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The royal family
Original poster

Who advised the Queen to walk into the Abbey escorted by Andrew??

996 replies

TinyTortoise · 29/03/2022 13:07

This seems to be the most tone deaf and damaging decision. It's a public facing event with international leaders and royals. If it was a closed family gathering I could understand it - he is her son still- but why on earth would they allow him to escort her to her seat?! He should be invisible from now on and never represent the RF again. He could have attended and stood somewhere out of the way. She could have chosen anyone to escort her. It's staggeringly awful!

OP posts:
Linnette49 · 29/03/2022 17:48

Totally agree gogohm.

JinglingHellsBells · 29/03/2022 17:49

@BoredZelda

He's her son, it's his dad's memorial. He's also the only one who is single (well publicly single who knows in private) . I don't think it means anything more than a son helping his frail mother who is stubborn and won't use a wheelchair.

Won’t be seen in a wheelchair because of how it looks but is happy to be escorted by her son who fraternises with convicted sex offenders and paid off a woman he claims he never met.

Think about the message that sends.

It's the message you want to say it sends.

That is your opinion.

I have no time for Andrew but I dont think it is fair to blame his mother for what he did or how she still loves him.

We don't know the true story of her health and with all the weight loss she's had, who knows what is really going on with her.

Frangiblepins88 · 29/03/2022 17:49

Until a week or so ago they were still discussing how she'd get there. That's not long enough to properly vet anyone who doesn't already have such clearance

$he has entire regiments of able security-cleared young men at her disposal!

merrymelodies · 29/03/2022 17:50

The Queen can't have many years left. She's been loyal, dutiful and hardworking. If she wants Andrew, who is first and foremost her son, to escort her, that's her right and privilege. A privilege any parent should have.

PebbleMillAtOne · 29/03/2022 17:52

Who else would want to walk with him!

balalake · 29/03/2022 17:53

I viewed it as making sure he did not come through the main entrance and meet the Dean and the DofE award holders.

Whenigrowupiwanttobea · 29/03/2022 17:53

Her way of showing that she has forgiven him and he is back in the fold perhaps?

drpet49 · 29/03/2022 17:54

* She clearly doesn’t care. I think it’s sending a message that she still stands by him. Unfortunately I’ve lost all respect I had for the Queen after this whole debacle.*

Me too. I have no time for the queen anymore

Saucery · 29/03/2022 17:58

@Emmyren4 oh no, she would never have been the hand to mouth struggling sort of farmer’s wife, I agree!

PeachesToday · 29/03/2022 17:59

It’s because the royal family don’t respect or care about us.

ParkheadParadise · 29/03/2022 18:00

Today she was letting you all know that the Dirty Bastard will be out with the family celebrating her jubilee later on this year.

Lennybenny · 29/03/2022 18:02

Because he was accused not convicted.
He's her son.

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 29/03/2022 18:04

@NowThatsWhatICall22

It’s bad enough she has to have politicians at this service, those that enforced rules which meant she had to stand alone at her husband’s funeral. So no wonder she wants her family close and not to do this day alone. Her right to choose whoever that should be, it’s her family and a difficult day for her. Any chance we can show a bit of respect for her- as a mother, wife, parent herself- by not continuing this thread? Probably not…
Should have been a private service then.
SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 29/03/2022 18:05

@Lennybenny

Because he was accused not convicted. He's her son.
Should have gone to court then like normal blokes have to.
Alliswells · 29/03/2022 18:05

Absolutely tone deaf. I've lost any respect for the queen. She and the whole firm have sent a big up yours with Andrew having such a senior role today. Horrendous after his scandals, absolutely horrendous

Alliswells · 29/03/2022 18:07

@PeachesToday

It’s because the royal family don’t respect or care about us.
They really don't care do they?
lightisnotwhite · 29/03/2022 18:10

@Emmyren4

I recall she once said she would have liked to live a quiet life on a farm estate but felt her duty was to inherit the Crown. And her father died rather sooner than she would have liked, so she didn’t have the chance to live out of the Royal spotlight for as long as she would have preferred.

