To be sad at how Charles The King looks compared to how Charles the Prince looked?

[PyongyangKipperbang]

Before anyone feels the need to point it out, yes I know he has just lost his parents in quick succession and got dropped into a role of high stress and responsibility. I get that it will affect him.

But I saddens me so much that he looks so much more careworn in such a small space of time. It struck me today when I saw the photos of him, he seems so much more stern, almost angry. I cant really describe it but in years past there was a kindness or empathy or something in his face at such events and that seems to have gone. He looks so so much older than he did just 6 months ago. I feel for him and his family and I say this as a republican, but also as a human being.

Yes, of course he was lucky to have both his parents in his life for so long, and in good health for much of that - but that doesn't mean he won't feel their loss.

If an anonymous 73 year old mumsnetter posted that she'd just lost her mum, who'd been fine a couple of days ago, you surely wouldn't say 'not much sympathy' would you?

Translated to English I think this means ‘I am a massive dick!’

Funny that it’s ‘vicious and nasty’ to point out you don’t need to examine pictures of an extremely privileged man and decide you feel so sad and sorry for him, but not vicious and nasty to refer to a random American woman who has the audacity to be black and marry a man as a ‘viper.’

Do I feel sorry for a clapped-out auld adulterer with more money than sense? Er... no.

Charles Windsor is not on my list of people to worry about.

He doesn't have to be king. If he can't cope he can abdicate.

I'm so fed up about hearing about this over privileged family when there are millions of people dying and suffering all over the world.

We spent weeks mourning the loss of a very privileged very old woman and now you're concerned about her very privileged son!! Ffs.

They could do a hell of a lot with their position of power, wealth and voice but they don't.

I don’t mind that he’s King but I definitely don’t feel sorry for him. A very privileged life

I’m going to get a kicking for this but here goes…This idea that he is grieving the loss of his mother, like most people would, seems odd to me. She wasn’t exactly the warm caring maternal figure that many of us had or still have. I mean, 11/10 as far as a monarch goes, but as a parent? 😐 same for the DoE.

I think the lines on his face are etched from age, not grief. Dude is in his 70s.

Must be hard work having to trail around with that old trout, when he'd sooner be in the garden talking to his hostas...

Couldn't care less.
Privileged old man who doesn't know what work is.

Which I hope are full of slugs

Hallelujah

The voice of reason

Well said

He will be experiencing all the 'first year after a death' things only for him it's far more than the rest of us. When he's had 74 years, happy birthday Your Majesty, of watching his mother do things he now has to do it must be very hard. On visits he's looked quite happy but things like yesterday were never going to be a laugh a minute.

Isn’t it lucky that sympathy isn’t a finite resource? We can sympathise with many, many people at once. I personally feel very sorry for him, I lost both my parents in six months and it broke me without having to take on a huge job at the same time.

Well, he wanted to go to COP22 and wasn't allowed. Maybe he was worrying about the planet.

People talk about The Crown like it's a documentary, so much of it is hyped up for the American market. There's a thing on Sky called The Royal Mob, it's about 4 of Victoria's granddaughters and the lead up to the First World War, it's laughable in places but poignant in a way.

He looks the same to me. And he’s getting older.

It was Remembrance Sunday. He's hardly likely to be laughing and joking is he?

Whilst I don't envy his life I'm reserving my concern and sympathy for those who are in much more precarious situations.

He's had both parents alive until he was in his 70s. I was bereaved of mine in my 20s and 30s. In that respect he's been fortunate.

But I see what you're driving at OP. In my observation he hasn't looked a well man for some time, and that's long preceding the deaths of either of his parents. He looks red, bloated, and his hands are very swollen. And I'm well aware this might come over as an uncharitable observation - it's not meant to be, I've had this situation blight my family and am nothing but sad for others in the same boat - he has that look of someone in the fairly advanced stages of alcoholism. Alex Ferguson bore a markedly similar look.

As others have said, however, he's extremely privileged, and unlike most of us there will be plenty of people ensuring he is alright. As a fellow-republican I actually view it as being in my interests for him to live a long life. He has excellent prospects of making the monarchy an even less appealing institution, and I want him to have all the time necessary to cement this impression.

He'll start interfering, shooting his mouth off, and making enemies within and beyond his family. He'll do this because he's always done it, and he's adroit at waging media war against anyone he thought was thwarting his own popularity.

The honeymoon won't last.

@AuntieMarys Which I hope are full of slugs

😂😂

Folk upthread seem to have the idea Charles is a drunk, in the stages of 'advanced alcoholism'. I don't know where these notions come from. They might have some foundation. Equally, he might just have hypertension, or gout. Everywhere he goes he is deluged with rich food and drink. Loads of people in their 60s and 70s drink more than is good for them, I know a few, but I don't think I'd call them out-and-out winos.

Well I follow the royal family on Instagram, I follow lots of different kinds of people before you all tell me off, and he looks fine to me. When he is out and about he is generally very happy and relaxed and having a good time. He looked relaxed and happy on The Repair Shop, very personable. I dunno, I suppose people see what they want to see.

He certainly doesn’t look like an alcoholic to me - and I’m married to a recovering alcoholic. He doesn’t look red or bloated and swollen hands are pretty common at his age with arthritis. As you say @KnittedCardi, people see what they want to see.

Hilarious...

I've said it before, I'll say it again. The royal family is a marketing triumph. Not only do we tolerate these pampered, privileged, unelected twerps but we actually feel sorry for them! Absolutely genius.