The Prince of Wales issues a message on his mother’s Platinum Jubilee

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Camilla, Clarence House, Platinum Jubilee, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, The Duchess of Cornwall, the prince of Wales

Clarence House issues The Prince of Wales message on his mother’s Platinum Jubilee

Duchess of Cornwall receives Order of the Garter

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Camilla, Order of the Garter, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, The Duchess of Cornwall

Her Majesty the Queen has granted HRH the Duchess of Cornwall the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

Generally it’s tradition that a Queen Consort receives the Order of the Garter from her husband after his accession to the throne.

The fact that the Duchess of Cornwall receives the Garter from the Queen (and not from her husband when he is king) is a huge sign of appreciation and respect.

Happy Birthday! HRH The Prince of Wales

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Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Elizabeth II, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Prince Charles, Prince William, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II, the prince of Wales

Today I would like to feature the current Prince of Wales, Prince Charles…again. I will not re-post the older feature on the Prince of Wales, I will repeat some of my words but I will also add to them.

Today HRH turns 64 years old!

In the United States when people reach their 60s they are usually planning their retirement…if they can afford it. The Prince of Wales, However, is still waiting to star his main job…King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is difficult to talk about the prince of Wales taking on the role of king when you know another person has to die in order for him to assume that role. I have great respect for both of them and would love to see Her Majesty continue her reign. Yet, I also have mixed feelings to be honest. I would also like to see Charles assume the role for which birth has placed on his shoulders while he is still healthy and young enough to enjoy the role and make his name in the great panoply of British rulers.

I have always had great respect and admiration for the Prince of Wales. When I began studying and following royalty the Prince of Wales had just turned 30. He was described as a man of action and always on the go. He was into sports and his service in the military had him doing some amazing things from being a helicopter pilot and captain of his own ship. He also came across as very intelligent and articulate. I have come to learn that not everyone shared this admiration. Following his life for 34 years has allowed me to see some great changes in him. He seems more comfortable with himself than he was when younger. I think that comfort translates into being more at ease with people. He has had a long public career and I think he has found his niche in life while waiting for the crown.

This next paragraph is from my earlier writings out the Prince of Wales.

My final thought about the Prince of Wales is what style of kingship will he have? Will he stay the course and walk in the model that his mother portrayed? I do not know. Tuesday I mentioned that the Prince of Wales will make changes when he is king but I wonder what those changes will be? He has been outspoken and generally the monarch does keep neutral quite about issues, so will he continue the path of neutrality or will it be difficult for him to adjust to staying above the fray on specific issues? He does have a very warm and compassionate persona and while his mother also can display that quality there is also a sense of distance even aloofness wit the queen. Is that a trait that the monarch needs in order to retain that regal sense of mystery the crown allegedly has? Or will his more personal style be a breath of fresh air in the modern age?

I actually believe his friendly and personal style will help the monarchy move into the 21st century. What I am about to say is not criticism toward Her Majesty, it is more of an observation. I see Elizabeth II as one of the last of the Victorians. The influence of Queen Victoria was still being felt while Her Majesty was in her formative years. She was born 25 years after the great queen and raised by family members that lived and knew Queen Victoria. Although the queen herself has become more personable within the last 20 years or so, I think Charles, and then William afterward, will demonstrate the quality to a more pronounced degree.

I don’t think the reverence for monarchy will be, or has been, diminished in the light of this new open and personal style of monarchy. For what keeps the mystery and reverence there for the monarchy is a sense of class. Not the social class type of distinction where one class is seen as “better” than the other, but the type of class that displays maturity, dignity and respect. In that way the prince of Wales is a very classy guy! I wish him a happy birthday and many more healthy and happy days ahead for him.

 

 

The Man who will be King.

