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Royal News and Views
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Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by Susan T on January 18, 2024, 3:12 pm

What part of "the people don't want Beatrice and Eugenie as working royals" does this man not understand?

Most of the engagements that Catherine will be postponing while she recovers are visits to her patronages. They don't want another royal showing up in her place, somebody who is unfamiliar with their organization, not interested in their cause, or worst-case scenario, opposed to their work.

Overseas engagements done at the request of the Foreign Office cannot be given to Beatrice or Eugenie. Seriously, what foreign government is going to agree to "Catherine and William can't make it, but not to worry, we'll send Eugenie and Jack. What are they? She's Andrew's daughter and Jack's her husband."

Catherine's charities have multiple patrons, If there's something they need now, one of their non-royal patrons will see to it.

Maybe Beatrice and Eugenie wouldn't be box office poison if the media didn't feel the need to trash them at every opportunity or feel the need to remind the public for their parents' shortcomings at every opportunity. (This recent headline being an example: Princess Eugenie speaks out against human trafficking at Davos event days after father Prince Andrew was axed as working royal over claims he slept with Epstein trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12971865/Princess-Eugenie-anti-trafficking-event-Prince-Andrew-Virginia-Giuffre.html)

Link: Daily Mail

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by Martha on January 18, 2024, 4:10 pm, in reply to "Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

Eden wants to beef up the royal rota. He was worried about not having enough royals to cover all of the patronages, and I have to admit so was I. The strategy of quality over quantity has been working, so the York princesses don't need to be called up. Really, they most likely prefer to stay second tier. While they would never go out on an appearance and act like they were being put upon, there's nothing to suggest that they wanted to be front-line.

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Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by karenl on January 18, 2024, 7:34 pm, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

Oh, good grief, the media, especially the tabloids need to chill out. As I wrote in a previous thread, the Royal Family and each of their staff will cover everything, it will be handled. Catherine's patronages will handled her absence. When Catherine took her maternity leave with each child, they were about the same length of time, if not a bit longer. The King will have a shorter length of recovery, we hope, but the world won't end.
One minute the media is harping about how necessary are all the Royals and now it's a crisis because two members are dealing with health issues and how is the UK to cope? Give me a break.

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by karenl on January 18, 2024, 7:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

The DM is now running a story that Mike and Zara should be brought in to perform Royal Duties. Who next? Fergie?

Of Course, Richard Kay Has To Weigh In

Posted by karenl on January 18, 2024, 8:01 pm, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

This article is even worse. It's almost like he's writing an obit.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-12976113/RICHARD-KAY-double-blow-King-Charles-Princess-Kates-medical-treatment-send-collective-shiver-spines.html

Re: Of Course, Richard Kay Has To Weigh In

Posted by Susan T on January 18, 2024, 8:29 pm, in reply to "Of Course, Richard Kay Has To Weigh In"

Why don't they say what they really mean: with Catherine and William unavailable, we have nobody interesting to write about. Because we're not interested in their charities, we're interested in their clothes, their hair, and their young children.

How can they feel a need for more royals to perform engagements, when they don't report regularly on what Anne and Edward do?

Re: Of Course, Richard Kay Has To Weigh In

Posted by Carolyn on January 19, 2024, 8:06 am, in reply to "Re: Of Course, Richard Kay Has To Weigh In"

The Gloucesters are going along quietly performing their usual work. There's also Zara doing things. These reporters don't have much imagination.

Re: Of Course, Richard Kay Has To Weigh In

Posted by Susan T on January 19, 2024, 8:15 am, in reply to "Re: Of Course, Richard Kay Has To Weigh In"

Zara's not a royal, working or otherwise. She's not in Australia representing the monarchy, she and Mike represent themselves.

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by Susan T on January 19, 2024, 8:22 am, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

Now they've got a story that implies Beatrice and Eugenie previously working royals.

These reporters are brainless. Mike and Zara making oversees visits on behalf of the monarchy? Yeah, Muslim countries will be thrilled to have Charles send as his representative a man who poses for photos wearing his wife's hats.

