Some days, I really do wish we could start a Celebitchy Caption Contest, because I’ve come up with at least five good captions for the above photo. Caption: “William and Kate Facsimile Join Local Festivities.” Caption: “William Apologizes for Not Bringing His Wife by Bringing Her Latest Unfortunate $3000 Frock.” Or simply this: “William and Kate In Milton Keens, or rather Keynes.” Put your caption ideas in the comments, and I’ll reward one of you with… I don’t know, an internet hug.
William was actually doing a solo outing on Tuesday, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the town Milton Keynes (KEEN). He unveiled something and stood around and I can’t help but wonder if William’s newfound work-keenness is related to Prince Harry’s now inevitable engagement. We’ll never know! (We’ll totally know.) Meanwhile, please enjoy this story about the representative for W&K’s Kensington district wanting Will and Kate’s royal funds radically slashed:
Prince William and Kate Middleton, known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are “ridiculous” and should lose their public funding, the lawmaker who represents the royal couple’s West London district has said. Emma Dent Coad, elected this spring to represent Kensington as a left-wing Labour Party member of parliament (MP), laid into her two famous constituents and the “whole system” of the British royal family at a party conference event, Sky News reported.
“Their MP thinks the system is ridiculous,” she told an audience at the event on the fringes of her party’s most important annual meeting. “We should not be funding them.”
Dent Coad also said that it was “disgusting” that the Duchess had bought jumpers for the sum of £150 ($201) each. “That’s a food bill for a family of four,” she said. “That’s absolutely outrageous.” Dent Coad also criticized Britain’s national broadcaster, the BBC, calling it: “A piece of the whole propaganda machine.” She lashed out at its “sickeningly gratuitous coverage of anything royal” and accused it of being “very heavily directed by right-wing politics and the monarchy.”
The royal couple are based in Kensington Palace, which falls within the Kensington parliamentary constituency. Unlike the queen, the pair do not actually receive a direct “sovereign grant” from the government. Instead, they receive income from the Duchy of Cornwall, which is a private royal estate established by Edward III in 1337. But some sovereign grant funding is used to pay for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s official travel, and to maintain Kensington Palace.
An area with much extreme wealth, Kensington also has pockets of deprivation. Grenfell Tower, an apartment block that left dozens of poor residents dead and hundreds more homeless when it burned down in a huge blaze this summer, is also in Dent Coad’s constituency. Dent Coad’s victory in the area was a surprise, as the constituency is normally represented by the right-wing Conservative Party.
I’m actually all for the “off with their heads!” rhetoric because SOMEONE has to say it, and it’s perfect that the person saying it is the MP for the Kensington area. The royals spend too much bloody money on stupid things, and yes, taxpayer money is going directly into the upkeep and bad interior design of Kensington Palace. Taxpayers are not technically paying for Kate’s increasingly expensive and increasingly bad fashion though – blame Prince Charles for enabling the Cambridges by funding their lavish lifestyle. Charles is the one who needs to start setting some spending boundaries.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Prince William unveils new dog urinal.
Prince William left holding vestments after Bishop disappears.
That’s so raw a search party has been sent out for the bishop.
Shots fired over the bow!
Someone looks tanned!
They need to hear this. You can’t live that lavishly and do a handful of engagements a year-it’s not gonna fly.
By the counts I was seeing last week, William was a few engagements ahead of Sophie.
I have no proof of this but my own pet theory is that Edward and Sophie fully expect to be cut off when the Queen dies as part of the modernizing/streamlining of the monarchy once Charles is king. I believe that’s why he didn’t take a ducal title when he got married, instead he’s going to inherit his father’s, and why he doesn’t use “Prince” and “Princess” titles for his children. I think he fully expects to be phased out and has been preparing for it for years (unlike Andrew). I think they expect either their appearances will be reduced, or ended completely (as the York princesses have been virtually shut out of working royal life). Sophie used to be everywhere, one of the Queen’s favorite representatives, but in the last few years, it seems like she and Edward have been pushed back a little as William and Harry move to the fore. She still does a lot of appearances, but it seems like they’re not as big or prominent anymore. Maybe I’m wrong, it just seems like things are shifting for Charles and his family to be the “working royals” and everyone else will be phased out eventually.