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Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Elizabeth II, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Prince Charles, Prince William, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II

During the Diamond Jubilee festivities I cam across an argument that I have seen on the internet before, namely, that when Her Majesty dies the crown should go to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge rather than the next in line, Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales. This generally has me rolling my eyes and shaking my head with a mixture of laughter and annoyance. I find the majority of those who entertain this wish are Americans. Although there are some British subjects who also entertain this idea the majority of people that understand the monarchy do not want to see this happen.

I do understand the popularity of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. First of all Prince William is the son of the very popular Diana, Princess of Wales whose fairytale marriage ended in divorce and she died much too young in a tragic car accident. Secondly, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are a young and attractive couple and in the US we have a culture that worships youth. At 63 The Prince of Wales just doesn’t have the youth appeal that his son has.

When I began following royalty in the late 70s the Prince of Wales was a young man of action. He was in the military and also active in sports. He also was very cultured, articulate and intelligent and I found much to admire and respect in him. Problems came with his marriage to the then Lady Diana Spencer. With hindsight we all now know that what began as a modern day fairytale not only ended sadly but probably never should have happened in the first place. The couple were ill suited for one another. Prince Charles was unable to let go of the woman he truly loved and this was a huge source of problems in their marriage. At some point in the marriage Diana also strayed.

The affair between Charles and the woman who is now his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is the main reason many want the crown to skip a generation. I can understand and empathize with their dislike and anger toward Charles. I went through that for a time period myself. In time I was able to move on and what helped me was seeing his actions during Diana’s funeral and how he really became a hands on Dad to the boys after her death. The the men do have a close familial relationship and that has also helped me regain my respect for him.

As I have come to learn about the Duchess of Cornwall I have come to see that she is well suited to the Prince of Wales. From what I understand is that she is also very kind and has a very warm personality and her popularity is growing in the UK as people have come to experience her testify that she really is a remarkable woman in her own right.

The main reason Charles will someday be king is the fact that the succession to the monarchy is established in centuries old laws and the Queen does not have a say in these laws. Although the monarchy needs the support of the people to survive the succession cannot be just set aside based on personal whims.

When the time comes Charles does have large shoes to fill. His mother has been an an exemplary monarch and the Prince of Wales would be wise to adhere to as much as her style as he possibly can. However, the Prince of Wales will develop his own style when he becomes king and seeing that he can be a personable and caring individuals as well as an intelligent man who, like his mother, has dedicated his life to the service of his country, Charles will indeed make a fine king when his time comes.

Diamond Jubilee Thanks Giving Service

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Buckingham Palace, Camilla, Crown Jewels, Cullinan diamond, Diamond Jubilee, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Elizabeth II, Kate, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Queen Victoria

Here are a couple of photos from the conclusion of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. 

Church service at St Paul’s Cathedral. Her Majesty is wearing a brooch that is worn infrequently. The brooch, know affectionately as “Granny’s Chips,” contain stones 3 & 4 of the Cullinan diamond. The larger stones, 1 & 2, are also part of the Crown Jewels and are fitted into the scepter and imperial state crown respectively.

On the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the serve. The absence of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh is sadly noted. I wish him a speedy and thorough recovery. Her Majesty is supported by her two eventual successors, HRH The Prince of Wales (the future King Charles III) and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (the future King William V and Queen Catherine).

Although here in the United States we still have last night’s concert to watch, today’s ceremonies end the official Diamond Jubilee celebration.

I completely enjoy the pomp and pageantry that surrounds the British monarchy and I have been very caught up in the emotions of the events. These are rare historic events. Jubilees do not come very often and this is only the second Diamond Jubilee in British History. The first was in 1897 when Queen Elizabeth II’s great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee.

With millions celebrating and cheering in Britain and around the world the support for the monarchy is high at this moment and any rumblings and complaints from the Republicans (those who want the monarchy abolished) have been drowned out by the cheers. I am grateful that I lived to see these events and pray that Her Majesty continues in good health and may she continue to reign for a long long time. Who knows? If Her Majesty has the long life her mother had she will easily reach 96 years of age ten years from now and will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, 70 years on the throne!