I know. I know. My ancestors who fought against the British rule here in the colonies are probably rolling in their graves but hey…
Not only am I captivated by all the pomp and pageantry of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, but I must give credit to the woman for what she has achieved in the last 70 years. When she declared on her 21st birthday, that her whole life, “whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service,” she actually meant it. How many of us could say the same thing?
Here are my favorite pictures from the past two days.
1. The Cambridge kids…
source: marieclaire
and the Cambridge kids bowing.
2. The Queen’s dress
The lace trimming looked like icing on a cake. Yummy.
credit: wpa pool getty image
3. Catherine’s coat dress, part 1
I get it: there was a red, white, and blue dress code for the party. No off-the-shoulders dress or sparkly evening wear, please.
credit: getty
Loved her hat, hairstyle, earrings…and most of all, her smile. She’s always on point.
4. Catherine’s primrose dress, part 2
source: dailymail
Again, I loved the hairdo and the hat. Here’s a close-up. The hat goes well with her brown hair.
I envy her. This yellow ensemble would make a blonde-haired woman look like a one giant walking banana. hahaha.
5. The slimmed-down Royals
source: pagesix
6. Catherine and Prince Louis’ moment
That was good behavior modification. Louis hardly realized that his mom took away his thumb. 🙂
Are you watching the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee? What’s your favorite moment? How is it going in your corner of the world, @Kate and @Fern?
@Packmule3 – thank you for this! I have been watching and enjoying the main events too.
I so agree re the wonderful outfits you highlighted of Kate Middleton… elegant and striking. She has such poise for someone who was not brought up originally in this type of life.
I enjoyed the fly past yesterday when the Queen and family, out on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, watched planes flying over in close formation – including historic Spitfires and Lancaster bombers and a ,scarily close-looking, formation of fighter planes in the shape of the figure 70! The Queen was beaming and – apparently – Prince Charles was moved to tears as he stood with her on the balcony.
I watched the Jubilee Celebration Service at St Paul’s Cathedral today… The Queen, as you may know, had to cancel due to ‘discomfort’ and was, we think, watching the service at home. People appreciated the Archbishop of York referring to her love of horse racing. He said her reign was closer to the Aintree Horse Race (long distance I gather) than the Epsom (a sprint). He talked about her watching the service on TV and said she was with them in spirit, still in charge and thanked her for ‘staying the course’ adding that she still had more years in the saddle! Both he and the Archbishop of Canterbury get to spend behind the scenes time with her and he will have gauged those comments to bring a smile to her face.
Some of the music was wonderful with very moving use of organ, brass and percussion. I got quite tearful!
There has been a good deal of TV coverage. The local thing to do is put up bunting and have a street party if your street is a neighborly sort. Most of the schools have had celebrations and a focus on the jubilee. Most of the pubs and many other businesses have decorated especially for this weekend.
Despite the honour to the Queen and all of the cheering crowds in London, I feel there is a slight air of wistfulness and ambivalence this time around compared to 10 years ago. Prince Phillip is gone and the royal family has had it’s ups and downs lately. The queen has been exemplary in her service but it’s not a given that such strong dedication will continue with the younger generations – or not in the same way. For me, this weekend’s celebration is tinged with sadness because the Queen’s era is passing. -Mostly because the queen seems so fragile now. It was hard on her to stand for so long on the balcony yesterday.
The Guardian newspaper says: “A royal jubilee does more than give Britain four days off. It provides a moment to reflect – on the nature of service, sacrifice, leadership and entitlement.”
@Fern – what a good quotation! I agree entirely that we cannot count on the continuation of the calibre of leadership she has – so unstintingly – shown. We are in a very different era.
I wondered if that sadness you describe was part of the reason for Prince Charles being so moved as he stood with her yesterday.
@Packmule3, I haven’t been watching the celebrations, but Queen Elizabeth is someone I admire for how she’s managed her role throughout her long life. This must be hard for her without her beloved Philip by her side.
Just by looking at what you call the slimmed-down Royal Family on the balcony, I infer she limited it to those in direct line of succession and the two spouses.
@Packmule3, those blue sapphire earrings you liked with Kate’s white coat dress? Those previously were worn by Princess Diana. She would likely have loved Kate wholeheartedly. And what a doting grandmother she would have been!
