The Queen/Prince Philip

[viii]

13 minutes ago, tabitha2 said:

She is old and tired and can’t control all these people doing what they want. 

Then she needs to start handing out some serious consequences. 

[anjulibai]

This isn't new about Prince Michael. It's just been caught on video now. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

3 hours ago, tabitha2 said:

She is old and tired and can’t control all these people doing what they want. 

Honestly, this is my nightmare.  Being in my 90's and still working and still expected to make decisions and keep people in line.  If I were her I'd just bring back beheading and have done with it.  

[Xanariel]

I think Charles is probably going to start cracking down hard on this kind of thing, especially if the rumours about him essentially becoming a regent in all but name have any basis. He's pretty sensitive to public opinion when it comes to risks to his long-awaited throne (hence why he's saying he'll be far more quiet as a monarch and being so gung-ho about cutting down the royal rota). 

When it comes to Prince Michael, it'll be interesting see what kind of pressure could feasibly be brought on him. He's not a working royal in the strictest definition of the term and doesn't receive public money, so he can't be cut off there. 

He has however represented the Queen on some occasions, particularly in events involving Russia, so Charles could well make sure that that comes to a stop. The Queen also apparently pays rent on his behalf for that Kensington apartment - there may be some concern about the optics of booting elderly relatives out of their home, but it could definitely be used as a threat.

Edited May 12, 2021 by Xanariel

[Coconut Flan]

4 hours ago, Xanariel said:

there may be some concern about the optics of booting elderly relatives out of their home, but it could definitely be used as a threat.

I'm sure there's a cottage on the Balmoral property that could be made available to them to preserve the optics of tossing them on the street.  

[viii]

Didn't Prince and Princess Michael live at KP for years rent free and it's only been recent that they've been charged rent? 

[Xanariel]

13 minutes ago, viii said:

Didn't Prince and Princess Michael live at KP for years rent free and it's only been recent that they've been charged rent? 

Basically, they were gifted the apartment decades back when they first married in exchange for a peppercorn rent of about £69. In the early 2000s, there was a public outcry about minor royals who didn't perform duties for the Crown getting such benefits (this was on the heels of a lot of scandals and other issues for the BRF carrying over from the 90s which forced them to make a lot of concessions, like cutting down titles and the Queen paying tax). 

At the time, it was suggested the Queen evict them and put the apartment up for commercial leasing as certain other areas within KP are. Because the Queen felt guilty about turfing them out of a marital home she'd given them, she opted to pay the market rate on their behalf (to the tune of hundreds of thousands) for seven years. 

The BRF was apparently under the impression that the couple would move out after the seven year period to their country home, but from 2010 the Kents instead opted to pay the rent themselves. This may be one reason for the selling of access, because they've had financial issues before and Michael is only a second son - it's his brother who's actually Duke of Kent. 

The Queen likely doesn't have the energy at this point to be dealing with her cousins, but I think there's going to be a veritable bloodbath as Charles gets more power. Princess Alexandra and the Gloucesters do a lot of engagements and will likely be kept on until they retire, but Princess Michael especially isn't particularly well-loved in the family and I think the knives will come out as Charles sets about securing his reign. 

[Alisamer]

Princess Michael (in 2000) mentioned that she had a garden at Kensington that she'd been working on and was quite proud of - all black and white flowers, and true black flowers are difficult to come by. She implied that she'd done the work on the garden herself (I'm sure that didn't include daily maintenance, of course). I could see her balking at the idea of moving away from where she'd lived for years and leaving her beloved garden behind. 

I get the impression she'd really like to be a major important senior royal, and is a bit peeved that she's not. Moving out of a ~palace~ to a country home would be a hit to her royal persona, I'd bet.

[Xanariel]

29 minutes ago, Coconut Flan said:

I'm sure there's a cottage on the Balmoral property that could be made available to them to preserve the optics of tossing them on the street.  

Oh, they've got their own house in the country already - they wouldn't be homeless by any means. 

I meant more that Charles might worry about looking callous if he's evicting people who've lived in KP for decades when the Queen's corpse is barely cold. But I think that that there will be a crackdown - neither he nor William seem very keen on the idea of letting relatives causing scandals when they don't even work for the BRF. 

