Over the summer, we discussed that curious report about how Queen Elizabeth and her aides successfully and secretly lobbied the Scottish government to ensure that Balmoral and other royally-owned properties in Scotland would remain exempted from any and all “green laws.” Meaning, the Queen wanted royal properties to get an exemption from updating their electrical and water systems to be more energy efficient, basically. The Queen doesn’t want to spend one penny of her vast personal fortune to make her privately owned properties “green.”
All of that is just something to keep in mind as House Petty ramps up their PR ahead of the big climate summit in Glasgow at the start of November. The Queen, Charles, Camilla, William and Kate will all be in attendance. Her Maj was apparently asked while she was in Wales last week about the upcoming climate summit, and something odd happened:
During the opening of the Welsh Parliament in Cardiff on Thursday, the queen was talking to her daughter-in-law, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Elin Jones, the parliament’s president officer. Her comments were picked up on a live stream, and although parts are inaudible, she can be heard talking about the climate conference.
“Extraordinary, isn’t it? I’ve been hearing all about COP,” the queen said, according to video and audio recordings analyzed by the Daily Mirror. “Still don’t know who is coming . . . We only know about people who are not coming . . . It’s really irritating when they talk, but they don’t do.”
Jones then replied: “Exactly. It’s a time for doing . . . and watching your grandson on the television this morning saying there’s no point going to space, we need to save the Earth.”
“Yes, I read about it,” the queen said, smiling broadly.
“It’s really irritating when they talk, but they don’t do…” Sure, okay. Unlike the royal family, which moves at such a glacial pace that merely “talking” about being keen about the environment counts as work for decades. The National (a Scottish paper) even ran a column about how the Windsors suddenly seem “very keen to be seen as champions of the environment. The key words there are ‘keen to be seen’ – the Windsors are markedly less keen on doing anything to protect the environment that might prejudice their financial interests.” If only the Queen was irritated by her own actions to preclude herself and her properties from Scotland’s green laws. If only William could be keen about the environment to the point where he didn’t need to take helicopters everywhere. Irritating my ass.
NEW: The Queen has hit out at world leaders of countries including China, Russia and Australia for failing to commit to next month's United Nations Climate Change conference (COP26) in Glasgow, saying "It’s really irritating when they talk, but they don’t do.” pic.twitter.com/w0jggM767w
— Russell Myers (@rjmyers) October 14, 2021
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
I don’t like this old lady.
I’m going to say she’s senile or in the early stages of dementia. It’s the only excuse I can accept from this bitter Betty.
@Lemons:
I’ve been calling her Petty Betty for quite some time now.
Lemons, I have actually been wondering if senility or dementia have been setting in. This is the third or fourth event in recent times where she has made a rather eye-raising comment. I just feel like ten years ago she wouldn’t have said something like this publicly where others could hear her.
“I’ve been hearing all about…” She sound’s like such a crazy old grandma, doesn’t she?
@FC:
She’s a detestable woman, no matter how you slice it.
Yes this new thing where the royals do the best to show how much of an asshole they are with hypocritical quotes instead of “sources” is kind of fascinating. If they are trying to tank her image, they are doing a great job.
Seriously, her lack of self awareness is fascinating to watch.
Yes ,it is irritating when they talk but don’t do. Looking at you, royal family, from the Queen on down.
Yes, it’s super-annoying when the people who are trying to “do” are circumvented because the queen doesn’t want to change her habits. Ugh. Her hypocrisy or her ignorance is stunning.
Wait, isn’t she the one who got her Scotland estates exempt from actually being environmentally friendly or some such? So she’s talking about herself here with the “talk but don’t do”?
Yes, yes she is.
I’m not sure the BRF realize this but they’ll reeeaaalllllyy need to tread veeeerrryy carefully when they speak on issues regarding the environment and lack of action to save planet earth. The BRF are the biggest hypocrites and they really need to take a step back and just look at themselves. And I thought they don’t venture into any political territory non? But now they’re slamming countries that refuse to commit to any world environmental laws? Talk about being the biggest two-faced hypocrites.
More than any other single person in the world, Her Maj could do more to solve global warming. Truly. Across all her properties, her vast land holdings – some of which are managed in ways that are damaging to the ecology (and hence, the soil biome and its ability to hold carbon) – her luxurious lifestyle, her childrens’ luxurious lifestyles… She has power. She chooses not to use it.