Possibly. I wonder how well that will pan out and if Charles is targeting specific royals. Princess Anne does a lot of events. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester do a lot of events of behalf of the Queen. They are more low-key but they do more than the Kents.
I don’t think they’ll cut off the older generation. Anne should be good for life, and also the Gloucesters and Kents, as they’re older. But they’ll be the end, their kids won’t carry on. Anne’s children aren’t working royals, Beatrice and Eugenie aren’t, and to me it seems Sophie and Edward are raising their kids not to expect it (unlike Andrew who fully expected his kids to be catered to). Beyond balcony appearances and state events like weddings and funerals and the annual family portrait, once Charles is King I think the only working royals will be in his direct line, everyone else phases out. Then the older generation dies off, and no one replaces them. It’ll just be Charles, William, and Harry, and I will be very interested to see what life is like for Harry’s kids.
Last year Edward and Sophie did a combined 538 engagements. Not bad for the soon-to-be 10th in line. They don’t own any big properties unlike Anne and Andrew, but lease the ridiculous Bagshot. I’m hoping HM and PP provide for them with private money in their wills.
Charles would be wise to keep them on when the rest retire (Kent, Gloucester, Princess Alexandra). HM’s recently removed private secretary touted that plan in the spring, but now he’s out on his ear.
Charles has been open about his desire to slim the number of working royals to the direct line only. I think Edward and Sophie knew that before they had their kids.
Sophie and Edward do about 536 engagements a year, they are one of the hardest working couples in the Royal House they just dont’ get the publicity but they definitely are out working all the time. I follow her engagements and she works hard for the Queen, The Queen and Prince Phillip adore Sophie too. That says a lot.
If Charles depends just on William and Kate he will be disappointed imo. I think Harry and Meghan if she marries, will be a great help to the Monarchy as far as actually fulfilling engagement. Kate just seems lazy as hell and William seems like it’s pulling teeth to get him to do a royal duty that’s not Football or celebrity centered.
@Algernon, I think that this is part of the reason why, in their very early years of marriage, Sophie and Edward kept up with their business. The plan then was for them to balance the two. It was only after the ensuing scandal that the whole thing scuppered and they became full time working royals. But them as well as Anne have been prepping for this in their own ways and I wouldn’t be surprised if they have their stuff sorted out for the future.
Ngl, this is the sort of thing that makes me somewhat hesitant abt the Cambridges having three kids. It sounds so spartan and cold to say it though. I think they really want that image of a happy domestic life that they’ve (or Kate) had planned for a long time, but it always makes me somewhat melancholy to think abt the fact that the younger two will be phased out.
William is keenly aware he is going to be called out much more now, and another baby isn’t going to change that. Step up or step down.
I was just explaining this to someone, that the “problem” with Will and Kate being seen as lazy is that the basis of their whole life is the tacit deal the royal family has with the public of Britain, to represent and benefit the public through charity and good works. Harry gets it, Diana got it, even Charles and Camilla understand it. But Will and Kate don’t want to do anything, and that’s not going to fly.
Has Kate even bothered to visit her neighbours at Grenfell Towers? They have lost their homes. She isn’t so ill that she can’t show up for an hour or so.
Engagements?!…of course he came out due to potential King Henry earning working his Invictus Games – and his pending announcement/marriage.
Look at his face – its as if it’s beneath him and hate it. Similar to St Patrick day for both lazy entitled middletons. Never mind this is his duty and royal Tradition/s of hundreds of years for the monarchy. They carol the middeltons spend luxurious perks/ entitlements for family of five plus middelton mafia partner/s but hate giving back to the people.
At least Meghan wore a less expensive chic regal dress to Invictus Opening Ceremony, and she is a working professional and privately funds.
