To feel sorry for the fake admiral

[MajesticWhine]

It seems to be a victimless crime and I don’t think he was doing anyone any harm. Given the amount of crimes such as shoplifting that go unpunished AIBU to think this man should be let off with a caution?

‘Fake admiral’ charged after Remembrance memorial
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/4d56e1d99d56fda6

It’s an interesting phenomenon.

If you Google “fake NHS doctor” then it’s surprising the number of fakers that are reported on. Quite terrifying actually!

I’m not convinced she would have been the first tbh after what we know about the Andrew debacle now. It’s seems that our late Queen was dragged kicking and screaming to act when something concerned her favourite son! Not much has changed now! Too little, too late!

@notimagain

I’m aware that all of Andrew’s peers were not made Vice Admirals along with him!

It was a rhetorical question.

You claimed that he was promoted along with his peers . You were maybe referring to campaigns and not to Andrew’s awards .
Not the whole story was it ?

Ah, so you weren't trying to perhaps mislead, or perhaps spread a bit of misinformation you where being rhetorical...OK...

I addressed the point you actually made about the promotion in rank, now you've moved the goalposts so you'll have to wait to see if somebody else is prepared to address "the whole story".

@notimagain
You claimed Andrew’s awards and promotions were all routine and that he was merely being promoted along with peers

That was a partial truth . I see it all the time from royalists . You omitted his ‘honours’ bestowed by Elizabeth.

Andrew’s close relationship with Epstein and his indefensible behaviour as a ‘trade envoy’ had both been known to the Windsors when they awarded him Vice Admiral in 2015

Utterly disgraceful and I will assume that you agree- as any decent person would .

I was contrasting Andrew wearing his unearned medals despite his links with sex traffickers and the man who wore bought medals .
Andrew and his being honoured by the Windsors , is worse.

If I posted my opinion of you on here I would probably be banned.

Hijacking a thread about an arsehole who behaved disrespectfully at a remembrance service, where people have shared why it is disrespectful, to introduce a theme and continue with that theme despite being told it's not appropriate and why is a fucking awful way to behave.

You clearly have no clue about the pride and strength of feeling that goes with the British forces within the populations that this topic directly affects, and your insistence on pushing an agenda that is so far from the core ideals shows a distinct lack of awareness. That is a preferable thought to thinking you are doing it on purpose to cause distress.

This is not the topic for your agenda.

I read it as intended.

My sister’s friend started a relationship with a man who claimed to be special forces.. unfortunately for him my sisters job does involve dealing with certain members of the special forces so my sister put his name out there and it turned out this man was a total liar who’d never even been in the forces. Also did a Claire’s Law request on him and something came up. Scary.

@Littledrummergirl

1. You are not the thread police
2. Other posters had already made similar points about the Windsor’s made up medals and swag before I even joined the thread .
3. Threads meander

I repeat, Andrew being awarded Vice Admiral by the Windsors when they had known about his offences for years, was an utter disgrace

The rest of them are using stolen valour as propaganda but the Andrew issue is my main objection .

Much more disgraceful in my opinion than someone wearing bought medals .

Yes, they're always Special forces, never the ships cook are they?

1, common decency, genuine engagement and good faith posting doesn't need policing. I agree, I'm not the thread police, but I will say when I think someone is disingenuous.

2, other posters gave their thoughts abd dropped the subject once it became apparent that it was not equivalent. They were posting genuinely and in good faith.

3 meandering is one thing, deliberately hijacking them and steering them away from the original topic to force your agenda in the inappropriate of threads is rude at best.

They think it is. I've seen this poster everywhere, it's always the same recycled rhetoric about Their Pet Subject, nothing else matters, and if anyone dares not agree with their views about the monarchy they get more of the same, recycled, blah blah. It doesn't matter that the majority of us feel the same way about AMW. They'll then move onto another royal they dislike. Seeing this today on a subject that is, as a veterans wife, and disabled from service at that, has just proved my assumption that this is a poster who has such an obsession with one topic they have no respect for other issues that may matter to others. Someone who can only be all over the Internet irritating people because of the sacrifices made by those who this thread should actually be about- and why some of us feel that people who have never served (and despicable as AMW has turned out to be, he did actively serve) should NOT get away with posing as such.

