Prince Andrew BACK in the royal fold

[tatalan]

How do you feel about this development?

Maybe because of what Fergie has been going through they thought it would not get this reaction?

I wondered ab out that myself, Iwantcakeeveryday ... yet another miscalculation if so

Goodness me. I would not wish Fergie's operation on anyone. The drains, the scars, the endless sitting about. My life has never been the same.

Nobody would, everyone bar none, will have sympathy and good wishes for Fergie at the moment. That's the point. They may have thought that kindness and sympathy meant now was a good time to appear with Andrew. People who wish Fergie well, do not necessarily feel the same for Andrew. There is absolutely no ill will directed at Fergie in saying that.

Absolutely this. Huge error of judgement of true.

I doubt anything of the kind crossed their minds. I just don't get it

Well the other suggestion was he has something over them, but I don't think thats really it. They have misjudged this and the most charitable thing I could think of was they thought the public might want them to support him at this time because of his partners health.

I think they have more on their minds such as the anniversary of the Queen's death and the anniversary of Diana's death. It's a difficult time all round. They're human beings not pantomime villains

most, not all, Republicans, dislike the RF BECAUSE they are rich. Envy is not a good look

I can only speak for myself but that is SO not true. I would hate their lives and their riches. I'm happy as I am with my family and I would've done 'a Harry' if I'd been born into the RF ! So I am a million miles from being envious of them. I know a seriously rich person (probably worth maybe £50M at a guess, probably more). I'm not the slightest bit envious of him either! Because I can see what extreme wealth does to you. He isn't a happy man.

As for the laws and the subsidies, it's not the land grants, it's the 'extras'. The Queen applied for a 'poverty grant' to heat the palaces and it had to be explained to her that it was for impoverished families, schools and hospitals. We are talking about a multi multi millionaire here.. and now Charles a double billionaire. I don't think he'd dare.

Good grief, derxa, I didn't mean that Fergie herself had somehow miscalculated; as you rightly said, anyone would feel for her in what she's going through at the moment
My thought was that it might have been hoped Andrew would attract less criticism through sympathy-by-proxy, and that if so this is where the miscalculation lay

Could be @Puzzledandpissedoff , I'm trying to be less cynical and hoping it's because andrew is upset about fergie as they are still close?

To you Andrew is an international villain and W&K are calculating ne'er do wells. To William, Andrew is his dodgy uncle who needs a lift to church. William drove Andrew from the plane when they landed at Aberdeen after the Queen's death. It's not a new thing.

Have you got the right poster there, derxa?

It's true I consider Andrew a complete scumbag, but I can't and won't call him a "villain" as such unless he's convicted of something, and on William and Kate I've often said their image is curated extremely carefully, but certainly not that they're "ne'er do wells"

FWIW I admire the performance they put on, but as with the rest of the family I'm very aware that it is a performance and that reality may or may not match what's presented for public consumption

They're either ordinary beings who are born into the royal family or alien creatures who carefully control every action. People can't have it both ways

Certainly not aliens, we are not into the lizard nonsense!

But they do control every action when the cameras are on them. What an existence, it's horrible for them.

Roussette · Today 18:31
But they do control every action when the cameras are on them. What an existence, it's horrible for them.

I do agree with you there, Roussette, a horrible job being a Royal. All the intrusion, differing motives ascribed to your every utterance or even facial expression.
I'd rather scrub floors for a living. Though I wouldn't say "no" their wealth....

They're either ordinary beings who are born into the royal family or alien creatures who carefully control every action. People can't have it both ways

What are you on about? It's always one extreme or another, or taking what others say totally out of context. Very odd.

It also seems a bit odd to me that most, not all, Republicans, dislike the RF BECAUSE they are rich. Envy is not a good look

This tiresome trope gets trotted out every time.

It's nothing to do with their wealth although the closest look we're allowed into how it was acquired, has grown (free of taxes imposed on the little people) and is now maintained is worthwhile.

It's the principle of an unelected dynasty stepping seamlessly into dead women's and men's shoes as a formality that grates.

a horrible job being a Royal.

Shaking hands and cutting ribbons in-between disappearing for months and months to recover from the grind is not a horrible job.

They're not handcuffed to a treadmill. They can walk any time they want to.

What's more telling is the fact so few do.

Course they don't!

They have to put up with a microscopic look at their lives. They put up with it for the wealth. They must dread reading the media every morning for what has been discovered.
Bet they hate the Guardian and their uncovering of facts

As I said... if I had been born into it and wasn't too conditioned to accept it I would've done 'a Harry'

Well done him

I can honestly say I do not envy their wealth at all. I would never want that much money, not just because it's far more than a person's share and others have so much less, but I think it complicates your life. Not everyone desires to be filthy rich. So yes @Roussette I'd want out too and I think if any of them want out, they should be allowed to do so without being harassed about it.

@BadgerB you’d rather scrub floors than be a royal?!? Nonsense! It’s a bloody amazing life - lap of luxury and incredible travel in exchange for cutting a few ribbons? I’d do it in a heartbeat 😄

I envy the access to all the history - behind the scenes access to the castle, palaces, archives.

I do not envy the structured, unrelenting formal socializing - large extended family occasions that you are not allowed to make an excuse for, and all the mingling and small talk for diplomatic events, patronage, and public events.

It makes my inner Introvert sensibility want to curl up in a dark room.

MIL is big into formal dinner parties and attendance is expected by DH, me and DDs. It’s very draining sometimes - and was particularly hard during the young DC years where I was on edge the whole time trying to chat to guests while making sure DC were behaving. Kate has my sympathy

They’ve got castles and huge tracts of land to retreat to - which they do regularly. Skiing holidays. Mediterranean holidays. Caribbean Holidays. They travel in style, no lining up at airports and being squashed in sardine-line into narrow seats with minuscule leg room in planes. Often the time traffic lights turn green when driving and if not up for a drive they can get in a helicopter. They can indulge in expensive sports. No one’s cleaning the loo, worrying about paying rent that week and lining up in food banks. Plus it seems they can avoid being questioned by the authorities (nice handy little benefit). Oh, they don’t wait hours with other sick people to see a doctor either. And when ill they get doctors coming to them and nursing. I could go on but my typing fingers are tired.

When visiting the commonwealth countries they live in places the populations of those countries can only dream of, at the expense of said populations.

Oh so true. Because of all their staff doing the mundane stuff, they can present the best of themselves.
Some of them will have fitness trainers, they have access to private heated swimming pools, tennis courts, gyms.... then their clothes will be brought to them to be chosen then fitted and altered... they don't have to trawl round shops trying to find an outfit! Tailors will measure up for Charles and make bespoke suits. Kate will have hairdressers, make up artists, well being consultants, skincare experts, masseuse, beauty therapists of all sorts.

Then there are chefs, cooks, cleaners, nannies, the list is endless. Before we even start on PR, office staff, writers doing their speeches..

This is not envy, would hate to be caged and on display. It's not natural. I'd still hate it despite all the unimaginable luxury.

Absolutely. So would I, and more to the point, so would they. That's why they put up with the frankly minimal intrusion into their lives. You can see from what is happening to Harry how much protection they are given by not only Palace PR but the press by controlling access via the Royal Rota. Princess Margaret was given the option to leave ' for love' but chose a life of unbridled luxury on mustique instead.
Actually after reading @Roussette s post, I think their only problem must be sheer boredom. Which is possibly why they entertain themselves by shagging around and consorting with more exciting (richer and shadier) characters.