I wonder if reconciliation is possible?

[sunnyblackwidow]

With Prince Philip now gone, the queen not as robust as she once was and grieving her loss, Prince Charles looked distraught today, Harry with a new baby on the way, memories of Diana's funeral today....I wonder if now isn't the perfect time for them to just all get together show their love for each other and clear the air (perhaps without Meghan's presence as she seems to inflame things).

I think it'll be telling how long Harry chooses to stay in the UK before he returns to the US (a clear indication of whether he's willing to hang around for a little while to mend fences or rush back home to Meghan and Oprah and Gail) I really wish the best for them all, family is everything but I'm not holding my breath.

Which Palaces would you off-load?

While it might seem odd for Zara or Peter to take on RF roles purely based on the order of succession. But their mum is higher respected than B&Es dad.

I don't really think you can be a part-time with other job type Royal. It's irregular shifts involving travel.
That said no reason the partners need to be involved other than occasion banquets.

It would definitely mean engagements need to be reduced, they've already lost Andrew, Harry and Meghan, and over the next 5-10 years the Queen, her working cousins and spouses (4 -Duke and Dss of Gloucester/Duke of Kent/Princess Alexandra) will either no longer be with us or be significantly winding down. At some point we'll ultimately be left with Charles/Camilla/William/Kate, supported by Anne, Edward and Sophie, which will be a reduction of just over half the numbers the RF had at their peak. These minor royals get very little press attention at their engagements to be fair, and most people don't know they exist, but it would still mean a definite reduction in numbers.

@Viviennemary

I think Beatrice and Eugenie should be drafted in. They are quite presentable and know what's expected. Still we shall have to wait and see what they come up with. Charles and William are meant to be having a meeting about it in the next few weeks. According to that Oracle the DM. So it must be right.

They have been doing more, but they are both mothers of young children and I think in modern times it’s hoped to have a better family/work balance.

I think Charles and William are thinking a lot about how to manage the RF for modern times and slimming things down is a huge part of that.

Buckingham Palace. None of them like living there. It must cost a fortune to maintain. They’ve been overwhelmed with applications to get into the gardens this summer. Give it to the National Trust or English Heritage or something. They can still book it out for the occasional balcony wave if they want to.

Frogmore House. Holyrood.

There's slimming it down to keep it lean and then there getting to skin and bone that it can't really function.

10 years time it will be down to 4 full-time Royals. W&K, Ed&S. HMQ will be gone, Charles, Camilla & Anne will all be showing down.
Harry deserting must feel like a massive blow to William.

I think the government will eventually end up opening up Buckingham Palace to tourists all year round - indications are that the Queen won't return to living at Buckingham Palace and I doubt the other royals will stay on without her - as PP said, no one seems to like it. The royals don't personally own Frogmore House/Holyrood and I don't think they will ever use them again. No one has lived at Frogmore House since the early 20th century. Holyrood is absolutely beautiful but the royals only seem to use it for one or two weeks a year and I doubt they would miss it.

For what it's worth, the tabloids have reported that Harry has already returned home.

Is that so? i''m sorry but it is understandable given his wife is pregnant and he has a small child.

Last I read he was going to stay for his grandmother's birthday but you can't trust the press.

Whatever I wish him well and hope he and his family will visit often.

Apparently he’s home now. I’d imagine he’d have had to do a PCR test before returning to the US so that’s why didn’t return straight away.

why do we need more royals working? couldn't W & K just actually work?

I'll give you that Frogmore House could probably go. But Holyrood is used occasionally and it's already open to the public.

The reason you need more working Royals than just W&K, Ed&S is because I don't know what power Kate and Sophie would hold in their own right. And it wouldn't take much for both William and Ed to be sick / unavailable at the same time.

This is the ideal opportunity to keep it slimmed down, not wheel in B&E to bring the numbers back up.

It's not getting rid of anyone and causing an outcry, it's a natural slimming down.
I really don't think B&E should be doing royal duties, unfair though it is, they are forever tainted by their father and mother probably but they don't actually have a good record as far as excess (15 holidays a year for Bea!). I like them, I feel sorry for them given what's gone on with their parents but I think they will lead happy lives away from frontline duties and that's the way it should be.

Can anyone really see George becoming King? I can’t. I just don’t think anyone will want a monarchy in forty or fifty years.

Andrew is one of the reasons I don't think William would turn to B&E.

He's closer to Zara and Peter who although lower in the pecking order are more likely to be the steady hands that he needs and trusts.
Just because they don't have titles doesn't mean they can't be given them.

@Roussette

This is the ideal opportunity to keep it slimmed down, not wheel in B&E to bring the numbers back up. It's not getting rid of anyone and causing an outcry, it's a natural slimming down. I really don't think B&E should be doing royal duties, unfair though it is, they are forever tainted by their father and mother probably but they don't actually have a good record as far as excess (15 holidays a year for Bea!). I like them, I feel sorry for them given what's gone on with their parents but I think they will lead happy lives away from frontline duties and that's the way it should be.