Jesus Christ.
How many times do we have to talk about the fact that Harry is SIXTH IN LINE to the throne? Please, for the love of God, STOP with the “Potential King Henry” sh!t. Several posters called you out on this a couple days ago, but I guess you just ignored it?
Here, Shambles – you dropped your bossy pants back there. 🙊 👖
I hope they do get defunded. Or at least as much as they can be. They literally are paid to exist. Blurgh.
@Freddy Spaghetti – if they get defunded, they will cease to exist, take the private fortunes they built on the back of UK taxpayers because of that infamous deal Inland Revenue gave them early in the 20th century, which allowed them to set their own “contributions” to the Exchequer, and keep much more of the their money than any Welsh coal miner, investing it and buying up art, real estate, horses, etc., building up those personal fortunes – and take off for very comfy private lives.
Believe me, these people will not work if they have to pay their own way.
When Kate’s physical maturity matches her intellectual maturity.
“sickeningly gratuitous coverage of anything royal”
Paging Nicholas Witchell! Take note that she is not alone in thinking this.
“This is what we do when George has been a naughty boy. TALLY HO!”
This one made me laugh. *internet hug*
Ta muchly!
Lol!!
“Kate couldn’t come so I brought her parrot. “
Bwahahahahaaaaaa!!!!
God, I wish they’d get it right. The Duchy is a private estate, yes, but it does not belong to the royals outright. It belongs to the Crown (us) and Charles has the right to dispose of its income.
Don’t you get fed up with correcting this? I do. This, and the fact that the Crown as a legal concept has nothing to do with the Queen.
Yes, very much. Sometimes I wish they’d rename the Crown “Fred.” That way no one would mix it up.
Also, I too was in MK today. I didn’t see William, but I did see many roundabouts.
@ Tina – did you see any sculptures of cows?
Nope! Sadly I went straight from the station to my meeting and back again.
“William pauses before keenly unveiling his long-touted work ethic.”
Slow clap!
This is also a good one! *internet hug*
@Kristen:
Love how your comment has historical context to it as well as biting wit. I don’t think it’ll be possible to top this…..👍👍👍😁😁😁
Haha, thanks! Few things bring me more joy than the annual announcement that they are keen to take on more activity only to uh, not do all that much.
you go @Kristen!
(…straight to the head of the class and collect your trophy and gift certificate to ‘Trophy world’. Because with that quip you deserve at least 3)
😀
ROTFL.
win!
Good one!
Haha fabulous
They should be given a stipulated sum only. Moreover, they have to compulsorily do a minimum number of engagements per week/month so as to keep them in check and responsible. Or else, do away with the royal family altogether, and use that grant money towards various worthy causes that could benefit the people, such as health care for everyone, insurances, shelter,food, providing employment, etc.
@ Bucketbot:
The NHS is BEGGING for that money….
I’ve been assured that soon enough it will have an extra £350m a week to play with. (Bitter laugh).
@Tina
lmao (bitterly as well). Its STILL too soon for that joke, Tina.
Two renovations costing millions for the laziest RF members, and had to be ordered to move in/ to London!
+10000
nota
+10000
ArtHistorian
GB/CW needs a vote on willnot cambridge – once we have King Charles.
A set of pre-approved minimum requirements and a strict wardrobe expense limit each year.
If they choose to live at a private property (Anmer, Balmoral, staying for months at Middleton Manor) they have to pay all security at that residence out of their own money.
@bucketbot – but that, however sensibly guaranteeing ROI by taxpayers, would also undermine the royals’ image: if they have to be forced to work for their privileges, why give them the privileges at all?
It is my opinion that if they disappeared next week, within a year no one would remember them or miss them. What is more, I think that about every royal family in Europe, even in places like Denmark where there seems to be far less controversy about them and their lifestyles.
