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.

@KeflavikAirport

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

For some reason I always imagine Pitch@Palace said in a northern accent.

@StoneofDestiny

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

This must've been before my time but seriously? What an entitled arse!

The Guardian 2010 - his views on investigative journalism. Arrogant sod - he obviously doesn't want them after him either.......

Prince Andrew launched a scathing attack on British anticorruption investigators, journalists and the French during an "astonishingly candid" performance at an official engagement that shocked a US diplomat.

Tatiana Gfoeller, Washington's ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, recorded in a secret cable that Andrew spoke "cockily" at the brunch with British and Canadian business people, leading a discussion that "verged on the rude"

During the two-hour engagement in 2008 at a hotel in the capital, Bishkek, Andrew, who travels the globe as a special UK trade representative, attacked Britain's corruption investigators in the Serious Fraud Office for what he called "idiocy".

He went on to denounce Guardian reporters investigating bribery as "those (expletive) journalists … who poke their noses everywhere"

Indeed Andrew even earned the nickname ‘Air-Miles Andy’ on account of his extravagance, frequently using helicopters and planes on engagements for which when he could have travelled by train or car. In 2003, it was reported that he racked up £325,000 on flights, including using a helicopter to fly to Oxford and RAF planes to fly to Scotland to to play golf; in 2004, he used an RAF jet to fly Northern Ireland, where he reportedly played golf (again) and attended a royal garden party; in 2009, he used the Queen’s helicopter for a 146-mile trip to engagements in the same area; that same year, he also flew from Windsor to Kent for a party at (another) golf course; and in 2014, despite no longer being the UK trade envoy, the royal visited 15 countries and clocked up 67,000 miles. Quite the jet-setter (and golfer)

Tatler

Prince Andrew has often come under fire for his controversial associations, even without taking Jeffrey Epstein into account. Back in 2008, the royal met Colonel Gaddafi in Tripoli. He then had lunch with Gaddafi’s cabinet chief, Bashir Saleh, the following year, having given a seminar at St James’s Palace for the dictator’s Libya Africa Investment Portfolio. In 2011, Andrew also hosted a lunch at Buckingham Palace for Sakher el-Materi – a billionaire businessman and son-in-law of the now deposed Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Materi subsequently fled Tunisia, where he was convicted of offences including embezzlement and misuse of state funds, possession of illegal drugs and weapons, and of corruption in absentia. Another suspect pal is the controversial British financier David ‘Spotty’ Rowland, who has faced criticism on account of his former status as a tax exile. But the millionaire has clearly proved a useful friend; he is thought to have provided £40,000 to help pay off Sarah, Duchess of York’s debts, and to have allowed Andrew use of his £40 million luxury jet while carrying out royal duties Tatler

Yes, a total corrupt embarrassment to the country.

And other family members were also drawn into the dramas; in 2011, allegations emerged that Andrew had accepted a 21st birthday gift for his daughter, Princess Beatrice, from a Libyan gun smuggler. The businessman, Tarek Kaituni, had formerly been convicted for possession of drugs and attempting to smuggle a sub-machine gun into France. Nevertheless, he was among the guests at Beatrice’s 2009 birthday party at a private villa near Marbella. Kaituni’s former girlfriend, Tunisian TV presenter Manel Hamrouni, who was also in attendance, claimed that the necklace was worth nearly £20,000. But the history of dubious birthday guests goes even further back. Just this year, The Sun on Sunday obtained pictures of another of Beatrice’s birthdays, her 18th, held in the grounds of Windsor Castle in 2006. The event was complete with yet more unsavoury characters; Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, today embroiled in a storm of sexual harassment allegations. While Weinstein’s controversies were not publicly known at the time, the birthday took place two months after Epstein had been issued an arrest warrant for the sexual assault of a minor. Andrew denies having had any awareness of this

No longer 'unbelievable'.

As a northerner this really made me laugh

The Queen clearly supports his behaviour

Even after initial reports of Andrew’s relationship with Epstein made news, the queen stood by her son. In 2011, according to Edward Klein for Vanity Fair, the queen “summoned Andrew to Windsor Castle and in a private ceremony invested him with the insignia of a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, the highest possible honor for ‘personal service’ to the Queen

Last year, shortly after Prince Andrew announced that he was stepping down from royal duties after a disastrous BBC interview about his association with Epstein, the queen showed her support for the prince by being photographed riding horses with him in Windsor. Even now, the queen’s relationship with her alleged favorite son reportedly remains close. A source told the Sun this January that Andrew has been his mother’s rock Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s split from the monarchy.

Sorry that was to Beckywiththeaveragehair

Highly recommend listening to this takedown of Prince Andrew’s infamous Panorama interview which was done as part of a profiling of the Epstein case.

Part 1 - podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/real-crime-profile/id1081244497?i=1000459312687

Part 2 - podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/real-crime-profile/id1081244497?i=1000459490380

All episodes of the podcast are worth listening to, they’ve covered some massive cases over the last few years inc OJ Simpson, Oscar Pistorius, Bill Cosby, Michael Jackson, Madeline McCann, etc.

From the New York Times

Prince Andrew of Britain, who has largely ignored his huge press entourage on a southern California tour, playfully sprayed eavesdropping reporters with white paint today while visiting a vacant house in Watts.

