King Charles III, his fascinating life
- Thread starter Meanderer
- Start date
Meanderer
Supreme Member
Why Prince Charles Will Make an Excellent King
How Prince Charles will be different
"We know already that Prince Charles takes a different approach to public affairs than his mother. His ‘Black Spider’ letters to ministers on a wide array of subjects are famous in Whitehall and point to a political personality that is complicated, incorporating elements of left and right, and therefore more in keeping with that of his average subject than that of a professional politician whose instincts are those of the textbook and not the high street"."We know that the Prince of Wales is a conservationist, an advocate of rural life, against modern architecture, against bureaucracy generally and the ever greater encroachment of the legal profession on British life in particular".
"In all these views he is with the public and against the political class as a whole. These instincts are important and they are not held with any degree of sincerity by any powerful actor elsewhere in the constitutional system".
Been There
Senior Member
These postings make really good reading. They answered a lot of my questions.
Meanderer
Supreme Member
Prince Charles reads Quoting Shakespeare by Bernard Levin
Quoting Shakespeare by Bernard LevinHere is the full version in case you can't hear it:
Bernard Levin’s Quoting Shakespeare in full
'If you cannot understand my argument, and declare "It's Greek to me'', you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger; if your wish is farther to the thought; if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremony, danced attendance (on your lord and master), laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool's paradise - why, be that as it may, the more fool you, for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; if you think it is early days and clear out bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that that is the long and short of it, if you believe that the game is up and that truth will out even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low till the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then - to give the devil his due - if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare; even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I was dead as a door-nail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then - by Jove! O Lord! Tut tut! For goodness' sake! What the dickens! But no buts! - it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare.'
Last edited:
Meanderer
Supreme Member
The Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visited Barbados as part of a Caribbean tour.
His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, stands in the shade prior to the grand opening ceremony celebrating the re-opening of the ÒOld BridgeÓ (Stari Most) in Mostar, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Bosnia-Herzegovina (BIH). This bridge is the symbol of Mostar and was destroyed during the 1993 Balkan War.
His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, stands in the shade prior to the grand opening ceremony celebrating the re-opening of the ÒOld BridgeÓ (Stari Most) in Mostar, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Bosnia-Herzegovina (BIH). This bridge is the symbol of Mostar and was destroyed during the 1993 Balkan War.
Meanderer
Supreme Member
July 1, 2017
"Prince Charles is an indisputable style legend. We're not kidding. From his affinity for double breasted suits and boss collection of pinky jewelry to his superb understanding of how to mix patterns and colors, the guy is an O.G. menswear peacock, never missing an opportunity to out-dress everyone in the room. Yesterday, in Canada, Charles gave us this gem of a detail shot":
"Sure, his reflective glasses were actually proper snow glasses, given to Charles by a local jewelry designer in the town of Iqaluit, but still. We like to think the Prince of Wales knew that they were the perfect finishing touch to his already next-level accessories game. While the rest of us are messing around in ugly sneakers, Charles is over here with a floral boutonniere and antique cufflinks, rocking four different patterns in one look. Damn".
"Prince Charles is an indisputable style legend. We're not kidding. From his affinity for double breasted suits and boss collection of pinky jewelry to his superb understanding of how to mix patterns and colors, the guy is an O.G. menswear peacock, never missing an opportunity to out-dress everyone in the room. Yesterday, in Canada, Charles gave us this gem of a detail shot":
"Sure, his reflective glasses were actually proper snow glasses, given to Charles by a local jewelry designer in the town of Iqaluit, but still. We like to think the Prince of Wales knew that they were the perfect finishing touch to his already next-level accessories game. While the rest of us are messing around in ugly sneakers, Charles is over here with a floral boutonniere and antique cufflinks, rocking four different patterns in one look. Damn".
Lewkat
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey, USA
She probably told him to get out of "Dodge" as soon as possible after the unveiling. Unfortunately, we've inherited him.Queen Elizabeth Races to Confront Harry Just Minutes After He Lands In U.K.
Wow, the Queen actually hopped in the car and drove HERSELF to go and confront Harry...
peppermint
Senior Member
- Location
- East Coast Yes
I'm sorry....I did have a friend that wanted my Mom to keep her in our home...Of course she didn't.....Her mom was rich....So the girl was always
alone...So my Mom would take her home ....We did take her home at night and the lights weren't on when she walked in the house...
We were sad for her.....I never saw her after we graduated High School......
