I keep thinking about that Andrew Morton interview from June, where he talked about how Queen Elizabeth’s reign is “effectively over” because of the pandemic. It’s not that people blame her for the virus – of course not – but there’s just no way that the Queen can resume a monarch’s schedule and simply be SEEN right now. The Queen decamped to Windsor in late March and that’s where she stayed for months, barely making speeches or Zoom calls, and presumably hanging out with her BFF lover Angela Kelly. Then a few weeks ago, she went to Balmoral, where she is still being kept in a state of relative isolation, although for some reason, she is spending time with some of her family in Scotland. Now sources say that when the Queen leaves Balmoral – which won’t be until late September anyway – she’ll return to Windsor, not Buckingham Palace.
Think of London and one may well picture the imposing facade of Buckingham Palace – and of course, its famous inhabitant, Her Majesty The Queen. Yet synonymous as the monarch is with her city abode, she has spent most of this year in her country residences in light of the pandemic. And this is a shift which now looks set to continue for some time.
The Queen is currently spending her summer break at Balmoral, having resided at Windsor Castle throughout lockdown. Yet according to the Sunday Times, she will not return to Buckingham Palace following the trip to Scotland, as she typically does come autumn, and is likely to return to Windsor instead.
It is thought that Windsor Castle, situated in Berkshire, will remain the monarch’s primary base, and that she may even commute to London to attend royal engagements once it becomes safe to do so. She is reportedly unlikely to be returning to live at Buckingham Palace for some months, until 2021.
At 94 and 99 years old respectively, the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, are among the demographic at high risk from the virus. It is therefore thought safer for the couple to continue to reside primarily in the countryside, where they have been living with a reduced number of household staff and rigorous safety measures in place.
Since arriving at Balmoral, Hello! reports that the monarch has been photographed out walking with two of her grandchildren, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn. The siblings are visiting Scotland with their parents, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex, who have reportedly also been joined by Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank. The magazine adds that Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are currently staying nearby on the estate, at Birkhall, while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children are also expected to visit Scotland soon.
It’s so strange to me that British peeps aren’t using this pandemic moment to have a larger conversation about the necessity of the monarchy, or should I say, the lack of necessity. British taxpayers are funding the life of a 95-year-old woman and her hundreds of household, office and government staff during a global recession and pandemic and the 95-year-old woman isn’t doing sh-t. She’s just sitting on her ass or riding her horses and hanging out with her pedophile son and not living up to her “duty.” Again, I’m not mad that the Queen is taking precautions to stay healthy in the pandemic. I’m mad that this huge, racist, colonizing organization is centered around a woman who will spend an entire year not doing a f–king thing.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid & WENN.
Regarding Angela Kelly and Elizabeth II- I dont think they are lovers. Betty seems to be someone who is over the whole sex thing. I could be wrong, but what I think it is some wish-fulfillment friendship…
Betty has a strong petty, mean vibe that she cannot allow to get out and she lives vicariously through Angely Kelly´s many escapes. I think Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to physically attack one of Philip´s many mistresses, but this would be untoward, so when Angela did that, Betty was like ” YES!”—basically, Angela does things Elizabeth would like, but cannot…like bully others about tiaras and rolling on the floor with romantic rivals.
kaiser is being facetious when she says they are bff lovers. lol. ak47 seems to have this rasputin-like control over petty B and old brenda seems quite fine with this arrangement.
@RoyalBlue yep, but you know, it is not unheard of old people going for something completely new after separating. I know a few cases. I just meant that I do not get this vibe from Betty. I do think she loves Angela´s shenanigans.
She won’t be staying at Buckingham Palace due to the ongoing protest outside of the Palace. From Andrew, the treatment of M&H, to Royal spending in the midst of a pandemic. People have had enough.
I read about a year ago the company overseeing the structural renovations to Buckingham Palace had suggested QEII and her court relocate to Windsor for the three years the renovations were scheduled to take. QEII did not want to do this as she feared she would never “live” in Buck House again. I think COVID-19 was just the final straw that made the relocation to Windsor a done deal.
re. restoration work. She wasn’t scheduled to move out until 2025.
Ha! British reader here – under our current gammon-appeasing government and media a sensible discussion about the Windsor parasites is never going to happen, more’s the pity. We’re currently in the middle of a manufactured furore about the inclusion/exclusion of Rule, Britannia! and Land of Hope and Glory in the programme of the Last Night of the Proms.
I agree, I saw the first headline about the proms, did a physical face palm and got on with my day.
That and the Guardian’s misleading headline about the British Museum “removing” the statue of its founder as a way to “confront its ties to slavery” when it just moved it to the rooms named after the man. The people outraged that they would dare do this are the same people upset at the BBC for the Last Night of the Proms.
This damn country some days …
“ We’re currently in the middle of a manufactured furore about the inclusion/exclusion of Rule, Britannia! and Land of Hope and Glory in the programme of the Last Night of the Proms.”
