After Christmas, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall traveled to Scotland to spend the first weeks of the New Year cocooned in privacy at the Castle of Mey (I think). On Friday, Charles did step out for a local appearance at Haddo Country Park in Aberdeenshire. I saw a longer video of Charles’s appearance, and it just seemed like he was walking along a mostly barren-looking dying forest. There weren’t even any bird sounds, it was spooky as all hell!
Anyway, there was media present at Charles’s little local jaunt, and wouldn’t you know, a Sky News reporter interjected himself into Charles’s saunter. James Matthews, the Sky News reporter, shoved his microphone into Charles’s face and asked “Your Royal Highness, can I ask your view on your brother’s position, Prince Andrew? How do you view it?” Charles ignored him completely and moved away to shake someone’s hand.
I don’t really have any strong opinion about this either way? I think it’s funny that a reporter kind of got in Charles’s face about it and I wish James Matthews had pressed even harder until Charles said something, anything. Was it “rude”? Sure, but who cares? If Charles wants “credit” for making the decision to toss out Andrew, then he should have had some kind of one-sentence response at the ready. The fact that Charles had nothing to say makes me think that Clarence House didn’t expect such impertinence from a reporter. I mean… we’re talking about the future king’s brother going on trial in America for raping a 17-year-old trafficking victim. Charles can and should expect some impertinence.
Sidenote: The Guardian turned off their comments on their YouTube video, and Sky News did the same when they posted their video on YT. Curious to hear why! The Independent did not turn off the comments on their video.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar.
Because this family is so dysfunctional there was nothing diplomatic he could say.
Their whole strategy is to hide, grease palms with shady dealings and keep collecting of the working class.
These people .. Royals and press are in kahoots with each other. It’s a mutualistic relationship. The royals believe they are above being questioned. The reporter was doing his job. I’m guessing Charles fed DM the Harry story in exchange for turning off the comments. However, I’m noticing huge online pushback against HM stories. It’s all intertwined
This seemed incredibly staged to me but then what do i know.
That ‘dying forest’ is called winter!
Not only winter, in the Independent video link it clearly says the trees were uprooted in a November storm, and they were talking about clearing it all up. But yes, I wouldn’t expect any bird songs at this time of year.
Apparently there was a big loss of trees from storms also.
What was Cate Blanchett saying about old white dudes? That video, OMG.
Ha!
He waits for 70 years for the throne…and when he finally gets it, the RF is filled with publicly exposed:
pedophiles (Lord Mountbatten and Andrew)
and racists (Princess Michael of Kent and unnamed)
and traitors (Prince Michael of Kent)
and money cheats (Charles and Andrew)
and marriage cheaters of course (Charles and Philip and William and Anne)
enjoy the seeds that have been sown…
good for me! Prince Charles despite some of his accomplishment is pure TRASH! Diana could not have been more right about him!
Charles thinks he is to big to speak. That how dear he be questioned!
Yeah, I think the royals do not want to set a precedent of answering questions, period. If they answer one, it will unleash more. They absolutely must keep up the facade of an unquestionable institution. That’s how they stay in power.
Of course he did. It’s gonna get harder and harder to ignore those media questions as Andrews case continues and as these reporters get bolder. I love it!!
The Britiish media turns off comments because they’re all part of the same establishment and want to protect one their own. The fact that journalists don’t regularly ask the royals questions on engagements is an example of the contract between the press and the Royal Family. Furthermore, Charles thinks he doesn’t have to answer to anybody.
It’s a very medieval attitude, that he answers to no one. Certainly not to a peasant. The complete opposite of a modern democracy.
I think he’s extremely stiff and tense in public, as well, and it really doesn’t help his cause.
He and others have answered off the cuff before – when it is something they want to answer. So it isn’t like he is incapable, but in this case, he has no idea what to say. He needs to think of a pat answer or his staff need to make some kind of statement about him not making comments about pending legal issues of private citizens.
At least he didn’t give a stupid “very much not racist” type answer.
Off topic but what happened to the comments section on the site? They’re no longer specific to a post, and you can only read the first few words. Or is that just happening for me?
Close this site, clear your cache/history, then reopen. It should work then. Worked for me 😊
Thank you! Love the comments in this site. 🙂
Should be the only thing he’s ever asked about from now until the end of the trial.
….until the end of time! There, fixed it for ya! LOL.