I don’t want to say I give her pass at her advanced age, but in a sense I am giving her a pass for right now. But she could have *done* something years ago. It’s not like her eldest wasn’t going on about it.
I’m sure Charles tried but was brushed off his entire life and laughed at.
I remember reading that Charles has actually implemented sustainable energy sources at a couple of properties. I don’t remember which, but this was a while ago. The Queen could do so much more, but in fairness, Charles is trying. I suspect he will make a lot more changes once the Queen is no longer around.
Yes just like how the queen talks about climate change yet lobbied to be exempt from environmental laws.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Just like they say how they’re not racists but have laws that makes sure no POC is ever hired in their palaces, unless of course those POC are hired as cleaners.
Oh dear. More hypocrisy from this decrepit old biddy.
Don’t you have a sex offender to protect, Liz?
Random I wonder if the Queen still reads hard copy newspapers or she has a cute little diamond encrusted tablet.
It’s been said that she has an ipad, but I’m not sure what she uses it for. Secret Facetiming?
Could use both. Hard copy newspapers for reading and tablet for whatever else.
Hard copy that a butler irons so that they are super crisp before she lays hands on them.
Get the hook. Take the old bat back to to her dogs and all day nipping.
“Yes it really is rather irritating isn’t it?”
She said, laughing in environmental law exemptions and Black Lives Matter
@Layla, yep. It really is rather irritating isn’t it. All talk no action. Like saying you’re looking into hiring a diversity tzar but not really, hiring crisis managers who actually end up being comms secretary replacements or launching an “investigation” into false bullying allegations and delaying “results” for another year. Still haven’t seen the name of the independent law firm that was supposedly hired.
It’s irritating when people with unearned power and wealth think they are better than the people whose backs they live off of, but okay, Betty.
100%. Annoying when people never done real work in their life preaching others.
“Irritating” is the new “bored” for the BRF, apparently. For people who have been public figures for their entire lives, they seem to say a lot of embarrassing things in public…they should know better ffs.
A while back, I read a book about the early, unsuccessful attempts to summit Mt. Everest. It was suggested that some of those failures may have been due, in some small part, to the way that Victorian and Edwardian explorers’ reports (from Africa or the Polar expeditions, for example) were often self-effacing or stoic, and trivialized the challenges they faced. Hostile natives, malaria, dysentery, cerebral edema? Mere nuisances! Any plucky Brit could effortlessly overcome them all! Because of this, some of the early mountaineers may have underestimated Everest.
Betty’s choice of the word “irritating” reminded me of that. Climate change, and the inaction over it, are serious and very urgent issues, and in most parts of the world, it’s relatively uncontroversial to feel and speak passionately about it. But TQ has had this (faux) neutrality ingrained in her since birth, to the point that she comes across as indifferent or dismissive rather than neutral.
Like how Bill is “bored” by racism.
“……may have underestimated Everest.”
And Antarctica. And the Northwest Passage.
The hypocrisy and total lack of self awareness is astounding.
So are you Betty!
I see she took inspiration from Marge Simpson’s Chanel suit.
Please keep your mouth shut on matters you know nothing about, ma’am. Go back to writing checks for your rapist son.
Camilla is a raging infection in the get-up.
Earthshot is just a stupid, keen vanity project by the lazy royals and I’m quite sick of their unrepentant behavior.
Oh, I’m so sorry – is the Queen irritated? Is the Prince bored? I do wish those little humans out there could get their act together and solve their own little problems. Such a nuisance.
@Eurydice that is EXACTLY how it comes across, every time. They never learn.
Yep, you nailed it, exactly.
The British Government is having difficulty getting leaders to attend. I think it was very convenient that the press was able to get the Queen moaning about people not wanted to go to COP. And I think her irritation had more to do with a perceived snub rather than political inaction.
Agree Amy Bee. She seems irritated that there are people not going to her event.
A snub yes, also a hint that the world’s leaders no longer consider the British royal family relevant or worth the trouble. They are suffering the results of the brain drain and lack of charisma caused by the absence of the Sussex family.
Racism doesn’t sell in the global market. The royals still haven’t twigged to that.
Marina Hyde has a great take down on the royal’s ‘greenness’ in the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/15/green-royals-saving-the-planet-helicopter-queen-charles-william-climate
Yikes, not just burn, but blistering.
Wow! Nice one, Marina.
It is not easy being Green when you are Royal and ultra keen about conspicuous consumption whilst having no self awareness and not caring a button about the world as long as UK monarchy carries on pontificating to plebs!
