Prince Charles and Mr. Mugabe

[Chandra]

Though I'm not a Charles' fan at all, I'm starting to think that probably he is not really a bad personat all but I wonder if he would be suitable to be a a good king with such a huge amount of bad luck.

The largest number of countries' representatives reunited in a single event, how many probabilities he had to end up sitting almost next to Mr Mugabe and then...? .

I'm really feeling some pitty for him now...

[Chandra]

friendly pitty BTW, if there's such a thing...

[Tommy]

I'm not a Charles fan either but it would be extremely poor form not to shake hands with anyone who offered at the sign of peace during mass - a bit contradictory as well I'd say.
Bad form of Mugabe to have the bare faced cheek to go the the funeral IMO

[unicorn]

oh dear - what an idiot- he will never be king.

[morningpaper]

I agree - poor man! What could he do! In the middle of 200 heads of state, I doubt I'd even recognise half of them if they all came up shaking my hand.

Mind you the seating arrangement is a bit funny - and organised by .. the Vatican! What a surprise! First they put the funeral on his Wedding Day, then they sit him a chair away from Mugabe! They must be chortling with glee at their bullying of this poor divorcee!

[unicorn]

but it wasn't the sign of peace was it.. and how on earh could it be woth Mugabe?...

a diplomatic error it was.

[LGJ]

What was he supposed to do ??

Extend his hand, in what lets me honest is sometimes a reflex, realise it was madder than mad Mugabe, then redirect his thumb to his nose and waggle his fingers Pythonesque style. ??

}~

[unicorn]

btw..I am morphing into Cod !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cod that is!!!

[unicorn]

er- just refuse it?

[morningpaper]

I bet he just didn't have time to think, and anyway, the Pope's funeral is hardly the place to start a protest is it?

[unicorn]

amnesty

well, I disagree.

Mugabe should not have neem there- and nobody should make it any more acceptanle for him.

[unicorn]

I am Cod!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chandra]

Yes, that's the fact, shaking hands at "giving peace" times, whatever he had done, sheking hands or not, he would have been wrong, hence the bad luck!

[jampots]

Mugabe shouldnt have been there but IMO Prince Charles did the right thing and accept the sign of peace offered during a Catholic Mass.

Im afraid I think its a perfect example of "When in Rome....."

At my mums funeral my cousin refused the sign of peace offered by my sister (previous feuding) and I tell you it went on for years!

[unicorn]

oh no way- not with 'the butcher of Africa'...

until that man seeks forgiveness, there is no way the hand of peace should be offered.

and it wasn't - it was a diplomatic gaffe by Charlie, not a religious thing anyway.

[jampots]

Mugabe backwards spells "E-ba-gum" a phrase popular with northern folk

[jampots]

ao it was just a regular greeting? If so, agree shouldnt have done it

[unicorn]

I agree Charlie was somewhat thrown into it, nevertheless, as future head of state - he needs to be a bit more 'street wise!'

mugabe is nasty

[Hulababy]

It wasn't a regular greeting jampits - it was during the "peace be with you" bit before communion. Mugabe leant over to Charles and offered his hand. From what it looks like on TV Charles simply reacted by shaking hands. TBH I suspect it was an automatic reaction, which is what you do when "giving peace" isn't it? Someone puts their hand out and you just shake it, without looking up half the time.

In retrospect, given time to think, Charles would probably not have done it. But in a no time to think situation...

...TBH, think it is just one more thing to have a dig at Charles at by the media.

Not a huge fan myself, but once the press have someone in their sights they'll just keep going regardless.

[aloha]

Fantastic! Do you think Mugabe will turn up at the wedding tomorrow (provided Windsor Guildhall isn't hit by a meteorite attack, or a plague of frogs or something)?

[aloha]

Didn't Jack Straw say that he only shook Mugabe's hand by accident because it was dark and they all look alike or something horrific like that? V funny.

[unicorn]

and he had no idea it was Mugabe???!!!!
c'mon... these people have plenty of aids to 'help' them.

[motherinferior]

But he is "stupid" and "not very sensible".

Line them up against a wall, that's what I say. And so does Cod.

[jampots]

refusing a hand of peace at a catholic mass is like wearing shorts and tshirt with boots in a Temple

[unicorn]

that was with ref to Charlie - he must have had a 'seating' plan!

Love the idea of Mugabe at Charlie's wedding!!!
Perhaps the boys get to dress up in Nazi costumes again....

can't wait!

[motherinferior]

Yes, but as a man who thinks he has the divine right to rule (according to DP, whose Muslim paternal heritage surges forward at these moments) I think Charlie would have had no qualms about doing what he thought (I use the term lightly, obviously) was right.