Charles and Camilla

Sorry Biker just realised that I've called you Bikergran OOPs

Sorry you are wrong Bikergran, I personally witnessed the courtship of Princess Anne and Mark Philips as I was working as a young girl groom for a well known event rider in the sixties, I helped Mark Philips with his horses as he had no groom and had to do all the work himself, Princess Anne was always around and they spend loads of time working thier horses together and just chatting. It was so obvious they had loads in common at that time. He was such a nice young man and I could never help wondering wether he would be able to cope with the rigours of a royal life. She may well have fancied Richard Mead, but I never saw any evidence of it while they were at any events, and I was at them all during that time. I do think Camila is trying really hard to support Charles and certainly behaves with great dignity.

AKA haven't you seen the behaviour of Igglepiggle withOopsadaisy?

I hope so. Charles and Camilla visited us here in the Western Isles, and it completely changed my view of them. The were lovely. I was with children and they came right over to talk to them. They were so natural and friendly. Plus, not that it matters, but Prince Charles is much more handsome in real life.

Soft porn on CBeebies? Really?

I felt sorry for Diana marrying Charles, it was a bad decision and led to her early death. The other thing is Camilla most probably felt that Diana was the other woman. She had after all been in Charles' life since they were young. They are much more suited.

I wonder what would have happened if Andrew had been allowed to continue his relationship with Koo Stark. After all these years she has never said a word to embarrass the Monarchy and I should imagine her soft porn movies would look like something on CBEEBIES nowadays.

I understood that Anne's crush on Richard Meade was a cover for her relationship with Mark.

Where's the evidence that the Queen Mum chose Mark Phillips for Anne? They were both in the British Eventing team so would have known eachother well. Anne had a crush on Richard Meade which did not lead to anything and it is thought that Mark Phillips was second best but where on earth did the Queen Mum come into the equation?

Who knows if Charles had been allowed to marry Camilla when he wanted to then maybe both his sons would have had the same coloured hair? He would certainly have been much happier.

Strange that no one has mentioned the role of the Queen mother. Camilla was catholic - THAT was the original block not the fact she was married or had any history. Charles was shuffled off into the navy and the Queen mother rigged the Parker Bowles marriage. She did the same with Margaret's life long love Peter Townsend.
It was her who chose Tony Armstrong Jones for Margaret and Mark Philips for Anne - not a great success as matchmaker I would suggest

I remember watching the wedding of Charles and Diana and thinking what an ill-matched pair, he would never have chosen her if he hadn't been coerced into doing so - it was a sign if the times that a C of E virgin only was suitable. Diana's legacy is her sons other then that she was not a saint. Now Camilla suits him down to the ground horsey and country loving with his sense of humour. They make a grand couple and he'll be a good king. Eventually.

As I say, when a furriner refers to me as English: 'Je suis écossaise' and equivalents. 43 years for me, Charley and my accent changes as I cross the Border.

I may have lived in England for 40 years but God forbid please never call me English, I am Scottish and always will be, irrespective of where I live.

Not didactic or pedantic at all, I cringe when I hear foreigners (especially Americans) refer to "Edinboro, England" or similar!! What's wrong with getting something right?

Merlot Clive Dunne would certainly have enlivened the proceedings especially if he was a second or two behind the others.
The OG, waiting to have a blood test etc, heard an elderly lady say to her husband that she felt sorry for the Queen having to 'read all that out, and perhaps she doesn't agree with it, she should be able to say, I don't like that bit!'

It's the first time I've watched it live, Oldgreymare. I was waiting for a phone call and looking for an excuse to rest my right knee which has been yanging a bit lately (too much gardening)

I thought some of it was a bit Dad's Army expecially when the yeomen had to pick up their lanterns to check that Guy Fawkes was no longer hiding in the cellars. Clive Dunne would have made a good Yeoman of the Guard.

Merlot... if the size if the tiara is anything to go by, that looks like a lady preparing to wear a crown!

I am half English, half Irish, with Scottish antecedents. I am entitled to an Irish passport as well as the British one I hold. I describe myself as British and always quibble if described as English.

Nonu I am sorry that you so obviously think I am being didactic, but many a Scot, or Welsh or Northern Irish person does not want to be called "English", and is offended by being so called, and rightly so! They have proud and distinct histories, albeit now being part of the Union.

When rugby commentators refer to "God save the Queen" as the "English" national anthem they are totally wrong, as is often pointed out here!

Paraphrased from Wikipedia:

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states, known as the Commonwealth realms, (the UK is one of the sovereign states ) and their territories and dependencies. She is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and, in some of her realms, carries the title of Defender of the Faith as part of her full title.

Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

Nonu, according to Whitaker's Almanac HM is Queen "of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories".

No mention of England at all!

Fascinating as this is , I will have to go now as there is the latest George Clooney movie on , in a short while .

Your Englishman is not king of a United Kingdom - unless you know something we do not. Should we curtsy if we meet him?

I am sure she does, Nonu She lives in her Scottish residence at Holyrood when she visits Edinburgh, she opens her Scottish parliament, she has a set of Scottish regalia, and she knows all about her ancestors and her right to the throne in all the parts of the United Kingdom (a clue in the name there)

Her subjects may be ignorant of history, but she is not.