And speaking of the DRF, if I remember rightly, Crown Prince Frederik’s brother is still an HRH, but his children are only HHs and last year there was some flap about how much public money the younger brother should get, and the list is now restricted heavily to Frederik and his wife and children, and even his younger ones will be out at some point. But don’t quote me on that last as it was some time last year. I saw it in Billedbladet and my tabloid Danish is sketchy. Both the brothers’ wives, however, seem hardworking and well-liked.
Every vendor in London who sells waving queens and Prince George tea towels would surely miss the BRF.
Until 1995 only the monarch and the heir got an annual grant from the State in Denmark – of those grants a certain percent is allocated for the spouse of the monarch and the spouse of the heir. However, when Prince Joachim married Alexandra Manley in 1995 Parliament decided to give Joachim an annual grant, which was rather unprecedented. Queen Margrethe II gives her sister Benedikte a certain amount out of her portion as Benedikte does representaional work for the DRF. What is lesser know is that Ingolf, Count of Rosenborg gets an annual grant of 1 Million Danish kroner a year – apparently he has gotten it since he turned 18. That has amounted to a lot of money over the years. He basically gets this money because he was voted out of the line of succession. If Margrethe hadn’t been chosen to be heir through the national referendum of 1953, Ingolf would be king today.
Hi ArtHistorian! How did the grant work for the adult education classes go?
“Work-shy second-in-line makes rare appearance while the audience is in awe”.
Congrats from now to the winner of the contest 🙂 I loved all the witty comments so far!
On a different note, does anyone know what did he unveil and the speech was about? And he’s made about 3 appearances in a week or so, wow wow wow!! This is a first, innit? I mean, he’s in the UK, not a foreign tour.
It looks like a very small nun.
Finally, Will might get his wish of becoming normal Bill.
I doubt they will be defunded, though. Too many leeches in the Parliament who are interested in the system to stay the way it is now.
@ Daniellestl
People keep on saying the BRF is at risk…..in my opinion, they have never been at a lower risk that they are now. The absolute frenzy that stories about them cause is close to an all time high…..just look at any stories on them in this site and others….the number of comments rivals any other high profile stories out there.
Consistently.
They will only be at real risk when people don’t care about them either way.
Besides, if the media sensed that there was risk of a real revolt against their cash cow, papers like the daily mail would immediately switch their narrative on them to make their readers love them once again because they know how to play them like a fiddle.
“William unveils the new curtains because the old ones were rubbish.”
The thing is, nobody’s asking them to work as cashiers. It’s about not being quite so decadent with the renovations etc.
Charles will have to wait until the Diana mania has died down again and that baby is at least a few months old though.
ETA: “Thrifty Duke brings wife’s skirt to the unveiling”
I don’t think Charles is ever going to put the kibosh on their spending. Let’s face it: neither Diana or Charles ever told him “no”. He’s not going to risk further alienating William and seeing those grandchildren even more infrequently.
Well Diana never stinted on clothes did she?
Don’t forget Camilla. Carole may rue the day she tried to act like she was above her. If there is anyone capable of intrigue it is Cami. After all Charles went through to be with her she a potent enemy.
Go Emma! I’m not sure which I like better, her loud disgust at the Cambridges’ spending habits or her equally loud disgust at the vomit-inducing sycophancy of the BBC where royals are concerned.
(National Enquirer): “PRINCE CAPTURES HOBBIT! Little creaures now proven!”
😂😂😂we will see this headline next month!
Prince’s crass rejoinder in feud with Peter Dinklage.
“What could be hiding under the curtains from granny’s place? My dignity?”
Chivalrous Prince shields wife, suffering from hypermedia gravidarum, from intrusive paparazzi.
William’s latest magic trick: Now you see it, now you don’t.
The “it” being William’s enthusiasm for Royal duties.
For me, this is THE comment of the day 🤣🤣🤣
I adore them, but 100% agree. Their lifestyle is ridiculous. They do not need to live the way that they do, even if they continue to be serving royals. William has enough money that they can dedicate the same amount of time (not much) while living a normal life. Aren’t they always the ones saying they want normalcy? Well, start buying your clothes in the discount racks and stop sending your kid to an expensive school.
