To think Edward and Sophie Wessex should be the next King and Queen consort?

[Rosecloud]

I think they’re lovely. So down to earth (for royals) and in touch with what the people of this country need. I read they went to a food bank to help out over lockdown.
Edward is a great representative for his mother and when I saw the interview he did which mentioned Harry and Meghan he was such a gentleman and said all the right things.

I think they’re so much more charismatic than Charles and Camilla (and younger too). Their children seem so polite and well - mannered. Well, the son we haven’t seen much of. But Lady Louise seems to have her head screwed on.

I know it’ll never happen, but I think it would be amazing if it did.

They get to be like that exactly because the pressure isn’t on them because they are not the next king and queen.

Nope. Unless you want to remove the hereditary monarchy and replace it with a different system the whole point is that the next in line gets it, however popular or suitable they are for the role.

I read they went to a food bank to help out over lockdown.

The Cambridges did similar and this week have been working with the Big Issue.

It's what they do.

I love Camilla. Whenever I see her and charles together, they're always laughing. It makes me smile. The press say that Camilla is great with them, very open and approachable. And I have read that people report that Charles is quite switched on to what's happening in the country and always seems interested and asks pertinent questions. No shade on Edward, though. I think he and Sophie do a great job.

Either we have the next one in line, or we become a republic and choose - would you 'elect' the Wessexes if the pool of candidates for Head of State included non-Royals?

They've kept their heads down for ages, I agree, but in the past there were issues with Edward's TV company filming William at uni, and Sophie being led into a media sting where she offered access to the Royals to a reporter posing as a wealthy Arab, and referred to the Queen as an 'old dear'.

Nope, won’t happen, can’t happen. They seem nice and grounded just because they’re not in the limelight. I remember with horror Edward and his Royal -was it called It’s a Knockout -programme?

You don't appear to understand the concept of succession to the Throne. People don't become the Monarch because they are 'lovely'.

That isn't how the monarchy works.

I mean, if you're in favour of a merit-based system where we choose our head of state on the basis of their personal qualities, then I'm all in favour of that, but if that's what we did, I'm sure that we could find much better and more worthy candidates than Edward and Sophie Wessex.

As it stands, we have a hereditary monarchy and it doesn't make any difference whether they are worthy or not.

was it called It’s a Knockout -programme?

Yes, it was. Andrew and Fergie made particular tits of themselves on it, as I recall.

The Queen and the Waleses had the sense to give it a wide berth.

No.

If we're having someone we lime I've always been very popular so I vote for me.

The succession doesn't work like that.

They're so bland we'd be as well replacing them with cardboard cut outs that someone takes and places next to ribbons that need cutting.

Edward was very petulant when his interview after It's a Knockout didn't go as he expected.

There's no way to preemptively give up one's place in the line of succession, so leaving aside the current monarch who might be immortal due to lizard people connections, you'd just need 13 people to ascend the throne and then abdicate. That would keep the media busy for a while and bury lots of unpleasant political stories!

Exactly this, if Edward had been raised as the future king with all that entails in terms of both burden and entitlement, he would be a very different person.

The concept of hereditary monarchy is insane to me, but if you have one you get whoever is next, there's no choosing.

For your cringing viewing pleasure!

Why doesn't Anne come into the picture? You wouldn't be being the tiniest bit sexist, would you?

The whole point of the monarchy is a) that you have no say, no influence, no vote, no sway because you are a mere commoner and b) that the monarch can be down to Earth or a stuck up arsehole or a genius or an idiot and none of it matters because they are still better than you and born for a life of privilege.

Literally no-one cares what you think about it. It’s built into they system.

Sounds crazy? Yes, it’s crazy.

@Rosecloud There was scandal surrounding Sophie, she was set up and fell into the trap back in 2001

Wasn’t Diana in it? I seem to remember.

No, Charles and Diana didn't take part. Apparently the Queen thoroughly disapproved of the whole thing, and Charles took her advice.

Princess Anne was in it. Just checked. It was excruciating and a PR disaster.

They're bent, aren't they?

Anyway he'd need to fill a few people before he got to be king and he'd probably get caught so it's unlikely to happen.

Not fill, kill