Category: Royals

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Not so happy and glorious

I gave up buying books a long time ago for various reasons:

The cost for new titles was getting silly. You could go into a big book shop and look for ages and find nothing of interest, not even vaguely. The quality of books is annoying – so many mistakes and printing errors (whatever happened to proof reading?). Too much cut and paste from sites. Lots of books I already have I would like to read again.

But I did buy the new book about Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York by Andrew Lownie. It was half price on a well-known site.

It’s a hefty tome, easy reading and not so many mistakes (Burton Constable Hall, not Constable Burton). It seems meticulously researched by the author and his team.

It documents Andrew and Fergie’s lives, their dealings and scandals.

We know about all their sexual adventures, and they are mentioned here, but their financial dealings are far more interesting. You have to wonder just how they can run up so much debt, and why people give them millions just for no obvious reason.

Andrew’s ‘jobs’ and roles are documented, but you have to ask some questions. To be honest, they are questions we always ask about royals.

What actually do they do? Just exactly how rich are they? Why can’t their lives be open to public scrutiny?

They always say royals work hard, dozens of appointments per year. But what do they have to do? Have some lackey organise everything for them, turn up somewhere in a fancy car, feign interest for two minutes then go home and drink gin.

If you are not a fan of these royals, give it a miss. It will only tell you what you aready know.

If you are a royals fan, then read it. Maybe it will open your eyes.

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The royals

The royal family has been on the news several times since the start of the year.

We began with more information about Prince Andrew and his chum Jeffrey Epstein, with allegations of involvement in sex tapes. Prince Henry (Harry) has been involved in libel claims against a newspaper which he has now withdrawn. Recently, the Duchess of Cambridge (Kate) has been in hospital for an operation, and now the King (Charles) went in for a procedure and some form of cancer was discovered.

Of course, the royals going into hospital did not have to endure the months long waits we subjects do.

Whenever the royals grab the headlines, someone somewhere asks “what good are they?”. This happened to me just yesterday. And, at some point, someone else always says “good for tourism”.

So, let’s make it clear, and the point of today’s blog. If you are coming to London, expecting to see royals wandering around and perhaps meet one, you are going to be sadly disappointed.

They don’t do that. The royals inhabit their own private world, want for nothing and generally have a good life. Occasionally, one will make an appearance as part of their duties, perhaps opening a library, but mostly not.

Having lived in London for more than 40 years, we have seen live royals just twice. Once was the Queen opening London Bridge, the other was Diana with her boys on the South Bank going to a Cirque Du Soleil show.

You don’t get to see the royals. You may get to see palaces and castles and stately homes and towers, you may see the Changing of the Guard. These things may have a royal connection, as does the Tower of London, but if the royal family stopped existing tomorrow, these things would still be there and you could still see them. In fact, some of them may open up to more public gaze.

So, don’t be disappointed if you don’t get to see Princess Anne. Or Queen Camilla.