Call me crazy, but I really don’t understand why Queen Elizabeth insisted on doing a modified Trooping the Colour parade two years in a row. Obviously, the traditional Trooping parade could not go ahead during the pandemic, because it’s one of the big tourism draws and thousands of people line the streets of London to watch the parade and the RAF fly-by. I also understand that Trooping the Colour is a big tradition and it’s to celebrate the “official” birthday of the monarch, although it’s still just her fake-ass birthday. So if the point of an actual *parade* is tourism… why do a modified version behind closed doors at Windsor Castle? Does a 95-year-old Queen really need another damn parade? Can’t she just say “you know what, it’s a pandemic, we don’t have to do this, I’m fine.”
Anyway, here are some photos from this year’s Trooping, which was again modified for a lil’ parade at Windsor Castle, just like last year. And like last year, the optics are stupid. Last year, London was in the middle of some crazy (and violent) Black Lives Matter protests and counter-protests. That was playing out at the same time as the Queen sitting in Windsor, watching her birthday parade. This year, world leaders were still convening in Cornwall when Liz slipped away to Windsor for her parade. Wouldn’t her time have been better spent in Cornwall, being this “soft diplomat” we hear so much about?
The only other royal to attend this year’s Trooping was the Duke of Kent. He was the compromise, I guess, because Prince Michael of Kent is problematic and the Duke of York is a human trafficker and rapist. So the Duke of Kent got the invite. The rest of the senior royals were still in Cornwall, as far as anyone knows.
This is a weird thing to note, but it’s really bugging me that Liz is wearing the same drab little coat that she wore to the opening of Parliament in May. She has a huge closet full of sack dresses and brightly-colored coats. Why the repeat of something we just saw her in a month ago? Someone – Angela Kelly?? – isn’t doing her job.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid.
The pandemic has severely curtailed the Queen’s presence in the public eye and I think the Palace has insisted on having Trooping to remind the public that she is still around. I also think the Queen is basically retired and the parade has been put on to entertain her.
who pay for all of this? is this useful? what’s the purpose? what does the public get out of all of this? is this what is called service?
All the right questions but this institution only care about optics when ppl have died from COVID because Boris and his government handled badly the crisis ,Brexit is hitting hard some sectors of the economy,and G7 was super tense cause Boris had an earful from EU leaders….at the head of Britain,just a lot of incompetent ppl but hey let’s have a parade for the old lady
We pay for it and Boris and co are full steam ahead for anything that may distract the public for the sh*tshow that is their management of pretty much everything for the last few years. It’s very bread and circuses, only they don’t want to give us bread these days so all we have left is circuses. That we pay for. See also plans for the 70th jubilee celebrations, these will go ahead with or without Liz as the government is desperate for distractions and ‘feel good’.
Exactly SarahCS,all of this is used to distract from the disaster that is this government led by a bunch of incompetent…even his baby is used: I saw Carrie with their baby and other spouses of G7…it was just not the baby place but everything is used for good PR…Did you also see that Boris is refusing taking questions from international press? He knows that they won’t be as complicit as the British press
I have no idea. These so-called “royals” are a group of mediocre people who have hoodwinked the world into bowing and scraping to them, for what reason, exactly…? I know I’m American but I just don’t get it.
@ Salma, of Borish isn’t taking questions for the international press, then what use is he then? What is he hiding, I wonder….this should be a wake up call to all of those under his jurisdiction! Borish should be taking any and all questions, period!!
https://twitter.com/herszenhorn/status/1404023812962893825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1404023812962893825%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=
@Minx I am with you on that: I will never understand how royals have convinced their subjects that they are essential,that they need to give them money and also bow to them and call them all these ridiculous titles but I am also french so I will never understand that(we get rid of our royals long ago)…It must benefit other ppl that they are still in place like the duc of Westminster who is one of the richest ppl in the U.K.,or that Percy guy who had Harry potter filmed in his castle:those ppl are members of the aristocracy,super mega rich cause of lands and less visible than royals
Isn’t part of her ethos that the royals ‘have to be seen to be believed’? All they have is pageantry and a whole lot of unpleasant, illegal and questionable activity so bring on the parades.
Yes, I think that’s one half of it. I wonder if the other half doesn’t complete the “vicious circle” kind of trap that Harry was talking about. I think she believes that the nation wants the continuity of the monarchy, that’s it’s some kind of stability the people can hold on to, and that it’s the monarchy’s duty to put on these shows. The people and the press have demanded shows in the past – combine that with the need to be seen and you’ve got the royal zoo. They’ve all been so indoctrinated – I really marvel at how Harry was able to get loose.
Besides the drabness of the coat, the aquamarine brooch just doesn’t go.
Angela is too busy meeting with royal reporters and leaking, so she obviously doesn’t have time to focus on her actual job which she can barely do without distractions.
Love the new name.
Thank you!!! I was thinking it clashed, too! I love aquamarines, but it would be better suited on another color, not that “taupe-y concrete” color jacket.