Agree!

Yes me too.

@Roussette

This is the ideal opportunity to keep it slimmed down, not wheel in B&E to bring the numbers back up. It's not getting rid of anyone and causing an outcry, it's a natural slimming down. I really don't think B&E should be doing royal duties, unfair though it is, they are forever tainted by their father and mother probably but they don't actually have a good record as far as excess (15 holidays a year for Bea!). I like them, I feel sorry for them given what's gone on with their parents but I think they will lead happy lives away from frontline duties and that's the way it should be.

All excellent points, especially about B and E. A natural slimming down is fine.

I agree - Beatrice and Eugenie always seem pleasant but it has been intended for a long time to not include them in royal duties. Apparently Andrew wanted bigger roles for them but I can’t imagine he has too much say now.

On the subject of the reconciliation - it doesn’t look too positive now that Harry has hot-footed it back to the US. A thing like this can’t be resolved in five minutes - it will probably take years for some thawing. Feelings must be very raw right now.

@ohforarainyday

I don't care what people say about me but I've often noticed that pro-royalists will whip up a storm of outrage whenever someone raises uncomfortable questions they'd rather pretend didn't exist.

In this case:

Why on earth did Will and Kate choose to give the plum job of CEO of their charitable foundation - a job that surely requires an absolutely unblemished record and scrupulous honesty and trustworthiness - to a man with a history of breaking NDAs, giving private copyrighted documents to the tabloids, leaking to the press, having dubious relationships with tabloid journalists/editors, stabbing his bosses in the back, fucking up hiring decisions, and generally doing a piss poor job of his actual job?

Which palace insider repeated Kate and Meghan's private conversation at the dress fitting to the tabloids in the first place?

What palace insider leaked Harry's plans to leave to the press, before they could be announced?

Why was Christian Jones not fired when his partner was exposed as selling royal stories for cash? Why was there not an investigation?

Why did Will over-react so massively to an innocuous little story that didn't even mention him?

When KP issued a press release decrying Tatler's horrible article attacking Kate, how come the only part of the article they had edited out was a fairly benign paragraph about the Cambridges' Norfolk neighbours (which mentioned Rose and several other neighbours) from the Tatler article, and none of the stuff that was actually about Kate?

It's exactly like in the last thread, the minute I asked the poster claiming to have official RF evidence to post a link to it, she and several other posters ramped up the name-calling and insults in an attempt to derail the thread and detract attention away from the fact she simply couldn't provide the information she claimed to have.

On here you will wait forever for an answer to your questions. The same posters that jump on anything about H&M, keep quiet when it comes to W and his shenanigans, or try to distract talking about B&E - quick let's change the subject.
Happens every time.

As for a reconciliation, it can only happen when W stops leaking negative stories about H&M.

And as for having a go at Gayle King, anything to disparage those who do not talk negatively about H&M.

It was W who first leaked the story to Roya Nikkah about the private phone call. Infact, GK and others were responding to that Sunday Times article, and disputing that things were alright.

Difference is that from now on, W had to get used to the fact that H can now answer back to W 'palace source' leaks if he want to, and he has people that have names and face instead of a shady 'source' in the background.

"I think Charles and William are thinking a lot about how to manage the RF for modern times and slimming things down is a huge part of that."

It's always going to be hard for someone like Harry whose position within the RF changes so much isn't it & others come up to replace?

So from GS to son to brother to Uncle.

And it is a bit like we expect you to support us whilst we want &then fade away when no longer wanted, but you won't necessarily get the chance to do a job of your choosing when we no longer want you either.

Harry was in a position where he was have making a difference like with the Invictus Games and Mental Health stuff along with supporting his Dad and Brother.

He'd be in a similar position to Anne, well respected and able to make a difference with the causes she chooses to support.

But the bottom line is it will take years to rebuild trust with Harry if they ever do rebuild trust.

Well the slimming down has reportedly for some time pre Harry getting married was slimming it down to Prince Charles, William, Kate their kids and Harry.

Therefore if they stick to what they were considering than all thats affected is Harry leaving.

And yes Harry has gone back, and before anyone makes a big deal about him missing the Queens bday, its been reported in media even Charles or William aren't visiting the Queen on her birthday. So nothing to see here.

Yes but Harry leaving does at some point leave a hole.

Question for the Historian's, when King George VI was crowned, what was the size of the working RF? The present Queen and her sister were both children.
Did he have any Aunts / Uncles / Siblings / Cousins who were supporting him?

@Mummy194

And as for having a go at Gayle King, anything to disparage those who do not talk negatively about H&M.

It was W who first leaked the story to Roya Nikkah about the private phone call. Infact, GK and others were responding to that Sunday Times article, and disputing that things were alright.

Difference is that from now on, W had to get used to the fact that H can now answer back to W 'palace source' leaks if he want to, and he has people that have names and face instead of a shady 'source' in the background.

Where do you get this information from regarding leaks?