Wiping his hands on a piece of newspaper afterward, he said, ''I enjoyed that.''

Andrew, 24 years old, was visiting the house with Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn when the incident occurred

About 50 members of the press have traveled with the Prince since his arrival Sunday for a five-day visit to southern California.

As reporters and photographers leaned inside the window, apparently to get a better vantage point, Andrew raised a spray gun and let loose with the blast of paint

"And therein, you have Andrew: Behaving childishly and recklessly and with little thought for the consequences – and zero consideration for what image it projected of the royal family

The image we are left with is one of an immature, selfish man who enjoyed having a laugh at others' expense.

The more you think about the brief moment, the more you see the abject lack of basic respect for men and women who were there simply going about their job. (And that Andrew truly doesn't understand the symbiotic relationship between the media and the monarchy.)

This moment reflects the Duke of York's lack of understanding that members of the royal family are at least supposed to attempt to behave with some modicum of dignity and decorum and to at least try and occupy the moral high ground.

After nearly four decades "on the job" as a working royal, we are left with the impression that to him, being a member of the royal family means having the license to behave however the devil he wants

New Zealand Herald.

Prince Andrew of Britain, who has largely ignored his huge press entourage on a southern California tour, playfully sprayed eavesdropping reporters with white paint today while visiting a vacant house in Watts

Paint!! I assumed water. What a cock he is. That's disgraceful behaviour

There was also the time he crashed his car into the palace gates in a temper. The man’s a absolute peach.

Just remembered that DH has a Prince Andrew story - about 15 years ago DH was based at RAF Halton which is where a VIP flight is based. It’s basically where members of the royal family and the Government fly from on UK business when not using commercial airlines.

Prince Andrew had been on a trade visit and had left his Range Rover at the airbase. When his plane landed his car was driven by a Junior Officer up to the plane so that Prince Andrew could climb in and drive off. However the young officer didn’t quite park the car in the right place and when Prince Andrew came down the steps and saw that he had to walk, shock horror, about 10ft to his car he shouted and ranted at the guy before getting in the car and driving off.

The Queen has been protecting Prince Andrew, but so have the British press. They deflect from him by continually stirring up hate against the Sussexes, but that is becoming harder to do since the Sussexes are no longer responding. They said their piece in May, then they left it. I'm always a little shocked that on Mumsnet, of all places, people are pissed off at Harry for protecting his wife and child from racist abuse. Do people really think he should have protected the Monarchy above all else?

I suppise it's one reason why I want my Commonwealth country to go republic. Our people, particularly our Indigenous and our immigrant communities, should not be represented by an archaic, racist institution.

I think racism runs deep throughout the family.

@CaveMum

Just remembered that DH has a Prince Andrew story - about 15 years ago DH was based at RAF Halton which is where a VIP flight is based. It’s basically where members of the royal family and the Government fly from on UK business when not using commercial airlines.

Prince Andrew had been on a trade visit and had left his Range Rover at the airbase. When his plane landed his car was driven by a Junior Officer up to the plane so that Prince Andrew could climb in and drive off. However the young officer didn’t quite park the car in the right place and when Prince Andrew came down the steps and saw that he had to walk, shock horror, about 10ft to his car he shouted and ranted at the guy before getting in the car and driving off.

That does not ring true somehow.

AIR-BRAINED SCHEME: ‘Airmiles Andy’ came in for more criticism in 2014 when he arrived in India for a tour of Mumbai’s slums on a private jet. He also stayed in a £10,000-a-night suite and had the use of a butler

BeckyWithTheAverageHair

He did both! One in the UK - one in the USA.

@MeanWeedratStew

So agree with your post.
And yes, the Queen has been protecting Andrew for decades. Over a decade ago she 'expressed her concern' about PA's friendship with Epstein and with his dubious connections as a trade envoy.

Well... I'm sorry but express your concern is just not good enough. She has enabled her son and here we are... a lawsuit and him hunkered down in a Palace.

@StoneofDestiny Well done you for your highlighted stuff on PA. It needs saying again and again.

at @CaveMum . Thanks for those podcast links, will have a listen.

Oops, just remembered that DH’s PA story wasn’t from his time at RAF Halton, it was when he was at RAF Northolt I lose track of all the bases he’s been at 😜

Have found and downloaded those podcasts to my phone Cave, it's pouring with rain here but will be off on a long walk to listen to those!
Plus it's a podcast with other interesting stuff on it.

tradingeconomics.com/country-list/corruption-rank

@Roussette it is a fascinating podcast and I’m a big fan of Laura Richards as she’s a great advocate for women helping set up domestic abuse services, campaigning on stalking and coercive control law reform and just generally being awesome!

I’ve not listened to the whole series (over 300 episodes!) as I only discovered it a few months ago, but I have listened to the groups of episodes on OJ Simpson, Meredith Kercher, Bill Cosby, Michael Jackson, Madeline McCann, Reeva Steenkamp, Jeffrey Epstein and have just started the ones about Woody Allen. Some of the content can be triggering, talk about murder, sexual abuse and DV always is, but it’s worth listening as I discovered things I never knew about these cases.