Since Queen Elizabeth died…..

Not really, I remember staff coming out after Diana died, most particularly that awful butler man.

I think it’s pretty normal.

I don’t consider the Royals to be any more “special” than the rest of us.

I had a lot of admiration though for our dear departed Queen, she literally devoted almost all of her adult life to duty and no doubt missed out on many things.

she literally devoted almost all of her adult life to duty and no doubt missed out on many things.

I remember reading somewhere that the Queen had said the happiest time of her life was when she was newly married and living in Malta where Prince Philip was stationed with the Navy. A young married couple enjoying by all accounts a fairly simple life without having to worry about the affairs of state that would burden her once she was crowned.

Nor the burden of motherhood, leaving that responsibility to others

Queen Elizabeth really did her duty.

How many of us feel that we've worked hard all our lives & have earned the right to spend our time as we wish? I know I do.

The Queen worked hard for 71 years, & I venerated her when she was in her 90's. Still wearing heels, walking backwards down the Cenotaph steps. She rode the Trooping of the Colour until she was 60 (hard work and always a risk of something badly spooking her mount). Standing in the pouring rain on the Thames for her Golden Jubilee.

I don't think there are many of us who would have been motivated to keep up the standards of presentation & reliability as she did in her last decades, for all the privilege in the world.

SORES

Nor the burden of motherhood, leaving that responsibility to others

This. I have never understood how parents could leave their very young children for extended periods. My “duty” was to my family.

Greyduster

^she literally devoted almost all of her adult life to duty and no doubt missed out on many things^.

I remember reading somewhere that the Queen had said the happiest time of her life was when she was newly married and living in Malta where Prince Philip was stationed with the Navy. A young married couple enjoying by all accounts a fairly simple life without having to worry about the affairs of state that would burden her once she was crowned.

I don't think she ever lived a 'fairly simple life,' did she?

I agree there have been many more stories leaked to the press in the last couple of years, especially recently. I do think it has a little to do with loyalty to the late Queen, but I also think people are getting more selfish and money grabbing.

Gossip about Andrew and Fergie was appearing daily but has quietened recently. I expect no-one feels any loyalty to them so there was a feeding frenzy.

Apart from that, I do see a lot more private information being sneaked out of the Palace walls to the press and I think it's wrong. The staff have a trustworthy job and should respect their role.

Here it seems it has been mostly about ‘orrible Andy and Fergie and that apology for a man Harry and his American actress. Not so much the palace itself.

The late queen was extremely fortunate....born into wealth and privilege and a very loving family. She married the man she loved and he took his duties very seriously. I think her children may have been a disappointment. Not one of them is like her.
We were lucky to have her and her death really did bring an end to an era.
Isn't it a blessing that William was born first? Imagine the prospect of Harry being king!

Wasn't it more that for most of QE's life there was nowhere near as much media coverage than there is now? Even the televising of the coronation was controversial, and any reporting of Royal tours and visits was carefully controlled. We just didn't know about what happened behind the palace walls. Maybe rightly so, but it doesn't feel fair to compare the younger generations, whose every move is photographed and debated on threads like this, with those who lived in very different times.

Basgetti

SORES

Nor the burden of motherhood, leaving that responsibility to others

This. I have never understood how parents could leave their very young children for extended periods. My “duty” was to my family.

Thanks Basgetti - me neither

My comment was a response to Greyduster’s.
Princess Elizabeth left her two children in the
care of her Mother whilst enjoying her sojourn
in Malta, unencumbered by the demands of
mother/parenthood.

'The Queen worked hard for 71 years'. She did her duty. She had no idea what hard work was.

How much choice did the queen have about being there for her children? If her father George VI hadn't died when she was so young, she could have had more time with her children.
She was heroic, I think, putting duty to the country above anything. Ordinary people have the luxury of putting our own family's interests first.

It’s easy to judge the queen’s decision based on our own feelings and lives. Royal children were largely brought up by their Nannie’s and probably did not have a particularly close relationship with parents. Princess Elizabeth would become Queen and a large part of her success as monarch would involve a sound marriage. Philip was based in Malta and she would naturally want to spend time with him.

