Should he still be driving at 97?

I remember a day when he was neither arrogant nor disdainful. Just jolly and friendly.

It was the day of Harry's passing out from Sandhurst. I hung around outside because I knew they would be coming out soon and I wanted to see the Queen. When the royal car came out, sod's law. she was sitting on the side furthest away from me so I could only see Phillip. He saw me, reached across and touched the Queen's arm and pointed to me. She leaned over and gave me that lovely smile of hers, and waved. Just for me. He didn't have to do that. He could easily have ignored the batty old girl in her slightly grubby anorak and pink gloves, standing on her own waiting for a glimpse of HM.

Made me a memory that day. (...did but see her passing by...)

He did laugh at me - I was waving like crazy. But he laughed in a nice way.

So easy to criticise others when you don't have the facts. I've heard criticism of the woman who has spoken to the media but, in fairness, I doubt she has ever had media training and never prepared herself for this situation. I hope I wouldn't do it but how do I know how I would react in an unexpected situation?

(to the then Paraguay dictator General Stroessner) “It’s a pleasure to be in a country that isn’t ruled by its people.”

Perhaps said tongue in cheek but perhaps coloured slightly by the fact that his family was exiled from Greece which he may remember happening himself.

Gonegirl I only met him once and he was not arrogant or disdainful to me, a mere pleb. He was very jolly and spoke directly to me, rather than at me and listened to what I said.

Above post was to Eloethan
Perhaps he gets rather fed up hence likes to liven up proceedings somewhat.

The man has a sense of humour , we don’t all share the same sense of humour do we ?

Husband has met him in social situations, he banishes his private protection to outside the venue. He reckoned that there were enough men (male only event) in the room that he had nothing to fear. He made a point of speaking to all "tables" and the resounding opinion was that he was a "good bloke" albeit with a bawdy sense of humour.

He is not the only one that is really unsafe to drive. I used to work in an opticians and the number of people that were driving (not all elderly either) whose eye sight was so bad, they were having trouble even reading the dashboard, The number that didn't want to wear specs because it spoiled the way they looked (even had one mother that wanted her 5 year old to wear contact lenses because specs would"stop her from being pretty!!)
That was just to do with their eyesight, let alone the ones with circulation problems who often couldn't feel the pedals, the ones that were very slow reacting to anything!

My elderly relatives refuse seatbelts in the back even though it's a well known fact that in a collision a passenger in the back would come forward and crash through the windscreen doing untold damage on the way.
Even a small person becomes a powerful force when hurtling through the air.

Phone in on R4 at the moment. Apparently young people are more likely to have an accident per mile driven than old people. Hope for us yet!

That is against the law Gramma and if you are stopped by police you will be fined and get points on your licence.

I’d simply insist or I wouldn’t be driving them anywhere.

he has been driving for over 70 years, now it seems he has been in several accidents over this period, never heard of him being taken to hospital, or the queen, because of injuries

With respect anniebach PP was driving a “tank” of a car, quite possibly with extra armour plating for his protection in the event of an attack. If the vehicles had been the other way round with PP in the Kia pulling out in front of the Land Rover, it would have been a very different story.
Anyway, the basic fact remains that he made a serious error of judgement quite probably aggravated by his age and/or also irascible and impatient temperament.
I used to think him a “character” but think much less of him now.

I agree, Maw. I posted on one of the PP threads that I think it's a shame he has seriously blotted his copybook towards the end of his life when up until now most people have humoured his gaffes and frankly rude behaviour.

I used to have a soft spot for him but apart from his major achievements like the DofE award scheme I no longer feel any admiration.

But Maw he is not alone in making an error of judgement or allegedly being impatient . These traits make him the man he has always been. I regard him no more or less than before the accident, perhaps because I too have made errors of judgement and at times been impatient.

This is off topic of course. But when someone in a privileged position is disdainful to others I find it inexcusable. We are all born equal.
Nothing to do with the accident. He is no different to anyone else regarding that. And I can't believe the passenger was on telly. Honestly, words fail me!

annep how has he been disdainful to others ?

There are examples online Anniebach. And an acquaintance once looked after a member of the RF while said person was staying in NI. Staff were not treated nicely. But of course as you know I am a republican So I am biased.

annep that explains much ?.

Nobody is perfect, or to be revered, simply because the fortunate circumstances of their birth. Judge them only by their actions /choices. He is a very privileged, wealthy , elderly man who could now be chauffeur driven anywhere and at anytime. A choice denied to many elderly people who would love to still be driving/ going out and about independently etc. I doubt anyone on here really knows much about him except for an occasional anecdote & for every negative one someone will find a positive so proves zilch! I have a friend who met him on 2 or 3 occasions at carriage racing events. She speaks highly of him. I could not feel the same way about him but that is based on reports of his apparent arrogance, his poor diplomacy (i.e. unfunny gaffes). This latest lack of judgement reinforces my opinion.

Anniebach we all know the RF are arrogant and feel they are superior to others. I think we've discussed this before. Sorry my energy is low today.?

Good little article in todays i newspaper by Yasmin...

No we don’t ALL know the RF are arrogant and feel they are superior - at least I don’t know that. They may have money and position but I would not want the Queens job for all the money in the world. She has worked tirelessly for 70 years for the good of this country.

Not tirelessly really! She has a host of employees to do all the routine jobs so all she has had to do is read and respond. Others of us have had to read & respond whilst loading the washer, making tea, wiping a bum, fixing the car, going to Sainsbury etc etc. Much daily " stress" has not been her experience. She is a good to keep on going on when she could do less..but at least she has had a choice!

To be honest I would rather do the mundane things in life that have to entertain foreign dignitories, attend boring functions while constantly keeping a smile on my face. I have had a small taste of it on work trips with my DH and it is exhausting.

True she has never experienced the stress of making tea, wiping a bum, going to Sainsbury’s.

How many of us have had their children and grandchildren lives pulled to pieces day after day in the press, in coffee shops, in pubs, in millions of homes.

Because she has staff to do the wiping of bums it doesn’t mean she loves her children and grandchildren less, no wealth can ease worry , no wealth can make a person oblivious to constant criticism.

We have had many threads on grief, always we read ‘there is no right or wrong way to grieve’, who else has been criticised more for not parading her grief as queenie has.