo of William and the kids. If we do, that will overshadow Trooping this year as well. As the Daily Beast’s Royalist column points out, this year’s Trooping will be the most threadbare balcony in memory, all because Charles is a jealous, petty man and a dogsh-t father.
Monarchy in decline: When the king steps out onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace to receive the cheers of the gathered plebs, the moment risks being instead an all too graphic illustration of the parlous and threadbare state into which the monarchy has declined on his watch.
QEII’s Trooping balconies were heaving with family members: In the days of Queen Elizabeth II, the balcony groaned with family members; literally dozens of distant aunts, eccentric uncles, dotty cousins and rosy-cheeked nephews and nieces received the call-up to wave for queen and country. Officially they were being thanked for supporting Her Majesty. Some of the support they offered was decidedly tangential, but Queen Elizabeth thought the bursting balcony telegraphed the all-important messages of fecundity and unity honed by her heroine, Queen Victoria, the de facto inventor of the modern monarchy.
It’s different during KC3’s reign: Buckingham Palace declined to tell The Daily Beast who will or will not be by the king’s side, but we already know of several omissions which will be notable. There will, of course, be no Prince Harry, no Meghan Markle, no Archie and no Lilibet. That the Sussexes have been ruthlessly cut out of the royal family since their decision to give up their official roles is no secret.
King Charles doesn’t even want the Sussexes back under any circumstances: However, a royal source told The Daily Beast: “Charles loves both his sons and of course he would like, in an ideal world, to have a relationship with his grandchildren. The reality is, however, that he can’t, because the last thing anyone wants is Harry and Meghan back in the U.K. on a regular basis. Their presence always distracts from the work of the monarchy. As king, Charles has to put the crown first. That’s what duty means.”
Princess Kate’s absence: There have been rumors that Princess Kate will appear, but these have been dismissed as unsubstantiated speculation by Palace sources to The Daily Beast. One source told The Daily Beast it would be “bizarre” for Kate to appear on the balcony having cancelled her own appearance with her regiment, the Irish Guards. Remarks made in a letter by Kate last weekend that she hoped to be back representing the regiment again “very soon” have, however, caused confusion by appearing to explicitly open up the possibility she could be back on duty, well, “very soon,” whatever that means. (Kate’s office declined to clarify to The Daily Beast what she meant by the comment.)
Emasculated king: So, the public face the royal family will present to the public this weekend looks like being as follows: a cancer-stricken king, 75, who will have been brought to the ceremony, emasculatingly, by coach instead of on rippling horseflesh. He will be accompanied by his wife, Queen Camilla, who still, for many (including his son Harry) is a long way from being loved. Then there is the relentlessly uncharismatic Prince Edward, who should hope that some glamor bounces onto him from his lovely wife, Sophie. Also expect Princess Anne and her husband, the almost incognito Sir Tim Laurence. With Kate also absent, being treated for cancer, Prince William (and perhaps Louis, if he pulls a funny face) will be one of the only people, other than the king, that much of the global audience will recognize.
Starvation rations: King Charles famously said he wanted to slim down the royal family. Perhaps he would have been more careful what he wished for had he known that by 2024 the family was going to end up looking like it was on starvation rations.
I wonder what happened to that speculation that the now-widowed Lady Gabriella Windsor had been invited onto the balcony? That was less about supporting Gabriella and more about Charles wanting an attractive blonde on the balcony. That speculation sort of went away, so I guess it’s not happening. As for “starvation rations” and “parlous and threadbare state” – it’s true and it’s funny. While the British media and royal historians balk at the threadbare state of the monarchy on display, this is actually what Charles wants. He wants all of the attention, he wants Camilla to have center stage, he doesn’t want anyone pulling focus. Also: the quote about Charles’s thoughts on the Sussexes is how he really feels. Charles’s allies throw out speculation that he wants to spend time with the Sussexes or he wants to be a doting grandfather, but the reality is that he’s done everything he can to block Harry, Meghan and the children from his life and from the UK.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace following their coronation, London, United Kingdom, 06 May 2023.,Image: 774245294, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Tim Clarke / Avalon
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- (L-R) – King Charles III , Queen Camilla, Sophie – The Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward – The Duke of Edinburgh on the balcony at Buckingham Palace inLondon, England, UK on Saturday 17 June, 2023 after The Annual Trooping The Colour for the Kings Birthday Parade.,Image: 783936010, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- (L-R) – King Charles III , Queen Camilla, Sophie – The Duchess of Edinburgh and Edward – The Duke of Edinburgh on the balcony at Buckingham Palace inLondon, England, UK on Saturday 17 June, 2023 after The Annual Trooping The Colour for the Kings Birthday Parade.,Image: 783936035, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- The Royal Family receive the crowds and look on at the flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour, the King’s Birthday Parade, London, UK on June 17 2023. Present (L-R) Sir Timothy Laurence, the Princess Royal, (Princess Anne), Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Princess of Wales, HRH Prince of Wales (Prince William), HM King Charles III, HM Queen Camilla, Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Edward), Duchess of Edinburgh (Sophie), Duke of Kent, Duchess of Gloucester, Duke of Gloucester.,Image: 783949038, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Lee Floyd / Avalon
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- London, 17th June 2023. The King joins other members of the Royal Family, including the Princess Royal and her husband, Prince William, the Prince of Wales and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, Queen Camilla, Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh and Edward, Duke of Edinburgh,on the palace balcony for a fly-past by the Royal Air Force. Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign, King Charles III. Over 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians take part in the display.,Image: 783954319, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Imageplotter / Avalon
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- The British Royal family make an appearence on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Coronation Featuring: King Charles III, Queen Camilla Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- King Charles III leads members of The Royal Family on his first Trooping the Colour, the monarch’s official birthday parade Featuring: King Charles III and Queen Camilla Where: London, United Kingdom When: 17 Jun 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- King Charles III leads members of The Royal Family on his first Trooping the Colour, the monarch’s official birthday parade Featuring: King Charles III and Queen Camilla Where: London, United Kingdom When: 17 Jun 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
I’ll bet you only George is on that balcony. We still don’t know where Charlotte and Louis are.