@ Firrhfan:
This is the thing…..they don’t even need to go to discount racks……just incorporate more of Oxford street on their shopping rounds rather that buy exclusively from harrods, selfridges, new bond street, etc. She needs to mix things up a little bit.
I hope Meghan continues dressing on a comparatively humble (compared to Kate at least), budget. It’s one fast way she can win one or two people over.
Did you see the price tag for her outfit; it’s on the Daily Mail. $1300 for a ‘distressed’ look at a disabled veterans sporting event. There’s nothing humble about it; even in comparison to Kate.
Jessica: the huge difference: Meghan earned the money that bought the clothes.
@Jb – I don’t think that’s the point, although I understand the point. If MM wants in to this circle, she has to become aware of the pitfalls: the privileges, status, deference, wealth, and lifestyle won’t be funded by her career any longer, and she will be judged precisely as Kate is being judged by the British taxpayer.
Yeah, I saw the price tag, which is why I’m making this comment in the vague hope that either her or one of her “people” will see this and she might rethink her strategy a bit.
She cannot get away with what Kate can, that’s the first and most important thing she has to understand. it doesn’t mean she has to look bad at all, just shop smarter. I could achieve that look she has with one trip to topshop or zara for under #200, easy, peasy. So why spend #1,300?
Her friend Olivia Palermo is an absolute genius at this, mixing some designer pieces with high street piece and lots of vintage (priceless) stuff to devastating effect. She would blow Kate out of the water (not that she should be aiming for this though!) at a small fraction of the price. And she would win some respect for her restraint.
Meg sparkle wore those distressed jeans several times – and have been on her TIG Lifestyle photos, and in more exclusive chic gatherings.
@FirthFan – oh but they do need to live this way, or what’s the point? He can’t live a normal life, nor can his wife and children, or they stop appearing “royal”. This is the whole crux of the thing: if they’re not so different, what does “royal” really mean? If anyone can marry in, and you have to give up the enjoyment of wealth and quality clothes . . . what is the point of it all?
Walter Bagehot, the BRF’s guru of modern representational monarchy, wrote, “There are arguments for having no court, and arguments for having a grand court, but there are no arguments for having a mean court.” He was also the one who said, “We must not let daylight in upon the magic.”
Well, they have done exactly that and in my view, it’s destroying the very thing they’re trying to hold onto: the right to privilege based on inherent difference.
In the era of social media + smart phones? Every other person is now a potential member of the paparazzi. That genie is well and truly out of the bottle and there is no way to put it back in. They have to adapt and redefine themselves and I really love the way Harry and Meghan did it at this tennis match.
Please read this article…..it’s possible someone already posted it in here but still:
https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2017/09/25/its-a-match-for-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-menon.html
The Prince shows his outrage at the Queen’s latest Order of Precedence which demands his wife curtsy to blood princesses even while accompanied by her husband.
@Nikki – question on the Order of Precedence: when Charles becomes King, and William and Kate become Prince and Princess of Wales, does Kate finally outrank blood princesses (there’s that little inherent difference bit again – “blood” princesses are better than “just married in princesses”) do Bea and Eugenie have to curtsey to her? Also, I thought the Order of Precedence said that Kate had to curtsey to Blood Princesses only if she was NOT with her husband.
Are there any photos of Kate curtseying to Bea or Eugenie?
When Charles becomes King, he can alter the Order of Precedence. I suspect he will do that due his dislike of the Yorks.
Charles despises Andrew but I wonder if he won’t keep it to put the Middletons in their place? He could to make a point to his son too.
Sorry, Seesittellsit: I was just goofing for a caption. She doesn’t have to bow to them while with her husband. As far as the future, I don’t know. Ask one of the well known posters next time there’s a chance. LAK and SIXER seem to know an awful lot about royal matters, and plenty of others too!
