Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The royal family

Queen Elizabeth

353 replies

Nono22972 · 31/07/2023 17:06

No disrespect to her but people and the media often talk about her sense of duty, her stability and professionalism but what would would say are some of the things in her last 15-20 years on the throne that you would criticise her for?

My obvious response is how she handled the Prince Andrew situation and staying on the throne as long as she did. She should've abdicated 10 or 20 years before her death, in my opinion

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
sashh · 03/08/2023 08:13

I think going to live in a foreign country for a couple of years and not taking your toddler child with you is fairly bad parenting.

Yusay · 03/08/2023 08:22

Wow, let’s all slag off the dead lady 🤨

Theunamedcat · 03/08/2023 08:24

I wasn't surprised at her reaction to the epstien scandal

Seen it loads of times one chap was accused of assault on his step daughter and later of rapeing someone else it was never his fault everyone was always jealous of him or cheating on him or just unkind to him because he is a good person really all his arrests for assault battery etc never his fault always theirs she even joined in harassing the families of his victims grandchildren included no-one was safe as this was her son

CathyorClaire · 03/08/2023 10:36

Their bill was astronomical... he had legal teams here and in the US, the best of the best. I imagine the Queen stumped up for that too.

He was retaining a £1k an hour extradition expert at one point.

Nauseating.

Equally nauseating is the way they're all still being seen with him on jollies. They're still sending the same message to the plebs as Mummy.

Roussette · 03/08/2023 11:31

CathyorClaire · 03/08/2023 10:36

Their bill was astronomical... he had legal teams here and in the US, the best of the best. I imagine the Queen stumped up for that too.

He was retaining a £1k an hour extradition expert at one point.

Nauseating.

Equally nauseating is the way they're all still being seen with him on jollies. They're still sending the same message to the plebs as Mummy.

Course they are!

And the biggest joke ever is Charles asking him and ex of 27 years to move out of Royal Lodge. That was to shut up the masses. It was never going to happen. He lives in splendour.

He only had to put out in the media he was thinking of doing a 2nd interview (true, there was press on this) and write a book (true again, so say about his naval years... yeah right), and him moving out has been shelved. Even SarahF has denied they're moving out!

Iwantcakeeveryday · 03/08/2023 11:35

Roussette · 03/08/2023 11:31

Course they are!

And the biggest joke ever is Charles asking him and ex of 27 years to move out of Royal Lodge. That was to shut up the masses. It was never going to happen. He lives in splendour.

He only had to put out in the media he was thinking of doing a 2nd interview (true, there was press on this) and write a book (true again, so say about his naval years... yeah right), and him moving out has been shelved. Even SarahF has denied they're moving out!

he will always be living on one of the monarch's estates in order to protect him. The police can't enter without permission even if investigating a crime, they cannot even arrest anyone in front of the monarch. Andrew will stay close to Charles for the rest of his life. I do wonder if William will offer him the same protection if he is monarch while Andrew is still alive.

Nono22972 · 03/08/2023 11:50

After reading all of the replies:

  1. 100% about everything everything that was said about Andrew except her "showing support" at the beginning. We don't know what Prince Andrew told her at the beginning. He probably swore to her that he was innocent and a mother will always want to believe her child.

Her paying the settlement was where I stopped having sympathy for her(did she actually pay or is it just alleged, by the way because I've seen this weird conspiracy theory that Charles was the one who paid that settlement in exchange for the Queen publicly supporting Camilla. Remember before 2022, it was always said that Camilla would be known as Princess Consort. Then on February 5th, she released a statement saying that Camilla’s title would be Queen Consort. 5 days later, a Telegraph article came out saying that the Queen would help pay the settlement).

Also, I see some people saying that the Queen should've handed Andrew to the US but he hasn't been criminally charged. She definitely should've released a statement siding with the victim

About her parenting: I've always wondered how the Queen was such an emotionally distant parent considering that she grew up with loving, affectionate parents, especially her father. But, I guess she thought she couldn't show emotions due to her position at the time. She was probably surrounded by men had to show that she's a great leader.

That really damaged her family up. 3 out of 4 children divorced, family feuds.

To be fair, while the family is dysfunctional but, if you look at all 4 children of the Queen, Charles is the only one whose children don't get along. Peter and Zara are very close (and so are their children), same with Beatrice and Eugenie (so are their children), I assume James and Louise are close as well. So, the problem might not be the family per se but the heir and spare dynamic or children of monarchs/heirs dynamics.

Elizabeth and Margaret had issues but we never heard stories of feuds between the cousins (Gloucesters and Kents).

