Does anyone really feign illness to get out of something?

Personally I've done it more than once, mostly when I know I'm going to get grief if I don't attend whatever boring event it is. My health is poor anyway so I'm not exactly feigning anything, just making it seem worse than it is for that particular thing. I don't see it as tempting anything because that's not something I believe in.

But for someone like a bloody king? That would be a bit much, imo it would be much better to tell the truth... The UK no longer has any kind of special relationship with the US so a state visit is unnecessary.
But he won't say that and will go regardless.

Regrettably I've been in an opposite situation. I often used to get genuinely unwell when having to visit the in-laws, if I was already not feeling too well the stress, the car journey, I've always had a tendency to car sickness, and not being able to sleep when I needed to sometimes used to send me over the edge into a fully blown migraine. Thankfully since I no longer have to do this I don't think I've had a migraine since. If I'd been able to have an early night and wake up refreshed I would probably have been ok or at least no migraine.
I've never had a non genuine sickie at work, in fact the last over 20 years of working because it was flexible and part time, I'd I wasn't well I'd just do what I needed to when I felt better
My old doc was a Highland Scots and he said that sometimes he would have a day off school to go fishing if he needed what we now call a mental health day. And actually I agree with him. Presenteeism is not good for the employer or the employee. If for whatever reason someone is stressed a day off could help reset things and get the work done when it's needed and the employee will feel better for it and be better able to do their job.
I think that going in when you're not really well enough is far too common and good for nobody
Maybe the King could say he can't get travel insurance, we all know what it's like with preexisting conditions and age, especially travelling to the US. If he became ill out there how much would that cost the British taxpayer?

I think HM is tired and weak, but determined to keep going. He is doing less and letting HRH do more, but is well aware how hard it is to be a monarch and have a family life, and of the toll of cancer on Katherine.
However much we love the late Queen, she did put duty before her children, being away for long periods, so he possibly does not want that burden on his own grandchildren.

Yes, I have done this a few times. It started with school! But it was really social anxiety and still is.

Rabbitgran

I worked as a nurse in the NHS in various places for many years. Management tended to be unsympathetic to urgent changes in the roster due to a child being ill etc or an unforseen family event. Sometimes staff were told they could have the time if they could find someone else to swap shifts which was not always possible due to staff shortages. This resulted in staff having sickies to allow us to discharge our family duties. NHS trusts have brought in procedures to monitor individual levels of sickness to crack down on this. For my part, after a couple of heartless managers declined me time off to attend to family illness, I realised it was better to use the sickie rather than to risk refusal and spend the rest of my life regretting being unable to look after my family adequately. When I was a nurse, I was a good employee. I stayed on (often at no notice) when I could when other staff couldn't show up for their shifts. I worked countless unpaid hours because of short staffing and feeling unable to leave the ward until the patients were comfortable. I know that other staff did the same as me. I don't regret the sickie and I don't regret the unpaid hours either.

In the case of hospital nurses the NHS should have an adequate nurse pool that can be used in emergencies such as nurses going off sick or needing to honour serious family commitments.

Any industry such as the NHS which is to care for helpless people should have 24/7 failsafe staffing levels at all times.

On a slight tangent, a few years ago we had a cat who had diabetes and we would use him as the excuse to leave an event early, as we had to get back to give him his injection. Not a lie as such, and he was a lovely cat.

I did once throw a sickie at work when I was in my thirties as it was a red hot day and I wanted to sunbathe, plus it was a Friday. Stupid thing to do, I know, and I never did it again.

I worked as a nurse in the NHS in various places for many years. Management tended to be unsympathetic to urgent changes in the roster due to a child being ill etc or an unforseen family event. Sometimes staff were told they could have the time if they could find someone else to swap shifts which was not always possible due to staff shortages. This resulted in staff having sickies to allow us to discharge our family duties. NHS trusts have brought in procedures to monitor individual levels of sickness to crack down on this. For my part, after a couple of heartless managers declined me time off to attend to family illness, I realised it was better to use the sickie rather than to risk refusal and spend the rest of my life regretting being unable to look after my family adequately. When I was a nurse, I was a good employee. I stayed on (often at no notice) when I could when other staff couldn't show up for their shifts. I worked countless unpaid hours because of short staffing and feeling unable to leave the ward until the patients were comfortable. I know that other staff did the same as me. I don't regret the sickie and I don't regret the unpaid hours either.