I’m wondering if Camilla’s kids and grandkids will be present. I won’t be surprised if they are.
Camilla’s family will definitely be there. She has been trying to upgrade them for years.
The “perhaps Louis if he pulls a funny face” line…do they mean perhaps Louis will be recognizable to international audiences? But only if he pulls a funny face? Or “perhaps Louis” meaning will he even be there? But wouldn’t international audiences recognize George and charlotte too? Weird.
George, Charlotte and Louis will NOT appear on that balcony.
Nothing has been announced about their attendance. Do they usually announce it?
I genuinely don’t know. Either way, at this point, there’s no way of knowing until the day. We don’t know for sure that they’re NOT going to be on the balcony. It’s a wait and see.
LOL @Jais I think he worded it weirdly but he means Louis will get international attention if he is as expressive as he typically is on the balcony.
I have no idea if the kids will be there or not. I doubt they will ride in a carriage, since they tend to ride with Kate – I think if they are there it will be like when they were super young, and did the balcony appearance and that’s it. That would be easy enough for Nanny Maria or whoever to handle behind the scenes and then for William to swoop in with an appearance. I think it will be all three or none.
Ah got it😂. Louis is an expressive cutie. The rota will be sad if he’s not here.
I think that if the Whales’ children are in the vicinity of BP they will make an appearance. Otherwise the balcony will looks so lackluster which won’t bode well on the King. But it sounds like Kate is far away with her parents, and maybe her kids are with them. (?)
It will be bizarre if the kids aren’t there. Harry and William’s mother DIED and they were still trotted out on that balcony every year.
Louis has quite a distinctive face, but I wouldn’t recognise Charlotte, she hasn’t any distinctive features, mind you I am face blind and struggle to recognise people anyway until I have seen the quite a few times.
He will find some filler to be up there so it doesn’t look too thin. Probably Horsillas offspring will be included on the balcony.
Maybe they can hire that “Kate” from the farm shop video. I’m sure they will try to lowball her on the fee though.
This thing is giving real “Puppet show and Spinal Tap” vibes. I hope William is too hung over to show up and no Wales kids appear either.
Little Britain and Monty Python were docuseries.
@Gabby–““Puppet show and Spinal Tap” comment was perfect!! 😀
Gabby–🤣😂🤣 Spinal Tap.
“In ancient times,
Hundreds of years before the dawn of history
Lived a strange race of people, the Druids
No one knows who they were or what they were doing
But their legacy remains…” 😈😂
Now that Beatrice and Eugenie have come in from the cold after cutting iff Harry, they may be there with their husband’s and kiddies. This will benefit Andrew as his family’s precence will be bugger than the king’s. I’m not sure Charles wants that.
There is zero evidence that the York sisters have ‘cut off’ Harry. We have to be careful about repeating tabloid headlines from anonymous sources like they are fact. As for them being at the Trooping I have no idea about that but having them on the balcony would look extremely hypocritical after Charles briefed for years about only working royals being up there. I honestly don’t think the public is desperate to see to York sisters wave at them from a balcony.
I agree with Julia, it would look strange if the York sisters were present. But, at the same time, so much has changed for the BRF since QEII died. I think that the most likely scenario is George on his own with William, if William is attending at all.
I expect that Charles told Eugenie that if she didn’t back him she would lose her house, just as Harry did.
My understanding is that Eugenie doesn’t live on Crown or other royal property now. She and her husband moved to Portugal.
OUCH… if it isn’t the consequences of their own jealousy….
EDIT : seems like the Rota are not happy with Chuck’s slimmed down vision and want the super stars back that they can monetise.
Harry and Meghan are the most important members of the royal family, that’s why there are so many stories about them, even if half of them are invented by the tea boy.
“Their presence always distracts from the work of the monarchy. As king, Charles has to put the crown first. That’s what duty means.”
Cluck and Cloppy are narcissists. When you set boundaries with narcissists, they take it as a narcissistic injury and feel it as a betrayal.
