The Queen at the Royal Windsor Horse Show

[TigerLilyTail]

I've read so much about how she is frail/dying/already dead etc. and I'm so pleased to see her looking happy and animated at the Royal Windsor Horse Show even if she is still not walking around. I hope she will be with us for many more years.

www.bbc.com/news/uk-61437148

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10812857/Queen-smiles-arrives-Royal-Windsor-Horse-Show.html

It's not a job. Here in the UK we have a hereditary monarchy. When a monarch dies, in the very instant of death the next in line to the throne becomes the new monarch. If that monarch decided to spend the remainder of her/his life holed up in one or other of the Royal Castles watching re-runs of Neighbours while working through the contents of the Royal Cellars, that would be her/his prerogative and there wouldn't be a great deal the rest of us could do about it.

Every single time this comes up on MN, I am amazed by people who talk about the Queen as if she has a contract of employment and could be put on performance management if she doesn't come up to scratch. She doesn't and she can't. The job is hers until she draws her last breath whether she carries out any of the traditional duties or not.

Title, I mean, not job - hers to the end.

So pleased to see the photos of her smiling. Made my day ☺️

I was glad to see this too OP. Looking forward to the Jubilee!

Really lovely photos, she looks the healthiest I've seen in a long time! Made me smile a lot.

I think it is lovely to see her looking genuinely happy and having a good day. She's 96 and doing well for that.

That she now has mobility issues is not at all uncommon at her age. My mother is 87 and can't walk far. She can shuffle around her house, but needs either her mobility scooter or her wheelchair when out and about, with myself or my sister to hand.

If you have never suffered with mobility issues or had to take care of someone who does then you might not see the walk through the Palace of Westminster to her throne (up those steps) in the House of Lords and back again as an issue. Believe me, it absolutely would be.

The Queen doesn't want to use a wheelchair or scooter in public. That is her choice to make. It wouldn't bother me at all if she chose to use them, but she is trying not to.

I seem to remember that the late Queen Mother did have a mobility scooter for use in private on royal estates. It wasn't used publicly very often, but she did once or twice use it for her traditional birthday appearance outside Clarence House when she was a similar age to what the Queen is now and walking was difficult for her.

I think it is great that at 96 the Queen is now delegating a number of her more onerous duties to Charles and William. She needs to do that, and they are both more than capable.

Reaching her platinum jubilee is a great thing. It does mean though that she is no longer a spring chicken and reasonable adjustments will have to be planned for. It is uncharted territory for all concerned as she is now the longest reigning monarch we have ever had. There hasn't been a platinum jubilee before, so no real precedent.

Prince Charles or Princess Anne are not spring chickens either. They are both over retirement age.

They certainly are. Not easy running a multimillion pound tax dodge, 27 palaces and all those offshore investments. Still, it must be a relief that her heir has such a firm grasp of estate management and structured finance. The empire is in safe hands, ma'am.

That's true, and I guess when you get to 96 that is also something you encounter - your "children" are becoming elderly too, and many of the "grandchildren" are middle aged.

I'm by no means a fan of the royal family, and honestly wouldn't care if we decided not to have one any more. But there is a real nasty tone to some of these posts.

She's 96 and been ill. It's nice to see her out and enjoying herself.

Of course there's a nasty tone to some of these posts. They're a very nasty family. All this endless lauding of fraudsters and paedo-lovers is baffling. The serfs really do love bling and ceremony that much, they'll forgive anything.

Never mind, I do still wonder. Would be good, if she could actually do something about her Government, and their handling of the cost of living crisis. But I guess that would be expecting too much eh?

Never mind, I do still wonder. Would be good, if she could actually do something about her Government, and their handling of the cost of living crisis. But I guess that would be expecting too much eh?

So what you're saying is that you want an unelected ceremonial head of state to interfere with the actions of a democratically elected government?

I'm just glad she was in the car!
I've told this story on here before. I rode a Windsor horse show I was about 9, after my class I was allowed to get an ice cream.

I was walking alongside the main ring, enjoying my ice cream,when a man elbowed me out the way. I fell over, ice cream rolled off in to the grass.

It was the Queen walking past flanked by her security
I remember looking at her,and her looking at me, and thinking she going to pull him up but she just kept walking!
And I got in trouble for getting grass stains on my jodphurs. Never liked her after that.

A word in the ear type thing, you know like Carrie most likely does? To you know, help people suffering right now. I see no problem with that. All this "my Government" this,and that twaddle.

So since you believe it's OK for an unelected head of state to try to influence government policy, you'd also 'see no problem' if she put 'a word in the ear' for a policy you don't agree with?

And you do know she doesn't actually write the opening of parliament speech?

I know that she continues to live in opulence, whilst people will be having to choose whether to eat or heat come next Winter. People going hungry now, but not too worry about that.

I don't think you understand what the role of the monarch involves, and what it does not involve.

My understanding or lack of, is neither here nor there. The fact remains that this Country is in crisis, all the while the the Royal Family, and the Government do little to nothing to help people. Maybe this is not the thread for talking about that, posters on here seem more concerned if the Queen should use a mobility scooter.

She is 96, grieving and the boss.

She can pick and choose and likes horses more than people and her granddaughter was taking part.

I’m not a royalist but it’s good to see her out and about looking well.

I know that she continues to live in opulence, whilst people will be having to choose whether to eat or heat come next Winter. People going hungry now, but not too worry about that.

Who does she think she is the bloody.....oh wait, nevermind.

You’ll be working until you are 96 (and counting) then will you?