Meanderer
Supreme Member
"So, what's up with the monarch's pinky bling? It's called a signet ring, and is often referred to as a "gentleman's ring." The tradition goes back to the days of the Old Testament, Bloomberg reports. Even though they're not as prominent today as they once were, the ring can symbolize a personal signature and family heritage, or to note your social status".
“Signet rings have been around since people wore jewelry,” Beatrice Behlen, senior curator of fashion and decorative arts at the Museum of London, told Bloomberg".
“I believe they became more popular with the rise of the bourgeoisie. Members of the middle class would not have a coat of arms, so having a signet ring would be a prominent sign to show that you are of a higher class.”
"According to the blog He Spoke Style, the signet ring is traditionally worn on the pinky finger of the non-dominant hand. The Queen's son does put his own flair on it, though. If you look closely, you'll see that the Prince of Wales stacks his signet ring with his wedding band (instead of wearing it on his ring finger), which is simply a statement of personal preference".
Aunt Bea
SF VIP
- Location
- Near Mount Pilot
Her Majesty looks great!
I’m more interested in the brooch on her coat than I am in the cane.
Queen Mary's Russian Brooch, which features a sugarloaf cabochon sapphire. The brooch was given from Empress Marie Feodorovna to Queen Mary as a wedding gift in 1893, and the Queen inherited it from her grandmother in 1953.
I’m more interested in the brooch on her coat than I am in the cane.
Queen Mary's Russian Brooch, which features a sugarloaf cabochon sapphire. The brooch was given from Empress Marie Feodorovna to Queen Mary as a wedding gift in 1893, and the Queen inherited it from her grandmother in 1953.
Last edited:
horseless carriage
Well-known Member
True, she has hardly ever put a foot wrong. Her life has been one of commitment and duty, all the same my take on the monarchy, any monarchy, is that it is an anachronism.
With the economic uncertainties and constitutional disorientation it is clear to many that an unthinking acceptance of, or deference to, the institution of the monarchy can no longer be tolerated. I struggle to find any argument in favour of retaining the monarchy and believe that the Royal Family are an expensive burden to modern British society. Tourism of a historic nature would continue to flourish without them as it does in the republic of France.
Our present-day monarchy masquerades as historical tradition but in truth is a business enterprise which owes its favoured status to the British taxpayer. The cost of maintaining “the Firm”, is wholly unacceptable at a time when food banks proliferate amidst a rise in real poverty, particularly amongst those families on low incomes. Figures released by Buckingham Palace last month inform us that the price of having a monarchy last year rose by approximately 44 per cent, meaning that £67 million was lavished on private jets, trains, trips abroad, refurbishment of ostentatious homes and palaces and on literally, thousands of staff.
In a society where funding for health and education often fall victim to recession and there are increasing concerns with homelessness and material privation, the monarchy is an immoral, injudicious and scandalous waste of time and money.
The actress Helen Mirren, who starred as the Queen herself in the eponymous movie was quoted as saying: "I loathe the British class system, and the Royal Family are the apex of the British class system.” Without a class system we wouldn't have Lords & Ladies or Knights or any titles like: "The Honorable."
There are many who think as I do but say nothing because of being branded a "Leftie." There's no shame in supporting left wing views but it is particularly galling when, for me, my politics has always been right of centre.
Aunt Bea
SF VIP
- Location
- Near Mount Pilot
I don’t have a dog in the fight.
If you and your countrymen feel the need for a change then by all means make a change.
“Don't it always seem to go. That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone...” - Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi
horseless carriage
Well-known Member
It won't happen in my lifetime Aunt Bea. But in fact we had a republic following the civil war of 1642-1651. Problem was, it came to early and the monarchy was restored in 1660. As I said previously: "The Queen has hardly ever put a foot wrong. Her life has been one of commitment and duty."
It's her devotion to duty that has won her so many admirers, myself included, albeit grudgingly, but I still say that a monarchy underpins a class system.
Meanderer
Supreme Member
“Charles figured out a very long time ago that he was going to be Prince of Wales for a very long time,” an English peer intimate with the royal family says. “He planned his life accordingly, and he wouldn’t have been able to accomplish half of what he has if he had become King earlier.”
feywon
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rural North Central NM
You're right. Very recent concept. And among some groups, interestingly the lower classes-working poor and the upper classes like European Royalty that while they have more comfortable lives than the working poor they also have some heavy 'responsibilities' thrust upon them, it persists. Anyone who's talked to their parents and heard stories of their grandparents lives should know this. Heck, i'm 75, from working poor family and dealt with many realities of life my upper middle class school friends had no clue about or experience with. While parts of my childhood were almost 'idyllic' there were always some heavy shadows over it too.