Caption:
William: “And now for my next trick…”
William: “Catherine sadly couldn’t be here today but she sent you this extra large jar of homemade chutney.”
:)))
*internet hug*
I love that we’re 78 comments in and that not one single person has bothered to actually google and find out what it is that William was unveiling. 😀
PS. “The chutney jar cover is available in S/M/L/Hugely Bigly from Party Pieces” said William in Pic. 2, with an unfortunate trump anusmouth.
For the win!!! 🙂
My effort:
It’s the thought that counts: Prince William unveils his eagerly presented gift from the thoughtful people of Milton Keynes……a custom made, naturally wavy, Peruvian hair toupee.
Lol!!!!
Ah, nearly beat me to it, I posted the opening para of Coad’s diatribe from the TIMES just a half hour ago.
As always, I believe this is modern royalty’s dilemma: they want to keep the privilege, keep the deference, keep the status, keep the wealth, and live the way rich royals live, but they also want to seem “normal” and “democratic” and IMHO they never quite pull it off, unless you count continued survival as pulling it off.
I can just see Kate and Carole whining, “What was the point of aiming for this and waiting years to snag him if we can’t enjoy the perks?!”
It’s absurd to expect very rich people to live as if they weren’t.
And Kate isn’t even particularly glamorous. This is why I keep pointing out that those eager to see MM do the glam style bit and outshine Kate are missing the point: it’s seriousness and downplaying the wealth and access to great clothes and homes, and attention to work and self-effacement for the Greater Good of the Nation that will count, not glamor. Glamor is the most dangerous quality the royals can cultivate.
I don’t see this lasting another generation. Even though I do enjoy watching it.
@ SeesItTellsIt:
Finally, something we can agree on! I think expensive glamour at this point in the game should be anathema to the BRF and most certainly to Meghan. Her detractors are already on edge at the thought of bankrolling her and the cries of “gold digger!” will be deafening if she is seen to be in anyway as lavish as Kate.
In my view, she needs to get a very clever stylist who can make her look good and appropriate enough at a fraction of the price, but more importantly, i think she would do very well to add some substance to her resume fast…….If i were advising her, i would tell her to start a part time masters degree from a top university in London in some sort of humanitarian course. Perhaps she can also try for a part time role at the UN at the same time to ensure that she is filling her time up constructively at least for the first couple of years.
It will be useful to her in a practical way but will also set the marker to let the world know she is serious about her new life and intends to be taken seriously in that role.
@Bella Dupont – well, it was bound to happen sooner or later . . . In addition to my affection for the Queen, I have also always liked what I read about Queen Mary, who was at pains to see that her granddaughters weren’t confused with film stars. The oddity about me is that I liked them all better when they took themselves seriously as royals in the deeper sense – I like them far less as faux normals, for lack of a better term, yet still wanting to be treated like royals.
The people chortling at how MM will so outshine Kate with the glamor do not realize that there is probably nothing more dangerous they can do to her future position than celebrating going for the glam.
Taking up residence in London after “Suits” finishes I think is a great idea – it won’t look so much like she’s just sailing in to take on the privileges without at least getting to know the country. But as it looks like an announcement is not far around the corner, it’s probably too late for the masters program you mention, which is also a great idea to offset what will now become the price tag game on her clothes.
Bella
Meg is already stylish chic and regal. A site stated she already dresses and live like a royal – on her own wealth.
She may not get anything done – but to voice/ confirm the cambridge spending entitlements lifestyle and the media as Throne Idle – starts the conversation for a second third look in.
As MP of that area she’s done nothing but point fingers and blame others. Typical leftie! Can not stand her!! I guess if every time I looked in the mirror and saw that homely face staring back at me I’d be a “bitter Betty ” too.
Joannie this is a new low even for you in your obsessive support of the Cambridges.
I’m wiling to bet that, given this MP’s majority of exactly 20 votes, the Cambridges are going to be around rather longer than she is! 🙂
She also made fun of Harry’s army career saying he wasn’t qualified to fly Apaches.