…….what do these words even mean?
Google
I thought Jane was rather clear in her comment?
The Proms, or the BBC Proms, more formally known as the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. The Proms were founded in 1895, and are now organized and broadcast by the BBC.
The latest debate is weather songs being featured are racist
Ditto, wasn’t it Bojo that suggested we can never prosecute a member of Royal family after that disaster interview with the pedo Prince last year?
The monarchy is on its last legs. HM has lost a lot of support and respect due to her very shabby treatment of first Diana, then H and M, for letting the one with the big ears marry his mistress, for letting the one with wandering willy run amok and lastly for showing blind loyalty to the alleged paedo and hiding him under her petticoats. They have shown themselves to be of no value in a modern world (they could not even take advantage of a pandemic to pretend to care) and their refusal to adapt to a changed world has exposed them to so much scrutiny and their PR keeps backfiring big time.
Have they really lost a lot of respect? What’s the indicator? Yes there was a protest outside Buckingham Palace but the BLM protests were bigger and got more coverage. I just don’t see
yet, that the UK citizens are forcing them out even though the monarchy should be abolished. I clicked on the comments on BBC Facebook page about Anne’s birthday and the comments were largely still positive about her and Queenie.
That wasn’t a protest about the monarchy, it was a qanon thing full of insane people.
Yes so, there’s still no widespread call across the UK to abolish the monarchy, or be accountable for Andrew or the treatment of HM.
IMHO it is impossible for the UK to abolish the monarchy at this time as there are no “statesmen” around capable of leading and guiding the writing of a constitution to transform the UK into a republic.
I am not shading my fellow CB Brits but the current politicians appear not even capable pf negotiating a BREXIT deal with the EU. The political situation seems to be to be as bad in the UK as it is in the USA.
If I have offended anyone, I apologize in advance as did not know exactly how to put what I just wrote.
Footnote: I see getting rid of the monarchy and getting rid of the BRF as two different things. A.N. Wilson has written an excellent book and many excellent long form essays on this exact topic.
There have been protests right outside Buckingham Palace this week against child trafficking and yet the BBC/ mainstream media has had zero coverage… the government/ royals have the media in their back pocket…
The best coverage I found was on Grazia! There is also a story from the Metro but they talk just as much about how the organisers are linked to anti-mask wearing and covid being a ‘smokescreen’ for other things. It sounds messy but still no reason not to cover it.
The only reason I know about the protests is because it’s mentioned here in the comments section. Almost like the mainstream media are protecting the status quo. I genuinely hope that the Queen protecting Andrew helps topple the monarchy. The whole situation is cooked.
Anyhow I’ll check out Grazia.
If the protest was about Andrew Or the monarchy, I would agree with you. The mainstream media just aren’t giving attention to QAnon. They are an absolutely nuts conspiracy theorist group that don’t need anymore attention. They are driving a dangerous rhetoric about Covid, Believe Meghan Markle is involved with Epstein while Trump is a savior to the sexually abused children, that every single person ever to step foot in Hollywood (cept Trump) have a pedo ring, etc. The news is right to ignore them.
You guys have got to stop mentioning these protests. They’re full of insane qanon people talking about how coronavirus is a hoax, 5g, Bill gates, how rich people want to eat babies, etc.
In America we know how crazy these people are, and you need to learn too.
I think the government, BRF and Downing Street are all in bed together.
Yeah, I’m surprised Celebitchy didn’t mention them as a possible reason she’s not heading back there. They definitely are happening despite the English media not really mention it, there’s video of them on Twitter.
She’s 94 years old and is taking a one year pandemic-forced break after being a hard working royal for more than 60 years. I have NO problem with that. Her young and healthy lazy ass grandson could and should be doing more. That’s the real problem.
i wish people would stop using the words ‘hard working’ and ‘royal’ in the same sentence.
@Kyla I agree totally!
@kyla I agree that at 94 any old lady is allowed to to rest and hang out in nature and avoid Covid. I’m thinking she might not return to her regular schedule after this. At 94 and 99 the couple are being forced to wind down their lives together whether they like it or not 😉
Keen and Kant need to get off their duffs, step up to the plate and work at least 75% as much as Anne and Charles.
Hard working? She routinely took three-month vacations and spent her life coddled in luxury.
Not buying that today.
if ordinary people are being retrenched because of redundancy in these covid times, then the same should apply to the monarchy. abolish it and replace it with a better working model. i don’t want to hear folks crying about how much work it will take parliament to untangle. history has shown all that can be untangled in one quick and efficient revolution.
“It’s so strange to me that British peeps aren’t using this pandemic moment to have a larger conversation about the necessity of the monarchy, or should I say, the lack of necessity.”