The woman has uncountable jewels/brooches; geez, even a citrine, to go with the yellow, or yellow diamonds…or just WHITE diamonds.
I think the brooch is gorgeous. But I’m a sucker for Art Deco in Jewelry
I’m wondering if the drab repeat coat is because she’s in mourning? Maybe she’s following the more lax/modified rules where she doesn’t have to wear black for months, but you wear things like black, purple, grey, basically anything that’s not a bright, showy color. And the repeat is so that she’s not looking like she’s being extra fashionable or spend-y during mourning? I remember that there were certain jewels that were considered appropriate for mourning as well, but I don’t know if that’s what she’s doing with the aquamarine or if aquamarine was even one of the appropriate mourning jewels.
yes, that’s what I thought too. It wouldn’t be proper to go back to wearing the bright colours while still in mourning.
She’s been wearing plenty of other bright colors over the past few days though, lots of florals, etc.
I think the coat is lovely.
All I keep thinking is that the Firm is really trying hard to at least keep the monarchy well and alive while the Queen is still here. The Queen is at least liked or at this point old enough that we carry in with these things. If this was Charles sitting in that chair people would have no interest and be annoyed I think. I really believe that the craziness coming from Clarence and Kensington are because they are scrambling to stay liked enough to continue after the Queen passes.
They’re doing a horrible job of it, then. Hate articles for a baby and her name. Sniping against the next monarch from Will and Kate. Charles letting it be known he doesn’t talk to Harry and is still mad at him. Articles from the “focus on mental health” couple claiming that people need to keep their thoughts and therapy to themselves and not speak on mental health in public.
@amy too
They don’t want to be liked by people like us- those who question, want more from the Monarchy ect
They are doing well by catering to the negative racist, toxic mindset- traditionalists/staunch royalist. Kinda reminds me of how trump really just went for his specific group of people.
The reason they do this is because some of those people are very loud and very combative (we’ve seen how much they are obsessed with M&H to ignore any other shortcomings with the firm). I think they believe that if the Monarchy was at risk then those people would absolutely fight to uphold the Monarchy (Pierce Morgan would lose his shit). I kinda draw parallels to those who keep defending the firm/monarchy to those who defend/support trump.
they are hoping that they can have their own supporters who will forever support the Monarchy (and they have a lot of government support, media, ect and I believe that needs to turn more for an impact to happen)
Just a note that I know not all those who support the Monarch/ or trump fit that category or mindset
I think the reason for doing a trooping this year has to do with world leaders being in the UK for G7. That soft diplomacy remember? They think that all the pomp and pageantry can impress biden and the like.
impress with what? what really matters are trade deals or different agreement to work on common issues. Is this going to convince Biden (actually the US team) to sign anything with the UK? this is so odd
I never said it would work LOL
@Cecilia … LOL; you are right
I guess it is part of the UK culture….I respect that and their need to have trooping the color
Well to be fair Trump was very impressed with the pageantry. A full blown Trooping probably would have blown his mind, lol. Remember how he wanted a military parade after seeing one in Paris?
At a meeting where environmental issues were discussed (which Charles was supposedly a part of) the monarchy tries to impress with an unnecessary fly-over of military planes, releasing how much pollution and carbon into the environment? You can’t make this stuff up.
Not to mention Mad and Plaid helicoptering in and out of the G7. Can you imagine if that were Harry and Meghan?
Didn’t Boris fly up from London, too? How far is it? Wouldn’t the train be better? Or an electric SVU/Limo?
I would have said dressed down for mourning apparel but she has been wearing florals in other events. Victoria wore black the rest of her life mourning Albert but Elizabeth who is supposedly still so tender that H&M can’t utter a word without breaking her seems to be doing fine.
Pub-lease, that bitch cut a cake with a sword yesterday just for shits and giggles. She’s fine.
She seems also super fine to me when she wanted to cut that cake…
And got a bit snarky when someone told her there was a knife – “I know there is! But this is more interesting!” – in a very irritated tone. She’s doing fine.
@Babz……that is how posh people like the Queen talk. It is also a type of British humour to talk as though you are telling people off but actually joking with a very straight face.
@Snuffles
Thanks for the laugh!!
“Why the repeat of something we just saw her in a month ago”
To remind the general public that she is a cute little Nana just like your Nana, and not the head of a deeply corrupt racist institution that lives off taxpayer money while negotiating themselves to be outside the law of the land, like equality laws. If I had to guess.
Exactly ,that’s who she is
And I believe we have a BINGO!
👏👏👏👏👏yes indeed!
She can be in mourning and not be drab, she’s known for brights. Purple would be a good choice. That looks terrible on her.
I think the coat is pretty, but I do think it’s weird that she is rewearing it again so soon after the first wear.
I like the coat too. It looks like she has a dress on that matches the embroidery on the coat. You can just see the hem of the dress in the picture in which she is sitting.
