Royal style & gossip: Sandringham shots are coming, who will Prince Philip deck in the halls?

[QueenOfTheAndals]

Made sure my autocorrect didn't spoil that title...

As always, let's keep it light and avoid any spite!

Previous thread

It is complete speculation without any factual evidence

Plus, organising the Boxing Day shoot was always PPs thing

He may not even be doing it this year

But K and W DID live on Anglesey prior to engagement

A PP was complaining that, rather than living on base where security costs would have been met by the RAF, they ‘chose’ to live off camp which increased costs of local residents.

The point is, they didn’t choose at all. They couldn’t have lived together on base because they weren’t married, Married Quarters aren’t given to cohabitees and all hell would have broken loose if an exception was made for them

So yes, they lived in Angelsey, but they didn’t live together at RAF Valley.

And, even after they got married, had they lived on base, security (and inconvenience) would have been ramped up considerably for everyone there.

And that’s if it was practical to secure them in that environment in their first place (where would the PPOs have lived? Would they have just ousted some Officer families to make way for them? Can you imagine the uproar if they did?)

Curly that pic of DoC shows how much she's changed in the last 5 years or so. I think she's only fairly recently acquired the incredible polish she has now IMO (she was and is beautiful though, I'm not hating!).

Love the photos of the Anglesey house. I had seen them before,,ages ago, bu had forgotten. By all accounts they were very happy there. They probably remember it as a gokden tine. Much as the Queen remembers her time in Malta.
I can imagine Kate struggled a bit as a new mother stuck out in the wilds though. I got the impression it wasn’t really working once George arrived.

There was a PPO who was suddenly fired by Philip because he had taught Charles to drive and Charles had been seen driving without a seat belt.

Really? What's the authority for this? Given that at the time Charles would have been learning to drive, seatbelts weren't required, and cars didn't have them fitted as standard.

Unless it was actually Charles who did the firing, and William or Harry was the young prince involved. That would be understandable, considering what happened to Diana.

(I've read that young royals always learn to drive on private roads on the royal estates, before they are seventeen. These days they probably all have specialist training too.)

I live in the centre of England, late 40s, read this thread everyday, rarely post. I've always loved the royal family. At the age of 9 I read a whole huge book about the royal families by Antonia Fraser. When my child was hospitalised I became fascinated - it was a form of escapism. I saw the Queen as a young child during her Jubilee. I recently went to London. Clarence House is beautiful - to me it looked brighter than the other London royal homes. The pictures of the inside reflect the beautiful exterior.

You know what Marta you're right, I got it wrong, it wasn't seat belts it was underage drinking. The man's name was Don Green and he was with him at Gordonstoun and Charles worshipped him.

"Afterward, the Metropolitan Police fired Don Green, robbing Charles of an ally and confidant. Charles was devastated, saying later that “I have never been able to forgive them for doing that. . . . I thought it was the end of the world.”

It's a shame that the staff always seem to take the rap for things going wrong, much as the Squadron Leader lost some of his seniority after Charles's plane crash in the Hebrides; clearly the "whipping boy" lives:

www.independent.co.uk/news/prince-gives-up-flying-royal-aircraft-after-hebrides-crash-1592247.html

Yes, technically he was in charge, and no doubt it might have been better to take the controls back from Charles ... but can anyone imagine the tantrum had he tried?

You know what Marta you're right, I got it wrong, it wasn't seat belts it was underage drinking

Was that the famous cherry brandy incident? As Charles told the story much later, as boy he was being pursued by the press, took refuge in a pub, and thought that since he was in a pub, he ought to order a drink, and cherry brandy was the first thing to come into his head. It was in all the papers at the time it happened.

If it was that incident, then someone probably deserved to be sacked, not for the cherry brandy, but for allowing Charles to be in a situation where he was alone and needed to take refuge somewhere. Charles was only about thirteen at the time, I think.