@Saucery

I do get that, but I just can't see her as a martyr to her country.

Without the life she inherited, there's no way of knowing what she would have/could have made of herself, but I highly doubt she would have been the places she's been and met the people she's met off her own effort.

She may have wistfully mentioned the quiet country life, but I doubt she could even envision that without the baseline level of privilege she's enjoyed since birth. Would have been so keen to be the struggling farmer or farmer's wife choosing now between heat and food and waiting having to wait six months for a GP appointment and beg for the wheelchair she doesn't want?

But I have to admit, I'm not British and struggle with the whole concept of a monarchy.

But there’s millions of super rich elite people living lives of luxury. Many of them only that way because of dint of birth. None of them have to behave with the restraint and constraints of the Queen.

There are many reasons why a head of state is better as a separate entity to the elected ( or otherwise) government. They perform different roles.

EthelTheAardvark · 29/03/2022 18:12

In many ways it was quite a neat solution - helping her in and out of the side door meant that he avoided the parading out of the front door like the others

This. And maybe no-one wanted to distress a frail 96 year old woman remembering her recently deceased husband?

PeachesToday · 29/03/2022 18:14

@EthelTheAardvark

In many ways it was quite a neat solution - helping her in and out of the side door meant that he avoided the parading out of the front door like the others

This. And maybe no-one wanted to distress a frail 96 year old woman remembering her recently deceased husband?

Maybe Andrew should have thought of that?
ancientgran · 29/03/2022 18:14

I got married in the church next to that statue! And I live very close to you. I absolutely agree with you, I don’t want mince pies to be pagan and idolatrous things again. Oh no not mince pies. I live for that day in September when my favourite iced top mince pies come into stock in Sainsburys.

MissMarpleRocks · 29/03/2022 18:15

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove no solicitor worth their salt would advise their client to proceed & would advise to settle. I’ve done the same for perfectly “normal blokes”.

You clearly don’t know the difference between a civil case in a foreign jurisdiction & a criminal case which he wouldn’t be able to avoid if their was enough evidence to charge him. There clearly isn’t (yet) or he’d have been charged.

I believe he did sleep with her but as a PP has said he was used to having young women throwing themselves at him. He was called Randy Andy when we were young so that nickname didn’t come from nowhere.

Blossomtoes · 29/03/2022 18:16

She may have wistfully mentioned the quiet country life, but I doubt she could even envision that without the baseline level of privilege she's enjoyed since birth. Would have been so keen to be the struggling farmer or farmer's wife choosing now between heat and food and waiting having to wait six months for a GP appointment and beg for the wheelchair she doesn't want?

Because she wouldn’t have to envision that. There were numerous upper class women of her age who have lived quiet lives in the countryside breeding horses and dogs.

Nanalisa60 · 29/03/2022 18:17

Maybe they did it to see how the great unwashed reacted to Andrew taking a major part in the service today, if it went well they would let Andrew attended all the jubilee celebrations, well it has not gone down like a lead balloon!! Even the pro royal press is not impressed!!

Andrew will bring the RF down if he does not realise he just has to disappear.

Xenia · 29/03/2022 18:19

He hasn't been convicted of an offence and he is the only child of hers who is unmarried and it was wise he took her out rather than on to the reception after (as she is not well enough for that part) so I thought it was likely to be her own decision.

UniversalAunt · 29/03/2022 18:23

As much as I have no time for Andrew, keep in mind that he was not charged of a criminal offence. He has not been charged or found guilty of a criminal offence.

A civil suit was brought against him, & as is frequently the case, the matter was settled out of court.

As others have pointed out by helping his elderly frail mother, he was usefully occupied so that his presence was consistent with no public role on behalf of the RF.

His absence at the event would have been more glaring & who would deny a son helping his frail mother at a memorial service for his father.
ASFAI, Andrew was put & kept very firmly in his place.

Today’s ceremony is possibly one of the few times remaining when we will see HMTQ at a public or ceremonial event.

Once Charles succeeds to the throne, there is scant chance Andrew will feature at all in any public or ceremonial event.