This is how we made the wedges of doom disappear
I posted a link which didn’t make it past moderation because I guess it was too long, but the Sun has a story covering lots of other things this woman said at the same meeting, and tbh, she sounds completely unhinged.
She randomly accused Prince Philip of cheating, (allegedly) agreed with people in the crowd who said that the Queen should be executed (!), and made some comments about Harry’s military service which were immediately debunked as untrue.
I’m no W&K apologist but I don’t think this lady is playing with a full deck.
+1
Would be fun of the D of E sued her for defamation!
Another +1
@Lorelai – then how on earth did she capture this seat?!
She’s not remotely unhinged.
And serious LOL @ the idea that a Sun article would be objective truth-telling! The Sun, for god’s sake?!
@Skylark, I know the Sun is a rag but these were comments she made on the record. The DM (and I don’t know what other sites) is covering it now too:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4921104/amp/Labour-MP-mocked-Prince-Harry-s-Army-career.html
@Seesit: as to how she got elected, I’m an American still wondering how the f*ck the Dotard got elected so I’m not the one to ask.
I stand by my comments that she sounds unhinged. Hopefully the link will work this time.
No, I agree with Lorelai. These were some pretty nasty, practically libelous comments she was making, and I’m certainly no massive fan of the Cambridges. Having campaigned for Labour, I’d also add that her seat was a surprising win for Labour in an area the Conservatives generally do well in, and her majority is wafer-thin, so I’m not sure how making headlines like this will be helpful for her.
The other comments were beyond the pale, but it is widely privately acknowledged that the DoE had various other relationships over the years. No one will mention it though, nor should they, until the Queen dies.
Sadly this is only about the fifth most absurd thing that has happened at the Labour conference (anti-semitism row, no Brexit discussion, babies needing passes, etc etc).
She is a horrible woman and cruel. She didn’t need to get personal and hurtful. I don’t like when politicians do that to make a point. Bitter Betty indeed.
Why is it that Normal Bill always has his lips puckered like a butt in every picture? Obviously he’s caught mid-sentence, but it seems funny to me that when he talks his face looks like a bottom.
@ Kathleen:
I am absolutely shocked and saddened at the state of Williams face at the moment. He easily looks 30 years older. Why? What’s happening in private to cause this kind of super speedy deterioration?
I desperately hope Harry doesn’t go down that fast or that hard, for the love of god.
William looks like his Uncle Edward’s brother rather than nephew.
William unveils new bog roll holder at Anmer Hall.
If the BRF were going overseas and bringing trade deals with them, things would be different, but regrettably they are just going to see and be seen, bringing nothing with them.
@corporatestepsister – It was my understanding that they often do function as the face of trade deals and business interests, while the real CEOs and government ministers do the tough stuff behind the scenes. But it’s mostly patronage, and patronage is kind of a limp career for a grownup, although less so for the women. I think it was all right 50 years ago, but in today’s world, how does a man like William (or Harry or any of the rest of them for that matter) in his 30s expect to be taken seriously by other men who have built fortunes with their own hands, went to business school, founded companies, etc.? I think to give him credit, Charles found himself in a similar position but did quite a bit with environmental stuff and making the Duchy a going concern financially. Still, it can’t be easy to justify themselves any longer simply with patronage.
The model needs retooling but I’m not sure how, or even if it can be, which is why I think in another decade or so they really will be at risk – souvenir manufacturers notwithstanding, though I get that point, as well.
i believe a lot of business deals got done on the Royal Yacht Britannia in the past
I’m not an English history buff but what exactly happened when the Royal Family was phased out as the main decision makers and rulers of the Empire? I imagine there would’ve been some kind of clause or understanding that they would no longer be in charge but they and their heirs would always be Royals and treated as such and given the money to live as they were accustomed. They use to own all the money and land in Britain and at some point they gave it up for a democratic government that would be in charge of taxes and spending. It seems a little tricky to phase them out and stop supporting them when they must have supported (tacitly maybe) this transition of power and money. I’ve not heard about an English Revolution like the French Revolution where power was taken from them by force and by death.
