Charles and Camilla

[rpm]

This question is probably best suited for members in England. Has anyone ever met Charles and Camilla?
Right now the royal couple is touring Canada, and according to the Toronto Star newspaper, they are getting very few people to turn out to meet them.
Canada's Governor General, Michaelle Jean, made the mistake of touching Charle's forearm. Sorry about the quality of the picture, but you get the idea. Michaelle Jean is making Camilla look very dowdy.

 

[rpm]

According to the Toronto Star, when the royal couple toured the towns of Cupids Newfoundland, 57 people showed up. In Brigus, first stop 17 people, Brigus, second stop, 29.
St John's, 9.

 

[whirlcool]

What happened? Didn't Michelle get schooled on Royal Ettiqite? I am sure "The Palace" is horrified. The Queen is probably rolling her eyes, and Prince Phillip is probably blowing his top!

But IMHO, it is a nice demonstration of friendship. However, I am sure "The Palace" doesn't see it that way?

Didn't Michelle Obama do something similar in the Queen's presence?

And did you all hear that the Queen has relaxed the rule about never turning your back on the queen? You may now turn and leave the room. Her majesty relaxed this after a few people took some falls while backing out of the room.

A few times I have been in the same area as Prince Charles has been, but have never had the opportunity to see him.
The palace usually prints a list of the royals daily schedule where they can been seen each day.

 

[launderess]

The Lizard of Oz

*LOL*

When HM the Queen visited OZ years ago, the then PM made the mistake of touching the royal person, hence the headlines above in British papers the next day.

Also when HM the Queen toured the United States a few years later, a rather large African-American woman whose home for some reason the royal party was visiting bear hugged The Queen. The woman later explained, in response to queries about if things had been explained to her regarding such matters, that she greets EVERYONE who comes into her home the same way.

Much as changed in how persons, especially those outside of England's shores view and treat the monarchy. Even bows and curtsies, have pretty much fallen by the wayside for those of a certian generation.

All in all the British RF has been quite skilled in adapting to a changing world, it is one of the reasons they are still on the throne whilst most of the other European monarchies have been swept into the rubbish bin of time. As those born before and just after WWII die off, leaving a younger and more modern populace, one expects to see more changes.

If one listens carefully, even how HM the Queen speaks has changed from say when she first came to the throne to now.

 

[jeffg]

What's so special about Charlie's forearm? Will it break if someone touches it?

A better question is, why should his protocol take precedence over anyone else's? If I choose to greet him in this way, he should be gracious enough to accept it. And actually I bet he is. Have there been any "official" complaints about this?

 

[whirlcool]

"the Palace" may issue a press release reminding people that you can't grab the Royals unless you are invited to do so.

 

[rpm]

Since Michaelle Jean is the Queen's representative here in Canada, I guess its ok for her to grab anything she wants on the royals.

 

[petek]

Maybe they'll get the hint and stop coming here now. I for one would be happy to see the last of them. It's time to ditch the monarchy in Canada imho

 

[jeffg]

If you've ever done research into where these people came from, it's incredible to me how anyone, let alone an entire nation of otherwise intelligent people, can claim there's something royal about them.

Anyway IMO the phone sex thing put a big dent in this "royal" stuff, and the oral sex scandal finished it off.

Here's one of the very few times Stephen Colbert ever "lost it" during one of the Daily Shows:

http://www.noob.us/humor/the-daily-show-prince-charles-scandal/

 

[tomturbomatic]

When I saw the names

I was hoping that this was a story about a pair of gerbils or hamsters or something else cute; bunnies, maybe.

 

[petek]

I'm only anti monarchy when it comes to Canada and want them gone. I have only respectfor the Queen as I can't imagine how a person could possibly endure that lifestyle day in day out over your full life. Having your whole life scheduled and being pulled to and fro from one boring event to another, sometimes several in a day. How many Indian pow-wows has she sat thru, maybe she's off thinking of smething else while they dance who knows.. but I know I couldn't bare to do all that each and every day of my life. Even if I was chauffered to them in a Rolls or Bentley. Imagine having get all dressed up in those outfits and go stand on some parade field in the rain often and watch troops parade around.. boring big time.
Then once a week or month stand in some big hall for hours and hand out medals and knighthoods to old codgers etc. Yuk.. no thanks.. I'll take the money without those responsibilites

 

[toggleswitch2]

Somehow, it always comes back to gerbils, now doesn't it? *LOL*

Ducks and runs

 

[rapunzel]

In all fairness to Charles and Camilla

They are not terribly photogenic and awkward in public. Both lack the poise, dignity and appeal of the Queen. Though, I don't think that they are bad or mean-spirited people. They, too, come with warts and all. Charles isn't half as dull as the media makes him out to be. Unlike his mother, who is a skilled diplomat and never gives much away about her own views on issues, he has put noses out of joint with his bluntness. After all, he is his father's son. All in all, I wouldn't call the Windsor brood the brightest sparks on the feudal firmament.

The House of Windsor Inc. is a tightly run family concern and the Queen a prudent operator. She is old-school, well-respected and works very hard to serve her country and hold together the business. After she goes the concern will probably downsize significantly and be nothing more than fodder for the tabloids. Most younger Brits have had a gut-full of them, consider royalty nothing more than a drain on the public purse and largely irrelevant. In today's world they are an anachronism that doesn't really fit the Zeitgeist. I also don't see Charles' sons as the redeemers of the British monarchy. They are nothing more than a bunch of rich people with media appeal.

Here in Australia only people over 50 still care about the Queen. Public opinion gravitates towards Australia becoming a republic and I estimate that it will happen within the next 20 years.

rapunzel

 

[petek]

didja notice Williams hair,, he's balding already tut tut

Watched a documentary on Charles, fairly recent and to be honest it was quite interesting. He is interesting, has some very out there views and doesn't really come across as a pompous ass at all.
Phillips the one I like, straight shooter says what he's thinking

 

[rapunzel]

None of them actually come accross as pompous.

It's all their hangers-on that do. I, too, don't mind Phillip - I've always appreciated people who speak their mind. Margaret, being a bit of a rebel and, unlike most others in her family, beautiful, has always been my favorite royal.

 

[favorit]

Emmanuel Philibert, our virtual future king ...

... as Italy became a republic in 1946. Since then the Savoy lost their royal job. Until 2002 they were so beloved they couldn't even enter italian borders. Anyway this law ceased and now Emanuele, who's an hedge fund raiser, has another part-time job : the Special Guest and the Testimonial. Be a olives commercial, be our "Strictly come dancing", be the death-boring sunday afternoon broadcast, he's always on screen. Let his 99th-grade cousins know ;-)

The pic shows E.P. in the Saclà olives commercial

 

[rapunzel]

Ooooh!

Now there is dreamy prince. Long live prince Filiberto!

 

[sudsmaster]

Viva Verdi!

 

[sudsmaster]

There are worse things than having a constitutional monarch serve as the head of state. Hitler, Mussoline, Tojo, Stalin, etc. have shown that very well.

Of course, then there's that troublesome Kaiser Wilhelm.

I also don't think Charles is a bad person. He's just a product of his family and national culture. An anachronism in the modern world, perhaps.

I wonder how long the British monarchy will last. I recall the well done BBC series, "To Play the King", which exposed the Achilles heel of the modern British monarch. QE has played her role very well, probably because she's well aware that despite the monarchical titles and properties, she still serves at the pleasure of her people.