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I’m not British, but I’m a Canadian living and working in the UK. My take on it is … there are largely two camps: those who love Queen and country and voted for Brexit and think they are ushering in a new British Empire (the delusional).
For the rest, the monarchy is largely a thing they ignore and is considered irrelevant and right now, there are bigger issues like finalising Brexit in the midst of the pandemic, GDP shrinking by 20%, the highest COVID-19 death rates in Europe, and caring more about being able to go down to the pub then ensuring school children in London have free transport to school.
2020 is the beginning, but I don’t think the conversation will happen until Charles is King.
When the royals return to London and Parliament is full again, that’s when people should return to normal life. Look to see what the rich are doing
Buckingham Palace is undergoing a 10 year restoration during all of this, started in 2017. Before Philip retired to Wood Farm, we were told QEII and Philip would move out of BP in 2024/5 because of that work.
With the talk Charles wants to keep Clarence House (80 million restoration, where’s that money coming from)? I see this move as a way to cement Charles’s plan to live at Windsor/CH when he’s king. He’s stated before he wants to live at CH and Windsor and not live at BP.
That’s what I was thinking. Covid is a convenient excuse to pretend that a costly reno of BP isn’t happening because the Queen didn’t properly maintain it with the money she was given by the govt for that specific task.
What did she do with the money? She could not have spent on Anmer Hall as that is her private property.
If she misapplied and misspent the funds appropriated by parliament for BP upkeep, would this be consider fraud or embezzlement in the UK?
Inquiring Yank minds would love to know.
Those are just a few of the questions, Bay. No one investigated what happened to the hundreds of millions that were misspent through the years. They rushed through a massive restoration budget without mentioning any of it.
Which makes sense. Keep it open for tours year round.
They could open it for tours year round AND still have the monarch live there. The place is massive while the monarch’s living area is small in comparison.
nota, didn’t you say once that the govt. demanded/expects Charles to live at BP because it increases tourist revenue to have an actual royal on site? It might have been someone else who said it.
I know I’ve written before that Charles needs to get over himself, give up Clarence House, and move to BP once he’s king. CH is a vanity home, his beloved granny’s former home, but a completely unnecessary expense. There is no good reason for him to stay there once he’s king, especially as we’ve been told W&K will stay at KP for the duration of Charles’s reign.
Now they’re talking an 80 million restoration of Clarence House, just so Charles can keep living there in luxury. 80 million!
Noone is having the conversation because right now, nobody really cares enough about getting rid of them. It’s apathy keeping them but it’s keeping them around.
She still has to continue to deal with the boxes of documents etc from the government no matter where she is right? So although she isn’t doing Zoom meetings or public addresses( I imagine she’s uncomfortable with the new fangled Zoom technology. Honestly I am decades younger than her and it took me a bit to really figure it out) she is still doing the day to day paperwork. It probably doesn’t really matter where she resides.
The really important question is why isn’t Lazy Bill & Keen Katie stepping up and doing more. Is there a reason Bill couldn’t do a biweekly tv/ radio address?
Plus I’m smelling a 6-week stay at somewhere expensive is underway by Bill and Cathy and a staff of 12 or so. They’ve been missing for a while.
The fact that they are all still taking their normal 12 week vacation, despite having not really worked since March annoys me. I get the Queen and Phillip, they are old and vulnerable. But the rest have been vacationing in their countryside mansions for 6 months. Do they really need to go to Scotland to do the same thing? Surely they can find some way to be visible during Covid?
I think her reign is over and they have not figured out how to retire her. They are accustomed to the monarch dying. She should have stepped aside 20 years ago. The entire system is messed up because u have a son waiting for his mother to die and another son waiting for his father to die. The scenario creates a certain family vibe that is psychologically damaging. Add to that the concept of being the spare (you are only valuable if your sibling(s) die is equally damaging to those cursed with that label. I followed the RF from time to time and believed the propaganda for over 60 years. Harry is in the fight of his life not to end up like Margaret and Andrew. Anne and Edward have made peace with their situation and go about leading lives of quiet desperation being careful to display the personality charted out for them.
I wonder why so many Americans are so fixated on the RF of the UK when they have Trump to worry about at home!
A freak show will always draw a crowd.
Funny, Sid.
I think it’s time for QEII to “retire” and abdicate. Abdictation should not have the same stigma it did when her uncle gave up the top position and many other royal families are doing it now, or even allow Charles to have a regency.
Most people in there 90s do not work. There may be lots of reasons to criticize the Queen and the monarchy. Certainly the Sussexit situation has highlighted many reasons. But not working isn’t one of them. I am referring to the comment about in the item here regarding her sitting around doing nothing for a fucking year. This woman has worked her entire life, well past the time the rest of us have retired. Even recently pre-pandemic, she had a schedule with hundreds of engagements every year. I have no idea how someone in her elder years could maintain such a busy schedule. I am in my 60s and and I could not do that.