Prince Andrew BACK in the royal fold

[tatalan]

How do you feel about this development?

I think the way he was willing to drag down his mother’s legacy at the end of her life to try and get back “in” says it all

Yes I do agree with that, any normal person would want to spare his family the embarrassment. He is obviously very stupid and has the skin of a rhinoceros.

When Novella says that 'Kate is positively inching forward to make sure her smirk is captured in the photograph.', that is not fact. It is opinion.

To me, it's not unlike a sentence from one of the most partial and tawdry tabloids, with an unproven description of a movement and a sneering word thrown in.

Always has done I think. I do blame the media for indulging him for so long.... the Playboy Prince, Randy Andy, the handsome one, the dashing one... and so on.

When in fact he was just an entitled oaf.

I don't think there will ever be a coming back for him. Public opinion won't allow it. And it seems that the furore surrounding the carcrash interview will never go away.
A new US 2 parter just aired/airing
"Secrets of Prince Andrew" tells the inside story of Andrew's scandal-plagued life, including the disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in November 2019 that shook the monarchy to its core."

2024 sees the film 'Scoop'. Same subject. Rufus Sewell, Romola Garai, Amanda Redman, Gillian Anderson, Keeley Hawes to name but a few starring in it.

Here is Rufus Sewell on the left playing Andrew, unnamed actor on the right playing Epstein.
Not bad likenesses I have to say

Agreed Rousette and if he really thinks there’s any way back for him then he really is the stupidest bloke on earth.

I think he will keep trying!

And he will always be present at the royal occasions of which there are many. I don't really care about that, because it is a gauge of public opinion always afterwards. And just reinforces that unlike Arnie, he won't return!

upinaballoon · Today 13:31
When Novella says that 'Kate is positively inching forward to make sure her smirk is captured in the photograph.', that is not fact. It is opinion.

Absolutely!
But this is from someone who always refers to the PofW "Willie" (cos it sounds a bit rude, don't yer know)

But you'd be in for a verbal bashing if you interpreted any picture of H or M with the same sneering irrelevance.

Properties like Balmoral and Sandringham are not publicly funded in terms of staff and upkeep

Not something I'd want to assume, TBH - not when you consider the late Queen was trying to dip into a deprivation fund for palace heating

And please don't anybody say "that was the staff and she'd have known nothing about it"
As in most organisations, the tone comes from the top

Yep and similar thing as to what happens to Meghan and all women… every single facial expression is a “smirk”

really good post (apart from the Kate bit)

@Puzzledandpissedoff It’s not something I’m assuming, it’s a statement of fact. Unlike some Royal Palaces these two are privately owned and funded.

He didn't even wait until his father's body was cold before commissioning a new Admirals outfit for his dressing up box, then he wasn't allied to wear it to his funeral! Serves him right!

I know, hippyhippybake, and wasn't disputing your retelling of what's been stated ... the bit I wouldn't want to assume is whether it's true or not, given the family's taste for gouging public money at every opportunity

Properties like Balmoral and Sandringham are not publicly funded in terms of staff and upkeep

Didn't stop her late maj hustling any government grant she could:

Queen handed tens of thousands in taxpayer subsidies for her Balmoral estate | The National

@CathyorClaire yup, entitled to exactly the same grants and subsidises as every other farmer/ land owner in the country.

It rather sticks in the craw when a multi multi millionaire signs up for this sort of thing. There is no need when you are in the position of being one of the wealthiest monarchs in Europe. (Note... I said 'one of'. I don't need facts and figures on that statement!)

Remember Victoria Beckham applying for covid furlough relief for her staff? She soon changed her mind on doing that.
Quite rightly

yup, entitled to exactly the same grants and subsidises as every other farmer/ land owner in the country.

You could have stopped at 'entitled' but in any case it's not a strong argument when she was the only farmer in the country whose family was (and still is) milking millions upon millions from the nation's purse year in year out.

Remember Victoria Beckham applying for covid furlough relief for her staff? She soon changed her mind on doing that.
Quite rightly

Unlike the foul Mike Tindall (also worth many millions) who didn't.

The Sovereign’s wealth pales into insignificance when compared to that of the large number of billionaires who are in receipt of land subsidies, forestry grants etc.

Aye The National, mouthpiece of the SNP. Balmoral is a working estate and needs to pay workers to keep it going. I get the LF payments. You either want food to be produced by British farmers or you don't. People on here want the UK to be turned into a rewilded theme park open to every citizen. This is also the Tory party's attitude as well.

I’m bowing out of this now but I do find it interesting that the anti monarchy argument seems to largely rest on innuendo, insults, smears and exaggeration rather than actual facts.

I’m not British and I have spent quite a bit of time reading up on the subject in an effort to make up my mind. I’m left surprised at how poor the Republican side is in actually presenting and documenting a clear factual argument in favour of abolishing the monarchy.

The Sovereign’s wealth pales into insignificance when compared to that of the large number of billionaires who are in receipt of land subsidies, forestry grants etc.

Can you name the large number of billionaires whose lifestyle is also supported by the taxpayer to the tune of millions?

And I'd think only a royal might be able to pull off the trick of selling their own produce to themselves and trousering a couple of million in the process.

Balmoral is a working estate and needs to pay workers to keep it going.

Aren't royal staff paid pretty much the minimum the royals can get away with? In any case we're back to whether it's morally right for a family worth billions to hoover up even more of the public pie than they do already.

I get the LF payments.

Excellent. And who knows. If the royals weren't dipping their snouts in the trough there might be more available to you.

Excellent. And who knows. If the royals weren't dipping their snouts in the trough there might be more available to you. I don't think so. You have to jump through the rural payments scheme's hoops. Actually the figures quoted in the article seem low.

A quick google suggests that the cost to taxpayers of the French head of state is higher than that of the UK monarchy so not sure all these allegations of profligacy hold up. Again security costs not included as is usual.