[Xanariel]

22 minutes ago, Alisamer said:

Princess Michael (in 2000) mentioned that she had a garden at Kensington that she'd been working on and was quite proud of - all black and white flowers, and true black flowers are difficult to come by. She implied that she'd done the work on the garden herself (I'm sure that didn't include daily maintenance, of course). I could see her balking at the idea of moving away from where she'd lived for years and leaving her beloved garden behind. 

I get the impression she'd really like to be a major important senior royal, and is a bit peeved that she's not. Moving out of a ~palace~ to a country home would be a hit to her royal persona, I'd bet.

The Queen famously said that Princess Michael sounded "a bit too grand for us". She can trace her lineage back to pre-1300s, and she is very snobbish about that - she definitely thinks she ought to be higher-ranked within the BRF itself. I wouldn't be surprised if she resents Kate and Sophie, who are higher-ranked despite being from middle-class (if wealthy) families. 

Other fun fact about her bloodline - her father was a literal Nazi. And while I would not judge a child by the sins of their parents, she responded to the backlash over Harry's Nazi costume by telling a journalist that she thought the public had been actually excited to see it and there wouldn't be any fuss if he'd worn a hammer and sickle instead. 

[louisa05]

On 4/25/2021 at 12:06 PM, kachuu said:

Do you think Philip gifted E the new puppies because he knew he would be passing soon?

A story from one of the more reliable UK papers said her kids persuaded her to get them. 

[Ozlsn]

On 5/12/2021 at 4:56 AM, viii said:

Then she needs to start handing out some serious consequences. 

Or retire. Yes, "job for life", but it doesn't have to be. 

[viii]

3 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

Or retire. Yes, "job for life", but it doesn't have to be. 

I agree, but she will never do that. She believes she has been anointed by God to be monarch, and that is her life duty until she takes her last breath. She will never abdicate, no matter how old she gets. It's not like she has much power anyway, so she can't do much harm, but I think Charles is the longest POW in the history of the BRF. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

1 hour ago, viii said:

I agree, but she will never do that. She believes she has been anointed by God to be monarch, and that is her life duty until she takes her last breath. She will never abdicate, no matter how old she gets. It's not like she has much power anyway, so she can't do much harm, but I think Charles is the longest POW in the history of the BRF. 

I had no idea she saw it as a religious calling in this day and age, makes the monarchy extra creepy to me if this is true.

I just thought she was like one of those business owners that have the means to step down and live a perfectly fabulous life but insist on coming into the office everyday because life is work.  I've worked with those kind of people and they are an odd bunch.

I even worked with a guy who had retired from an executive spot in one of the countries biggest companies who came into work in the SMB manufacturing business owned by his wife's cousin because he had no idea what to do with himself.  His wife wanted him out of the house because he kept ironing the sheets and criticizing how she organized the cabinets....Idk about you guys but if I didn't have to work I could find plenty of things to do with my time.  

[tabitha2]

She is very devout. One of the visiting pastors     at my church Mentioned in his sermon he had tea with her once and was surprised and impressed. 

[viii]

1 hour ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

I had no idea she saw it as a religious calling in this day and age, makes the monarchy extra creepy to me if this is true.

I know it seems weird now, but it used to make sense. People were a lot more religious/fearful of God than they are now. If you tell a country that God has anointed you to be their monarch, you're a lot harder to overthrow, lol. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

Just now, viii said:

I know it seems weird now, but it used to make sense. People were a lot more religious/fearful of God than they are now. If you tell a country that God has anointed you to be their monarch, you're a lot harder to overthrow, lol. 

I totally agree, just didn't realize that lasted up until her.  Just like how God totally wanted Henry VIII to head the Church and it had nothing to do with wanting a divorce the Pope wouldn't grant  

 

[viii]

4 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

I totally agree, just didn't realize that lasted up until her.  Just like how God totally wanted Henry VIII to head the Church and it had nothing to do with wanting a divorce the Pope wouldn't grant  

 

LOL sweet Hal wanted such a grand legacy and instead he's gone down in history as the guy who started a new church so he can get laid ?