Harry presents to Cluck an ongoing narcissistic injury, b/c to heal the breach relies on Cluck doing the one thing he’s utterly incapable of agreeing to: apologizing to Meghan and Harry for his behaviour.
Narcissists cast out anyone that isn’t serving them, feeding them positive attention, or making them “look good’.
When they do this often enough to their circle of people, eventually … the Outcaster looks like the Outcast.
This is what Cluck’s Trooping is shaping up to look like. He’s not the Outcaster, but the Outcast now. By cutting out everyone but Camilla as having little value to him, he’s basically left with an audience of one. Ever a bad judge of character, he’s thrown away relationships with people who love him (Harry) for one heartless, unscrupulous woman who merely thinks of him as an expedient, a tool for getting what she wants.
What’s interesting to me is how much the narcissistic behavior also applies to the royal family as an institution. Whose ever heard of a narcissistic firm
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This NAILS it. You sum it up perfectly.
Flower, Yes, “OUCH” is an excellent summary of that article!
The only thing I thought was uncalled for was “emasculating” to describe UpChuck taking a carriage ride as opposed to prancing along on a horse.
Speaking of a slimmed-down monarchy in starvation mode on that balcony: Is this also causing starvation mode amongst a slimmed-down royal rota?
And seemingly overnight, Tom Sykes has shown (amnesia-like?) sympathy for the Sussexes being exiled? When did that happen?
Aw, they have it all wrong–as usual. 🙄 I have it on good authority that Noble, Cluck’s new black mare, who was supposed to carry him had a nervous breakdown at the thought of trying to prance (making her horseflesh ripple, dontcha know) while simultaneously *not* overly jostling the Royal nutsack. Poor girl.
😉🤣😆
This really does boil down to Chuck being a rampant narcissist. It’s obvious that the slimmed down monarchy was never going to work, but he isn’t interested in what’s best for the monarchy. The only two people he has “lost” from his employee rolls unexpectedly are Harry and Pedo. The rest died at an old age, or were never showing up to begin with, so they could hardly be counted as essential for the slimmed down monarchy of Chuck’s dreams, if he was looking at what resources existed in that family at the time he made this extremely stupid life choice. It was never about the royal family costing less, they get more taxpayer money now, Chuck just doesn’t feel obliged to share it with other people.
Losing Harry is an especially hard hit, I will grant, because he has a strong work ethic and feels passionately about people and issues that affect them. He’s an even better Anne, because her personality is hardly welcoming, but that doesn’t really matter to Chuck. He was always going to diminish Harry, and later Meghan, evidenced by him telling the Sussexes to be less than they are while they were still a part of the “working” royals. They were already being asked to do less and less well before they realized they had to get off that island.
He truly lacks the imagination to have not seen this play out exactly this way, decades ago. William and Kate were never going to turn into workhorses, being missing has actually made Kate more famous. She’s finally DOING something, even if it is literally nothing.
The media want to bully H&M and blame them for all the woes of the institution and the family. The bias in reporting is astonishing. But yes, negativity sells, so there you go …
They don’t even bother to mention the remaining very elderly working royals who are still doing more work than William. Apparently we are also pretending the sweaty nonce no longer exists.
I wonder how buried any pictures and coverage of this balcony will be. Will certainly not be prominent unless Camz shows up swinging stripper tassels for attention or Louis and Charlotte finally appear after 6 months missing.
Just looked at the court circular for the next few weeks. It seems that Anne and Sophie are doing the most, Edward has a couple Richard of Gloucester has one and William’s only job is going to a football match. Richard is 79 Anne 73.
Ed still doing less than his wife? I wonder if he has Long Covid. He’s not looked well, and his energy has been off for over a year now.
Frankly, everything they do shows a monarchy in decline.
That is so true.. their balcony no longer holds any interest for me anymore so let it continue to decline🤷🏻♀️
The coronation was boring, overwrought and contrived. If it hadn’t been for Harry and his hangar, few would have watched. Last years trooping was so forgettable I don’t remember it.
They do indeed look like a dying monarchy, because that is what they are. Charles hasn’t the sense to reinvent the British monarchy before it gets tossed out all together.
I think the monarchy started declining a long time ago – that’s why Elizabeth stuffed the balcony with every possible royal. It was about quantity over quality and now that Charles had done his weeding, there’s neither quality or quantity.
Exactly. Slimmed down was a terrible idea before any of the, quite frankly, not unexpected family illness. He was banking on the heir and his wife finding a work ethic under the couch cushions and becoming people that are interesting to watch, and no one getting sick. As organizational planning goes, it has zero planning.
This. Even if H&M had stayed, they wouldn’t have been able to save this sinking ship. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at monarchy lol) that’s what happens when leadership is handed down by birth order, and not by merit
I think it even HELPS the monarchy that Harry and Meghan are so visibly succeeding at everything they do. Like it or not, the first thing people think about when they think of Harry IS the monarchy. Trying to keep Harry and Meghan from the U.K. is futile in a digital world, it only serves to underline what a petty, cruel man Charles is.
