To feel sorry for the fake admiral

Unlike others I don't think he is mentally sick. I certainly wouldn't cut him any slack.
I believe he's just an extreme narcacist.
I've known a few, one who on retirement suddenly became a Professor. When I challenged him, he admitted he'd paid a University in a southern U.S. state several hundred dollars for an honorary Doctorate. Whoa betide anyone who didn't address him as Prof. he'd get very annoyed.

i think he is probably mentally ill

maybe he is seeking attention cos that’s what he needs

No I do not feel sorry for him. It was totally disrespectful and he should be locked up.

She is actually Colonel-in-Chief of more than 20 regiments in both British and Commonwealth forces and holds numerous other honorary military titles due to her extensive support for the armed services.

Edward was in the Royal Marines, but dropped out after completing one-third of the training. He also holds a number of honorary military titles, including a few as Colonel-in-Chief, but nowhere near as many as Anne.

You are disrespectful to two hard working members of our royal family. A respecter of nothing by the sound of it.

Princess Anne is the head of at least one Regiment. Col in Chief I think.

The latter

It is not a victimless crime.

My husband served over ten years. He has ptsd and other associated issues. He worked very hard. We always attend remembrance services with our children.

Seeing people like this is causes some ex service people and their families anger / distress.

It takes away from the purpose of remembrance because now the story is about this person not the true meaning of remembrance.

All the fuss around Royals and uniforms ...

If anyone takes up an honorary position with HM Forces they may well be required on occasions to wear best uniform with medal ribbons or medal ribbons themselves on display...here is an honorary RAF Group Captain wearing No1 uniform and displaying their OBE.

Having played guess who click on the image for the reveal..

The uniforms worn by the Royal family are part of British history, going back to when they were expected to lead in battle and would actually have been wearing chainmail. Mock it, fine, but as someone sensibly said upthread, noone is going to think their new girlfriend Princess Anne is really a serving senior military officer.

This happens a lot with fake Paras/Marines/SAS/etc, some of whom use these fraudulent identities to collect money for veteran's charities which then ends up in their own pockets or inveigle their way into people's lives. I'm not suggesting that Fake Admiral is doing that, but we can't have people claiming service they never had or decorations they are not entitled to, whether they are just sad attention seekers or out to scam, because once we say " no harm done" it is basically giving the green light to pretend to be whatever you want, with all the benefits it might lead to.

ETA those who have actually done the hard yards to become Paras/Marines/SAS and everything else that is imitated have a perfect right not to like it.

Black Rod in tights and a frilly cravat walloping on a big door with a stick always looks a bit bonkers to me, but I get the symbolism and all. It's fine.

"Anne was never in any service so the full regalia and festooned with ribbons just looks like a raid on a fancy dress shop .
The tricorns she’s favouring now are the wrong side of eccentric"

Service or not the dressy-uppy regalia is all a bit blingy and weird for my liking. The end of this clip makes me laugh:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KIJtDrhJCwU&pp=ygUaTWljaGFlbCBjb2xsaW5zIGhhdCBzY2VuZSA%3D

But you could say that about the bearskins, the ornate regimental standards, the really, really shiny boots and polished bridles on the horses, actually having horses, and any Number One dress uniforms at all really. When it comes down to it, why bother with caubeens and hackles or Tam O'Shanters or Glengarry hats for various regiments, why not berets with plain cap badges for all? Or better still, just black woolly beanie hats and camo fatigues for all? Be cheaper.

I think the comparison of Anne & Edward to a dog or a goat in military uniform is quite apt - although a bit unfair on the animals, who didn’t choose to make such a silly show of themselves .

Obviously a deep sense of inadequacy (combined with self-delusion and entitlement) led to him doing this; but this wasn’t a spontaneous act. He has gone to considerable time and trouble to plan this deception. Plenty of time therefore to arrive at the conclusion that this was a very bad idea! I have very little sympathy I’m afraid as he basically lied to a lot of people and showed a lot of disrespect with his play-acting on Remembrance Sunday of all days!

@PaterPower Yes isn’t it a bit ridiculous. I think the current lot were 66th in line .That guy in Australia who is a direct line from the Stuarts ( I think) has a better claim.

@powershowerforanhour
Yes the ‘honourable order of the garter’- cough Andrew- is the sort of nonsense I mean. The medals and sashes for existing when a ‘jubilee ’ comes round- also ridiculous

Anne was never in any service so the full regalia and festooned with ribbons just looks like a raid on a fancy dress shop .
The tricorns she’s favouring now are the wrong side of eccentric

There’s probably more genetic inheritance in your family tree than in Charles’ 🧐

Germans and Greeks contributed the most to his gene pool - he’s certainly not directly related to William the Conqueror. Or Richard 3rd, James 2nd or Elizabeth 1st, for that matter.

" This is about individuals awarding themselves nonsense ‘medals’ . "

Medals for gallantry were dished out after the kidnap attempt on Anne, though not to her. The ones she wears are Order of the Garter type ones and Jubilee ones and suchlike.

"faux military garb."
It's not fake. Plenty of people might think it looks ridiculous, and I suppose it does in the way that the Irish Guards putting a uniform style coat with military insignia on a wolfhound mascot, or the Royal Welsh doing the same with a goat, looks a bit OTT. But still real.

@powershowerforanhour

Your post makes no sense . This is about individuals awarding themselves nonsense ‘medals’ . Politicans and billionaires are at risk of / have been kidnapped . They don’t dress up in faux military garb.

Edward, and in particular, Anne , often look ludicrous .

I don't know, but I wondered that too, at the time.

He hasn’t been arrested for causing offence.

Maybe he has a crush on certain members of royalty ?

Yes! I thought that too but didn't put it because I wasn't 100% and couldn't be arsed to check. I wonder if she researched the lists of deceased men to ensure she didn't pick someone who already had a wife.

Well obviously it is a crime, otherwise he would not have been arrested...

"She's literally done fuck all to deserve it- never put her life on the line by serving in the armed forces."
If she was plain Anne Smith, she wouldn't have been the target of a kidnap attempt during which four people were shot.

Which brings me to my next point. If any walt, tinder swindler, or general fantasist can pretend to be a serviceman with only a slap on
the wrist or an indulgent smile, and it becomes common, then it makes it easier for people with more sinister motives to do their thing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day_bombing
It's a security risk.
So I don't give a shit about the fake admiral, he can be keelhauled for all I care.

Yes, but I thought the actual person she claimed to be her fiancé did exist. She'd never met him, she got his name from a list of those who died. His family had never heard of her.