[Xanariel]

5 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

I had no idea she saw it as a religious calling in this day and age, makes the monarchy extra creepy to me if this is true.

I just thought she was like one of those business owners that have the means to step down and live a perfectly fabulous life but insist on coming into the office everyday because life is work.  I've worked with those kind of people and they are an odd bunch.

I even worked with a guy who had retired from an executive spot in one of the countries biggest companies who came into work in the SMB manufacturing business owned by his wife's cousin because he had no idea what to do with himself.  His wife wanted him out of the house because he kept ironing the sheets and criticizing how she organized the cabinets....Idk about you guys but if I didn't have to work I could find plenty of things to do with my time.  

...Do people not realise this about her? She literally dedicated herself in her coronation ceremony by swearing before God to keep her oath. She references her faith in her Christmas speeches quite frequently. She's always linked duty with faith. 

Maybe it's more of a British/American divide but I don't particularly see it as 'creepy', especially considering how much Christianity got referenced in the most recent presidential inauguration alone. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

1 minute ago, Xanariel said:

...Do people not realise this about her? She literally dedicated herself in her coronation ceremony by swearing before God to keep her oath. She references her faith in her Christmas speeches quite frequently. She's always linked duty with faith. 

Maybe it's more of a British/American divide but I don't particularly see it as 'creepy', especially considering how much Christianity got referenced in the most recent presidential inauguration alone. 

Maybe I'm the only one who didn't know this about her, but I don't follow these people.  As the UK tends to be less religion based than the US it surprised me is all.  But yes, I think it's extremely creepy when anyone thinks they are appointed by God to do anything.  

I don't think the comparison to the inauguration makes it less creepy as frankly I would prefer religion be kept out of that as well and Biden wasn't declaring himself appointed by God to be President.

[Xanariel]

17 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Maybe I'm the only one who didn't know this about her, but I don't follow these people.  As the UK tends to be less religion based than the US it surprised me is all.  But yes, I think it's extremely creepy when anyone thinks they are appointed by God to do anything.  

I don't think the comparison to the inauguration makes it less creepy as frankly I would prefer religion be kept out of that as well and Biden wasn't declaring himself appointed by God to be President.

Eh, the UK's younger generation is less religious and CoE is definitely less...overt might be the word I guess? in comparison to Protestant churches in the US, but the older generation and definitely those of the Queen's age tend to be pretty strongly devout. The Queen gets referenced in the oath taken by senior clergy. There is, and always has been, a very strong link between the Crown and Church, which is partially why bishops sit in the House of Lords. 

And I always kind of thought America invoked the whole 'country specifically favoured by God thing' in a particularly weird way, whether Democrat or Republican. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

2 hours ago, Xanariel said:

Eh, the UK's younger generation is less religious and CoE is definitely less...overt might be the word I guess? in comparison to Protestant churches in the US, but the older generation and definitely those of the Queen's age tend to be pretty strongly devout. The Queen gets referenced in the oath taken by senior clergy. There is, and always has been, a very strong link between the Crown and Church, which is partially why bishops sit in the House of Lords. 

And I always kind of thought America invoked the whole 'country specifically favoured by God thing' in a particularly weird way, whether Democrat or Republican. 

You won't get any argument from me, American exceptionalism is an embarrassment as far as I'm concerned.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

On 5/11/2021 at 5:45 PM, anjulibai said:

This isn't new about Prince Michael. It's just been caught on video now. 

Yes, he’s been “doing business” (selling access) in Russia for many years. Three of his grandparents were first cousins of the last czar, to whom he bears a striking resemblance. He emphasizes it by having the same facial hair as the czar. I think that both he and his wife would prefer to live in the grander style of the vanished Russian royal family.

[WiseGirl]

Party at the palace next year. (Yes, I really did want to write that alliteration).

Anyway the Queen's 70th year of service or something like that.

https://people.com/royals/queen-elizabeth-platinum-jubilee-plans-2022/

[viii]

My cousin and his wife just had a baby girl and they named her Windsor. I am OBSESSED ?