If Ed is waiting for glamor to bounce off of Sophie, his hopes will be dashed. What makes them think they have that big a global audience? I bet even in other countries where Charles is still monarch, they don’t really care. I hope Kate puts in some sort of appearance staring out a window or something and takes focus and that H&M are simply out for a walk or something and take focus. It’s so funny that they think that H&M have to be in the UK to overshadow that group.
It is the press that decides who overshadows whom and that is in turn decided by who gets the most clicks,
We got those cute photos of Meghan seen through the window of BP at the Jubilee, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a similar yet grainy photo of some tall woman wearing a big hat this weekend. Then the ‘Was it Kate or not?’ chatter will distract the peasants while Huevo heads off to Germany for his bro-time at the Euros next week.
That is so genuinely the last thing I want to happen. Another blurry “is it really Kate?” photo. Please no.
Second that! This whole debacle is just ugly, ugly now and so symptomatic of all the other lies running rampant *everywhere.* Are microplastics in the water making the whole world insane?
Meghan could send jam to an assistant somewhere and it would overshadow the balcony.
Would be a good time for ARO to drop. Or a podcast or netflix announcement.
I keep repeating this, but Meghan’s photo made the front pages of the British press ON CORONATION WEEKEND, for taking a hike with two friends in California. He couldn’t even push her off the front page on the weekend he finally got his big boy job!
“Distracts from the work of the Monarchy?” What is that? Their only job these days is to keep people terminally online, searching for answers. Ugh. Does anyone else here hate the way Tom Sykes writes? “A cancer-stricken king, 75, who will have been brought to the ceremony, emasculatingly, by coach instead of on rippling horseflesh.” What an arrogant purple prose prick, no wonder he’s Baldy’s favorite scribe. & What does gender have to do with being unable to ride? CRex has had a bad back for years, on top of his current illness.
I look forward to none of the kids being on the balcony, and the world exploding into “Where IS Kate” memes again.
I had no idea until this morning that it’s emasculating for a 75 year old with cancer not to ride a horse in a parade. These royalists are truly obnoxious, not to mention the bad writing. (Is emasculatingly even a word?)
I’ve got a JD not an MD but isn’t the fact that the whole health crisis began with prostate issues?
The horse is an extension of the family jewels, don’tcha know… 😂
That was a horrifying comment for him to make. I don’t like Charles, but to suggest a cancer patient is emasculated because they can’t ride a horse is outrageously offensive and ignorant.
If he’s emasculated, it’s because he has let his addiction to Camilla destroy his family, his children, and the monarchy.
The word “emasculated” was never used to describe the 70 year reign of Queen Elizabeth II, even when she stopped riding lolz.
Why not just use a papal homophobic slur on Charles and say what you really mean Sykes/Baldemort.
“If he’s emasculated, it’s because he has let his addiction to Camilla destroy his family, his children, and the monarchy.”
It bears repeating.
The Late Queen only stopped riding when her horse, Burmese was retired. She always rode side saddle at the trooping, although she used to ride astride privately.
so I interpreted that line as more of how Charles might feel about it, not about how Sykes actually feels about it. We know Charles wanted to ride a horse until the carriage was finally agreed upon. He probably does feel its emasculating to not be riding.
The thing is – Harry and Meghan do get the attention even if Meghan is just at Heathrow. But that’s on the british press. They don’t have to breathlessly report on every move H&M make. And also, if they were welcome in the UK with appropriate security and all of that – they might come over more and then each visit wouldn’t be such a big deal. As it is, I feel like Harry comes over at least once every 6 months. Its not his fault that the press sends helicopters to track his car from the airport.
@Becks1 that’s my interpretation as well. Chuck wanted desperately to ride and sees it as emasculating to be unable. QEII rode on horseback for much longer than expected and was much admired for that. I’m sure he wants the same. But, it is, of course, ill-advised and probably took the mistress wife to convince him in the end. Just like QEII was not seen with a wheelchair or walker they want to be superior to the “plebs” and beloved. It ain’t happening, though and that’s all on Chuck.
I think it’s both: CRex clearly wanted to ride and cannot. He probably does feel less (shudder) manly. And it sounds like Sykes (Huevo?) was scathing about the state of the monarchy and used that to actively attack the king. It certainly wasn’t friendly or understanding of his cancer/ age.
@ML oh I agree – I think this whole thing was pretty scathing from Sykes.
Big agree. Also the phrase “ripping horse flesh” is so creepy. Who talks like that? It makes me think he writes some pretty gross stuff on the side. That’s all I’ll say.
Hahahahaha.
That phrase is straight from bad historical romance novels of the 70s…
I agree with you completely. I think Harry and Meghan being so successful is the only thing that is currently reflecting well on the monarchy, even though it irritates me to no end. Most people don’t follow the royal family closely like we do, and Harry’s work will always be thought of in terms of royal work.
Exactly – what “work”? KCIII is busy, even with cancer, as is Anne. But William has been so lazy all year, pretending that he’s got to look after his kids and Kate, LOL. The others seem to be having yet another holiday at the taxpayers’ expense.
