Prince Andrew has bolted to Balmoral

[Viviennemary]

This according to guess who. The DM of course. To avoid getting papers served says the article. Maybe he's just gone for a nice break. Accompanied by Fergie.

I think the GM trial will happen. She's whined about the 24/7 surveillance already and I really don't think the US authorities are up for another controversial interruption to the process of justice.

I reckon part of any plea deal may well be a new identity/witness protection style disappearance. There are surely a lot of powerful, wealthy vested interests sweating profusely as November draws closer.

They're all utterly revolting.

Can they not see themselves? Does the Queen not have any eyes on the ground, for goodness sake?

They're all utterly revolting.

I cannot disagree with this.

Between the PA horror show, the H&M debacle and Charles's latest attempts to whitewash murky dealings the whole thing is unravelling at an ever accelerating rate.

Can't be long until critical mass...

I just don’t think they see themselves as ordinary people see them. How could they? Their frame of reference is so so different. If you’ve lived in that very cosseted way all your life, never having to think about money, never having to struggle or worry about anything except being bored by the tedium of meeting the plebs, you have a very different outlook. They genuinely think they are special people, on a different level to the rest of us. I think the way Harry has behaved has really brought this home. He just has no idea at all what an entitled prat he sounds. He’s so used to being coddled and indulged he genuinely can’t see how spoilt he is.

A colleague’s brother in law is high up in the Police says there is a huge amount of evidence against him but he’ll never be charged - it is what it is.

Disgusting!

@CathyorClaire

They're all utterly revolting.

I cannot disagree with this.

Between the PA horror show, the H&M debacle and Charles's latest attempts to whitewash murky dealings the whole thing is unravelling at an ever accelerating rate.

Can't be long until critical mass...

Hopefully! I do respect the Queen but when she dies I don’t think anyone will care much about the rest of them.

@Farfalle88 very true.

Really - just fuck ‘em all - makes my blood boil - also, one of my Mum’s friends has nothing to do with her aristocratic family - Mum says she has told her hair raising tales of sexual abuse she endured - her Father was a member of all sorts of elite organisations - she says many were ‘at it’ - wtf is wrong with these people that literally have it all? Ffs - rant over - I hope the sleazy bastard is hung out to dry …

‘ Hopefully! I do respect the Queen but when she dies I don’t think anyone will care much about the rest of them.’

Never a truer word was spoken

Does the Queen not have any eyes on the ground, for goodness sake?

I've no doubt she does, but whether any of them would be comfortable delivering unwelcome news (and whether she'd listen if they did) is something else again

Well fuck them all, then. Any loyalty I may have once felt for the sovereign is long gone.

@Farfalle88
Hopefully! I do respect the Queen but when she dies I don’t think anyone will care much about the rest of them.

I will. I love having a monarchy.

Hopefully! I do respect the Queen but when she dies I don’t think anyone will care much about the rest of them

I think you’re deluding yourself. This is nowhere near critical mass. The Royal Family have a great deal of support in this country. Once the Queen goes Charles will ascend and there will be some natural wastage around the Cousins. I think William will probably be King too as Charles is no spring chicken. William appears popular. Andrew is irrelevant… he just needs to sit the rest of his life out of the public eye but he won’t because he’s too full of his own sell importance. It will be interesting to see how Charles manages him. I’m not particularly a Royalist. ( I think a lot of it is ridiculous) but don’t underestimate their popularity.

The Royal Family have a great deal of support in this country

Not with the younger generation they don't. 41% of 18-24yo want to ditch the monarchy.
I agree with you... Charles and maybe William will take over the throne, but there needs to be a massive sea change because they are leaking popularity with the young people... and they are our future of course.

I think PC realises some of this, he has said for instance, when he becomes King he wants to open up more of the palaces to "transform the royal residences from private spaces to public places".
Quite right too given there are 27 royal residences in the UK.

I think its debatable whether the younger royals will want to be part of the monarchy.

It's almost 70 years since the Queen became Queen, at a time of national and personal trauma. She has huge support from her subjects (even those who class themselves as republicans) because she is seen as being devoted to the job and because she is an enigma on to which people can project their own assumptions. However, that is not easy to sustain, and it's not a choice that Charles will have.

Whatever anyone thinks of Harry and Meghan, I think they told the truth when they talked about how difficult it is to cope with the attention and the restrictions of being Royal.

People talk about loving the monarchy, but it's difficult to understand how it can be anything other than toxic for those involved. The Cambridges seem happy to play the game, and they seem to be good at it, but I think most parents wouldn't want to force their children into that life.