Really @Catsknowbest and @Littledrummergirl ??

So you are clearly unaware that it wasn’t a sudden attack of conscience that made Elizabeth strip Andrew’s medals and faux ranks.

152 veterans from all branches , wrote an open letter to Elizabeth telling her how offensive they found it that Andrew still held military ranks . She had to act that very day .
Her hand was forced

So my view isn’t the aberration you are trying to paint it as .

From the letter :

All of us have served our country and are proud to have done so.
"For that reason, we are particularly upset and angry that Prince Andrew remains a member of the armed forces and continues to hold military titles, positions and ranks, including that of Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy.”
“Were this any other senior military officer it is inconceivable that he would still be in post.
“Officers of the British armed forces must adhere to the very highest standards of probity, honesty and honourable conduct.
“These are standards which Prince Andrew has fallen well short of.
“It is hard not to see, when senior officers are reportedly describing him as ‘toxic’, that he has brought the services he is associated with into disrepute.

Are these officers also an ‘irritant’ ?

I know the exact dynamics of the entire process, thanks. Just be thankful that people like my husband and his colleagues did what they did, and for generations before and to come, that allows you the freedom to do what you're doing. Enjoy your smug blanket of righteousness and security 🙄 Its just a pity you have absolutely no respect for those who do have a genuine problem with the actual issue of people completely faking military service. People who actually know what they're talking about.

This thread is not about that!! It is about: PEOPLE WEARING UNIFORM AND MEDALS WHO HAVE NOT SERVED AND HAVE NO RIGHT TO DO SO. The veterans were 100% correct. AMW served then dishonoured his service and was rightly stripped. So what are you trying to prove????

Men are so weird. Is this a testosterone thing? This guy feels inadequate and not very manly so pretends to be a war hero?

You are totally missing the point.

Whether we agree or disagree with you on if he shouldn't have received honorary titles isn't an issue for this thread. Continually forcing your agenda at an inappropriate time and place is the issue with how you re posting.

Perhaps think bout this from the point of view of those closer to the issue.

Go start a thread about your issue in good faith, with genuine engagement instead repeating the same stuff parrotlike, and people will debate you there.

This thread is not the place.

I just want to say to anyone using this thread for their own ends. We have just marked Armistice Day and Remembrance. As someone very closely connected to the armed forces community I want to express my despair that some people cannot appreciate just how insulting firstly, pretending to be a veteran is, and secondly, how utterly distasteful it is to hijack a thread for a subject that in itself takes away from the genuine upset this fakery causes to those actually affected. When those who feel justified in this have spent years caring for an affected veteran, they can bang on at me about whatever they like. But until then I will forever reserve the right to call out anyone who shows any disrespect whatsoever to the AF community and their families.

They are already on plenty of threads about the subject which is why I am even more appalled they have decided this is also somewhere they need to be.

I’m sure if you are a royalist you very much do hope I’d stop posting

The OP stated that she thought the arrest of the man wearing the bought medals was an overreaction . I agree with her although all I know is that he was wearing medals that he hadn’t earned . He didn’t hurt anyone as far as I can see .

Andrew was known to be using and abusing trafficked women while being festooned with ‘honours’ and medals . That was the point I was making and it very much IS relevant to the thread.

The posters above are concerned at ‘disrespect’
What was more disrespectful than Elizabeth Windsor making Andrew a Vice Admiral while his links to Epstein were we known to them ?
It took over 150 veterans to write an open letter to force the Windsors to act .

I don’t think his offence is wearing fake medals, I’m not aware that’s even an offence?

It's a slipperly slope and can start at a very young age...

"He didn't hurt anyone as far as I can see"
Because you know that. For sure. Don't you? And it suits you. And have totally ignored people telling you that what he did IS hurtful to the AF community and their families, including the bereaved. But still you persist. YOU are disrespectful. Despicable. Arrogant.

Sounds like a MH problem surely?

I mean no one normal could stand their knowing they were a fraud?