I like the coat too, but she has an arsenal of brightly colored ensembles to choose from. And what a waste of money and the impact of the environment!!
It reminds me of Camilla’s wedding blessing outfit. Blue/grey with gold floral accents, same cut feather shapes on her hat as were in Camilla’s headdress.
She really looks like she lost some weight
I noticed that, too.
She has gotten smaller, both weight and height. I really noticed it in the pictures with the Bidens at the G7 reception. FLOTUS is not a tall woman, and the Queen had to look up at her. This happens so often when elders lose their life-long partners – they seem to diminish practically overnight.
Maybe that is something that they want to get noticed by the public? I looked at the pictures of her at the opening, it is serious weight loss – and something that gives the talks about the next queen some substance. Wasn’t there a friendly connection between Kate and the dresser of the queen?
My first thought too. She’s not as “fluffy” any more.
She has definitely lost a lot of weight. Her clothes hang on her but that it what happens when you get very old you lost body weight.
She’s a stickler for tradition so I’m guessing she insisted on it because it’s happened every year she’s been on the throne except for 1 year and won’t let a pandemic get in the way in that
What the Queen wants, the Queen gets. Isn’t that how it goes?
Her cutting the cake with the ceremonial sword and giggles. The trusted female family members plans to be with her at public events. Its hiding in plain sight.
She looks like she has lost some weight, probably loss of appetite due to grief. Maybe a lot of her coats are too big right now?
It’s so odd that i saw like nothing about this yesterday. It just feels so weird that they did this during the G7 and with no other senior royals present.
It’s not all about Betty. It’s a pretty important tradition for the regiments. They get to show off the ‘colours’ they’ve won in battle- and their parade ground drills
I love her coat and hat!!
It’s that Keep Calm and Carry On mentality, I bet.
She’s 95 years old. Any year could be the last. So the powers that be keep up the traditions and the storyline can’t be about how in her last sad year QE2 wasn’t respected sufficiently.
The clothes AK47 makes for The Queen are usually lumpen, horribly designed pieces. This outfit isn’t so bad, maybe that’s why HM is wearing it? Or is it a little dig at Buttons that you don’t need to wear something new every time you leave the house?
I do think the queen has retired from all things not-fun. I think cutting the cake with a sword and chiding the G-7 bunch for looking so serious are a reflection of that.
She’s in mourning and the daughter of Victorians. Of course she wouldn’t be wearing bright colours.
She wore a very cheerful pink with the Bidens. Plus, do you think she doesn’t have other sombre colours to wear, or the ability to buy new clothes?
Was that pink outfit embroidered with lillies?
I like the dove grey coat with yellow trim.
Just saying.
I didn’t even know they had this event today. It seems like really strange timing with the G7 summit and the UK press still attacking baby Lilibet.
I don’t think the queen has been…”all there” since Philip died. I don’t really believe that she was all there before that but it has become truly noticeable since his death. I mean I expect that she is still mourning Philip and had to be dragged to Cornwall and didn’t want to be there. At the same time, she seems truly checked out and…I hate sounding morbid but I just get the sense from the photos that she’s waiting for the day she doesn’t wake up.
From the photos I saw I think she looked much nicer and more cheerful in the outfit she wore today to have tea with the Bidens.
I watched the cake cutting video a few times and really focused on her face and expressions
She looked confused, especially at the end where she looks up. Once she got a cue from someone she laughed but it looked very hesitant.
This isn’t how she was even a few months ago, she still looked sure of herself
My whole family watched Trooping the Colour on TV, so this was a public event.
The Trooping is the Monarch’s birthday parade but actually pre-dates the monarch having a second ‘official’ birthday (which came about because of the difficultly of celebrating one of our King’s birthdays in the middle of winter). It’s as much about the Troops as the monarch. Cancelling it is genuinely unthinkable – they train for months to get the drill perfect! The armed forces take their relationship to the monarch as commander-in-chief really seriously.
what’s hilarious is that yesterday i had the misfortune of reading a Daily Mail article about the Queen’s trooping outfit making her look “radiant” (their words) …
personally, i think this kinda looks like a “mourning-outfit-lite” … a “i shouldnt be the center of attention because i am grieving but it’s not full on black so it’s even easier to ignore” outfit. not that that could ever divert attention from ~THE QUEEN~ herself, but i reckon she shouldn’t have to defend her outfit choices so soon after Philip’s death– even if she doesn’t look “radiant”
She looks so tiny in that last picture with all of the soldiers marching by!
This is what a lot of the people who support/worship Trump want, only with much more of a dictatorship bent. I’m fascinated by the British monarchy, probably because I was a teenager during the Diana and Charles years. Fascinating as it is, I do think it’s all a waste of money. I don’t see it surviving past William TBH.
I’m of the opinion the Queen is not well and won’t live much longer, which isn’t a clever prediction given her age, but she’s lost weight in the last year or so and just looks so frail. But her mother lived past 100 so 🤷🏼♀️.
I disagree, she has at least another 5 years.