@kiaser update: I could see comments on this post after I submitted comment, not cannot see comments for other posts and when I came back to this one again, back to not being able to view comments, just the guidelines and the field for posting a comment
None of them are going to comment as it is an ongoing case — that and what can be said?
The only remotely acceptable answer would be something along the lines of sympathy for the victims of human trafficking and anything along those lines acknowledges guilt.
That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it when someone makes them squirm.
He could’ve answered along the same lines of Prince William, we are very much not a pedophile family.
People have had it up to up to hear with the Windsors.
Charles will have to get used to it.
True. I’m wanting that question posited to the future futures and Kate answering, “I’m wishing him all the best.”.
And voila, 2 days later and Harry and his family are fed to the press. Again. Like clockwork. Charles, The Other Brother, QEII and the entire establishment are vile and dangerous.
What’s odd to me is, this isn’t the usual case of a RF member doing something questionable behind the scenes (e.g., pay for play) that the family wants to obscure by deflecting. The whole point of stripping Andrew was for PR. They wanted people to know they’d taken action – or they wouldn’t have done it (they certainly delayed as long as they could). So if one reason behind such a big move as letting Andrew hang out to dry is to look decisive, why not just run with it? The immediate surprise would fade in a day or two anyway, and Andrew’s case isn’t going away, no matter what deflection is thrown out there.
I also don’t believe TQ has been involved in the tit for tat re: press articles, though 20-30 years ago she might have been. These tactics are Charles and William. Interesting though, the Harry story isn’t new news, and IIRC, was leaked to the DM. One could imagine someone owed them for failing to get them a win against Meghan. Maybe the leak was one of the last gifts from Jason as he walked out the door (if he really did), and they just waited to publish.
Who knows. I guess since I don’t have the savvy of their gold star advisors, this all seems very convoluted.
Just underscores the toxic invisible contract between the BM and the BRF. The Royals wouldn’t be able to handle the questioning from U.S. reporters. Questions would be yelled at them constantly. I’d love to see it.
The Harry story shows how weak the BRF is. They still think like Will E. Coyote chasing the Roadrunner; the SM push back is huge. A DM story explained Charles sought counsel from Anne and Edward about Andrew and Billy was told AFTER the decision was made.
One should think that after decades of training to become the next head of state, Chuck would have learned some sort of routine in how to deal with impertinent peasants.
Answering questions with diplomatic one-liners that give nothing away, for example.
But I guess the BRF still think they’re so much above the pedestrians ruled by them that simple things like common courtesy don’t apply, or (emotional) intelligence is not needed.
I totally agree with your general assessment, but I don’t know that there’s a diplomatic one-liner that can cover this situation. Andrew’s position is quite clear – he’s out. And Charles’ view of the situation is clear enough, too – he was part of the decision-making to give Andrew the boot. The reporter already knew the answer to his question, but he was hoping to get an unscripted answer. Charles knows better than that.
Agree @ Eurydice. Charles position on Andrew has been obvious for a long time.
His non answer is an answer.
Basher’s ‘we’re very much not a racist fsmily’ was a setup.imo
“One should think that after decades of training to become the next head of state, Chuck would have learned some sort of routine in how to deal with impertinent peasants.”
Perhaps Charles is still learning, like Kate. You know, maybe he’s coming into his own after ALL these decades.
Apparently they are ALL very slow learners.
Good. I hope someone asks Betty the question- why did you protect your pedo son for so long? Btw, has Betty made an appearance after her Christmas address?
Please don’t threadjack, thank you! I really don’t want to spend a snowy Sunday dealing with those comments!
Good.
I hope every member of the BRF are asked questions every time they step out by the press and by the people.
Especially when the lamebridges come to the US. We know ABC killed the story about Andrew and Epstein because of threats from the rf that they would never again get to interview Willnot and Cannot. There needs to be a huge backlash if any US network give them a pass IF they come to NY.
If Charles doesn’t want to answer questions while taking a stroll in the forest, he and the Queen could hold a press conference. I think they owe the citizens some answers.
I doubt they’d do that. Every word they say would be used by legal teams. They may not say anything ever, even after the trial is over. They’ll ‘speak’ through removing Andrew as a working royal and (hopefully) removing his taxpayer security.
in all of this, the scandal of paying for honors that had Charles involved has been forgotten!
