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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:
OutTheOtherSideAndBeyond · 30/03/2022 05:43

@PurpleDaisies

I haven't heard people in real life being upset about it.

Two of tomorrow’s front pages

Meanwhile in the real world there’s barely a mention of the service in the Times or the Guardian. People on here usually diss the gutter press/fail/express/mirror etc … until it fuels the fire!!
SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 30/03/2022 06:15

Meanwhile in the real world there’s barely a mention of the service in the Times or the Guardian.

On the contrary, there's a prominant story in this morning's Guardian about Andrew's prominant role.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/mar/29/prince-andrew-plays-prominent-role-in-prince-philip-memorial-service

LoudSnoringDog · 30/03/2022 06:20

He shouldn't be anywhere near public events.

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 30/03/2022 06:23

Unfortunately this Telegraph piece this morning is behind a paywall:

www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2022/03/29/prince-andrews-inclusion-fathers-memorial-reminder-queen-puts/

Headings:

"Prince Andrew’s inclusion at his father’s memorial is a reminder that the Queen puts family first"

"Duke had been thought unlikely to appear at another royal occasion, yet when it comes to The Firm, blood has always been thicker than water"

mathanxiety · 30/03/2022 06:28

Agree 100%, @TinyTortoise.

This wasn't a 'family event' and nobody's business but their own, some knees up at the local, widow and children raising a glass to the memory of dear old dad. It was an official memorial event for Prince Philip.

The word disgraceful springs to mind. It's yet another example of complete self absorption on the part of the RF. Do they really imagine that everyone loves them enough to overlook the gobsmacking stupidity which has been displayed so frequently?

Trafficking victims matter.

mathanxiety · 30/03/2022 06:37

He is her son.

She is not a private individual.

All the privileges, the people bowing and curtseying and calling her Ma'am, the prime minister giving her the weekly roundup of events, the money sent her way year after year, etc, are all contingent on her occupation of a specific constitutional role and have nothing whatsoever to do with herself as a person.

She can't pick and choose when she will be Mrs Battenburg-Windsor and when she will be Her Majesty the Queen. Behind closed doors at home, yes, she is mother and widow. Nobody cares if she has her dinner on a little tea tray while watching Strictly. At a formal memorial to her late consort she is HMQ, and her choice of helper matters.

Eachdaygoesby · 30/03/2022 06:38

@LBFseBrom

Speaking as we were earlier about the media, I was looking online for any more details about the memorial service, not specifically for Prince Andrew, and came across the HateMail headline:

"Charles and William 'dismayed' at disgraced Andrew role in Prince Philip service: Palace insiders tell of senior royals' 'regret and consternation' after shameless duke walked the Queen to her seat - putting himself 'front and centre' as world watched on"

What utter rubbish. I've always believed in freedom of the press but the amount of hatred and rubbish they stir up and then won't let die down, is shameful. Nobody who watched the service would think that but there will be people who latch on to and enjoy the scandal mongering. It's horrifying.

Actually LBFseBrom although the DM is not my favourite paper, I doubt whether one of their senior royal reporters would risk writing a headline like that, mentioning Charles and William directly, without having some sort of verifiable source.
BadgerB · 30/03/2022 06:40

@Nat6999

I honestly wonder if today is one of the last times we will see the Queen in public. If she manages to last to the Jubilee I don't think she will be here this time next year. Much as we all despise PA he will play a part in her funeral & the coronation of PC.
Will he though? It was said that Charles dislikes Andrew even before all this happened. I wouldn't be surprised if Andrew totally vanished from public life. Given the way things have turned out, would it have gone better for Andrew if he'd said, "Yes, I remember Virginia. I thought she was 20. She seemed very willing, and I was divorced"?
Alliswells · 30/03/2022 06:51

How arrogant of PA.

Did he not think for one moment oh hang on I've been involved in a payout of twelve million, been involved with a high profile paedophile and a high profile sex trafficker, maybe I should just slip in quietly. But oh no he's thought fuck y'all I'm PA I'll push myself to be as prominent as I can. No shame.

His advisors and the queen's advisors MUST have pointed out the fuck you message it would send out. The queen and PA just gave everyone a massive big fat middle finger

moomims · 30/03/2022 07:02

Alliswells, I completely agree with you. I'm appalled and wonder if the Queen can be in her right mind.

GreenFingeredNell15 · 30/03/2022 07:04

This was a service paid for by the public purse in a public building. As usual , lately, the Royal Family and their advisors are horrendously tone deaf.

The majority of the public are appalled by Andrews noncing and he should have been kept well out of sight.

The Royal Family are in their jobs by the grace of the people. They would do well to remember that.

