Why is Andrew allegedly the Queen's "favourite son"?

[Stiffcondomhat]

I have read this a few times over the years and yesterday mentioned in most media outlets.
The Queen seems like a sensible sort with good judgement, and he has this reputation as a sleazy lazy twonk.
Of course I know from mn about the golden child syndrome who is actually pretty useless, but surely the Queen is above such things?
If anyone has any ideas on this I'd love to know because I'm stumped! (I'm also procrastinating because I'm on a deadline)

What scandals has Mike Carling been involved in? Is he related to the Will Carling who allegedly had a short fling with Diana?

@AllThePogs Not all of us follow the royal family news/gossip so closely. I had no clue that there were these so-called scandals following Zara’s marriage. And why does it even matter?

To be quite honest, for a long time I had no idea how Zara was linked to the royal family until the 2012 Olympics. Apart from William and Harry, I didn’t know the names of all the queen’s grandchildren until I heard of Peter fairly recently because of Philip’s funeral proceedings and then suddenly a few posters mentioned Peter’s businesses deals in China.

@WatchMyChops it doesn't matter. But I object to a poster talking as if Mike has been a perfect Royal never involved in any scandals. Because it is not true.

Stop being unkind about Zara! She grew up and lives in the place I work and is often seen around and about. She is very pleasant and down to earth

It’s not about whether she is ‘pleasant and down to earth’. It’s about her benefiting from her royal connections. Got that?

Zara is not part of ‘royal life in the official capacity. She is living and working independently, her and Mike are doing their own thing

But they aren’t, are they? Would Zara have been given a lucrative non-exec director role at Cheltenham if she were not royal? Of course not. Would she have endorsement deals with Rolex and Land Rover if she was just an equestrian fromGloucestershire with no royal connections? Again, of course not.

@Iamthewombat

Stop being unkind about Zara! She grew up and lives in the place I work and is often seen around and about. She is very pleasant and down to earth

It’s not about whether she is ‘pleasant and down to earth’. It’s about her benefiting from her royal connections. Got that?

Zara is not part of ‘royal life in the official capacity. She is living and working independently, her and Mike are doing their own thing

But they aren’t, are they? Would Zara have been given a lucrative non-exec director role at Cheltenham if she were not royal? Of course not. Would she have endorsement deals with Rolex and Land Rover if she was just an equestrian fromGloucestershire with no royal connections? Again, of course not.

I'm afraid that's the way of the world of business. Rolex and Land Rover wouldn't hire jenny from the stables down the road. I take it you've never seen adverts which feature Olympic athletes e.g. the Brownlie brothers, Jessica Ennis Hill, Katerina Johnson-Thompson. In fact sports stars throughout the decades. Here's a digital spy thread about it. forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/479234/sports-stars-in-adverts The British public voted Zara Sports Personality Of The Year. I think she's fab

[quote AllThePogs]@WatchMyChops it doesn't matter. But I object to a poster talking as if Mike has been a perfect Royal never involved in any scandals. Because it is not true.[/quote]
The way you use the word 'scandals' is hilarious. He got drunk and started flirting with other women. I'm wondering why you care. I think Zara gave him a good bollocking. They now seem very happy

@derxa there was far more alleged than that as you know.

[quote AllThePogs]@derxa there was far more alleged than that as you know.[/quote]
Really? You seem very clued up on this. Can I suggest that it's none of your business.

But they aren’t, are they? Would Zara have been given a lucrative non-exec director role at Cheltenham if she were not royal? Of course not. Would she have endorsement deals with Rolex and Land Rover if she was just an equestrian fromGloucestershire with no royal connections? Again, of course not.

Those deals are more likely to have come from being an Olympic medal winner in equestrian events than from being royal, just the same as other Olympic medalists who go on to land lucrative deals. Jeez, those republican specs.

Of course not. Would she have endorsement deals with Rolex and Land Rover if she was just an equestrian fromGloucestershire with no royal connections?

Yes, they are the sponsors of the major three day events - a sport in which she is an Olympic gold medalist. Non-royals have held these equestrian based endorsements before, off the top of my head Lucinda Prior-Palmer and Richard Meade did for years.

I'm afraid that's the way of the world of business. Rolex and Land Rover wouldn't hire jenny from the stables down the road. I take it you've never seen adverts which feature Olympic athletes e.g. the Brownlie brothers, Jessica Ennis Hill, Katerina Johnson-Thompson. In fact sports stars throughout the decades

Oh, that will be why all those other Olympic equestrians and champion jockeys, many of whom were far more successful in winning medals and races than Zara Tindall, have been given well-paid grace and favour directorships by Cheltenham, right? Except that they haven’t.

That will explain why Katarina Johnson-Thompson has pulled in all those luxury brand endorsements, will it? Except she hasn’t. She, and Jessica Ennis-Hill, are far more impressive athletes. Jessica got some decent deals after her 2012 olympic gold, but nothing like as lucrative or as long-lasting as the deals Zara got with her team silver at the same games. Why was that? It couldn’t be because Zara is royal, could it? Surely not!

Can I suggest that it's none of your business.

I am forced to conclude that you are having a laugh. Nobody must criticise your royal darlings. Their doings are none of our business. Avert your eyes, peasants.

[quote AllThePogs]@WatchMyChops it doesn't matter. But I object to a poster talking as if Mike has been a perfect Royal never involved in any scandals. Because it is not true.[/quote]
No, I think what you really object to is a royal being talked about positively because they are royal.