I would have thought the ultimate revelations came from "Crawfie", the governess who gave a very detailed account in her book "The Little Princesses".

mum2three

The late queen was extremely fortunate....born into wealth and privilege and a very loving family. She married the man she loved and he took his duties very seriously. I think her children may have been a disappointment. Not one of them is like her.
We were lucky to have her and her death really did bring an end to an era.
Isn't it a blessing that William was born first? Imagine the prospect of Harry being king!

First born would have been groomed for the post, his bride carefully vetted, given all of the advanantages

Harry is right, "the spare", no real role in life, no training, there just in case until George was born. If he had been a girl, he would have been married off to some European Prince. He did make a fist of the army and set up the paralympics. His choice of bride was guided and vetted until he rebelled. I guess they thought that because she was used to public life, she would be an asset

Look at Margaret and Andrew - he has done better.

I think that William needs to do better than cut his brother off they way he has, though - does not reflect well on him

Basgetti

SORES

Nor the burden of motherhood, leaving that responsibility to others

This. I have never understood how parents could leave their very young children for extended periods. My “duty” was to my family.

Your duty as a member of the Armed Forces often entails leaving family behind.

SORES

Basgetti

SORES

Nor the burden of motherhood, leaving that responsibility to others

This. I have never understood how parents could leave their very young children for extended periods. My “duty” was to my family.

Thanks Basgetti - me neither

My comment was a response to Greyduster’s.
Princess Elizabeth left her two children in the
care of her Mother whilst enjoying her sojourn
in Malta, unencumbered by the demands of
mother/parenthood.

The then Princess Elizabeth went back and forth between Malta and the UK during the time Prince Philip was stationed in Malta.
It was less disruptive for young children to be in one place with loving grandparents and, of course, a nanny, than travelling to and fro with their mother because their mother had duties at home as well as trying to spend some time with her husband when he was off duty in Malta.

They sign an NDA which I believe has a few years run after the job finishes, but beyond that they can talk to the media if they choose. So if it's coming from current staff it's not true, the media will usually use the word source, which often means I made this up or found a snippet of truth and packed it out with lies.
If they're named then it still might not be the truth because they're being paid by someone to spill the dirt.

I did see someone (possibly an MP but I can't remember) once calling for lifetime NDAs for people who work for the royal family, I disagree but then I don't see any of them as anyone special.

She lived a life of unbelievable luxury as did her husband and children, and extended family. She never
Had to worry about money, housing, mortgages, healthcare. unemployment, housework, clothes, cars or the education of her children. She lived a long life and could pass on her wealth on without worry of inheritance tax. She had to be forced to pay tax and repairs for her private residence, clearly thinking the taxpayer should stump up for that expense, as well as for public Services. Let's not forget the £12 million she paid to keep her son Andrew out of court and in hope of denying justice for his victims.

What is amazing is that the palace keep pumping out stories about her after death, even trying to celebrate her 100th birthday which she never had! Why criticise those in the lower echelons talking about her, when the palace senior and her family don't stop talking about her for their own ends?

FranP I think that William needs to do better than cut his brother off they way he has, though - does not reflect well on him
I think you'll find it was Harry who cut himself off. He revealed, for titillation purposes, private medical information about William, slagged him and the rest of his family off in his book etc etc Do you think William should just ignore that? Do you think Harry's behaviour reflects well on him?

StoneofDestiny

She lived a life of unbelievable luxury as did her husband and children, and extended family. She never
Had to worry about money, housing, mortgages, healthcare. unemployment, housework, clothes, cars or the education of her children. She lived a long life and could pass on her wealth on without worry of inheritance tax. She had to be forced to pay tax and repairs for her private residence, clearly thinking the taxpayer should stump up for that expense, as well as for public Services. Let's not forget the £12 million she paid to keep her son Andrew out of court and in hope of denying justice for his victims.

What is amazing is that the palace keep pumping out stories about her after death, even trying to celebrate her 100th birthday which she never had! Why criticise those in the lower echelons talking about her, when the palace senior and her family don't stop talking about her for their own ends?

Well said - good to see a touch of reality.

TBH I wasn't aware of any 'new' stories.

Yes I've noticed it too. I think it's disappointing, because I think it's disloyal selling their stories.