The Queen’s children had their issues but we never heard stories of rift between Margaret's children.

William and Harry recently but all the other cousins have great relationships with their siblings.

The H&M situation: Poorly handled but I have many questions. H&M went on and on about how great the Queen was to them but did they ever went to her personally to talk about their struggles? I doubt it.

I've always said that H&M's big mistake was not going to the Queen directly and TLQEII's mistake was not to release a statement in support of Meghan. I know she's never done it for anyone who married in despite them suffering at the hands of the media (Kate, Sophie, Camilla,...) but even after the release of the African tour documentary where they complained about the media, she definitely should've said something because that documentary was the beginning of the "this poor woman who just had a baby is suffering and no one is doing anything about it" narrative. The Queen was the most powerful person in that institution by far. Just one statement from her would've made the press back off.

Which makes me think that this feud has very little to do with the way Meghan has been treated and more about resentment that's been there for years because him focusing his criticism on his brother and father while portraying the Queen as this peachy, nice grandmother who had no say, was so nice and sent them a waffle maker for Christmas doesn't make sense to me while she was the head of the institution you were so unhappy in.

OP posts:
Roussette · 03/08/2023 12:07

Very interesting @Nono22972

It's good to have balanced points to discuss.

The H&M situation: Poorly handled but I have many questions. H&M went on and on about how great the Queen was to them but did they ever went to her personally to talk about their struggles? I doubt it.

On this... She was over 90 when problems started surfacing. I can only go by what my elderly parents were like (no dementia, sharp as a tack but tired and not wanting problems) and maybe they felt it was impossible to tackle it with her, given her age.

And who knows how much her aides and courtiers were protecting her. Harry has said he couldn't get to see her at one point, she arranged to have tea with him, then cancelled. I do think her life was controlled by those around her as she reached her 90s.

The Queen was the most powerful person in that institution by far. Just one statement from her would've made the press back off.

So agree with this. And I said so at the time.

Iwantcakeeveryday · 03/08/2023 12:48

I agree with both of you @Nono22972 and @Roussette and I always found it peculiar people praised her handling of them leaving and her family in general.

milveycrohn · 03/08/2023 12:56

I worked with someone 20 years ago, who sent his children to private boarding school from the age of 8. Something that class of person always do.
I agree it is not something I would do.
The late Q. Elizabeth was obliged by the Gov of the day to undertake foreign Royal tours when Charles and Anne were quite young. I think it a shame that this also meant the children were being looked after more by nannies, etc
But lots of children have nannies.
Some protocol things would inevitably change as the late Queen died, such as the wearing of hats, which seem to be a lot less now.
Her legacy was generally that she did not appear to put a foot wrong; never gave any interviews (only a couple of flaff ones re the royal jewels, etc); considered the Commonwealth one of her best legacies (I believe).

Gall10 · 03/08/2023 12:59

ElephantLove · 01/08/2023 18:49

She was t my granny. I thought she was a miserable sour faced cow and couldn’t understand all the fawning and sycophancy 🤷‍♀️

Exactly this!
try Googling Lord Porchester …!

Gall10 · 03/08/2023 13:01

newfloorplease · 02/08/2023 12:17

I really disliked her handling of the Andrew situation.
She made a point of him accompanying her to church when there was a lot of publicity about him and that despicable paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in the media.
It really was giving the 2 fingers to the public.
Not her finest moment.

Supposedly her favourite child
google Lord Porchester

cyclamenqueen · 03/08/2023 13:46

Interestingly the sainted Diana sent hers at the earliest opportunity.

newfloorplease · 03/08/2023 14:16

@Gall10 "Supposedly her favourite child google Lord Porchester.'

I don't have to. I've seen it - in one photo in particular but unfortunately I'm useless at uploading it onto a thread.

beeonmybonnett · 03/08/2023 14:37

Like everyone, she had her faults. I do feel she could have come down harder on Andrew. He should have been completely removed from the institution in the first instance and an example should have been made in that that kind of behaviour isn’t tolerated.

However, suggesting the queen should have abdicated 10-20 yrs ago is complete nonsense. She was a dutiful woman and it was clear that she would never have abdicated. At the age of 21, she pledged to serve as Queen for the rest of her life, whether it was long or short.

I think the only way she would have abdicated is if she had Become so unwell that she could no longer carry out her duties.

Thankfully, she had a long life and she stayed true to her promise and served us for 70 years. She was old and frail yet still got up to appoint the new prime minister in her final 48 hours. That’s testament to her promise and exceptional service.