Jeez…. these people are awful! that some can revere them because they came out of the right uterus will continue to remain a mystery to me
I know Chuck & Queen would never give a press conference, but there are questions that need answers. Andrew, Ghislaine & Epstein were friends for many years, taking pics all over the royal properties and lending Fergie thousands of dollars. How do we know the entire RF isn’t mixed up with Epstein? Andrew raped a sex trafficking victim and we’re supposed to feel sorry for Chuck? We’re supposed to be angry with Harry & Meghan? We’re supposed to ignore this mess so the queen can have her jubilee? By the way, where is the queen? It’s a dystopian lala land in the UK.
Charles doesn’t want to answer questions at all. As far as the RF are concerned, everything that needed to be said was in the official announcement.
LOL, these Royals would never do a press conference on this in a million years!
It’s pedestrian and implies they have a duty to the public, they very clearly have made it known they do not believe that but believe in their ordination by God for their positions which are superior to the citizenry.
Exactly
IIRC, Charles requires prior review and approval of all questions that might be addressed to him in interviews. That, coupled with the invisible contract term that says the press won’t shout questions at senior royals (unless it’s a set up, I.e., “we’re very much not a racist family”), means Charles does not deign to acknowledge real questions, let alone prepare a carefully worded response to what is surely, obviously going to come up in public. Why in the hell was he walking around, if not to give the press an opportunity to report on his decisive, ruthless leadership and protection of the monarchy?!
Why is no one wearing a mask? Haven’t they learned?
Citizens cannot question the royals they’re funding😌 just keep paying…they promise it makes sense.
I think it’s a safe bet the Cambridges won’t be coming to the US for Earthshot. Andrew and the Sussexes will be brought up.
Doesn’t matter to me the Brit tax payers are funding this vacation.
I guess Chuck is trying to show he has more restraint than his incandescent heir by not blurting out “We are very much not a pedophile family.”
Any good PR person would have advised against PC even making an appearance somewhere right now but if he insisted he should have had prepared comments for a situation like this. It doesn’t win him any points by ignoring the question but hey they are used to avoidance in that family. If you can’t handle the questions stay out of the limelight.
Yes. Even Kate hasn’t made a peep since her birthday and she can’t resist a good limelight.
Lmao about the dying forest and lack of birds. It’s the middle of winter.
And Scotland is so very far north!
He’s going to be pestered constantly with questions relating to Andrew so he’d better prepare himself with some vague response like “I cannot answer personal questions on behalf of the Duke of York” or some such thing. Just walking away only shows what a rude, entitled twat he really is.
So Charles isn’t even on the throne yet and already folding like a cheap suit under the tiniest bit of questioning?
You Brits are really in for it with these next 2 bozos in line.
Haven’t yet seen any Andrew stories in BM that mention Camilla’s work with sexual assault or domestic violence survivors, something that she’s apparently been working on for years. Is that part of the RF-media contract?
I get Andrew’s going to settle now but why not earlier? Sure there was the chance he’s prevail but weighed against worse case scenario, why why why not settle asap?
Because Andrew never ever thought he’d face any consequences for this. He’s the favored son; he used to doing whatever he wants. As well, The Firm usually prevails in making stuff like this go away.
I think Andrew was confident he’d not only get away with it, he would be able to resume royal duties.
I’m curious abt something:….some folks on twitter hv pointed out how charles takes care of camilla’s kids more than his own, setting up trust funds for them, etc.
So i was wondering: could it be tht camilla’s kids are charles’? Has this ever been whispered abt? It seems plausible to me….their affair has been going on since before, during & after they both got married.
No, none of them have the windsor hideous genes.
Soon after Harry and Meghan are led away, coincidentally Kate suddenly looks giddy with happiness.
That reminds me of another visit of his to Scotland when somebody shouted Hey Chuck you brother is a peado!
And wasn’t it a Scottish guy who reexposed William’s affair on Twitter ??
In fairness (and because it’s early and I haven’t finished a full coffee yet), I don’t think that Charles needs to comment on this. If, in fact, he is behind Andy’s title stripping, that’s the only “comment” he needs to make.
He is too embarrassed and ashamed to speak Andrew’s name. Who wouldn’t be. Just pretend he doesn’t exist and move along.
To me, Charles walking away from a reporter is trying to teach a lesson to other reporters, many of whom depend on access to the royals to do their work. Kind of a “see what happens when you try to surprise ME, your future king?”. I wonder, though, how long that quid pro quo will hold up.
If this story were about a politician, or in the corporate world, it would be a much bigger deal. And yeah, good luck trying the cold shoulder with any press outside of the UK, bud.