To hope we can FINALLY see what is in Prince Charles's letters to ministers?

[ComposHatComesBack]

AIBU to ask if anyone is intrigued to see what is in the so called 'black spider memos'?

Well done to the Guardian for keeping on with this for ten years, but the Supreme court has ruled that the letters written by Prince Charles to ministers can be published. It will be interesting to see if his lobbying resulted in any changes in government policy.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/mar/26/supreme-court-clears-way-release-secret-prince-charles-letters-black-spider-memos

Along with his mother's stage managed intervention in the Scottish Referendum, I think this undermines the notion that the Royal family are somehow 'above politics' and are merely figureheads.

AIBU to also think his is a timely reminder what a politically powerful position the Queen will be in the extremely likely situation that there's a hung parliament in a few weeks time?

So if the Government wants to start fracking, digging up the Green belt, building more coal powered stations and wanted to outlaw homeopathy, would Charles have "some issues" about signing those Acts?

The monarch's assent is just an agreed formality. If a monarch actually did refuse to sign, she/he would be opposing the will of parliament and there would be a constitional crisis, leading to the abolition of her requirement to sign or, eventually, the abolition of the monarchy.

I also suspect one of the objections to publication is that they are barely coherent. Seriously. He's not exactly in the Liz1 class of prose style.

From memory, I thought the petition to Her Maj over the Welfare Reform Bill gave precedents from her own reign? Given that the bloody thing was ferreted through using an unprecedented and only marginally constitutional ruse, there seemed to be enough reasons for her to dissent. If she gave a shit about her subjects having to use food banks.

Yes, but Liz1 did have a good scriptwriter in Shakespeare. [Citation Needed]

I'd love to know what the Queen says to the Prime Ministers at their weekly meeting - and what they thought of each other. She's spoken to lots of them.

I wonder what the Queen really thinks. I would love to think of members of the RF who can't express political opinions being on forums like MN and expressing them.

Is anyone taking bets on the lengthiest quote from Laurens Van Der Post in these letters? Or the number of letters not actually quoting LVDP at all?

< does Prince Charles voice>
It really is appalling

Think I missed something - how is writing to ministers wrong? I do it all the time! As he's expressing his opinion, he's perfectly entitled, just as any other citizen of our democracy.

If that influences policy then good. My letters will count too.

Personally, I'm looking forwards to the Sylvie Krin version in Private Eye.

honeypot1

Your letters are not from someone with massive influence like Charles but who is supposed to be politically neutral.

Honeypot, do you really write to ministers?

HMQ liked Heath, hated Wilson, thought Thatcher was boring but warmed greatly to her, and I can't remember what they said about Blair. Depends on whether he was into child abuse, possibly. She has to be polite to them all, though.

Charles should write to his local MP if the fancy takes him. And he should be happy for that correspondance to be made public.

He should not expect to have the government's ear.

You need to watch The Audience. Bloody brilliant.

I do write to my MP about things I feel he should represent me for. He responds every time, follows up with phone calls and is a bit ace. Our thoughts matter!

And is it really wrong for royalty to have an opinion? I'd rather not think of them as vacuous but agree their views should be no more influential than anyone else's.

We're all in it together, aren't we?! ????????

I thought this had all been dealt with 300 years ago: "Smile, wave, sign. Step outside the lines we have drawn and we'll get another mob from the catalogue".

There's quite a few Plantagenets still kicking about, and one of my old teachers was married to a Stuart.

There's quite a few Plantagenets still kicking about, and one of my old teachers was married to a Stuart.

Was it Rod or Moira they were married to?

I also suspect one of the objections to publication is that they are barely coherent. Seriously. He's not exactly in the Liz1 class of prose style.

I've seen a letter written by the Queen Mother, the handwriting and sentence structure was appalling. It looked like it had been written by an 8 year old. Mind you she was in her 70s when she wrote it and she was probably pissed and had one eye on the racing.

I'd rather see the end of a royal family system in this country. Why should it matter what a rather dim talentless boring man thinks. Also a man who cheated on his wife and has now married the OW. And yet people bow and scrape to him. I find it very strange indeed. Let's not kid ourselves they have no influence.

Stuart Little?

"We're all in it together, aren't we?!"

No, we aren't. We really aren't.

"There's quite a few Plantagenets still kicking about"

I'm descended from the Plantaganets. I don't believe that gives me special rights when it comes to influencing government policy. But then again, I wasn't brought up in a rarefied bubble and given the impression that I was in some way more special than anyone else, unlike CW.

We're all in it together, aren't we?!

We most definitely are not