Not the RF but similar several Secret Service agents were sacked because both Bush twins would give them the slip

Treated in the press like oh aren't they characters, they just want a laugh but they cost men their livelihoods.

It’s not only royals who learn to drive prior to turning 17 on private roads. I learnt at 14 on our private land and then at 17 on private farm land on my own in the car with parent watching outside the car.

Neither royal nor landed - we had driving lessons in the fifth year (year 11) at our comprehensive school.

A very depressing part in the Windsor doc was how the Queen after returning home from Malta went straight to the races instead of going home to see Charles.

Prince Charles homes are all beautifully decorated, i believe its Robert Kime who decorates all his homes. PC did many good projects preserving houses,Organic farming,various charities . I admire his work at Dumfries there is a good program about all the jobs it has created in that community.
Camilla seems like a genuine and very caring person.

regarding PW as being spoilt and entitled, he lives a somewhat sheltered life. i sometimes think he doesn't fully understand the complexity of the many social issues in the Uk,although he really tries . He seems like a very devoted family man ,but honestly
i don't think he will make a huge impact on the monarchy.

William doesn't appear to have inherited Diana's knack of connecting with all sorts of people. I think Harry has but William is more reserved, like his father and grandmother. He tries but there's always a slight awkwardness about him that makes me think he'd rather be at home with his family.

I wonder though if things continue as they are if Harry will become more like William. In the past it's just been him but now that people are coming after the people he loves I wonder if we will see a change in the way he handles things.

Queen that is true. Maybe Harry has benefitted from his years in the Army too.Being brought up as the heir to the throne must make you feel like a bit of an alien generally.

Catching up with the thread!

I am 40s, London based, come from a solidly royalist family and have followed the royals since the Diana years. It was an interest I shared with DM and I can remember reading out the Camillagate phone conversation in full to her, putting on special voices for Charles and Camilla! Sadly DM died when I was in my teens, so I could empathise with W&H's loss at a similar age.

I am still royalist, and that is not likely to change during the Queen's reign. After that all bets are off, although I am one who thinks Charles can make a success of the top job.

Love the Cambridges' Xmas photo. You can see the affection between George and William. Charlotte is so confident in front of the camera, she puts me in mind of childhood photos of Diana. Louis melts my heart every time I look at him! Have never taken to a royal baby like this before, and photos of relatives' babies generally leave me cold, so I don't know what it is, he is just special.

Kate has been my biggest influence in recent years. While much of her wardrobe is beyond my means, I do own two Buckley poppy brooches and was overjoyed this week to find a pair of Air Force blue leather gloves to match my Air Force blue handbag.

RE the driving, it's standard for the RF, Harry was pictured behind the wheel as a primary aged child and so was James Severn just a couple of years ago.

Hairydilemma - I was just trying to work I out (and can't as I've had one nights sleep in three as ds1 is in hospital) but I think I've been abroad (1 year) then down south more than I was living up north.

In fairness to William, in video he seems very very chatty and friendly when he does engagents. I suspect the impression is because he lives such a private life and allows no one in. Charles has allowed cameras around him countless times. He's allowed them into his homes and into his meetings and on the road with him. He's much more open to letting people see inside.

Harry used to be more open too, but now that door seems to have slammed shut.

So basically if you didn't see a video of William at an engagement, you would have little sense of him at all. That can give the impression of him being like a unicorn in a storybook, rarely seen and rather rarified and sensitive and easily alarmed.

YearOfYouRemember so sorry to hear your DS is in hospital ... may he be fully recovered and back home with you very soon

Thank you Puzzled.. He's really quite poorly. I think Christmas will be much changed.

While reading up to date I had a thought. Does Harry have to bow to William ?

My DC could drive from a young age thanks motorbikes and quad bikes and family businesses.

YearOfYouRemember I'm really sorry, I hope he will be on the mend soon

Not sure about bowing - did Princess Margaret curtsey to the Queen? That'd be the best guide, I guess.