Abra1d1 · 30/03/2022 07:06

[quote SpinningTheSeedsOfLove]Meanwhile in the real world there’s barely a mention of the service in the Times or the Guardian.

On the contrary, there's a prominant story in this morning's Guardian about Andrew's prominant role.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/mar/29/prince-andrew-plays-prominent-role-in-prince-philip-memorial-service[/quote]
Front of Times Online too yesterday.

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 30/03/2022 07:07

Apols if this has been linked before, but it is an article by Rhiannon Mills for Sky News which says what many posters have been saying here.

news.sky.com/story/prince-andrews-appearance-by-his-mothers-side-shows-royal-family-believes-he-is-still-one-of-them-12577640

"Prince Andrew's appearance by his mother's side shows Royal Family believes he is still one of them".

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 30/03/2022 07:10

Thanks, @Abra1d1 for the info about the Times coverage.

It does seem to be across all print media as well as across many online news sources both yesterday and today - and not in a good way for the Royal Family.

I think the implications are beginning to sink in about where our Head of State is going with this.

Abra1d1 · 30/03/2022 07:19

The Times also hints that W and C might have tried to intervene, but failed.

It’s been a week of comment pieces about elderly heads of state here and overseas causing consternation.

BadgerB · 30/03/2022 07:19

@beatrixpotterspencil

People dont seem to mind the daily mail when it comes time for them to tell you who to vote for in a general election Grin
And would doubtless do so with bells on if we decided to elect a president...?
EllaB22 · 30/03/2022 07:24

@GreenFingeredNell15

This was a service paid for by the public purse in a public building. As usual , lately, the Royal Family and their advisors are horrendously tone deaf.

The majority of the public are appalled by Andrews noncing and he should have been kept well out of sight.

The Royal Family are in their jobs by the grace of the people. They would do well to remember that.

Agree! The arrogance of all involed does not surprise me on reflection yet is very disappointing.
Swayingpalmtrees · 30/03/2022 07:38

Yes general consensus was that Andrew did this without discussion and pretty much insisted.

So this just shows us what kind of person he is, putting his needs before all else - even his frail mother. It has caused great 'consternation' within the royal family whom will know how badly this will go down with those paying for their service.

I have had enough, as a tax payer. I am done.
I no longer support this charade.

Swayingpalmtrees · 30/03/2022 07:43

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

EdithWeston · 30/03/2022 07:43

We have no idea what really went into the decision-making process, though there have been some ideas expressed about the practicalities of the side entrance (rather than main Royal ceremonial entrance)

And the Queen will surely follow 'never complain, never explain'

Swayingpalmtrees · 30/03/2022 07:46

And maybe that is the problem edith We are entitled to know. We are paying. You wouldn't bankroll anything else without any kind of explanation would you...

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 30/03/2022 07:53

If we truly have a Head of State so weak that she can't say no to a nonce, then I'm out. The monarchy is dead in the water.

MissMarpleRocks · 30/03/2022 07:53

@Swayingpalmtrees

And it is absolutely worth remembering that Andrew was charged with rape of a trafficked young woman who was underage. It was not a few parking fines!

He paid her off, in most circles that is a considered an admission of guilt.

It is therefore obscene that he should pitch up centre stage for any kind of public even with the Queen. It is no wonder the country is outraged. Who the hell does he think he is?

No he wasn’t charged with rape as far as I am aware.

He was a defendant in a civil suit, in a foreign jurisdiction, which may or may not, bear the same burden of proof as a civil court here.

A civil suit in England & Wales requires a lesser burden of proof than a criminal case.

It is not, at all, an admission of guilt to settle a civil case.

Thankyoupeter · 30/03/2022 07:55

@Swayingpalmtrees

And it is absolutely worth remembering that Andrew was charged with rape of a trafficked young woman who was underage. It was not a few parking fines!

He paid her off, in most circles that is a considered an admission of guilt.

It is therefore obscene that he should pitch up centre stage for any kind of public even with the Queen. It is no wonder the country is outraged. Who the hell does he think he is?

He absolutely was not charged with rape of anyone and in your shoes I would be asking for your post to be removed.
EdithWeston · 30/03/2022 07:57

No, I don't think it's a problem, or rather not in the sense you mean. We don't need to know that sort of stuff, no matter how hard some call for it. I simply don't agree that we are entitled to know close details about state of family relationships.

We can see he was treated differently- no formal Royal entrance on camera. We can speculated on why, we can see one model of how to treat one differently without humiliating him at his father's memorial service. And can speculate about other ways that could have been handled, But we don't have any entitlement to the family-based thoughts of any of them.