Link: Daily Mail

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by Carolyn on January 19, 2024, 11:17 am, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

I think the Royals didn't used to make so many public appearances. I believe it started with the Queen Mother who was out and about during WW II. Then it became expected. They don't really need to show up for so many things.

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by Cynthia on January 19, 2024, 11:39 am, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

And Queen Mary continued her own mother's habits in terms of making appearances for charities. "We always love hospitals and we always love to kiss babies" or words to that effect.

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by Nellie on January 19, 2024, 5:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

Can't resist. Very few opportunities to bring out my ancient pics these days.

Next, wearing her sunnies at Wimbledon

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by karenl on January 19, 2024, 6:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

Big Thanks Nellie, several of these photos are new to me. The first photo of Queen Mary sitting riding on the "Throne on Rails" is a hoot, I love it.
I find it so hilarious with the tabloids and their reporters carrying on the "The sky is falling, the sky is falling! The Govt. and the UK are in near collapse due to health issues of two members of the Monarchy!"
I'm not making light of the health issues, but the UK is still running as usual, per the seats of power in the PM and the Parliament. Yes, the Monarch is Head of State, but as we've witnessed very recently, even though a Monarch passes, the Govt. doesn't shut down, it carries on. In this case, a Councillor of State will carry on for the short time the King is incapacitated. As Susan has pointed out, the tabloids real "concern" is they won't have Catherine to comment on her clothes, make up, glossy locks, or her fabulous pins. They want the York sisters to for those comments while the POW recovers. It's just so stupid.

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by Nellie on January 19, 2024, 7:32 pm, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

Just a recollection about "the sky falling in" and the country going to ruin, or whatever, when Queen Elizabeth II died.

Someone wrote somewhere, something like -
" where else in the world could you have two heads of state and three Prime Ministers all within one month, without bloodshed in the streets".

I really should take the trouble to locate it before trying to approximate a quote - but you get the general idea.

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by Carolyn on January 20, 2024, 6:26 am, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

I think Queen Elizabeth once said she had to be seen to be believed when asked why she made so many personal appearances. Makes sense.

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by Susan T on January 20, 2024, 8:33 am, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

I have to wonder how the country managed back in 1952 when they had to make do with only QEII, Philip, The Queen Mum, Margaret, Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duchess of Kent. Everybody else was too young.

Yikes, that's only 7 Royals to visit charities, hospitals, sporting events, support the performing arts, and visit the overseas realms.

Same deal back in 1936. After Edward VIII quit, there was only George VI, his wife, and his two brothers, the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent and their wives, and his sister Mary, the Princess Royal.

And back in those days, the women of the family didn't appear in public when they were obviously pregnant. Really, I'm surprised the country survived.

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by Hollie24 on January 20, 2024, 12:56 pm, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

Let's see. We have the Gloucesters, Anne and Tim, Sophie and Edward, and Camilla and William. Given that William has reduced his duties temporarily, I make out that we've got 7.5 Royals on the active roster while Charles and Catherine are out. Make that 10.5 since Anne does the work of three or four Royals. That's plenty. Plus if a charity really needs a star to show up, there are plenty of actors, actresses, tv personalities, and sports people to take up the slack. The country will be just fine.

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by Susan T on January 20, 2024, 1:11 pm, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

I imagine that William will do some zoom chats while he's home with Catherine, and Catherine may do some also.

When there were 18-20 working royals, people complained there were too many. Now they kvetch that's there's too few.

Complain that Charles was a cold and uncaring father who put duty first and wasn't there when William was hospitalized, then complain when William puts his wife's health first.

Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again

Posted by JohnW on January 20, 2024, 5:48 pm, in reply to "Re: Richard Eden rides his hobby horse again"

I doubt that Princess Marie Louise was still active in 1952, in public, at least, but Princess Alice of Athlone was alive and kicking.

Alice of Athlone was also alive and kicking in 1936, as were The Princess Victoria (daughter of Edward VII) and two Fife Princesses, Alexandra of Fife and Maude, Countess of Southesk.

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