Queen at 90

[Hepzibar]

Love the monarchy

[zinger00]

My local (Kent) village is all flag-waving and hog-roasting tomorrow. I'm happy to support it as a village and community event as I love many of the actual people I live with around here - but I'm no great monarchist or royalist, not even a meat-eater! - and I dont' like the fancy-dress and the hog-roasting and the mindless patriotism. It seems like some unofficial Tory rally? I will bake a cake on the basis of the streets of people around here I like which have nothing to do with the Queen in my mind - isn't there more to life? Why not just make nice street parties because we all live here and we like it here and it's midsummer / spring / etc?

[zinger00]

I am no great monarchist and no great royalist either. My (Kent) village is out tomorrow, flag-waving, street party hog-roast etc etc. I am happy to bake a cake and to join in but my politics says - join in for the community - I love my village and the people in it, not some fancy dress event for the over-privileged queen. How to make peace in myself without upsetting all Tory braying neighbours?

[AnneEyhtMeyer]

I think it is unfair to compare Kate and Sophie.

Sophie is 51, has been in the family over a decade longer than Kate, was older when she got married, and most importantly married into a junior branch of the family. By the time she and Edward married all of his siblings had already divorced, and the wedding was much more low-key than previous ones and Kate's.

[TinySombrero]

Sophie comes across as both comfortable and professional at public engagements.

The pressure on Kate might be overwhelming to quite a lot of personalities tbh: give her time.

[lem73]

Breward so true. My DM used to call her all kinds of names now she thinks she's best of the lot (after the Queen obviously). I think she has a nice sense of style for a woman her age and she seems to very sincere about the causes she supports.

[breward]

Who would have thought 20 years ago we'd be saying we love Camilla!

I think she has a great style sense and a warm personality. I am glad others love her too.

I think the day the Queen or Prince Philip passes will be devastating for the nation. I think we will feel it for the Queen if Prince Philip goes. My grandparents died a week apart after 64 years of marriage. Grandma dreaded the day she would be on her own and we did too.

Next year the Queen celebrates 70 years of marriage... amazing!

[lem73]

I love Camilla.

[Mrsmorton]

I thought Sophie was great, really natural. Beatrice was just a bit... well she came across as a bit dim. Catherine was trying so hard with her accent it was uncomfortable to watch, she should be more like Sophie. I have a soft spot for Camilla as well. I enjoyed the programme.

[lem73]

It's funny. Sophie Wessex never came across as dying to get her clutches on Edward or trying too hard to do things right. Is that possibly because she was more mature and had achieved something in her life by the time she met Edward?

[carabos]

Watched it on catch up last night. Where were Edward and Anne? Catherine was like a rabbit in the headlights. She's been in post for 5 years now, you'd think she would be better at it than that by now. Contrast Sophie - also from an ordinary background and much more ordinary than Kate - she was very self-assured.

[LizKeen]

But she is 90. 90!!!

You can see the stoop in her walk, she is slowing up physically. Having "away days", "walkabouts", a weekly meeting with the PM (which happens even when she is on "holiday" in Balmoral, and having to oversee dinners and events, and make small talk with hundreds of people...

Yes she has cleaners and cooks and aides, but there is still a lot that she has to oversee. It must be incredibly draining.

[Dfg15]

I wonder why Prince Edward didn't appear?

[Chipstick10]

Mozzachops . Calm down you sound a bit angry

[Yoksha]

OH and I watched this. He said there's going to be a big hole of nothing when she dies. I was like . He never has anything to say on the Monarchy. Charles doesn't seem capable to take over. But they said this about Edward V11 after Queen Victoria passed, and he was a success for the Monarchy. So we can't tell can we?

I'm dreading Queen Elizabeth passing. She's part of the fabric of our lives, and she generates more for our economy than it costs to service her.

[breward]

Just googled. The Queen has not been to Egypt, Morocco, Peru, Madagascar or Cuba ( and quite a few other countries inc Greece as Queen). I could not see Afghanistan or Iraq on the list.

[breward]

We wondered which country David Cameron has been to that the Queen hasn't?

Afghanistan, Iraq?

I don't think she flew in to Camp Bastian to give Harry his Xmas present!

[lem73]

KM seemed uncomfortable. Tbh I've been married to dh for 18 years and I'm not sure I'd have that much to say if someone wanted to interview me about his granny!

[Wheelerdeeler]

Kate did not come off well. Very nervous almost forced. Her accent is ridiculous. William and harry spoke normally. Why Kate thinks she needs an accent is beyond me.

Sophie is just lovely. So natural.

[Hulababy]

But I don't think she can just retire can she? It is a lot more involved int hat and surely would involve abdication, which would be a major big deal to someone who promised to dedicate their life to the country.

[starry0ne]

Well I love the Royal Family..

I think the queen is remarkable...

Kate did come across as really nervous..

[EssentialHummus]

To me, Kate sounded like she was talking about someone she didn't know very well. It's the sort of thing I'd say about Bob from Accounts - "Well he was always so thoughtful and put out that chutney he got as a present..." Got me thinking about how much time she actually spends with the Queen / how much interaction they have.

[Kirriemuir]

I watched bits of it. Kate seemed really uncomfortable but this was last year so the baby couldn't have been that old surely? Her accent did sound put on.

She is 90 but hardly had to work hard in terms of general life has she? That may be sounds horrid, possibly is but she has staff, cleaners, cooks, dressers. Her life isn't the same as any one of us who may still be working at 90, even at 70.

She can retire whenever she wants to. I don't find any of it excessive other than the luxury lifestyle she has.

[LizKeen]

Well she is 90...she should have retired over 20 years ago.

For a 90 year old her job seems excessive to me.

[MozzchopsThirty]

I turned over when some bloke was saying the paperwork 'is really really hard work for the queen'
Fucking hard work my arse, try working a 12 hour shift in a busy ITU that's hard!!'
Paramedics working like dogs that's hard
Junior doctors working silly hours for a pay cut, that's hard

Filling in papers IS NOT HARD WORK it might be time consuming, or boring or tiring but hard work it is not