As a college student I lived in London during the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee. Back then I would have had a difficult time imagining she’d get to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, and I’d get to be on Medicare.
@packmule3, I greatly enjoyed the reactions of the people who came out to get a glimpse of the royals and to enjoy the pageantry. There were people from all over the world and from the UK.Two little girls, one carrying a toy corgi, were so excited to be there in their matching dresses and headbands. There was no false sophistication. And the emphasis was on the Queen, who on day one showed true grace on that balcony by showing the world that she still had it, in spite of being in pain. I loved her interactions with young Louis. There was joy in her face.(And this child was able to be a child-he didn’t have to be stiff-something extremely tough for a preschooler).
I am looking forward to more coverage of this once I’m a lifetime event. I’m sure we will never see the likes of this again.
Right, @OldAmericanLady? We’ll never see anything like this again. She was young when she began her reign.
Prince Charles can probably be king for two decades if he’s in good health; Prince William, another two or three decades after that.
But there’ll never be another monarch to last SEVEN decades. It’s impressive that we’re witnessing history being made.
@packmule3, What also strikes me is the history she lived through, the technological changes she saw, the social changes, the countries that left the Commonwealth… She also lived through the heartbreak of family drama from her Uncle Edward’s collaboration with the Nazis, her sister Margaret’s romantic relationships, all of the Diana/Charles drama and the latest betrayal by Harry and Meghan. That’s what we know. I’m sure there are so many more that we don’t know. Considering that it all has taken place in the public eye, her courage and dignity throughout, even in the face of severe criticism is mind boggling. I hope history treats her well.
@Kate, yes, I think that’s probably the reason for Prince Charles’ emotions. My husband says that the Queen will reign to the end, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she retires in a while for Charles to take over while she is still reasonably healthy and while he is still in good health as well. He is 73 years old after all. She has delegated increasingly to Princess Ann, Charles, Camilla, and the other royals.
For some reason the full coverage isn’t reaching us. 😢. So all I read in the papers/news are mostly about the black sheep of the family (The Suck-Exes). 🙄. Why they chose to return now of all times to steal the limelight from the Queen is beyond me. I am Team Cambridge all the way. Cheeky Louis was delightful. Charlotte and George civil. Elegant Kate gracious. Princely Wills dapper in his Military outfit. I do miss taciturn Queen Consort Philip though, may he Rest In Peace, his quiet steady presence must’ve been sorely missed by the Queen. 😭. And providentially, Andrew came down with COVID and therefore will be absent from all the proceedings. It was wonderful to see the British people come out in their 1000s to celebrate and give her the honour she deserves. She was (and still is) a woman of her word. She pledged to serve and she did just that, with dignity. Long live The Queen indeed.
@nrllee, AM with you on the suck-exes(what a great name).I get BBC News and S,y News. Between the two, the coverage is great. I think Americancoverage leans towards the suck-exex, but I think that will wane. On f egular news shows, they don’t get the air time. I don’t know how well they do on shows like Today. I think that their novelty will wear off. They did get booed on the way into St.Paul$s. 8 keep thinking that their Netflix deal isn’-t proceeding as planned. I think their deal was based upon potentially sensational content that has been thwarted since the infamous Oprah interview. As a daughter-in – law I know you don’t xt come into a family todxefg control.3ach family has its own dynamic and whenbdcomoing part of it onetakes itscues. For example, my stepmother and 3xtended family was very social, had parties, dinners, went out for meals and at holidays had guest lists from 20 to over 230. I spent a lot of time, he.ping outwit Ealing prep and clean up. On the other hand my mother-in-law didn’t entertain,barely cooked and was not social.tthe parents met only side and my MIL never even served a cup of coffee to my family. We all accepted this and that’s the way it was. I really think Ms. Meghan thought she could take charge of a fa Ilya unlike any in the world and mold them to her will. When it didn’t happen she slandered them using innuendo without naming names. Pribab,y Oprah’s legal team advised her of the UK’s stringent libel laws. Having had experiences in a large extended and blended family made up of various ethnic and religious groups inc.uding LDS, I will say that I could have easily beeni 8nsulted, being called a JAP(Jewish American Princess aka a spoiled entitled brat), when the person who called me yhat had no idea of the connotation and thought he was complimenting me. I also thinkmany fami,ies have their bigots as well as their kumbaya people. Ms. M ended up Torrington the entire royal family. Not a good look. So I’m glad the S family is there and mainly out of the spotlight. I think that Queen Elizabeth has struck the right note by defining who gets starring ro.es as eing working roya.s and by being gracious to those who chose to snub their noses T ber.