I’m sure the Brits are brainwashed when it comes to the royal family. Save the sovereign, they are utterly irrelevant and cost billions every year, including all their multiple residences which could be turned into shelter for the homeless or cheap accommodation. I don’t know how they live with themselves, taking so much from hard working people and giving back so little. Sophie was from an ordinary middle-class family, surely she must feel guilt on some level.
The king has no focus and despite having a lifetime to prepare for his job, he proves his strategy brain is down the drain. Really, QEII was so much better. Trooping is about the monarch’s birthday. He has no idea. His Trooping balcony goes against everything “birthday” stands for. Family. He wants to make it about himself
Actually, historically Trooping the Colour is about parading the regiment’s colour (flag) in front of the foot soldiers so they could recognise it during battle – the standard would have been held aloft by a mounted soldier, or stuck in the ground, and would have been a rallying point for troops – and if the standard fell then you’d know that your side had lost – and if the standard went galloping off it probably meant retreat. If troops were to know what their Regiment’s Colours looked like, it was necessary to display them regularly. The way in which this was done was for young officers to march in between the ranks of troops formed up in lines with the Colours held high. This is the origin of the word ‘trooping’.
As this has become an annual event on the monarch’s birthday, only one Colour can be trooped at a time and the five regiments of Foot Guards – Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards, take it in turns.
Thank you for this! I was wondering what the origin of the name was, but was too lazy to look it up!
Charles and William made things disruptive not harry. Charles can see the children if he wants to but he doesn’t want to. Louis is already being stereotyped but I doubt he and Charlotte will be there . Huevo will go with George in lookalike clothing
Tessa you are correct, Charles can see the children whenever he wants. He had Camilla flown by his pilot all over the world to meet with him. There is no excuse.
Off topic, but I’m dying laughing imagining the look on Harry and Meghan’s faces if some palace aide called and said, “Your father would like to send his plane to bring you and the kids over for a visit.”
This is what Charles wants.
Yup and the only people that are starving are the press. Charles nor William care about that.
Lots of reasons to dunk on Charles but saying he’s emasculated bc he has to ride a coach rather than on rippling horseflesh? Gross. His biggest problem is that he’s so insecure he can’t bear to have anyone attractive around him. Thus the threadbare balcony.
The daft thing is, if he were seen to be escorting Kate onto the balcony Kate’s fans would think that he is marvelous.
Preventative chemo would have a schedule and they would all know when the treatment would finish, I now favour mental illness as that would explain why the doctors have to give their consent.
It would get him good press. Like when he walked Meghan down part of the aisle. But he wouldn’t be the star. And bigger issue? Camilla would be an afterthought and she would not be happy about that.
It really would get him great press, and it would give the derangers real orgasms crowing about what an epic snub to Meghan and Harry it is.
Yes the derangers would crow, but hopefully it wouldn’t actually be a snub but him proving for the second time that he can be a decent human being. The first being walking Meghan down the aisle. Actually I used to quite admire him when he was younger, caring about the environment before David Attenborough made it fashionable, the Prince’s trust. He has done some good, in the past.
“Rippling horseflesh”
What a preposterous phrase that is.
Just gross, thinking of Chuck as some beacon of the perfect alpha male brought low because he’s not on a horse.
Reads like a Nora Roberts novel, only even more ridiculous.
I cannot wait for Saturday, to see who shows up & how miserable they are with each other.
Will there be a special Saturday post here?
The phrasing is over the top. When I read these passages I swore Lady Whistledown wrote them! Someone wishes they were her.
I’m not totally sold on that description of P Edward, surely the one who really gets the ‘relentlessly uncharismatic’ award has to be Tim Laurence – P Anne’s miserable looking husband?
“Relentlessly uncharismatic Edward”—OUCH—savage but so true!
Feels like he wanted to say that about his biggest briefer (Willy) but couldn’t.
I totally agree! it seemed like he was going to say William, and at the last moment he changed it to Edward. he can’t say William because that’s the hand that feeds him.
Word.
“Charles loves both his sons and of course he would like, in an ideal world, to have a relationship with his grandchildren. The reality is, however, that he can’t, because the last thing anyone wants is Harry and Meghan back in the U.K. on a regular basis. Their presence always distracts from the work of the monarchy. As king, Charles has to put the crown first. That’s what duty means.”
Yep. That is exactly how Charles feels and another reason for him to pity himself. It is not his fault, you see? It is his DUTY!
The Daily Beast royal columnist sources are pretty much legit.
Charles and Camilla and William and Andrew are the real distractions. And the sussexes don’t want to come back. Charles criticized his own parents for putting the crown first but he is doing that now only worse
That was funny. Poor Charles. It’s just his duty to be a terrible grandfather and father.
Finally saying out loud the king won’t invite Harry and Meghan because they are massively popular. QEIi was secure in her role, Chuck is insecure and thinks everyone is stealing his spotlight.
Spot on, Lulu! The slimmed down monarchy to Charles was about centering himself and his mistress queen. To William it is about Harry playing by William’s rules or going away. They both erroneously thought that by kicking Harry out, that would stamp him out. It has backfired spectacularly though. You know what they say about karma.