Jessica Ennis-Hill has (or has had) British Airways, Adidas, Proctor and Gamble and Vitality

Katherine Johnson Thompson (noted as the 'most marketable') has/has had Nike and Nissan

I don't know how the worth of those deals stacks up, but they are getting them

Rolex and Landrover have sponsored equestrians for decades,
Different brands choose different events.

I don't so much about racing, but being a local, Olympic equestrian and an owner seems a reasonable match - who else have they had of late?

@Iamthewombat

Can I suggest that it's none of your business.

I am forced to conclude that you are having a laugh. Nobody must criticise your royal darlings. Their doings are none of our business. Avert your eyes, peasants.

Mike Tindall isn't royal

I just looked at the Rolex website. The equestrians they sponsor are:

• a German who is the first woman to be no. 1 in the world, and who has won three Olympic medals at three separate games.
• a German woman who is the world’s most successful dressage rider, having won six Olympic golds at five separate Olympic Games.
• a male Canadian Olympic champion
• a male, French, Olympic gold medalist
• an American male world no 1
• a Scottish male grand slam winner
• two separate Swiss male gold medalists, both of whom have recently been world No 1
• Er, Zara Tindall

Are you seriously suggesting that ol’ Zara, with her team silver from 2012, measures up to that lot? Why is she the only British woman attracting sponsorship when her medal is ten years old? It couldn’t be because she is royal, could it?

Mike Tindall isn't royal

I haven’t said a word about Mike Tindall. Not just because I consider him unspeakable. I expect that he is enthusiastically maximising his wife’s royal connections, though.

Are you seriously suggesting that ol’ Zara, with her team silver from 2012, measures up to that lot?

Youve missed that she was World Champion, and yes she does measure up. Also that she was forced to miss 2x Olympics because her horse was injured, but was winning everything else. And yes, she is held in that high regard.

@Iamthewombat

Mike Tindall isn't royal

I haven’t said a word about Mike Tindall. Not just because I consider him unspeakable. I expect that he is enthusiastically maximising his wife’s royal connections, though.

unspeakable He was part of England's winning Rugby World Cup team. From Wiki Tindall has appeared as the host for a number of charity sporting events, including a golf classic sponsored by the Legion Foundation every year to raise money for the on Course Foundation and Rugby for Heroes.[46] In 2012, Tindall became the charity ambassador for The Midlands Air Ambulance.[47]

In late 2013, Tindall became a brand ambassador for online trading company UFXMarkets.[48] Since 2013, Tindall has been hosting a charity golf day annually called ISPS HANDA Mike Tindall Celebrity Golf Classic with people from fields including rugby, golf and entertainment.[49][50] It aims to raise funds for charities helping people with disabilities and curing Parkinson's disease, such as the Matt Hampson Foundation and the Cure Parkinson's Trust, and also those involving military personnel making the transition to civilian life such as Rugby for Heroes.[51][52] Tindall is also the principal patron of both the Matt Hampson Foundation and Rugby for Heroes.[53][54]

In April 2015 Tindall became a brand ambassador for online bookmaker Betway.[55]

Tindall has been increasing his involvement with Right To Play since his introduction to their work in 2015. In October 2015, he visited one of their programmes in Accra, Ghana, which he said had a profound effect on him.[56] In December 2016, Tindall was announced as an Athlete Ambassador for the charity Right To Play UK,[57] which uses play to educate and empower children to overcome the effects of poverty, conflict and disease in disadvantaged communities.

In January 2018, he participated in And They're Off! in aid of Sport Relief.[58]

@Iamthewombat

Mike Tindall isn't royal

I haven’t said a word about Mike Tindall. Not just because I consider him unspeakable. I expect that he is enthusiastically maximising his wife’s royal connections, though.

I can think of one or two others who are doing that so a bit unfair to single him out.

Both Mike and Zara have had achievements in the world of sport, I would imagine Zara doesn’t stand for any nonsense (takes after her mother) he seems to be very hands on with the children at public events so I think, as royal marriages go, they make a pretty good match.

I am having a great laugh at the Tindalls’ enthusiastic toadies. The royal family must love people like you. Not only do you know your place, which is beneath them, you love it.

Have you culled your hagiography of Mike Tindall from Wikipedia? You do know that prop,e get to write their own self-regarding entries, don’t you? Not that the royal family need to, with enthusiastic cheerleaders like you.

@Iamthewombat

Have you culled your hagiography of Mike Tindall from Wikipedia? You do know that prop,e get to write their own self-regarding entries, don’t you? Not that the royal family need to, with enthusiastic cheerleaders like you.

Which bits aren't true? Do you know? I'm a toady and cheer leader? No I'm part of over 60% of the UK population who wants the royal family to continue. MN and Twitter are not representative of the general population.

Some links
www.righttoplay.org.uk/en-uk/national-offices/national-office-uk/whats-new/legendary-england-rugby-player-mike-tindall-joins-right-to-play-as-an-athlete-ambassador/
www.midlandsairambulance.com/news-and-campaigns/news/mike-tindall-to-join-bike4life-ride-out/
rugbyforheroes.org.uk/2021/07/07/battle-of-the-codes-the-return/

I am having a great laugh at the Tindalls’ enthusiastic toadies.

I’m not monarchist but I am having a great laugh at some of the republicans and their cries of ‘off with their royal heads’.