I’ve no doubt that Prince Harry is a hard-working and sincere young man, by the standards of royal princes. Same goes for his brother. And his father.
However, if any of us were the children of royalty I’m sure we would all be doing a great job too. It is, I suggest, quite easy to be a patron of charities and suchlike if your mother or grandmother is the Queen.
I’m pretty sure that in addition to helping charity I’d be up to opening a few things, laying some wreaths, visiting the warmer parts of the world on “official duties” and causing outrage by dressing as a Nazi for a fancy dress party or taking all my clothes off at a party in Vegas.
Four Generations on Stamps
Ah, no I was wrong there. I’ve never dressed as a Nazi for a fancy dress party or stripped off at a party in Vegas or any other venue.
I suppose that’s because I had parents who taught me how to behave. Harry’s father is not, despite his green credentials, a great role model, and his mother, well what do I say? I know opinions are divided on Diana, and I’m not going to speak ill of the dead, but if she’d been from a council estate I think Social Services would probably have taken the children away for their own good.
Prince Philip has been a bit of a handful over the years, but he’s worked hard and only retired at the age of 96. The Queen is still going and strikes me as a decent sort.
I can’t think of anything bad about George VI.
Edward VIII, on the other hand, the selfish, playboy, petulant Nazi-lover, is not a man I have any great regard for.
Prince Harry
George V, I know little about, though I don’t think he was much of a parent.
Edward VII was a multiple adulterer as both King and Prince of Wales.
I suppose what I’m trying to say is that the family has form for self-indulgent, petulant behaviour, they have different values from mine and I’m finding myself becoming steadily more radical as I grow older.
I thought I was supposed to get more right wing as I aged but I’m actually thinking about starting a revolution and lining the Royal Family up against a wall with a firing squad.
Various members of the Royal Family are shown, appearing on coins, stamps and School Attendance Medals.
Like Lavinia, I am not a royal watcher. The things I love about England are the countryside, the literature, and the theater, especially Shakespeare. All things to be proud of, despite the shenanigans of those at the top.
When I think of the USA I think of scenery, cowboys and food. I fear I exist on a less intellectual plane… 🙂
Our country is a bit more complicated. 🙂 Here is a good news magazine which covers the complicated issues of just our our American west. It’s a big place.
https://www.hcn.org/
Well, there are places where the scenery is magnificent and the food is pretty darned good. I hear there are cowboys, but this Mainer has never seen one. 😉 The U.S. is a big place, and Maine is far removed from the West.
Lobster rolls and trees will be fine. Cowboys are a bonus. 🙂
You are forgetting crab cakes. 🙂
🙂 It’s sounding better all the time.
Have you ever read any books by Edward Marston? One of his characters, Jonathan Bale, is a Commonwealth man at the time of the Restoration. Your post reminds me of him 😉
Yes, I’ve read Edward Marston. Always a good read, though not all his characters grip me as much as others. Bale is one of the better ones. Susanna Gregory’s Thomas Chaloner is another good Restoration character.
Yes, not all his characters are gripping. The first Susanna Gregory book I read was excellent but I couldn’t get into her second. Perhaps it is time to try again.
She is probably worth a second chance, but if they don’t grab you there are plenty of others to have a go at.
Who would you recommend along the same lines? I really got into Michael Jecks and Anne Perry but have read all theirs that Leeds City libraries hold.
Lindsay Davis for a slightly quirky view of Ancient Rome. (Avoid the film they made about Falco). She also writes a series about Falco’s daughter – I have only read one but it seemed OK.
For simple pelasure I quite like M C Beeton – Agatha Raisin and Hamish McBeth. They are a trifle formulaic but generally engaging, and good if you get them from the library. I’ve just started a Phrne Fisher novel, which is so much better than it seems on TV. 1920s Australia with a modern perspective. Very funny, with food for thought. Also well researched. I will look for more.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phryne_Fisher
If you don’t mind someone who is a little too good to be true have you tried Maisie Dobbs – starts just after the Great War and currently up to the Blitz.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maisie_Dobbs
And finally – a detective from Leeds – http://frances-brody.com/novels/index.html
Sorry to go on at length – I just kept thinking of extras. 🙂
Thank you for all these suggestions. I will look into them forthwith.
I came across another author who writes about Leeds. The story was very good – ‘The leaden heart’ by Chris Nickson was set at the end of the Victorian era.
He has quite a cv, and seems very prolific but I’ve never heard of him. Amazing what you learn on WordPress!
Indeed! I didn’t know he was a prolific writer until you said – the book just happened to be laying around in my local library, having been misplaced, when I noticed it.
Strange how these things happen sometimes…
😊
Not for all the tea in China
🙂 It’s one of those jobs I wouldn’t apply for, but I wouldn’t complain about it too much if it was forced on me.
🙂
I am not a royal watcher, but I do feel sympathy for them living under the public eye. Money, position and fame don’t really make life any easier in the end. They are human, with human failings, dreams and hopes, as much as anyone else. I don’t know what can be done.
It may be difficult but his father’s generation had, I think, more of a struggle. Other members of the family have faced considerable difficulties and worked things out. I have great admiration for Prince Edward, for instance, who dropped out of the public eye without the need for publicity and histrionics.
I am not up on all the scandals and personal issues of the royals except what filters down to me from various sources. Social media and current technology have changed the playing field, though, for better and worse. In an age where news, propaganda and personal opinion fly at the speed of light, I don’t think there is any dropping out of sight quietly anymore, and the Internet abounds with all sorts of people. I have a barrel of lilies planted for a girl named Lily who was was badgered into committing suicide after being bullied on social media. “The Firm” does seem to need some kind of change, so it can get on with the business of serving the evolving public with grace and dignity. From the viewpoint of foreigner who is not up on the politics of your country (my own country’s political scene is depressing enough right now) my guess it will be up to Harry and William to patch things up and go forward. Hope lies with the young. 🙂
I’m not even sure why the Princes have fallen out. I actually thought it was all media hype at one time, but there now seems to be some truth in it. I’m not much of a royal watcher myself, to be fair, and only decided to comment because I was getting sick of it. Harry and Megham will never lead a normal life, but they will, it seems, cost £1.2 million per annum for security. Paid by the British taxpayer, though they won’t now be doing anything for us.
No, they will never lead a normal life. Harry can’t help what he was born into, and racism appears to be as rampant in your country as it is here. I do agree though, they should do something if they are going to be supported by the taxpayers. There are many ways to serve. Perhaps all will work out in the end if sanity and logic can prevail. Too many Ferengi, Klignons and Romulans are in charge of things in the world right now.
Most things will work themselves out in time. There were half a dozen attempts on Queen Victoria’s life but she still ended up being popular. 🙂
Hmmm… I deleted my first comment and had to start over. Now I don’t know what to say. 🙂 I will say that people behave the same way no matter if they are royalty or poor. It just depends on how important you are as to how many find out about it. Thanks for sharing!
🙂 I’m thinking of starting a movement to apply for membership of the United States. I may write a post on that.
That would be fine. You can move in with me. 🙂 Actually, I have a tropical climate in my mind, so you can live here while I am away. 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂
Afraid I am the same, I think I am becoming old, grumpy and more than a bit bolshie. It is a brave man to speak ill of the late princess but I agree with your assessment. I do have sympathy with Harry over the scrutiny and hostility of the media but then I don’t think that will be any different now he has quit the firm.
All true – the lesson he should learn from his late mother is that you can’t switch the press on and off as it suits you. I’m prepared to cut him considerable slack over many things, but the last few weeks have really tried my patience.
Strikes me that he should go and get a proper job and try to live within his means.