What work are H&M distracting from? The monarchy is carrying out even less “work” than ever and the was before 2 out of the 4 senior royals got diagnosed with cancer. Nothing is happening with the monarchy. They’re hardly doing engagements, no foreign tours, just the one state dinner. Stories about H&M are really the only thing keeping the monarchy relevant.
Reading between the lines it sounds very much like “send the Sussex children over but not Harry and Meghan”. When pigs fly, Charles.
Those children would be treated badly like harry potter was in the first book in the series. Lots of fake smiles to them. Charles is in no position to take care of small children . Kate and William would snub them
The only reason that K an W with have to snub them is racism, the children have harmed nobody. there is no excuse for anyone to attack the children, let alone a reason. Yet people in the Mail and the Excess are still saying they are not H and Ms children.
Perhaps the institution will include extended family members ( Beatrice, Eugenie, Zara, Peter, David Linley, Sarah Chatto their partners and offspring) in order to avoid the obvious image of a monarchy in decline.
Why does that put them in decline though? Other European monarchies are slimmed down and don’t include extended family on the balcony like QE did and nobody is describing them that way.
On the world stage the European monarchies are very much in decline. Doesn’t mean they are about to be abolished or unpopular in their own countries but outside Europe not many people care about the European monarchs or would recognise them from photographs. The UK monarchy is the last one with true international relevance and many people believe that too is declining.
Just a guess because I’m not as familiar with much outside of the Spanish but it also has to do with age. Other families might have smaller groups but included are 20 somethings. Whereas the British….
I dunno, I suspect the UK public doesn’t pay much attention to how other monarchies do things.
I think both @Blueberry and @Julia have good points. the UK monarchy still has international relevance (a US president meeting the british monarch still gets a lot of attention, a US president meeting King Felipe less attention.)
but also, the other monarchies have young, vibrant family members. Felipe and Letizia are an attractive and glamorous couple, as are Frederik and Mary (regardless of persona lives, just talking from a PR/visual standpoint). Queen Maxima is certainly glamorous and stylish. Carl Gustaf and Sophia from Sweden are obviously older but Victoria is rightthere with her great outfits and her tiaras and her cute children. And so on.
but the British monarchy has William and Kate for the glamour and vibrancy factor and first, they’re not very glamorous or vibrant, and second, one hasnt’ been seen in 6 months. So its a little boring up there.
Unfortuntely, what people globally know about the brf is that they are racists. I agree that they are better known, but they’ve seriously harmed their reputations. The part that makes me shake my head is the fact that they don’t care.
@Julia: 100%.
It’s interesting that the former Queen Margrethe II of Denmark wouldn’t let her sons marry Danes. Apparently, it is so that their families wouldn’t get dragged into scandals by the media: see Middletons. But I don’t buy that. I believe she had a strategy to keep the Danish monarchy on the world stage as much as possible. Look at how much Mary has promoted the Danish monarchy globally? She’s Australian-born and I also think having a native or proficient English speaker helps.
But only working royals are allowed on the balcony now.
Yup. Rumor has it Çhuck is thinking about elevating Zara to Princess.
Ok, this is ludicrous thinking, Charles. When the only thing on the sidewalk is a piece of dog poop, it’ll get all the attention, but it’s still dog poop.
But, yikes, what an article.
The RF threw away the ones that made them globally relevant. I honestly NEVER woke up early to watch. Never cared about Ascot either. But when MEGHAN joined the family, people just like me couldn’t wait to see Meghan and Harry in the processions. With Meghan in the family US media covered these obscure things.
I know, if you’re so keen to expand into the US, then why get rid of the only American connection you have?
parlous can also mean “dangerously shrewd or cunning”. The addition of “who will have been brought to the ceremony, emasculatingly, by coach instead of on rippling horseflesh.” over eggs the pudding before mentioning Camilla “is a long way from being loved” in such a bland way. Starvation rations is the quiet part out loud, between the lack of glamour and legal muzzles the BM has been having hard times -couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch. For all the hysteria over who’s allowed to be on the balcony as a slight to the Sussexes years ago, seeing it decimated now shows how much The House of Tampax is a damp squib.
I laughed out loud at “Camilla a long way from being loved” which is the nicest possible way of saying she is despised by those who know of her.
Her drunken outings insulting the American president and the French First Lady aren’t helping.
Oh yeah, I loved that part. Mentioning that Camilla is a long way from being loved. Hard to tell from the BM though. She befriended the editors of the tabloids for a reason. She should’ve gotten way more heat within the uk for her undiplomatic display in France.
The tabloids don’t like Macron or France.
Charles has made his choice. As Harry mentioned in the documentary, The Me You Cannot See, just because it has always been the way does not mean you cannot change it. Just because you suffered as a child, does not mean your children should have to suffer. Harry is breaking generational suffering by extracting his children from that environment.
Charles does not care about that threadbare balcony. The less people mean more eyes on him and his pet horse and that’s how he likes it. I’m sure if the press knew H&M would’ve booked it out of there, they would’ve treaded more carefully. They’re just as responsible for this lackluster line as W&C. Oh well. I hope these reporters have second job lined up.