@OAL I guess the media also loves a story. And what’s a story with no antagonist? 😂. I just find it distasteful that they keep trying to milk it to their advantage. I rolled my eyes when they chose Lillibet as their daughter’s name 🙄. They could’ve come to celebrate and let Grandma meet their children but stayed away from the public festivities out of respect but no…they wanted full coverage.
@nrllee and @OAL,
The fuss about the seating arrangement in St Paul’s Cathedral had me snickering. Did you see it, @nrllee?
The York Princesses and their husbands arrived before H&M and were shown to their seats. They were on the second row behind the Wessex family. They occupied the aisle seats (or seats nearest the aisle).
Then, H&M were escorted to their seats. Of course, all eyes were on them. I’m sure they thought that it was their “right” to walk down the aisle, just before the Senior Royals, i.e., Prince Charles and Camilla, and Prince William and Catherine. After all, Harry was the son and brother of the future kings.
I could only imagine how embarrassing it must have been for them when they saw the seats reserved for them!
😂😂
In the last Jubilee, ten years ago, Harry was sitting in the front row in the company of his father, brother, and sis-in-law.
Now, he was placed in the second row, ACROSS the aisle from Prince Charles and Camilla, and Prince William and Catherine. He was behind Prince Edward and his family, and the Queen’s old cousins. 😂😂
It seems to me though that Harry hadn’t been told that he’d been downgraded to the “cheap seats” because he pointed at the spots designated for them like he was questioning whether he was really tucked away in the MIDDLE of the second row.
😂😂😂
The York Princesses and their hubbies had to stand up and move out to the aisle to allow them to enter. The shuffle reminded me of an airplane shuffle when the aisle passenger has to move out to let the window or middle sitter pass through.
It was embarrassing because it made it painfully clear to everybody in the cathedral that Harry had quit working for his grandmother, the Queen, and had turned his back on the institution he grew up in.
Also, it was most humiliating because, a few seconds earlier, he and his wife had sashayed down the aisle as if it was their RIGHT to do so, given their close relationship to the present Queen and future kings of England.
They had no inkling that their “procession” was akin to a perp walk. They were being shown how far they’ve fallen from Her Majesty’s grace ever since they decided to leave in a huff and air their dirty laundry on Oprah’s show.
Yes @packmule3 I was happy to see them get what they deserved. Suck-Exes. Ex-Royals. You can bet Meghan was NOT happy. Aww but did she shed a tear because of the boos from the crowd as she walked in? She’s such a sensitive soul you know? 🙄. The tolling bells saved her I guess? I guess they will now spend the rest of their time in Frogmore Cottage. Her Prince is now back to being the Frog. 😂
Awww I admire Her Majesty for her 70 years of steering the royal ship. Truly a remarkable woman. 👏🏻 Long Live The Queen!
I haven’t seen any videos but I wonder if one day in the future Archie or Lilibet might say to their parents ‘I could have been a real Prince/Princess? Why did you take that away from me? 😬
Hi all…I am enjoying the commentary!
So you got coverage of the whole thing in the US? The service at St Paul’s and the parade etc? That’s great – I imagined we were watching some bits only on the BBC here in GB.
Depending on who you read over here Megan and Harry were right royally snubbed etc or kindly given their own mini procession into the service at St Paul’s (that, btw, was the BBC presenter and commentators’ account of this). Either way as you are all saying … Harry in particular must have felt the dissonance of all this. The messaging was so clear – and necessarily.
I bet H & M are grateful for Princess Eugenie and husband Jack’s friendship etc otherwise they would have been high and dry on the day. I was thinking about Eugenie and the role she’s playing in this and the line she must have to walk. Of course, with the Duchess of York and Andrew etc, Eugenie and Beatrice have been used to being on the wrong side of the Royal Family and press coverage and are probably sympathetic to H & M for that reason. [I am not btw. I think back to their happy and optimistic wedding day with the good wishes of everyone behind them…and look at what they have made of all that!]
Must have been a nightmare to choreograph the whole thing so it didn’t become a main story on the day. I gather that at one point in the proceedings Kate and Meghan were together in a room behind the scenes with various younger royal family members but the press were kept well away.
