Prank phone call

Lilygran not sure why my opinion should "astonish" you in any way. The royals are not all sweetness and light that some would believe. Remember when Diana died how "sweet and caring" the queen was??? Not ! She really showed her true colours didn't she? We will never know even half of what goes on in that weird family. Deedaa if Kate and William live a normal life then we are all living in
Lalaloopsy land!

Just what was so terrible about the Queen's actions when Princess Diana died? What was she supposed to do that she didn't do? Join in the general hysteria that pervaded the country?

I wouldn't have - and didn't.

No feetlebaum I didn't either. What I did feel was terribly sad
For this poor young girl who was conned into marry a cold hearted, ugly natured old stuff just to produce an heir. Charles clearly did not love her (remember the whatever love is speech?) and was clearly in love with CPB anyway.

The queen showed no sadness at all and looked at Diana's death as an inconvenience. She did not want to return to London and only did so after huge pressures from Tony Blairs government who told her that the public would turn against her if she didn't try and show some feelings.

And you know the Queen's feelings on the subject how, gillybob? You've put your own interpretation on what the media have reported, just like the rest of us. For all we know she might have been distraught, but just didn't know how best to act in such unprecedented circumstances.

Shouldn't we bear in mind that the Royal family is, in fact, disfunctional? The parents seemed to take very little interest in their children, with work taking them both away from the home for months at a time The eldest son sitting back waiting for his Mother to die in order to inherit her job doing very little of any use with his life, marrying in order to produce an heir and a spare before carrying on his affair with another woman, of the other children one started off well enough by joining the forces but gave that up and became almost addicted to travelling the world on someone elses money. The other children not doing much better.

Princess Diana brought a breath of fresh air to the family and, I think, it frightened them because they had no idea what an "ordinary" life was like.

I suppose you could argue that the daughter of an Earl does know about 'ordinary' life if you are actually a member of a reigning house. Diana's personal history looks nothing like 'ordinary' to me!

Totally agree Barrow ( with the tiny exception in that I wouldn't call what they "do" as work with any stretch of the imagination).

None of us can possibly know what the queen is feeling Ana although I do not think ( from what we are told) that she ever lets such trivialities as "feelings" get in the way of anything.

None of us know what was really said or done following the phone call but given how manipulative the royals have been throughout history I can imagine that they wouldn't have laughed it all off as they would have us think.

I agree with you Lilygran Diana may have had many good points but normality and ordinariness were not among them. If anything her own upbringing was even more disfunctional than Charles's and while she may have felt very sorry for the disadvantaged she was quite happy buying an evening dress for the price of a small car.
When I spoke about William & Kate living a normal life I did mean in their own minds

So, gillybob You obviously believe that Tony Blair saved the monarchy.

I didn't have grandchildren when Diana died and I couldn't understand why the Queen didn't immediately return to London. I have seven DGCs now and can fully understand why she realised their needs came first. They have their own way of showing love and support that may not match our own but that doesn't mean they are cold hearted.

Not long ago I read Timothy Knatchbull's account of the IRA bomb that killed his grandfather, Lord Mountbatten and also his twin brother Nicholas. Timothy was badly injured and in deep shock due to the loss of his twin. He gives a moving account of how the Queen asked for him to be sent to Balmoral for part of his recovery where she fussed over him just as any other caring relative would.

I believe my post actually reads "Tony Blairs government"and not Tony Blair so I think that answers your question.

How many forces families have been struck by tragedy recently? Hundreds, thousands? The queen invited one person to recoup at Balmoral ( paid for out of her own pocket) and suddenly she is a saint? Give me a break. I am sorry I stick with the fact that they are cold hearted misfits and with any luck our grandchildren will see sense and get rid of the lot of them !

I didn't ask a question, gillybob so I don't require an answer.

Oh do forgive me merlotgran I agree you did not ask a direct question . What you did was make statement referring to something that I was supposed to have said but did not. I was merely correcting you. No sarcasm intended.

gillybob nobody said the Queen was a a saint, just that her young relative found her loving and caring when he was recovering from a truly horrendous experience. What personal experience do you have of any members of the royal family? And while you are contrasting them with forces families, they've probably had as many members serving in the armed forces as any other family in the country. I expect you will suggest that doesn't count because they are royals. And as for Tony Blair's government's contribution to the general well-being and ethical failure to take unfair advantage of being in power - if you think they show up well against the royals, you must have been living on a desert island!

gillybob I have had first hand experience of the Queen's kindness and concern. Have you any first hand experience of her cold-heartedness?

Lilygran like most people in this country I have zero personal experience of the royals. Nor do I wish for any. I respect many people for what they have achieved in the world however I have no respect whatsoever for this bunch of obscenely rich , over indulged people who are only in their very fortunate position through sheer accident of birth . Do you imagine the queen lies awake at night thinking about the poverty and suffering in the world? I shouldn't think so .

The royals enjoy the uniforms and medals (????) of the various forces but mostly "play" at being soldiers and sailors. Do you think anyone serving in the RAF would ever get away with as much leave at William does?pregnant wife or not!

I am not ( and have never been) a Tony Blair fan I merely pointed out that history shows that he did beg the queen to return to London following the death of Diana ( the mother of her grandchildren) .

grannyactivist I have first hand experience of many people's kindness and concern. Sadly these people are mostly those who have very little time and the least to give. I do not require a handshake or a nod from her maj ( one of the richest most privileged women in the world) to give me a warm feeling.

That 'history' would be the fictional account made into a film? And I think in emphasising the privilege you are completely ignoring the obligations.

gillybob I'm sure you don't mean to be patronising. I like to give credit where I can and I don't think an acknowledgement of anyone's kindness detracts from another's.

No Lilygran I am not referring to any fictional events I m talking about the fact that the queen did not return to London until she was persuaded that the country would be against her if she did not do so. Are you suggesting that this is not the case?

The queen has no obligations at all as far as I am concerned. She could walk away from the top spot at any time and hand over the firm to the looney her first born who chats to plants and hypocritically talks the talk about saving the planet .

grannyactivist I am anything but patronising ( I promise) and kindness is kindness wherever it comes from, however in my experience genuine selfless acts of kindness tend to come from those with the least to give and not a shallow nod or donation from the privileged few.

And politicians are not hyprocrites?

The Queen quickly regained her popularity once people calmed down from the hysteria following Diana's death.

I chat to my dogs, my cat, my chickens and my plants. [loony emoticon]

I talk to my citrus trees! Am I mad?


Don't answer that! I know

Of course they aremerlogran although they are usually elected hypocrites!

Yes perhaps the queen has regained her popularity with many but the point I have been trying to make is that she does not appear to have any genuine feelings and it should not have been necessary for her to be persuaded to return to London following the death of her grand children's mother.

In the absence of any pets I tend to talk to myself most of the time at least then I have someone who tends to agree with me !

'she does not appear to have any genuine feelings'?

You obviously have a deep disregard for the Royal family, gillybob, but how you can make a sweeping statement like that is beyond me.

One thing we can definitely agree on Ana I do have a complete disregard for the royals every last one of them !

.... And it was not a sweeping statement it is something I truly believe although admittedly I can only go on what I read and hear. Can you honestly say that you have proof that I am wrong and that deep down the queen is a warm, kind, generous, caring person?? No I don't think so.