LOL! Camilla as his emotional support pet describes her role so well!
S808 you’re spot on regarding the press’s culpability too in the – forced – exile of H&M and the consequent threadbare royal line-up.
“[T]he relentlessly uncharismatic Prince Edward… and the almost incognito Sir Tim Laurence…”
— 😂😂😂
In a comment a few days ago, I called Tim Laurence “Mr. Anne”, not because I didn’t know his name but because he always presents as Anne’s plus one. I think that is appropriate being married to the Princess Royal and not indicative of his value, but he’s certainly not an entity of interest in his own right.
Threadbare balcony indeed.
Speaking of Anne and her husband, I’ve never thought about it before, but I took a double look at the coronation photo. Anne (and her husband) us placed on the right side of Chuck. Shouldn’t the heir be on the right side? Maybe it’s just a coincident, but it speaks volumes to me that Anne, not Willnot, is considered as the kings “right hand woman”.
Ed needs to do enough not to get kicked out of the housing his mother gave him
Looking at the court circular Sophie does enough, more than Edward.
The truth is they look dull and uninspiring and they aren’t much to write about. The press is all but begging for M&H and their family back in good terms because like them or not for the press they are THE ones worth writing about and looking forward to seeing. It’s just a fact at this point. If it weren’t they wouldn’t have made that entire society wedding about their attendance or snub.
England play their first Euro match on sunday, maybe William will already be on the plane to Germany by saturday and won’t even show up on the balcony at all.
The Queen ( The real one) made her feelings clear that Harry and Meghan were still much loved members of the royal family and were to be included in family events. So why is Charles taking such perverse pleasure in publicly excluding them? This is more about Charles than Harry.
And about Camilla most of all. All the seeds that grew into the tangled mess leading Charles here were planted by Cam in the early Eighties, tended by her to the present day. All the proof of her green fingers could be aired out in Harry’s lawsuit. Pray for the Sussexes, when H said Camilla was dangerous he meant it.
The Queen (The real one) actually did love Harry and Meghan. Charles loves Charles and possibly Camilla but mostly Charles.
The way Lady Diana saved this raggedy family from speeding toward global irrelevance. Any international spotlight they have been able to maintain is ultimately because of her. She increased the spotlight big time in the 80s and early 90s, and the 2 children she birthed kept it after her passing. Remove Diana and her sons and their families from the equation and tell me why anyone outside the UK would continue to pay attention to these clowns to the extent they do now?
Unfortunately William is not like his mother
Absolutely! Diana single-handedly saved the British monarchy from total irrelevance internationally, even in the Realms.
Hm.. newsflash… the monarchy IS in decline.
Few photo ops of anyone doing anything anywhere anymore.. daily pages of H and M of course and how awful ~ esp Meghan … Charles and Camilla and William’s rare sighting.. no ribbons being cut, crowds gathering .. The real Queen must be looking down in disbelief.. or chuckling
Wherever she and Philip are, I imagine Phil shaking his head at the way Charles is bumbling this messy house. I see him holding Elizabeth as she says, “That wicked woman!”
Every time when they say that King Charles has to put the crown/Monarchy first ( before his relationship with Harry and Harry’s family) I think about Joe and Hunter Biden. Whatever your views are about Joe Biden, his politics and his policies you can not fault his dedication and love for his son Hunter. Joe Biden has every reason to be angry with his son but he still stands by his son Hunter. Even when Hunter Biden was convicted on gun charges Joe Biden said” I am The president, but I am also a dad…”.
I wish Charles would look at that and also be able to say ” I am the King but am also a father…”
The thing is Charles has no reason to be angry at Harry. Harry tried for years until it became imperative that harry take his family out of thst environment. Charles really is a bad parent who does not apparently think he has flaws
The Bidens are a close-knit family, and Dr Jill loves her children as much as Joe does. No comparison to Chucky Boy and his side piece.
The best thing that could happen would be for Harry and Meghan to release a family photo the morning of the trooping! That would put a stick in their wheel! Oh how I would love that! We could see Charles,Camilla and Will lose it in real time! Plus I would love to see the Sussex children!
All Harry, and especially Meghan, will have to do is be seen out in public. Doesn’t matter where or why. It will be splashed all over the tabs and headlined “Meghan steals Charles’s thunder again”.
Yep. If H & M go out to dinner on Saturday evening somewhere in Montecito or Santa Barbara, even if it’s just a quiet outing with another couple or solo, the British tabloids will froth and wail. Wouldn’t surprise me if some rota jackass parks himself outside their gates on Saturday, hoping they’ll leave. Ugh. I’d love to see them out and about, but I hope they stay home, if only for their safety.
@Lisa, LOL. H&M don’t need to do anything. The BM/papz have most likely been sitting on rando photos of Meghan breathing. Waiting for the moment they could write countless articles about HOW DARE MEGHAN BREATHES DURING TROOPING OF THE COLOUR-she’s trying to STEAL King Charles THUNDER! With lots of !!!!!!!!!