I should add that I meant that Eugenie and Beatrice have had to walk in the shade of their parents’ marriage and later behaviour… they are well-loved in their own rights and in good relationship with the core Royals. Eugenie in particular seems to be very good value as a Royal and involved in many worthwhile projects.
@Fern, I am inclined to agree with your husband. My guess is that the Queen would have abdicated sooner if she planned to. But this year will be critical and your thinking on this may well prove to be right. On the other hand she could be much nearer the end than anyone wants to say publicly.
Wait what? The plot thickens. It’s little Lilibet’s 1st birthday today? Fancy that? Such a coincidence! 🤔 H&M would rather she celebrate it in Windsor? Not in America where they could throw a big party with all their celebrity friends? Who knows? Granny may pass on some of her jewels 💎 to her namesake and maybe even confer a title or 2 to Archie and Lilibet in good cheer. The sceptic in me thinks they are making home videos in Frogmore Cottage for their next variety show. Their hypocrisy is just mind blowing.
‘Perp walk’! Lol.. just noticed that @Packmule.
Great to have the chance to chat about all this with BoDers. It’s happening but I am not chatting much about it with friends and family over here.
@Kate, there is a huge range of sentiment about the Royals in the UK, right? Other countries may think that feelings are unified here but they aren’t. I had no idea when I moved here – just assumed that ‘Queen and Country’ meant that everyone was behind the institution. But that’s beside the point. My wish is that that family can find a way to co-exist without hurting each other no matter what the future brings for monarchy in Britain.
Princess Anne seems to have found a way to be extremely involved in royal duties – I respect her a lot and I suspect she may be smarter than her other siblings. She hasn’t always had an easy time, but she persevered.
This is what Wikipedia says: “Anne has been called the royal family’s “trustiest anchor” and a “beacon of good, old-fashioned public service”, having carried out over 20,000 engagements since her 18th birthday.[115] In her early adulthood, she was cited as a “royal renegade” for choosing to forego titles for her children despite being the “spare to the heir”.[116] The media often called the young Anne “aloof” and “haughty”, giving her the nickname “her royal rudeness”.[115] … Vanity Fair wrote that Anne “has a reputation for having inherited her father’s famously sharp tongue and waspish wit”.[117] Of her early public role, she has said: “It’s not just about, Can I get a tick in the box for doing this? No, it’s about serving…It took me probably 10 years before I really felt confident enough to contribute to Save the Children’s public debates because you needed to understand how it works on the ground and that needed a very wide coverage. So my early trips were really important.” She doesn’t just show up to events – she studies the situation and is able to respond intelligently. She has chosen to protect her children and grandchildren as much as she could, or at least to let them have some choice in their careers, while carrying on with her own service to the crown.
🤣
Yes, @nrllee.
It’s amazing that some people don’t see the incongruity. On that Oprah show, the couple claim to despise the monarchy because it’s racist, suffocating, repressive, callous (nobody asked Meghan how she was doing, etc), unfeeling, abusive, blah blah blah. You would think that with all their professed toxicity of royal life, they’d spare their own children from the same fate.
But noooo….
this couple held off from christening their daughter in the US because they want the pageantry of a royal baptism. And they want their kids to remain in the line of succession because they know that being a royal has immeasurable perks.
So cry me a river. 🤮🤮
I get that Meghan hated her family so she cut off ties with them. Since she hates HIS family too, shouldn’t she cut ties with them as well? But I guess abandoning only works for her folks since she has no use for them, and they can’t offer her any advantage.
Harry’s truly a moron for falling for the likes of her.
@ Fern – so true. Comments you make about the Jubilee event will get any number of responses… It’s quite a touchy subject…
I had a good humoured chat with my Sainsbury’s groceries delivery driver yesterday. She was a young, Afro-Carribbean South London woman. She is not into the Royals at all…
I didn’t probe – but it could have been about any number of big issues that have been kicking around including Windrush. Brixton is near to where I live and M made a big splash there early on. Did she feel Meghan got a bad rap? If she comes again I’ll ask her.
A professional colleague of mine who works in race relations is a big supporter of M and there is no point in my having a discussion with her about it without it being mired in the wider questions.
Princess Anne — her stock has risen over the years hasn’t it? I can remember her being unpopular and then gradually people realised just how much she gave in her public work. Really interesting what you write about her.
