Royal Secrets

[Extiainoiapeial]

Critics flag ‘worrying trend’ of keeping royal files under lock and key as thousands set for release to public

This should be interesting. A big cover up again, no doubt.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/11/fears-grow-over-censorship-of-secret-queen-elizabeth-and-philip-papers

The public have a right to know. Too much secrecy.

We can have democratically elected figureheads who don’t have the immense inherited wealth, privilege and unaccountability that the Royal Family has. Ireland manages this quite successfully. We can also have an economy Royal Family like the European monarchies rather than the bloated luxury version that we have. Either would be better than what we have now.

I have no issue with the economics around them being changed, I don't know enough to have an opinion really. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the queen at least had fairly modest tastes and wasn't 'bloated' etc. But whatever, my point was that they should be allowed some privacy and we don't have a 'right to know' what goes on in their private lives - I only commented on the thread initially to say that. I have vague opinions about it all but it really doesn't exercise me that greatly. I'm more worried about things like defence spending and our energy priorities and the horrific incompetence of our government.

The late queen’s tastes were not modest enough that she could make do with one palace.

Well you could look it as her 'work place' buck house where she was reportly never really happy or comfortable, and then her actual home in Scotland (name escapes me). But again I'm fairly ill informed. I can't see how it would really help to remove the palaces etc. What would the country do with them. Sell them to a Russian oligarch?!

Plus Windsor and sandringham (at least)

They could be museums (like many of the remaining French ones)

Slightly off topic but I'm curious as to "how" we'd do away with the monarchy?

Would we all vote on it and then banish them all to LA like Harry and Meghan?

I mean it's all well and good saying down with the monarchy but how would this ever be possible? I can't see it on any level.

In my opinion it would be much better to have a slimmed down / modern version.

Exactly.

The Queen retained her popularlity by never expressing her views and seeming to put duty above any personal gratification. Monarchists could tell themselves that the Queen's views aligned with their views. However, there were periods during the late Queen's reign where the popularity of the monarchy dropped quite significantly, particularly after the death of Diana.

Other members of the Royal Family have not been as discreet and circumspect as the late Queen. I believe that Princess Margaret's and the Queen Mother's views were very problematic regarding race and class, and the Queen's uncle was an unapologetic Nazi.

The point is that, no matter how bad their behaviour, we cannot get rid of the monarchy like we could get rid of an elected President. I believe that Andrew was always the Queen's favourite child, even after all the sexual misconduct allegations and the paying of £12 million in hush money. This doesn't show her judgement in a good light.

The secret I want revealed is how Prince William can get away with doing so little.

I've literally finished this morning a smallish book about the history of Versailles to modern day, written by professor Colin Jones in 2018. It is, in my opinion, a very poorly written book. But there are some interesting gems and one of these is particularly how Versailles became the popular historical museum we see today. Much less easy than might appear on the surface. I dont particularly Recommend the book, but if you can get it from the library ok. Perhaps worth a quick read if you are interested in French museums and how they came to be and how they survived.

See Dolores message upthread!

Im not a royalist but a constitutional monarchist & I’d be persuaded to a republic if it could be done properly. The shitshow that was Brexit makes me wary of change.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the queen at least had fairly modest tastes and wasn't 'bloated' etc

That tupperware of cereal on the table sure did its work!

Modest tastes my arse... strings of racehorses costing millions of pounds.. her hobby. So frugal ! And that's just for starters...

In my opinion it would be much better to have a slimmed down / modern version.

That's the best we can hope for sadly

Can see the name- initials PK? Have always wondered!

Not going to happen with the current lot - William and Catherine seem to do everything they can to keep their kids in the public eye, no pretence from them that they'd like their kids to have a normal, if deeply privileged, life.

They're like reality stars in the way they push their kids as part of their brand. They cos play as a 1950s family, there is no earthly reason for George to wear a suit and tie to a football match, or even going to church on Christmas Day.

The frugal queen ffs 😂😂😂

It's royal protocol that when the royal male children are attending public events they wear a suit. Also it's the dress code when appearing in the royal box or at sporting events.

@2dogsandabudgie

It’s royal protocol for royal children to wear a suit? Of course it isn’t! Do you honestly think there is some kind of binding regulation about what children wear to football matches? Really? Who would have come up with that rule and how would it be enforced? This is the kind of thing I keep seeing on Facebook in reels made in Moldova with AI narration. There as
was something about a ‘royal protocol’ about the colour of nail varnish yesterday. All bollocks.

It’s habit, custom or tradition. Kate Middleton seems to really love dressing her family like the upper middle classes (rather than aristocracy) in the 1930s. It’s rather odd. Really, she can choose to dress her children anyway she wants, and that is what she chooses to do. Presumably it’s to do with her insecurity coming from a nouveau riche family, she does not want to put a foot wrong (as she sees it).

I agree. All the females had to wear a certain shade of pale pink nail varnish because the Queen was fussy about that. It soon changed when she'd gone. It's not 'royal protocol', it's just someone being pernickety.

They didn't have to wear a certain shade exactly. The Queen wore Ballet Slippers by Esse and other royals could wear what pale/neutral they liked. They tended not to wear dark or bright in public, probably because HMQ didn't approve (maybe a generation thing - my Mum in her 90s doesn't approve either - thinks bright nails are vulgar!)

OK. Not the same shade. But pale/neutral. It was just something the Queen either insisted on, or disaproved of if anyone didn't adhere to that.

That sort of 'rule' worked back then, but it doesn't now...

Not pernickety - just a lady who went by the standards of her youth, a bygone age.

I can't believe someone actually posted this load of tripe!!

William and Catherine literally curate the children's public appearances with Kate taking a lot of their photos personally. They are at great pains to give their children as near to a normal childhood as they can.

The total opposite literally of what you just stated!

I don't care what they wear. I like that they have standards.

This rule reminds me of the dreadful rights The Firm put Meghan in the minute she married in. One day her legs looked normal, the next she was encased in these pinky-beige sausage skins. I remain convinced she Megxited mostly because of the tights. I actually hope the secret papers are full of juicy nail polish, beige pantyhose and tiaras discourse 🙏

Does he report to you personally?

Or perhaps she's just doing as generations before her did?

And maybe their father dresses them? They have two parents I believe?