The more we see taxes going up the more anger there is when you see them needing more of tax payers money to fund refurbishments of places like Buckingham Palace. Since they live their fund it themselves. Noones funds my house renovations.

No-one holds state functions in your house either, Dreamstate though, which a large part of what Buckingham Palace is used for (visits from foreign Heads of States, receptions for the diplomatic corps and meetings for incoming and departing diplomats, investiture ceremonies, garden parties for community workers, receptions for charities and people to be celebrated, like Olympians and football teams etc. It’s also an art gallery and open to the public for several weeks a year). Unless we’ve missed that?

I just think the amount of palaces, castles, huge piles and residences they hold is pretty obscene. Do they really need 26?
The upkeep, staffing and continual costs of all of these must be absolutely horrendous.

Here is a rundown of them.

@merrymouse

Great post.

When the queen dies, a lot of respect will die with her I think.

@Roussette

I just think the amount of palaces, castles, huge piles and residences they hold is pretty obscene. Do they really need 26? The upkeep, staffing and continual costs of all of these must be absolutely horrendous.

Here is a rundown of them.

There was a photo of Royal Lodge a few days ago on TV. It is ENORMOUS. Two people living there ! Although I think Beatrice lives there now too. Andrew does nothing useful, and never has done. Fergie is an embarrassment. It’s obscene.

@Divebar2021

Hopefully! I do respect the Queen but when she dies I don’t think anyone will care much about the rest of them

I think you’re deluding yourself. This is nowhere near critical mass. The Royal Family have a great deal of support in this country. Once the Queen goes Charles will ascend and there will be some natural wastage around the Cousins. I think William will probably be King too as Charles is no spring chicken. William appears popular. Andrew is irrelevant… he just needs to sit the rest of his life out of the public eye but he won’t because he’s too full of his own sell importance. It will be interesting to see how Charles manages him. I’m not particularly a Royalist. ( I think a lot of it is ridiculous) but don’t underestimate their popularity.

They really don’t have any support from young people. Most don’t even know who is who. They are a complete irrelevance to those under 30. I agree that for many older people they matter. That’s because of the Queen.

@Serenster

No-one holds state functions in your house either, Dreamstate though, which a large part of what Buckingham Palace is used for (visits from foreign Heads of States, receptions for the diplomatic corps and meetings for incoming and departing diplomats, investiture ceremonies, garden parties for community workers, receptions for charities and people to be celebrated, like Olympians and football teams etc. It’s also an art gallery and open to the public for several weeks a year). Unless we’ve missed that?

She has more than one place to stay! Its not her only residence.

All of those coukd carry on their without a monarchy.

If she wants to live in it she should contri up to the costs if not all of it a substantial amount

Why should we now have our taxes increased ro fubd it. Where do you think the exta money will come from? So they have asked for the amount they get from the sovereign grant ( taxpayers money) to be in increased to 25% to pay for it.

The sovereign grant will need to get it us, ergo taxes go up or if they don't its tkane from elsewhere...which services will lose out?

Either way its lose lose for us who go out and work a full time job, pay taxes and dint even get the best medical care on tap, eat the best food etc.

That money could of been used better to improve our care services or something else. She has an obscene amount of jewels, she doesn't need all of them either. They don't generate any income of us. Sell some off.

We are expected to sell off our assets to fund stuff.

It’s not that I think anyone’s wrong about the wealth etc but we have an unequal society anyway. Even if you were to remove the Royal Family somehow and distribute the money the space would be filled by Russian Oligarchs or other hugely wealthy individuals seizing power. The US doesn’t have Royalty instead they have Kennedy’s and Trumps. At least the RF operate (overall )under a certain standard of behaviour. PC is never going to a rally a hoard to storm Westminster.

The monarch isn't going anywhere, regardless of who's head the crown is on. The UK has had a monarch since its inception. It's a fundamental part of our laws, society and armed services.

Now the "extended" this is where Charles will gain popularity. We all know he's going to slim that right down. And rightly so. I doubt he will be able to remove what people already have (think Anne and co) but his immediate line of succession. He can and will.

H and M will get the boot, and funding will be for direct heirs.

Residencies will be opened up and it will be a caveat for those still living in the to cooperate with this or move out and fund yourself.

This is how Charles plans to boost popularity and modernise the monarchy. And what a gift Andrew has been, the person expected to stamp and shout the loudest has been silenced by his behaviour. Perfect for Charles, no dealing with Andrews objections because quite frankly the FBI are one call away.