I’m not a Brit but yes, I think HMTQ will remain Queen till the end, unless she’s non compos mentis.
She did say whether her life was long or short, she would devote it to service. She could have abdicated when her husband was retired from public life and spent the rest of their golden years together. But she didn’t.
So why now?
She might as well continue till the end.
@pkml3 Thanks for this. No chance to watch anything on the jubilee yet, but I’ll definitely come back to look at the highlights. I’ve always had a soft spot for the royals or they have always had a fascination for me.
All the best to the Queen and my prayers go with her!
As for Princess Anne, the one news story about her that stuck in my mind was how she faced her would-be kidnapper and told him, “Not bloody likely” when she was told to get out of the car. 🙂😱 👍
That’s Brit phlegm for you.
I had no memory of that event! Wow. Here is an account of it in British Vogue:
https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/princess-anne-kidnapping
Whoops! Did I accidentally date myself and reveal my age with info, @Kate? 😂😂
Oh @Packmule3 — hahaha… that did not enter my mind…honest!
It’s interesting how people of non-white heritage view Meghan. One of my daughters thinks that we can’t ignore perceived racism unless we’ve walked in their shoes, yet she also thinks that Meghan could have been a hero to young women of any race, had she stuck it out for longer and found a way to fit in. She thought another strike against Meghan was more importantly that she was American regardless of race. She was less likely to understand the ins and outs of cultural cues and behaviour; less likely to find a receptive ear when she wished to go against a particular path; in short, less likely to be taken seriously in the traditional setting she was in. But this daughter actually thinks anyone who would date a royal is strange – she only likes the Queen and thinks the rest are anachronistic, entitled and rich enough to not have their private affairs be funded by taxes. My other daughter simply doesn’t care one way or another – they are mostly irrelevant to her, but she is oddly more traditional; less likely to wish them gone.
@packmule3 and everyone else on this thread. I am the oldie-i am a few months older than Prince Charles(in Korea they’d probably say by age I’d be too old for him-lol). I grew up following Prince in Charles but being mortified when he married Diana. I never saw the “romance” and by then I didn’t envy his life. I think he was greatly misunderstood and given the whole primogeniture thing, might have been happier had Princess Anne been first heir to the throne. She certainly seems capable and has handled her in private life well. To But had that happened to we might not be seeing The Queen’s Jubilee
I love this entire thread. Hi iven my background, you had me by at perp walk. Those Sussexes certainly are an entitled pair. Harry lost me when he dressed up in a Nazi uniform to party in Las Vegas. I thought of his grandmother during the blitz.How horribly disrespectful if him.I get his childhood trauma if losing his mom in what he was a sordid event. However it seems to me that his relationship with M who really is more worldly and is older, may show that he has mommy issues, that makes gus marriage that much more pathetic. M, on the other hand, has been around the block given her divorce that was not pretty. She seems to be a rank opportunist. She made her father out to be ignorant and unsophi see ticated when he is an Emmy Award winner. She uses the race card and used her M.as a prop. We e don’t hear a lot about her mother these days.
According to Lady CC olin Campbell, who m you relative follows, the only place Netflix can film is inside Frog more Cottage. I to would be unseemly if M threw a big birthday bash for Lillibet during the Jubilee. But if you think of it M is a scene high trying to o to be in a scene stealer. If and when he this marriage ends it will be initiated by her because she has not gotten her way. I feel sorry for their children in who she also uses as props. And Harry has burned his bridges if there is a divorce because he can expect to beg for help from the working royals.
Anyway, Her Majesty is a pretty nice girl according to the Beatles in the Lady song on Abbey Road. It is considered variously satirical and a be tribute to the Queen. Paul McCartney now days it’s a BB live song to get. I’ll leave it at that.
@Fern — Meghan being an American, a Hollywood/TV actress … had to be huge in terms of her expectations and what she wanted from her support team etc etc – she lost a number of experienced staff didn’t she?
Agreed, agreed agreed… staying the course and learning how to make it work for her would have been a wonderful result! The country was behind her for goodness sake – aside from lack of emotional support, she could have built an amazing platform of influence.
Unfortunately, Harry came along primed with his personal journey of unresolved hurt etc and a tinder keg was lit…
@Kate, I agree completely with your take on the dynamics. Such a pity compared to what could have been.