I’m good not seeing photos of Archie & Lili. I’m guessing they’re adorable as per usual.
The only thing Charles has going is the pomp and circumstance, and now he’s blowing that. New careful what you wish for. I wonder of he’s going to try and trot out the ceremonial robes that look like satin Woolworth rejects instead of the uniforms.
All Harry, and especially Meghan, will have to do is be seen out in public. Doesn’t matter where or why. It will be splashed all over the tabs and headlined “Meghan steals Charles’s thunder again”.
@Sue, apologize, didn’t read through. I was being fast & furious. Wanted to comment on the Kate thing. Was late to the party. Comments closed. I hope this goes through. There are cancer treatment centers with a very high ranking that Kate could be at. Switzerland, Germany and India (Apollo). Sheesh, South Korea & Japan have very recognized places. Deflect, deflect, deflect.
A photo of Meghan walking near a mani/pedi place would induce numerous articles from the BM/BM affiliates. OH MY GAWD! MEGHAN GOT A PEDICURE ON TROOPING OF COLOUR DAY!
The pale, stale, diminished House of Windsor is in its death throes. Meghan’s charisma may have been able to hold off its inevitable demise, but the Firm was too stupid, antiquated and racist to accept her. And the British public devoured the tabloid poison enthusiastically, forcing the Sussexes to flee. The rabid hatred from the media, encouraged by the royal family, has ensured that Harry and Meghan will never return to that viper pit.
The monarchy’s days are numbered.
The Queen understood the importance of her symbolic role, and, for the most part, used that symbolism powerfully and well to embody specific values that she wanted to uphold — or at least wanted to appear to uphold. Chuck seems to think that his own appearances are less about symbolism and more about himself and Camilla as individuals. Someone should really pull his coat to what he’s actually displaying with his stripped down balconies.
If Charles wants to shift from his embarrassingly self-and-Camilla-focused celebration, he needs to stuff that balcony with elderly— and still presumably valued — relatives, include the Lewis kids if they want to be there, and be seen playing with the corgis.
I wonder if there will actually be a “crowd” for this?
That’s what I want to know. How many will actually show for this? I’m sure the tourists will be out in full force, but that’ll be for the parade as much as for the balcony. How many Britons will be there?
That coronation portrait looks like a geriatric royal wedding portrait. All the men in military wear and the women in white gowns, the elderly bridesmaids.
Everything they accused Meghan of being AND doing is projection of Seabiscuit’s modus operandi.
hey now, you owe Seabiscuit an apology for that. Seabiscuit was a great horse, not a horrible nag running roughshod over everyone.
Agree @CatMum, it’s offensive to Seabiscuit. Understand 809Matriarch’s point.
How ’bout ForceHorseZilla or HorseForceZilla?
I think if none of the Wales kids are on the balcony – or even if it’s just George – the shouts for confirmed information about Kate will increase. As people have been pointing out, not only have we not seen Kate, we’ve not seen Charlotte or Louis. Frankly, not having Charlotte or Louis around, to me, makes the notion that she “ran away” with the two of them more plausible. Of course no one would let her take George away from the monarchy, but they might let her “take” Charlotte and Louis to keep her quiet. Kinda like Nicole Kidman largely gave up her children with Tom Cruise to get out of that horrible situation.
Today at the grocery the Globe’s front page was “IS PRINCESS KATE DYING?” That’s in the midwest of the USA.
If, indeed, the reason Charles wanted a pared down monarchy so that he alone could finally receive all the attention (MEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!) based on, what, he didn’t get enough attention when he was little, he’s still not recovered from Diana “stealing” his limelight……that’s pathological. He’s done everything to keep Harry and his family away because they are superstars….that’s fucking crazy. I hope this site doesn’t count the f-bombs one drops. I hope we aren’t limited to a certain number. Because otherwise I am in trouble. And I like to drop bombs. I think they make good punctuation for strong feelings. And obviously what he is doing is working. I mean, he looks so happy and peaceful.
When the scapegoat flees a bad situation, the narcissists that made them bolt show their true colors and start treating other people around them badly. Lort. This is a slow moving train wreck. Making the family events anything other than family events was an epic, attention seeking fail.
The Wales children definitively need to be on that balcony. Charles needs to prove that the monarchy is not in decline by showing the future of the monarchy, these 3 heirs to be. Archie and Lili will never be hand waving working royals so this is all he’s got.
Is Tom Sykes back on the juice or is he just feelin’ juicy?
That was written by one fed up courtier!
There was a post yesterday about the trooping from GB News that only had 4k views after 10 hours. They should be concerned, really concerned. It’s not just declining, it’s like who cares.
The neighborhood we’re temporarily living at (here in the continent) had a parade and there were more excitement when people saw Disney characters.
It’s no wonder why the BM desperately needs to talk about HM on their feeds to get more engagements and clicks.
Our last few weeks here in Europe before heading back home to California(although we’re going to spend 2 weeks extra just to vacation with the family before heading home). 6 mths went by way too fast. Will miss it.