She was an exceptional monarch and I don’t believe we will ever see her like again. I admired and respected her and so did many others.

May she rest in peace.

CoffeeCantata · 03/08/2023 15:15

ElephantLove · 01/08/2023 18:49
She was t my granny. I thought she was a miserable sour faced cow and couldn’t understand all the fawning and sycophancy 🤷‍♀️

Shall we check in with you, Elephant, when you're in your late 90s, still doing a job of work involving meeting new people, being on your best behaviour, remembering loads of names etc, making converasation and smiling even though you're in pain from bone cancer and have recently lost your husband of 72 years? How smiley do you think you'd be? Maybe a bit sour-faced?

I speak as someone with a 5-star Resting Bitch Face - I think I'm smiling at the world, but later discover I actually look very sour - possibly the Queen was the same.

But well done for the kind and empathetic thought you've expressed here about a very old lady.

upinaballoon · 03/08/2023 19:51

Surely children are still being sent to boarding school, even to this day? Did Chris Broad send Stuart to a boarding school or was he a 'day' boy? In my village the first-generation-got-a-bit-of-money snobs sent their children to boarding schools, partly to let everyone know they could afford it.

I believe people like actors have nannies for their children because both parents might work very odd hours. It's not just the aristocracy.

ajandjjmum · 03/08/2023 19:59

Lots of people serving in the forces have DC in boarding school, to give them some stability as their parents move around the world.

I would have hated it for myself and for my DC, but sometimes there is no alternative, and sometimes the children love boarding.

upinaballoon · 03/08/2023 20:03

00100001 · 01/08/2023 07:14

Abdication is extremely rare and isn't how the monarchy actually works.

I know she was less well, physically, but I think she was mentally fit to the end. If she had become unfit to rule, from a mental point of view, would we have had a regency, as in George III's day? (Is Edith Weston out there?)

The Queen smiled a lot, but she did have a solemn face, too. Don't many of us? I remember a journalist writing that she (QE2) was not a grinner.

I wonder how many of you have 40-year-old sons. Have you tried telling your 40-year-old son exactly what he should do? Did he come to heel immediately?

CathyorClaire · 03/08/2023 20:05

never gave any interviews (only a couple of flaff ones re the royal jewels, etc)

She allowed the cameras to shed light on 'the magic' to make a behind closed doors type documentary back in the 60's, didn't approve of the results so suppressed any repeat showings.

Apparently it resurfaces online from time to time only to disappear again fairly promptly.

Entirely wrong the royals can pressurise the public service broadcaster paid for by the public into 'retiring' footage they don't like. See also Willy and the Diana interview.

newfloorplease · 03/08/2023 20:31

I have to give her credit for coming to Ireland.
I also commend her on shaking the hand of Martin Mc Guinness of the IRA.
It was brave and I'm sure very difficult for her.
Prince Philip's uncle, Lord Mountbatten had been killed in Ireland, along with innocent people - 2 teenagers and and his daughter's mother in law in an IRA explosion on his fishing boat.
She could not be sure of the reception she'd get, but it went well.
I believe it helped Anglo Irish relations.

mathanxiety · 03/08/2023 20:52

She stripped him of honours and positions...

...eventually, when she had no other choice.

Fixed that for ya.

Abra1t · 03/08/2023 21:57

CathyorClaire · 03/08/2023 20:05

never gave any interviews (only a couple of flaff ones re the royal jewels, etc)

She allowed the cameras to shed light on 'the magic' to make a behind closed doors type documentary back in the 60's, didn't approve of the results so suppressed any repeat showings.

Apparently it resurfaces online from time to time only to disappear again fairly promptly.

Entirely wrong the royals can pressurise the public service broadcaster paid for by the public into 'retiring' footage they don't like. See also Willy and the Diana interview.

That documentary was drawn on often by the bbc around the time of th platinum jubilee and the funeral. Hardly suppressed.

Roussette · 03/08/2023 22:10

Abra1t · 03/08/2023 21:57

That documentary was drawn on often by the bbc around the time of th platinum jubilee and the funeral. Hardly suppressed.

Was it? AFAIC it's been hidden, not available anywhere.

Roussette · 03/08/2023 22:21

Yes I thought so...

"In 1970, Buckingham Palace locked the film in the royal archives never to be seen in its entirety again without Her Majesty’s permission. (Ninety seconds of the documentary were released for an exhibition at London’s National Portrait Gallery in 2011, and these can be spied on YouTube. The rest, including the reels of film from the cutting room floor, are hidden away"

Swipe left for the next trending thread