All of this talk about the jubilee is making me nostalgic. A lifetime ago I was an American studying abroad in the U.K. It was the first year the college I was attending accepted Americans, at least in the program I was attached to. There had been some complaints from British students about foreigners staying in their dorm, which were partially state supported.We Americans were put in private off-campus housing. I ended up living in a renovated Edwardian flat across the street from an archeological dig. Some of my flat -mates got to know the archeologists and we were tipped off that Prince Charles was coming to visit.This was before Diana was even dreamed of. Charles was very popular then with college aged girls. He was like a pop star to some. We saw him close up . One of my flat mates got right in his face and took a photo. He said “ I don’t know about that photo.It’s a bit dark.” He was right. It didn’t come out. I can’t imagine getting that close to a royal nowadays. He was very gracious.I also had a vey good view of the queen when she visited Boston for American Bicentennial. Packmule 3, I also loved the blue suit she was wearing on the balcony.
Sorry, for rambling. I can never get over how Harry and Meghan thought they could have their cake and eat it ,too. I think there was more negativity in the British press towards Meghan than Americans were aware of at the time. But,Fern,I think your daughter made a very good point. Meghan could have made a difference if she had stuck it out longer.
Oooh ! Did anyone see the Queen having tea with Paddington Bear? I will post a link if we get one… it opened the Saturday night concert.
Absolutely charming!
Ooh @Kate, I love Paddington Bear-we still have my son’s toy Paddington from his childhood. So Queen Elizabeth read the instructions on his tag-please take care of this bear-hue delightful!🐻👸🇬🇧
@OAK – it was so so charming. Glad you are a P Bear fan! I’m trying to find a link with the 2 and a bit minute segment in it. Priceless!
Here is a link to the BBC page where they show the short film… not sure it will work for people outside of GB…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61690149
I pointedly did not watch the Sussex’s interview with Oprah, stay away from most tabloid coverage (only reading magazines when in a waiting room), so I do not have strong opinions good or bad about Harry and Meghan. I will share, however, that a friend of mine is a docent at the Lotusland Botanical Garden in Montecito, California. One day when she was on her shift, Harry wandered into her part of the garden. He was dressed in comfortably appropriate wear for Southern California, including shorts and a baseball cap. He listened attentively to my friend’s spiel about the plants, asked some intelligent questions, and was generally friendly and relaxed. Other times she’s seen him jogging in the neighborhood, knowing that it is him because he’s shadowed by a black SUV.
I agree with @Kate that Harry, even before he met Meghan, struggled mightily with the British tabloid press (blaming his mother’s death on them), anger issues, and rebellion against a rigid lifestyle. My guess is rather than Meghan tearing Harry away from his place in the Firm, his relationship with her finally gave him the courage to do what he’d already wanted to do.
I also believe that the public does not know most of what goes on between members of the royal family. They are, after all, a family. I believe the Queen loves Harry. I believe all her great-grandchildren are blessings to her. We don’t know the opinion the Queen holds of Meghan, the wife Harry chose; however, the Queen has learned through difficult experiences with her sister and eldest son what happens when protocol interferes with matters of the heart. (Princess Margaret was not allowed to marry her first love, Peter Townsend, because he was a divorced man. Prince Charles was not allowed to marry Camilla when they first dated because she was “an experienced woman.” Their subsequent marriages were filled with scandal after scandal.)
Honestly I didn’t think H&M would make it to the Jubillee because they were a no show at Philip’s funeral.
https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/royals/why-didnt-prince-harry-attend-prince-philip-memorial-service/
I thought they were kicking up a stink about security (lack of it)? Petrified that the children would be kidnapped because they wouldn’t have Police swarming around to protect them? So I guess they were okay with this arrangement now for the Jubillee? 🙄
Yes @packmule3 their duplicity rubs me the wrong way. So disingenuous.
