In memoriam - The Queen

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Valid point. Knighting a terrorist is somewhat hard to explain.

You're right, I'm ignorant to the nuances and one could argue that Parliament betrayed Rhodesia and the Queen was powerless to intervene in a Constitutional Monarchy.

My response back would be: Fine, but she gets to decide who to knight and she chose to knight Robert Mugabe. Sir Ian and Sir Robert on equal footing with the crown? Hmm.

It was revoked later.

Foreign Office revokes Mugabe knighthood

Zimbabwean president stripped of honour awarded in 1994

www.theguardian.com

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Feeling a bit nostalgic today. And it's Sunday with not much to do. For some reason, I just can't get terribly excited over NFL football the way I used to. So this will probably be a bit long winded and I apologize in advance as likely a bit boring too.

This time last week I was with my family and extended family enjoying virtually perfect weather at my cousin's house just outside the small farm town of Walnut, Iowa. The day before, we had all gathered at the town cemetery to bury the ashes of my father who passed back in 2007 and my mom's, she passed away just this past June.

My mom and dad becoming a married couple almost seems far fetched. Dad grew up on the farm that my grandfather started, just a few miles further north of where we sat. My cousin's son is in fact residing in that same house my grandfather built. Dad was the second eldest son (actually third, the eldest died shortly after birth) and also was hit fairly hard with polio when he was young. As such, as he came to the end of high school, he decided farming was likely not in his future. He became the first and only of his generation to go to college, earning his degree from Iowa State University. This led to a job with the USDA after graduation and eventually he would serve in the lesser known International Trade Commission. At the ITC, he would go on to receive his fair share of accolades for his work including from other foreign governments. Dad traveled numerous times to Brussels and Geneva to meet with counterparts in other governments. This led to attending parties where various levels of dignitaries were also in attendance. More on that later.

About the time dad moved to Washington, DC area, a young man from Belfast, Northern Ireland immigrated to the area in search of better economic times. At some point not long after, his sister was invited to come for a bit of an extended visit, but no intention of being permanent. This young woman was raised a Protestant and was an active member of her church in Belfast. When she came for this extended visit to the USA, she decided to continue attending a church near her brother's home.

As fate would have it, my dad was attending the same church. They met there and as the old saying goes, the rest is history. Eventually they married and spent most of their married life there in the DC area.

Now as most Protestants from North Ireland, she was fiercely proud of being a citizen of the United Kingdom. She remained in fact a citizen of the U.K. until sometime after I graduated college in 1990. As such, I grew up hearing/enduring British this and British that from mom. With my parents both prioritizing family, we would alternate summer vacations between Walnut and Belfast. Vacations to Belfast also including touring of Scotland, Wales and England.

I learned a lot from those visits to the U.K., and I was most fortunate to have that experience. I learned a lot about the U.K., but one thing I never quite "got" was this fascination with the Royal family. My last trip to Belfast was in 1981, the summer that Charles and Diana were married......total lunacy had come to the British Isles. To this day, I still really don't get it, but then I don't have to. It's a British thing and in spite of my blood being half bangers and mash, I was raised in the USA.

Back to mom, she adored Queen Elizabeth. And while I still don't quite get that, I do have much respect for her. She was in fact something of an accidental queen. Her father King George was a most reluctant King, ascending to the throne only because his older brother abdicated the throne to marry an American divorcee. King George lacked self confidence due to his having a stammer. But in typical British stoicism and a sense of duty to his country, he took on the crown. Much credit for the leadership of Britain through the dark days is rightfully given to Winston Churchill, but some credit should be given to King George and his support of Churchill.

Elizabeth it would seem inherited these qualities from her father. She was a steadying force for the U.K. in the dark economic times that followed in the post war period. And in my opinion a great ambassador the likes of which may never be seen again.

I hope going forward that King Charles will finish grooming his son Prince William for the throne and abdicate in the next few years. I've never been terribly impressed with Charles, seems feckless to me. Can't say my opinion on Prince William is terribly informed, but he seems to have inherited his grandmother's sense of duty and steadiness while also inheriting his own mother's positive traits. I think he will serve better as king than his father.