Also not proof reading before posting is just lazy, sorry about that.

I think skiving from work or making last minute excuses to not to attend a prearranged gathering by using an feigned illness to cover up a can’t be bothered vibe is disrespectful of other people’s time and feelings.
It’s dishonest too.

My sister and mother are masters of the feigned illness if they don't want to do something. It drives me mad but I don't use that as an excuse. 🤣

My dad as a retired from Doctor became very bored and found a job assessing people for suitability for Disability Allowances ( as it was in those days) He told me henhad been to a ertain gentleman's house who said his mobility was poor plus other frailties
requiring extra allowances. After my dad left his house and later went down to wait for the Tube, he saw the aforesaid man running down the platform...enough said!

I couldn't fake an illness if I tried. My family would know straight away. Every time I'm ill, I sleep on and off most of the day. I'm ill with an infection atm and have just woken up again. 3rd sleep of the day plus all night sleeping.
One of my adult children gets a severe headache before an illness every time. Had it for 3 days when he was younger before the chicken pox spots came out. I was so worried thinking the headache was something really serious.

Never pulled a sicky in 47 years of working.
I was brought up being told if I was well enough to get out of bed I was well enough to go to school which stuck with me all of my working life.

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I don’t but I think if I was being forced to make nice with Trump I might just start. That’s quite the task to take on on behalf of the UK.

mae13

Perhaps, health permitting, the King should attend.

Any state banquet would be a hoot - not to mention a demonstration to Mister Trump of how to do dignity.

Charles would be wearing formal dress with his various honours and regalia and Trump.........would (very likely) be wearing his silly Make America Great Again baseball hat.

Likewise, Queen Camilla will be displaying one of the many magnificent tiara's that come with the job and the title. But the best Melania Trump will be able to come up with is 'Jimmy Choo' 5 inch stiletto's.

Game, set and match to the Windsor's.

I think Melania dresses really elegantly.
I think she also carries herself really well.
I also think QC dresses beautifully. Her wedding outfit was the most stunning outfit I’ve ever seen.

Trumps latest rant for context.

”Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran," he wrote on Truth Social. "There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F**kin' Strait, you crazy b*stards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP."

Never feigned illness. The millions spent taking Charles on this visit would be better spent on things at home - things that will make a real difference. Ghastly to visit Trump who clearly delights in humiliating people, insults our allies, prime minister, army and navy and is a convicted felon!

Yes and it was my Husband, no longer with him, but it had a terrible effect on me and my Son.

MartavTaurus

Doodledog

If someone is genuinely ill vice and virtue don’t come into it though. The OP question is about feigning illness to get out of something.

Yes, basically coming up with an excuse - tantamount to a lie - about one's health.

But I'm happy if the thread goes off course a bit, as threads do.

Here's the few quotes I took the idea from, though there were a few others too.

Surely they could pretend his health isn’t good enough.

So sorry, King is indisposed

I think it is wrong to use health as an excuse, anytime. But I have seen it happen, and I wondered in general, using KC comments on GN as a starter, what others felt about cancelling arrangements when you could otherwise go.

You quoted part of my post, out of context, and misinterpreted "indisposed".

I strongly suspect that the US visit will not go ahead. Basically because Trump has lost the plot to such a degree there is no dangerous lie, smear, falsehood and misrepresentation about heads of state he won't stoop to.

The least damaging way to extricate him is a last minute cancellation without detailed explanation.

I chose the term indisposed deliberately, because like many English terms it has several definitions. Including

" Unwilling, averse".

A subtle joke for the educated diplomat. Straight over the head of morons like Trump.

MT62

Caleo

Diarrhoea is a good social excuse that hurts nobody's feelings or pocket.

Or constipation if you can’t spell diarrhoea as my grannie used to put on the school note 😂

Caleo

Diarrhoea is a good social excuse that hurts nobody's feelings or pocket.

Or constipation if you can’t spell diarrhoea as my grannie used to put on the school note 😂

I think Gp still has to record your health issue on your visit to the surgery.
Not 100% sure how holiday insurance works, tbh, but if they can find a way not to pay out & all that VV.

ViceVersa

As someone who has health conditions which can flare up at any time with little or no warning, I'd hate to think people believed I was just 'pulling a sickie' if I have to cancel on them at short notice.

I understand that, which (to me) is another reason why those who do use health as an excuse are selfish. I don't suppose people will think badly of you unless it is always when there is something you don't want to do that you take ill.