Conversely, I see this with the Cambridges. 👏 Bravo. Whoa… he could’ve been stabbed? I mean look what happened to the Mona Lisa? Good on you Wills for breaking protocol. 😘. Human decency and compassion for the win.
https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/prince-william-ditches-royal-protocol-to-hug-pensioner/news-story/152e9f93d2a96a9d2520e11c7c1916c1?amp
@Welmaris, your take makes a lot of sense. However, I think poor Harry has jumped from the frying pan into the fire. I don’t think M has his best interest at heart. ThevOprah appearance was ad sensational and controversial as any in the British tabloids, although it had the imprimatur of Oprah, who when you boil it all d9wn wad just adding to her billions. I don’t think altruism was involved. I think M is very mercenary. Just look at her first marriage. I also think that she has disavowed her father because her life narrative with him doesn’t jibe with her use of the race card( and I believe thatbone should use all the cards you are dealt ethically).from what I’ve read M used her white priviledge at Northwestern. So there is something transactional about M’s approach to life.
The Royal family makes lots of money for the UK. Although 1ueen Elizabeth is a figurehead, she and the family(firm) represent billions of dollars(pouhds) in tourist spending. When I went during the jurassic period, I went to Buckinham Castle for the Changing of the guard, the Tower of London where I saw the royal jews and Windsor Castle as well as the Royal Portrait Gallery. At the time one could buy a museum/castle paa, that I did. And think about all the souvenirs with the Royal family.
I agree that if Meghan truly wanted to help she could have served by being a real role model and affecting real change by winning over the prejudiced family members and representing people of color. She would never be the Queen but, she could have been influential.As it is, she tried to get in on the Texas school massacre, but she didn’t have the gravitas or the position. She is not going to get the position either(way too many people including Charles, William and George).I think we’re UT up to Har r y, he’d be supporting the Invictus Games and living quietly. None of that for M, who is a shameless self promoter. We have another day of formal celebrations. Am going to watch to see if she tries to upset the apple cart. I hope she doesn’t. As you may tell from this post, I’m not a fan of hypocrisy.
Hi all,
Just a fresh link to the Queen meets Paddington Bear sketch in case you haven’t had access to it:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10885203/The-Queen-meets-meets-Paddington-bear-hilarious-sketch-ahead-Platinum-Jubilee-concert.html
Thank you @Kate for the link to the Queen and Paddington Bear. I only caught the partial video before and now I’ve managed to watch the full video. It was delightful!
@GB – hoorah! One of the best things to happen all weekend!
#Kate,Many thanks for this.Hooray for Marmalade Sandwiches! I think Ben Whishaw (I probably misspelled his name) still voiced Paddington. I guess he did the voice over in the studio and Queen Elizabeth did her work with a producer or a green screen. No matter how you view it, Her Majesty did a wonderful job. And that says a lot for someone if her age who was game to do this and who has shown the world that she understands modern times. She continues to show us all what a truly classy person she is. To me this small, sweet moment was the highlight of the Jubilee with young Louis being a kid with his grandmother a close second.
@OAL – how beautifully expressed! I agree re it being the highlight… Didn’t know it was Ben Whishaw… his voice was perfect for P Bear wasn’t it!
I also loved seeing Louis with his grandmother.
One more thing, @nrllee, about the whole Thanksgiving Service/St Paul “perp walk” of Harry and Meghan.
Two years ago, during the Commonwealth Service, I remember there was a big mess-up too about the procession. At the time, Harry and Meghan had already announced that they wanted to be part-time royals, and the Queen had already nixed that scheme. She didn’t want them half-in/half-out. She wanted them “all in” or “all out.”
And they opted out.
So, the Commonwealth Service was their last day, their last official function.
source: https://www.macleans.ca/royalty/an-awkward-end-to-harry-and-meghans-royal-life/
Apparently, on the procession for the Commonwealth Service, the names of the royals marching in procession were listed. There’s the Queen, of course. Then, Prince Charles and Camilla, followed by Prince William and Catherine.
Harry and Meghan were NOT included in the order. lol. (There’s proof to the veracity of this report because the order of service was pre-printed.)
Well…Harry must have kicked up a fuss about being excluded because Prince William and Catherine did NOT join the procession “out of sensitivity to his younger brother.”
source: https://www.newsweek.com/prince-harry-fighting-back-tears-meghan-markle-commonwealth-day-service-prince-william-snub-1536353
It’s NOT illogical to conclude that Harry created a scene/whined/complained, forcing Prince William to back out of the procession, and simply walk down like Harry and wife, so as not to make it plain to everyone that Harry was no longer considered “senior” royalty like the rest.
Harry must have been satisfied with this arrangement. Why wouldn’t he? If he wasn’t part of the procession, then his big brother wasn’t either.
