To think the royal family are a bloody embarrassment THREAD 2

[MyOhMySimon]

Carrying on from Thread 1.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4347032-To-think-the-royal-family-are-a-bloody-embarrassment?msgid=110733144#110733144

Haven't seen the OP around, thread 1 is about to run out and someone asked for a new thread.

They were never in the ranks to start with

I know - figure of speech. Free pass to Officer School.

Following

@Blossomtoes

The faff in organising any trip is horrendous

Not if the school is a five minute walk from the building being opened. In the instance I saw, I imagine the parents were falling over themselves to volunteer to help out. The pupil/adult ratio was very high.

But the PP said the children were bussed to the location. During Covid restrictions? www.bing.com/search?PC=ER08&FORM=ERSBDF&q=School+bus+trips+during+Covid

All officers go straight to Sandhurst, Cranwell or Dartmouth from university. They all get a “free pass”. If you’re going to point out their privilege and opportunities the rest of us don’t get, at least get your facts straight.

Blossomtoes thought I had posted this but it's disappeared. Sandhurst is more egalitarian nowadays. But you must know that when in the ranks members of the RF are "placed" very carefully in terms of "where" and "under whom" they serve. You won't find a prince working as a Sapper in the royal engineers.

@Seventhascent

Blossomtoes thought I had posted this but it's disappeared. Sandhurst is more egalitarian nowadays. But you must know that when in the ranks members of the RF are "placed" very carefully in terms of "where" and "under whom" they serve. You won't find a prince working as a Sapper in the royal engineers.

Absolutely. They’re kept out of danger too - Andrew’s Falklands service was a charade, he did one very safe flight a day apparently. But that’s not the same as getting preferential promotion beyond their capabilities.

Posted too soon. Also traditionally the account details they provide for payroll are those of a charity, William also donated his air ambulance salary.

But that’s not the same as getting preferential promotion beyond their capabilities

OK, put it this way, would Harry's A level results have been sufficient to allow him to pass ASOB for Sandhurst if he wasn't a prince? I know selection isn't based on academic results alone but really? This is a genuine question btw.

Just to be clear, I'm not doubting Harry was a good soldier. I'm asking if he would have had that opportunity in the first place had he not been a prince and attended Slough Grammar?

I pretty much came to that conclusion myself, @StoneofDestiny. They've lost all perspective and have now overreached, a bit like the corporate pension fund fiddlers: I guess this is what greed does to people?

So post-Epstein he was apparently forced to give up his £220k sov. grant allowance due to no longer being able to fake his royal duties, but still nobody knows how much money he's getting, nor where he's getting it from.

He was forced to deny claims that the Q paid off his £6m debt to the owner of his French ski chalet, while buying a brand new Bentley.

The RF's out of control financially and the Q has lost the plot: I can't find any press reports this year of who actually paid that Verbier debt, but are we really supposed to believe it was PA?? As StoneofDestiny said, they are imploding.

The game's nearly over, I think. Defending them just sounds deranged, it's like saying that Philip Green was a responsible company director.

www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1427486/prince-andrew-duke-of-york-new-car-bentley-mocked-royal-family-latest-vn

@Whinginadeville

What a vile thread it's also the unpleasant minority shouting the loudest

What is vile about having an opinion?

Prince Andrew is a total disgrace and should face an arrest and trial and hopefully imprisonment.

Now he is vile!!

I agree that he wouldn’t have got into Sandhurst if he was Harry Smith @Seventhascent. He might have if he was The Hon Henry Fortesque-Blythe, educated at Eton though. It seems that some cavalry officers are pretty intellectually challenged.

Getting promoted beyond your capabilities begins with getting into officer school in the first place.
As for William donating his salary as an air ambulance pilot - he only worked part time in the first place and his part time salary wouldn't even pay for his heating bill at one of his many homes (oh, probably doesn't have to - we probably pay that too).

Interesting thread. How times have changed. Young people are questioning the need for a Monarchy (recent opinion poll says 43% of 16-24 year olds think there is no need), and I think the tide has turned with the mid generation.

Anyone who is wavering or who wants to understand the whole thing more really should read this book.

Here

It's written by Norman Baker, ex MP, former Govt Minister, member of Privy Council.... he knows his stuff and it's a complete eye opener. I learnt a lot from it.

Also talking about the royals and charity patronages... this is interesting.... having a member of the RF as your patron really doesn't help much

giving-evidence.com/2020/07/16/royal-findings/
Worth a read

Very interesting thread thank you

I’m fairly sure PH wouldn’t have got into Sandhurst with those grades but for that fact he was royal. I do find it more concerning, however, that he got a free pass into Sandhurst when his mental health was not strong and he had issues from his past not sufficiently dealt with. I would hope, in the normal vetting process, that’s closely looked at before a place is offered.

As for William donating his salary as an air ambulance pilot - he only worked part time in the first place and his part time salary wouldn't even pay for his heating bill at one of his many homes (oh, probably doesn't have to - we probably pay that too).

Did Andrew or Harry give up their salaries to charity? I expect not so in that respect kudos to him. There are loads of people out there earning well in excess of what they need to maintain their excessive lifestyle, I expect 99% don't forfeit their bonuses or dividends and give them to charity (and we minions at the bottom of the chain have likely paid for those huge bonuses too somewhere along the line).

They’re kept out of danger too - Andrew’s Falklands service was a charade, he did one very safe flight a day apparently.

Now that I didn't know, @Blossomtoes. I actually thought he did his 'duty' and was 'brave' at the naval front line back then. Do you have a source I could follow up? It's fascinating.

@Blossomtoes

I agree that he wouldn’t have got into Sandhurst if he was Harry Smith *@Seventhascent*. He might have if he was The Hon Henry Fortesque-Blythe, educated at Eton though. It seems that some cavalry officers are pretty intellectually challenged.

No arguments from me there!

www.quora.com/Why-is-Prince-Andrew-called-a-Falklands-hero-What-did-he-actually-do-to-earn-it

en.mercopress.com/2019/06/17/prince-andrew-s-determination-to-participate-in-the-falklands-conflict-despite-the-queen-and-mrs.-thatcher-strong-doubts

To be fair, he might have been useful and done his bit, but it's a double-edged sword as the royals are enemy targets. They tend to put them in helicopters to reduce the risk and keep them off the ground.

@SpindleWhorl

They’re kept out of danger too - Andrew’s Falklands service was a charade, he did one very safe flight a day apparently.

Now that I didn't know, @Blossomtoes. I actually thought he did his 'duty' and was 'brave' at the naval front line back then. Do you have a source I could follow up? It's fascinating.

Not a verifiable source. My bloke was there and that was the word among the troops, they were pissed off about it. I suspect it’s glossed over in the official accounts.

It was the rose between the teeth when he got back that was OTT for me!

And then turning a hose of photographers, ruining their equipment and thinking it was hilarious

Thing that has struck me since the spotlight has fallen so intensely on the arrogant toad is the way all his regular combat fatigues seem to be weighed down by a prominent name tag saying 'HRH The Prince Andrew'

I'm no Wills fan but every photo of him just has 'W. Wales'...

Check out Andrew's Pitch@Palace project. Well dodgy.

There's been dodgy activities from PA for DECADES

Check out his Wiki page

And before anyone says that wiki is not fact there are plenty of sources on the page to back up what is written