Are the Royal Family losing their touch?

I think when the Queen’s children were small there were 13 working royals.

I agree with you entirely PECS. You have expressed exactly what I feel.

I agree, too, PECS.
It was misjudged.

Very interesting this. I was quietly confident he would be the Queen's escort at Prince Philip's service. Strong decision. Think (hope) he'll be hard to find in the jubilee celebrations. We'll see. Even if he's hidden in the furthest of corners, the press will seek him out, highlight him and squew the whole proceedings.

Plenty of people thought it was fine that he escorted her. I was glad to see him there and in that role. He's probably not a very nice person but I don't know. Like everyone else here I only get my information filtered through the editors of the media. I'm not a fan of predigested opinion.

Me three PECS.
Who were the couple in the same row as the York girls and spouses right on the aisle end? PA could have replaced them and sat with his family.

Other peoples children are usually nowhere near as nice as our own.

I think we can rest assured that the royals will do as they choose, whether anyone is pleased or offended.

BlueBelle

Well perhaps as his mother she knows more than we know from our ‘wonderful’ media Gagajo or maybe she just wants him with her in her last days …who knows ?

She probably does want him with her. And I guess at her age, she doesn't have her finger on the pulse of the nation, and who can blame her for that?

But her other family should have firmly guided her. If Charles is to be king, he really should be up to making that kind of firm advice to his very elderly mother.

My take on it was that the Queen decided Andrew would accompany her into the Abbey so that he would not enter by the main entrance like his brothers and sister. The public would have made their displeasure felt if he had entered by the main door. This way he left Windsor with the Queen in a car, entered by a side door minimising his contact with others, and left in the same way. Booing by the public would have taken away from the memorial to Philip. The Queen avoided contact with the public by her decision. He sat in age order with his siblings. It was the media who honed in on it all making it more than it was. For all we know there were people in the Abbey who had done much worse. I'm not excusing him. The whole situation did not show him in the best of lights. He did have a right to attend his father's memorial service. As for the Jubilee, we will have to see what happens.

MissAdventure

I agree, too, PECS.
It was misjudged.

Yes, I agree with PECS too.
To add to his past misdemeanours, Andrew is now implicated in receiving up to 1 million pounds in 'gifts' (although some was returned) from a Turkish 'fraudster'. Yet another scandal. He really is a liability at the moment. He'd be wise to keep out of the limelight altogether and his Mother would do well to advise him not to make any more public appearances.

Well, even convicted criminals are allowed a day out for a parents funeral, generally.

Andrew's alleged indiscretions, to put it kindly, are just that; alleged. (Although I suspect having his family ties helped enormously)

It's a pity for the queen that she is subject to so much scrutiny.

Aveline

Sigh. He's not a paedophile!

He is under American law. Under U.K. law he took part in sex trafficking. The Met haven’t ever had the balls to investigate, much like others in power who we should be able to trust but can’t.

Unless the Queen improves in health, I don’t see her attending the Derby or Ascot, or similar, ever again sadly.

I thought I’d let this run for a while, I didn’t want to divert the comments. Thanks for asking my for my views Urmstongran. I hope I don’t disappoint Calendargirl with my predictability.

My question was about whether the RF have lost their touch with their ability to project a particular image that was not only acceptable, but wanted by the populace.
I think I agree with whoever it was who said that they appear to be very badly advised at the moment. Whoever thought it was a good idea for W&K to ride in the back of that Land Rover needs to consider if PR is the right career for them.

And can we not just admit that a televised service in Westminster Cathedral with senior politicians, foreign kings and queens and representatives of 800 charities, is not a “family memorial service?” Its not. It’s just not.

I’ve no interest in where Andrew sits, or whether he pushes himself forward, or if he is entitled. Of course he thinks he is entitled. And of course he had a right to be at the memorial service. And of course his mum had a right to have him there.

But once upon a time she would have known the mood of the citizens of this country well enough to know that a significant proportion of them saw an elderly lady with inherited power saying that she doesn’t care if we think her son is immoral or not. She’s the Queen and what she says, goes. And that’s not a good message, ever, is it? Hardly fits with the “service” we keep being told is so important to her.

I was on her “side” during the Diana thing, when people were asking where she was. She was in her house with her bereaved grandsons. Why wasn’t the flag at half mast? Because its not a flag, its the Royal Standard. But not this time. She is letting her own feelings override what much of society thinks is right.

So yes, I think they are losing their touch. Remains to be seen if they get it back.

And can we not just admit that a televised service in Westminster Cathedral with senior politicians, foreign kings and queens and representatives of 800 charities, is not a “family memorial service?” Its not. It’s just not
Nor was it Westminster Cathedral - which is a Roman Catholic cathedral, but Westminster Abbey.
The foreign royalty were as I understand all related to the D of Edinburgh who was “more royal than the Queen”, and other invited guests were from his charitable projects such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Oops - very sorry, that's right of course.

Now that would have been something to talk about.

mumofmadboys

I think we should admire the Queen for sticking with her son through thick and thin. We love our children unconditionally. We don't stop loving them even if they do something very wrong. Hate the sin, not the sinner.

She’s the Queen and, with the privilege that she gets comes responsibility. She represents us on the world stage and it was unwise, imo, to draw Andrew back into the limelight. I wonder if she was pressurised by him into doing so. I feel sorry for Charles, Andrew and William who try to do everything by the book but still seem to be overshadowed in their mothers affections by him.

I agree with those of you who say it isn't appropriate for Andrew to have a prominent role in the jubilee celebrations.

Thanks volver for your input and Maw for the clarification!

By the way, I didn’t realise there were only 8 working royals. The extended family seem huge. I just assumed they all did a bit of summat or other for their greater good! There’s a little t of them one way or another. Does this mean they all have jobs in real life? Some, obviously, are pensioners now.

If they wanted a family service they could have had it in one of their private chapels with no tv cameras. “Working royals” is a bit of an oxymoron surely? Waving, posing for photos, going to banquets and shaking hands now and again must be such hard work especially when it’s all organised for you.,

Ilovecheese

The two mis steps, the tour of the Caribbean and the prominent role given to Prince Andrew,have been so close together that I have to wonder if they have new advisers who are not up to the job.

I think the thing with Andrew was them saying he’s still very much in the fold.

I don’t expect him to be hiding come the jubilee either.

The memorial was the warm up to bringing him back to the front

Anniebach

maddy there are 8 working royals, I didn’t mean there should
be 8 ,but now there are 8, Charles, Camilla, William and Kate
can’t be retired, this leaves Anne, Edward and Sophie.

As long as they are in demand they will carry on with what is asked of them.

They are approached abpnd asked - they don't put adverts in the press saying "Royal for hire"
In the main most only get expenses as they are not on the payroll.

MissAdventure

In terms of body language, that rogue leg speaks volumes.

Which rogue leg?
Is it his crossed ankles that are a problem? (Hastily uncrosses her own ankles)
He's not manspreading like Harry!

He's probably not a very nice person but I don't know. Like everyone else here I only get my information filtered through the editors of the media.
Some of us know personnel who served with him (and with Charles).
One arrogant, one not at all.

Gilly3

Me three PECS.
Who were the couple in the same row as the York girls and spouses right on the aisle end? PA could have replaced them and sat with his family.

The Earl of Snowdon and his daughter?