That’s why this procession during the Jubilee was satisfying to watch. THIS was the order that should have happened two years ago. Harry and Meghan were shown to their seats. Their cousins had to move out of the seats to allow them to shuffle down to their middle-of-the-row seats, like in airplane mode. Prince Charles and Camilla, and Prince William and Catherine processed down the aisle.
Another funny thing: as Catherine was walking down the aisle, Meghan looked away. It’s on twitter. Meghan’s petty gesture wouldn’t have been noticeable had she not been wearing that big white beach hat of hers. Her head was the only one that turned away. hahaha.
That’s it for me.
@Kate,
I love seeing Louis with his mom. 🙂 Reminded me of my sons when they were that age. I swear! Boys are the hardest to tame when they’re toddlers and preschoolers. But once they hit puberty, they’re so cool. Mine were easy. I could talk to them rationally, logically. No emotional outbursts. They took out their aggression in sports, and their emotional angst on their musical instruments.
I was so prepared for them to be savage and rebellious but all their Dad and I had to do was explain the rules and negotiate the terms satisfactory to all parties, and they were fine.
From what little I saw of the Cambridge children, I’m hopeful that Prince William and Catherine will be loving and patient parents to them.
@Packmule3
I was telling my mum yesterday re what you posted about Kate’s parenting skills – where she gently, almost imperceptibly, removed Louis’ thumb from his mouth, in a soothing way, when they were all out on the balcony.
As a mum of three she agrees with you that there is great hope that the Cambridges are excellent parents and will bring up happy and stable children.
Still laughing at ‘perp walk’ the return… Great observation – worthy of a drama. I had missed all this even though part of the great Brit public!
,@packmule3 and @Kate, All of the above. I can’t help but observe that the Suckexes (love that nomenclature)certainly high tailed it out of London before the festivities were complete in a $200,000 private plane(what great environmentalists they are-ugh) when they didn’t get the coverage they expected. As an actress I guess M thought she’d upstage everyone but soon found out the general public placed her in the villain role, being so roundlu booed at St. Paul’s. Then did they expect that the birthday party for Lillibet at Frogmote would take precedent over the Queen’s Jubilee or the photo of Lillibet would overtake the coverage of Prince Louis? Nice try but ultimately seen as tres disrespectful. They could have easily taken their place and shown respect for the Queen, but chose to try to be the center of attention. Not the right time not the place. I feel like their kids are props in service to M. Those two made their bed. Now they have to lay in it.
In the end, Queen Elizabeth and the working royals prevailed. The Queen and Paddington Bear and young Louis stole our hearts and those lovely memories will linger.
@packmule3 to be honest I didn’t take much interest in the British royalty till post MegXit. And only in earnest after that horrendous “tell all” on Oprah. 🙄. And that’s when the whole situation irked me so much that I started to read articles from then on. I didn’t go back as far as to back read when MegXit unfolded. So thank you for that tidbit about the Commonwealth Service. Come uppance time during the Jubilee. Perp walk. 😂. Order is restored. If they thought Great Grandma was a softie and a pushover and using sweet Lilibet (how low can you go? 🙄) as their olive branch this time round would “smooth things over”, they failed miserably. The “Firm” stood firm on decorum. The Queen stayed the star of the whole proceeding. Bookending it with her presence on the balcony. And walked into the sunset with Paddington Bear 🐻 and her marmalade (not peanut butter and jelly 😂) sandwich tucked securely in her purse.
https://i.ibb.co/qk55ghW/B24-F5-BD8-CB87-4380-AEE2-22-F4-DD764279.jpg
(You can order this lovely pic from https://www.eleanortomlinsonart.co.uk/prints – they are all gorgeous, she’s so talented!)
@nrllee and @packmule3, This whole H & M episode brings a Seinfeld episode to mind. In it George Costanza quits his job with great fanfare. Right after, he had second thoughts and returns to work the following day without incident. This actually happened to Larry David, the show’s creator.
If M and H thought they could pull a Costanza after all the negativity they pursued for the sake of this, they were greatly mistaken. The Total family smartly handled the situation and also failed to gain traction with the use of their new prop Lillibet
There were no photos with the Queen and the family birthday party that conflicted with the Jubilee celebration was the height of cheek. There was some press coverage but the celebration was the ultimate must see throughout the world. The two quitters then left early on a very expensive, environment buster private plane. By bye..