To find the royal family fascinating part 3

[BishopBrennansArse]

Don’t use it yet just putting it here ready for when part 2 runs out....

I wonder how much this is them insisting and how much is the yes men around them creating a whirl of ridiculousness

A bit of both, I imagine. That, and having no idea what passes for normal in the real world.

Sounds like some courtiers will only take ridiculous orders from the blood Royal Family but don't approve of the women who have married in, diluting the Royal blood with their commoner blood

Don't know about the dilution issue (I'm inclined to think commoner blood would thicken it somewhat!) but as a royal servant I'd be more inclined to make allowances for someone who had been brought up to know no different than someone new to the game who should know better. I wouldn't last five minutes though, I'd be sacked for backchat on day one!

I may be wrong but I suspect the courtiers and sycophants that surround the Royal Family are more desperate to keep to the old traditions than even the Royals, because they feel it gives them some sort of higher status. Agree about the blood. Basic evolution tells you that, but who knows what people think when they live in that kind of atmosphere?

they could probably get their own Tesco puddings! I'd expect Fortnum and Masons at least

I'm pretty sure it used to be Fortnums puddings. Another cost cutting measure, no doubt, but not when it comes to their own spending

And I think you were spot on about what working in that atmosphere might do to someone. I honestly can't imagine handing over quite so much integrity, but I suppose they believe the rewards are worth it? Certainly a job at the palace will look good on a CV ...

Love this thread

Love MM

Surely today is the day....????

Might have this wrong but I'm sure I read somewhere that whenever Charles has a boiled egg they have to prepare three to make sure one is just right.

I think I read somewhere that it was six! I also read that Prince Charles had angrily denied this. However I suspect it's more likely a case of:

• Charles kicks off if his egg is not on his plate within xx minutes of setting down.
• Charles kicks off if his egg is not just how he likes it
• Charles might appear to be about to sit down to breakfast but then get distracted and not do so, meaning that the egg that was put on to boil in anticipation 2 mins ago would now not be right.
• In order to stop Charles kicking off every day, the staff boil 6 eggs to make their life easier.
• Charles outraged at his staff wasting six eggs* but can't understand that sometimes if you want a boiled egg you have to eat it like it turned out that day and just, y'know, cope.

• they probably get eaten in sandwiches for lunch so doubt they are wasted anyway

It’s a bit like a rider for Mariah Carey or JLo
They want their dressing room filled with white roses and 27 jo malone candles plus some kittens to play with in between sets.

The most “out there” story I read about Charles, was about a dinner party he was invited to. Arrangements and planning to find a date suitable enough for Charles took months, the hosts were so delighted , and really planned something special, hired a top chef to prepare the meals. On the day of the dinner party and just a few hours before Charles was expected to arrive , his secretary called to say that Prince of Wales is terribly sorry, some pressing matters came up and it’s impossible for him to attend, it was revealed that the reason was Charles couldn’t find it in himself to leave highgrove gardens ,as it looked so beautiful that day

Might be all made up, or not! But i find it very Charles!

I imagine that some of the servants are more hoity toity than the royals themselves. That tends to happen in that kind of circumstances.

I mean other than as a CV enhancer that’s got to be the main reason people work for them for 30/40/50 years. Anyone with Buck Palace etc could go get a job anywhere fancy earning good money, especially America, yet they stay and wear the daft uniform and get the very standard pay (and very standard accommodation if they live in).

I think it’ll be exactly like it is when you get that person who does well and suddenly forgets who they are and where they come from - everyone has met someone like that!

I mean other than as a CV enhancer that’s got to be the main reason people work for them for 30/40/50 years. Anyone with Buck Palace etc could go get a job anywhere fancy earning good money, especially America, yet they stay and wear the daft uniform and get the very standard pay (and very standard accommodation if they live in).

Yes, years ago i worked at Holyroodhouse as a room attendandant when it was open to the public and because it waa tge Queen's offici reaidence, she stayed there for four nights and would bring this. Ast retenue of staff with her. Tgey were to a mam and woman awful. Ths higher uls were posh rude and completely useless and generally treated us like something they'd trod in. The servants were awful, made no attempt to mix with us sespite invitations to the pub and rebuffed all attempts at chit chat, clearly thinking themselves a cut above.

A gay colleague from that job, went down south and got a job on the household side, he did mention another upside to the job, he thought he'd died and gone to gay heaven.

I personally think MM imagines that she has to go in laying down the law and not taking 'nonsense' from staff, so she threw her weight around to impress. Not realising that this is not what you do in this country. It may work in Hollywood, it doesn't work when you are paid for by the British public and have to earn some respect.
I can't be bothered with Charles. I think he's a spoilt petulant waste of space really. When the Queen dies I think all respect for the Monarchy will vanish pretty quickly.

it was revealed that the reason was Charles couldn’t find it in himself to leave highgrove gardens ,as it looked so beautiful that day

It was the sunlight. The light was too beautiful to leave.

@SevenSeas

But don’t forget, Meghan is a lovely person and wasn’t familiar with the royal protocols as she was new to it.
We love 💗 Meghan

If you're not used to dealing with staff, it can be hard to get the right tone in dealing with them, which may explain MM's difficulty to some extent. It doesn't excuse accusing someone of lying though.

I’d love to work in Buckingham palace for about two weeks. Long enough to find out the truth about what’s going on but not so long that you risk getting indoctrinated 🤣

Charles and Andrew's rude and spoilt behaviour The thought of that makes my blood boil. I can't stand that people who exploit their positions. In my dh's country, it's common for middle class people to have maids, cooks, drivers etc. I have seen some appalling behaviour towards staff.

Another MM thread just got deleted so lets be careful on this one.

The mix of chat, sex chair, Gazza and the likes has kept them going so far. Be a shame to lose it if the comments from that thread decamp to this one.

And now I have the sex chair ear worm again.... (not envy)

I’ve got the Sex Chair earworm again.
And I’m now imagining the accompanying music video, starring a stick man with a stiffy wearing nowt but a crown.

You should see someone about that

I've forgottrn her name but one of Charles' secretaries wrote a book about her time with him. It was funny and fascinating because she had a massive crush on him. She claimed she was fired after 10 years because he was chatty with her and Camilla got annoyed. She was fired for being 'too familiar' which is a cardinal sin. She said that traveling overseas as part of his team made her feel terribly grand and entitled herself. It's a good read - I think her name is Sarah someone. I'll see if I can find the title.

Published in the U.K. @Daisypie ? That sounds quite bizarre.

Found it! The Palace Diaries by Sarah Goodall. www.amazon.com/Palace-Diaries-Twelve-Prince-Charles-ebook/dp/B0077D8OJC?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Well worth a read.

Ha! I knew it would be published abroad. Same with news stories. The rest of the world always knows more about our royals are up to than we do.

I wonder whether the non-disclosure agreements that staff sign, can be entirely ignored outside of the U.K.?

A gay colleague from (Holyrood), went down south and got a job on the household side, he did mention another upside to the job, he thought he'd died and gone to gay heaven

Yes I've read before that many of the palace staff are gay - there's also a story around this concerning the Queen Mum:

Thirsty one night, she apparently called down to a group of staff "I don't know about you old queens, but this old Queen would like a drink" [

I don't know how true it is, but I read a thing once that said that one of the reasons that there were historically so many gay staff at the palaces was because the royals turned a blind eye to what the staff got up to. In the days when homosexuality was illegal this basically guaranteed that the staff concerned kept to the secrets act because had their activities been reported in turn they'd have been in trouble (plus also the associated shame and issues at the time).

A kind of 'you scratch my back and i'll scratch yours' kind of agreement.