Ok, I'll try to bring to a close if you haven't fell into a deep sleep by now. After the endless stories of Queen Elizabeth from my mother, it just seems so appropriate that her beloved queen passed just a couple of months or so after her own passing. I hope mom finally got to greet her queen in Heaven. That would be her second meeting of a Royal.

Back to my dad and the work parties he would attend in Europe. When I was in college, dad had one of his trips and mom decided to go with him. Something she couldn't do when my brother and I were young. Well on this particular trip, there was a party that included in attendance one of the members of the British royal family, a lesser known member but nonetheless a Royal.

And as it happened, my mother got to meet this member of the Royal family. The funny part.....what are the odds of a British citizen meeting a member of the royal family, but having to give the credit for doing so to an Iowa farm boy?

If I've bored you to tears, don't say I didn't warn you.

 

[lightweight]

I

 

[lightweight]

it is said i know her it is awesome Queen.
RIP
God rest the Queen.

 

[Ridge Runner]

May Queen Elizabeth Rest Forever In Peace.

GOD Bless the Queen.

Long Live The King.

Although I hope he isn't as big of twit or embarrassment as a King, as he has been portrayed.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

May Queen Elizabeth Rest Forever In Peace.

GOD Bless the Queen.

Long Live The King.

Although I hope he isn't as big of twit or embarrassment as a King, as he has been portrayed.

As much as his mother’s long life has shortened his own reign, I believe it has saved Charles from himself. He has had a lot of time to mature and find his place in the dynasty and is married to the right woman. Whatever his personal faults, I see them as being tempered by his age.

I can’t imagine what would have happened to the monarchy if he had ascended the throne during the collapse of his first marriage, or near the death of the late princess of wales. It probably would have led to another abdication crisis at best and the end of the monarchy at worst.

 

[1911Fan]

In pace requiescat.
She was a remarkable lady, and will be missed by many (even here in the USA).

 

[curtism1234]

As much as his mother’s long life has shortened his own reign, I believe it has saved Charles from himself. He has had a lot of time to mature and find his place in the dynasty and is married to the right woman. Whatever his personal faults, I see them as being tempered by his age.

I can’t imagine what would have happened to the monarchy if he had ascended the throne during the collapse of his first marriage, or near the death of the late princess of wales. It probably would have led to another abdication crisis at best and the end of the monarchy at worst.

This!

 

[CBH Australia]

And if Charlie should abdicate the throne you get William is probably likely to get public support and hold the title.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

And if Charlie should abdicate the throne you get William is probably likely to get public support and hold the title.

@CBH Australia
Don't forget Charles did a 70 odd year apprenticeship to get this job. His first real job. Pity his wife looks like she has been chasing parked cars and ran into a few to hard.
He will never be a tenth of the person his mother was.
Bob

 

[WAB]

We were to Buckingham palace on Monday. Last night, at a football match, we had a moment of silence and then sang ‘God Save the King’ for the first time in my lifetime.

She will be missed greatly.

 

[CBH Australia]

Bob, I know the young blokes ha military service and I've seen the meme about a 73yo man getting his first job, so has he never had employment?

I'm gonna leave that one about his Missus appearance alone.

There's enough scandal in the family so I'm not feeling it. I just think it makes sense to handover to William but I don't really follow them too much.

 

[Kenneth McMillan]

It will seem strange not see Her Majesty on the Balmoral Estate. She took an avid interest in the management of the Red Deer herd on the estate and was a deer stalker herself. If you were invited to go fishing that was our current king Charles III (as the Duke of Rothesay), grouse shooting (walked up over setters) that was HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh but picking up or deer stalking then that was Her Majesty the Queen that sent the invite. Always surrounded by spaniels and Labradors and her two favourite ghillies. A great lady, she will be missed. Rest in peace your majesty.