I liked the dig about being concerned about homelessness while you live in multiple palaces.
I know the Guardian is less sycophantic towards the royals, but even so, this article is pretty harsh in its criticism (its right, but harsh.)
@Alex that was a great article from start to finish! Thank you for sharing. Marina is always so incisive.
Ooo, I’m checking it out. I used to love the British Guardian til the TERF commentary from cis feminist journalists gained traction.
Still read the occasional article tho. I’ve been enjoying Novara media’s commentary on the BRF.
Lmao “self righteousness is not a recessive gene in the HRH’s somewhat limited gene pool” that article is on the money. 🎯
Would love to see Queen Elizabeth sell some of her family’s jewels to help fund scientists and climate change activists. Or return some of the cultural artefacts her family stole from countless First Nations People after invasion. Who are disproportionately affected by climate change. An example that springs to mind are Pacific Islanders.
Anyhow I guess at least the BRF trying to take credit for environmental action means that more and more people are caring. Can’t imagine this statement happening in the 70s since her target demographic is conservative white people.
For decades, she’s insisted her servants recycle the dozen bottles of alcohol she goes through each week. She’s a real eco-pioneer.
What’s with the hypocrisy, Petty Betty? At least we know William learned how to be a hypocrite from the top.
The sanctimonious preaching from a woman who uses the Queen’s consent to manipulate laws to benefit herself and the leeches she calls family is unbelievable. She’s exempt from green laws on her estates and gave her spoiled grandson a helicopter for local trips. They put in hedges on the grounds to hide the frequency of his trips from the public. That’s not to mention the fleet of gas guzzling range rovers they also own.
But surely the hedge-planting created a carbon-offset for the helicopter, right? /S/
COP26 is shaping up to be a disaster, with corporate sponsors lodging official complaints, and superpowers not showing up (why should Xi give a crap about some dusty colonial has-beens?)
I’m pretty sure Boris Johnson has been intentionally leaking royal crap to distract. A bunch of hypocritical leeches.
Boris is pissed because he was going to use this moment to show he is more than a bit player on the world stage. His overture to Biden didn’t go as expected, so now he is scrounging around again to look for something to latch on to that will give him the appearance of clout.
@NINA Yes!! Exactly! The Bezos meeting went badly too, Jeff treated him like a gnat. Johnson is losing a lot of face, and the conservative base is starting to eye the younger, popular, Instagram-friendly Rishi Sunak. Remember the disastrous royal train tour? That certainly distracted from the Brexit headlines. The royals themselves are so far up their own butts they probably don’t realise it lol.
Bojo markets himself as an Etonian straight-shooter, but his short term thinking is coming home to roost. So he decorates his half-baked plans with royals, like he decorates his half-baked policies with lame quips.
Xi hasn’t left China in 600+ days. Boris is a fool for thinking his little conference would be Xi’s first foray out in this long.
Right?
We are all irritated by her refusing to do her part and abide by the environmental measures enacted.
Who is advising this old biddy. Can’t they see how crazy this is. God, these people are completely out of touch. She’s still operating as if we are in the nineteenth century. She needs to throw away her grandmother’s advice and playbook.
ITA I want the monarchy abolished for many reasons. It began in my childhood when I learnt about the Governor General’s dismissal of Gough Whitlam, our democratically elected Prime Minister in 1973.
That said, she’s in 90s and would have retired if she had any other job. Instead she is expected to be a figurehead of a massively wealthy & archaic institution with no independent oversight. It’s a dangerous institution with the ability to flout laws, harm the environment and endanger human rights ie Prince Andrew. And their mismanagement of land.
May the Goddess save the Queen because at this point no one else can.
The day they finally exit the stage will be a glorious day.
I’m with you, MarcelMarcel. I just want to live long enough to see them OUT of Australia.
Are we sure she wasn’t referencing Willnot and Kannot?
Meanwhile, the RF’s Land Rovers and private helicopter have entered the chat…
The royals should tread carefully when talking about “doing” anything. Its not their strong suit.
How ironic, does any family actually do less than the royals?
I don’t think she’s senile, honestly. I think that she’s just an awful person, and always has been. I’m glad her status as a cuddly national symbol is slowly being chipped away by her hypocrisy and constant shielding of a pedophile.
As a Canadian, I hope we get her off of our currency soon. Interpret that how you will.
@eve so good to see a post from an OG! I so miss the old crew. Hope you are doing well!!