@Amy – they are now the head of a “constitutional” monarchy, as is true for all the surviving monarchies in the rest of Europe, which means they are subject to the laws of the lands, which in Europe are set by parliamentary democracies. They function as Heads of State, rather than as Heads of Government. The sovereign has more power than is imagined, though, as I believe s/he can break government deadlocks by dissolving Parliament and inviting someone to form a new government, and s/he is privy to the most privileged diplomatic and governmental information. Her/his role is “to be consulted, to advise, and to warn” and s/he meets with the PM once a week.
They didn’t exactly “give it up” – it was wrenched away from them over centuries of conflict including a civil war (look up Oliver Cromwell) through which, gradually, laws were adopted that limited royal power while increasing Parliament’s. They still retain, however, tremendous influence, which is a form of power.
And the BRF are enormously rich in their own right: if a revolt occurred and they got out of the country with a few Old Master paintings, a few historic tiaras, and their investment portfolio, they’d have the makings of another family fortune. Their real estate holdings in Britain are exceeded, I think, only by the Grosvenor family. I think only the Dutch monarchy and Lichtenstein Grand Duchies are wealthier. The Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish monarchies are hardly slum-dwellers, and Queen Silvia of Sweden has a legendary historic jewelry collection, but they are pikers next to the BRF and the Dutch monarchies.
English history is filled with revolt, death, beheadings, blood, and squabbling over royal power. There wasn’t one revolt, per se, like the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution that ended those monarchies, or WWI that finished off the Hapsburgs, but there was still plenty of conflict that eventually brought the monarchy to its present position.
Technically, if Parliament put before her a document calling for the abolishment of the monarchy, she would have to sign it.
If the monarchy were abolished completely, my guess is that instead of being forced to work at Tesco, the family would escape with a great deal of wealth.
Naturally, any British posters may correct any errors!
@ Amy
It came about a lot more gradually in the UK – starting with King John and the Magna Carta in 1215!!! Kings had to call a parliament if they wanted to raise taxes.
This may help:
http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/
@ seesit – in reality the Queen does not dissolve parliament off her own bat – if the government wanted to call an election (as May did disastrously for her) or they are defeated in an important vote/or suffer a vote of no confidence, or it gets to the end of their parliamentary term (max 5 years) the PM goes to the Queen and asks her to dissolve parliament, which of course is a formality.
If the Queen just decided to dissolve parliament off her own bat it would cause and absolute constitutional row of epic proportions!
Interestingly enough, we do not actually have a written constitution – the unwritten one sort of just developed over the centuries.
Prince William Inspects New Royal Tea Cosy
lol
The representative would have more credibility if she didn’t take her insane salary and perks. limousine liberal, really
I just looked up the MP salary and it is not insane. I wish US Congressional reps and Senators had a salary that ‘insane’.
“Dent Coad also said that it was “disgusting” that the Duchess had bought jumpers for the sum of £150 ($201) each. “That’s a food bill for a family of four,” she said. “That’s absolutely outrageous.””
Oooooh, sh*t! That whole family of four line is absolutely brilliant and completely true. Good for her for not holding back her punches. Also that thing she said abt the BBC–also completely true. You only have to read their foreign news coverage of any non-Western country to know where they stand lol.
I remember reading abt how she was elected as MP and I think it was on CB? There were some commenters who were ecstatic abt the fact that a Labour MP got voted in Kensington. I hope she keeps this up, I love her already.
Be interesting to know what she pays for her clothes. Pity what she said about Harry not being able to fly a helicopter was demonstrably untrue.
It’s not a lie though he was a co pilot and didn’t qualify as a pilot. Secondly his tours were nothing but a show he was protected by us marines and when the base was attacked he was squirrelled away to safety while others died whilst she’s demonstrably unhinged she didn’t technically lie.
Tim you’re repeating word-for-word the lies the commenters on DM say all the time…