 

[bowjijohn]

A story I’ve just heard

don’t know if true but made me smile

Queen was in habit of having the occasional picnic lunch whilst at Balmoral accompanied only by a bodyguard

on one occasion they were approached by two American tourists walking the hills who politely asked if they were locals

She replied that she was from London but had a holiday home locally

The tourists enquired if she or he had ever met the Queen

No - she replied, but pointing to her bodyguard she said

he has though

turns out that the tourists asked to have their picture taken with the guy who had met the Queen

one of the shots included the bodyguard and the Queen

They were in for a surprise when they showed their holiday snaps to family and friends back in the US

Story apparently told by the bodyguard

 

[8 x 60]

A story I’ve just heard

don’t know if true but made me smile

Queen was in habit of having the occasional picnic lunch whilst at Balmoral accompanied only by a bodyguard

on one occasion they were approached by two American tourists walking the hills who politely asked if they were locals

She replied that she was from London but had a holiday home locally

The tourists enquired if she or he had ever met the Queen

No - she replied, but pointing to her bodyguard she said

he has though

turns out that the tourists asked to have their picture taken with the guy who had met the Queen

one of the shots included the bodyguard and the Queen

They were in for a surprise when they showed their holiday snaps to family and friends back in the US

Story apparently told by the bodyguard

Yes. True. There is a clip of her bodyguard recounting the tale.

 

[8 x 60]

Here..

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

Bob, I know the young blokes ha military service and I've seen the meme about a 73yo man getting his first job, so has he never had employment?

I'm gonna leave that one about his Missus appearance alone.

There's enough scandal in the family so I'm not feeling it. I just think it makes sense to handover to William but I don't really follow them too much.

Charles served in the Royal Navy which had been a tradition of the Royal family for several generations.

King Charles' military career

The former Prince of Wales was wearing several medals during Prince Philip's funeral and was accompanied by military troops on the way to St George's Chapel

www.cornwalllive.com

“Following his investiture as the Prince of Wales, Charles began his naval career. He trained as a Royal Air Force jet pilot in Cranwell, Lincolnshire, in 1971, before he enrolled in the Britannia Royal Naval College for a six-week course of study.

Charles began his military service on the guided-missile destroyer HMS Norfolk in 1971. He then proceeded to serve on two frigates: HMS Minerva and HMS Jupiter from 1972 to 1974 and in 1974 respectively.

In 1974, Prince Charles improved upon his existing pilot training by receiving a qualification as a helicopter pilot. Afterwards, he joined the 845 Naval Air Squadron aboard the HMS Hermes.


King Charles was given command of the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington in February 1976.

He continued in this post for ten months during which he learned to fly on a Chipmunk basic pilot trainer, a BAC Jet Provost jet trainer, and a Beagle Basset multi-engine trainer.

King Charles used his severance pay to launch The Prince’s Trust in 1976, a charity which is dedicated to funding community initiatives aimed at supporting disadvantaged youth. Although Prince Charles’ military service ended in 1976, he underwent parachute training in the 1970s and continued to pilot occasionally.”

 

[sgt_zim]

Terrific and humorous story about the queen.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1567894552744271872

Being Texan and all, I don't much go in for royalty. But I gotta say, if I had to have a queen, she'd have been the one I picked.

 

[Red Leg]

Terrific and humorous story about the queen.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1567894552744271872

Being Texan and all, I don't much go in for royalty. But I gotta say, if I had to have a queen, she'd have been the one I picked.

Here..

A story I’ve just heard

don’t know if true but made me smile

Queen was in habit of having the occasional picnic lunch whilst at Balmoral accompanied only by a bodyguard

on one occasion they were approached by two American tourists walking the hills who politely asked if they were locals

She replied that she was from London but had a holiday home locally

The tourists enquired if she or he had ever met the Queen

No - she replied, but pointing to her bodyguard she said

he has though

turns out that the tourists asked to have their picture taken with the guy who had met the Queen

one of the shots included the bodyguard and the Queen

They were in for a surprise when they showed their holiday snaps to family and friends back in the US

Story apparently told by the bodyguard

Guys - some of you should read through this missive before posting. You will find the clip on page 2 - posted by that @Red Leg fellow. However, is a great story and is worth repeating.

 

[CBH Australia]

@Rocked and Loaded that's interesting.
I never doubted Charles had been in some form of career .

I'm a 72 model so in 76 I was 4 , I would not have been aware of Charles history until Diana and the Wedding came the centre of the public stage

Nothing against him he was born to be King but if handed over to William I would not see it as a bad thing and we might see great support of William as King.