Royal Morons!

[Plunge]

I'm sure we've all seen the photo of the latest royal goof.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40716000/jpg/_40716791_sun203ok.jpg

Well, here (http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/01/13/britain.royals.reut/index.html) are a bunch more.

On a trip to China in the 1980s, he warned British students: "You'll get slitty eyes if you stay too long."

...

In 2001, Philip told a 13-year-old boy whose ambition was to go into space that he was too fat to be an astronaut.

During a visit to Oban in Scotland in 1995 he asked a driving instructor: "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the (driving) test?"


Those are just from the Queen's hubby. The list goes on and on and on...

[Piobaireachd]

I'm sure we've all seen the photo of the latest royal goof.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40716000/jpg/_40716791_sun203ok.jpg

Well, here (http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/01/13/britain.royals.reut/index.html) are a bunch more.


Those are just from the Queen's hubby. The list goes on and on and on...Yeah, I heard about it on BBC World Service last night. I'm just glad I'm not the only one with a goofy and dysfunctional family.

[RetFireCapt]

At least he chose the uniform and insignia of a fairly honorable outfit. (Afrika Corp) It looks like he made himself a Hauptmann, although I can't tell for sure from the lack of detail.

He COULD have chosen the uniform of the SS Totenkopf
or SS Das Reich Divisions.

Ah, to be young, skinny and never have to worry where the next quid was coming from for the rest of my royal life.

[MorWired]

I'm sure we've all seen the photo of the latest royal goof.Some of the British leadership are saying he should go to tour Auschwitz, which would probably have been a good idea even if he hadn't messed up so royally. (Sorry, it was my natural word choice, and I wasn't gonna throw it out just because it was such a hideous pun. :))

[Piobaireachd]

Some of the British leadership are saying he should go to tour Auschwitz, which would probably have been a good idea even if he hadn't messed up so royally. (Sorry, it was my natural word choice, and I wasn't gonna throw it out just because it was such a hideous pun. :))
I've heard the same thing, but I don't think he should go. While it would be sobering learning experience, he would detract from the real purpose of the ceremony.

I've been to Bergen-Belsen. It's quite an experience.

[MorWired]

I've heard the same thing, but I don't think he should go. While it would be sobering learning experience, he would detract from the real purpose of the ceremony.

I've been to Bergen-Belsen. It's quite an experience.I didn't realize it was to participate in any ceremony, I thought it was just to take a tour like any other civilian. If there's some official thing going on then that wouldn't be appropriate, not only would the publicity surrounding him detract, his sincerity being there would also be questionable.

My grandmother spent time in Bergen-Belsen, before being "transferred" to Auschwitz and losing her life. Quite an experience indeed.

[Piobaireachd]

I didn't realize it was to participate in any ceremony, I thought it was just to take a tour like any other civilian. If there's some official thing going on then that wouldn't be appropriate, not only would the publicity surrounding him detract, his sincerity being there would also be questionable.

My grandmother spent time in Bergen-Belsen, before being "transferred" to Auschwitz and losing her life. Quite an experience indeed.
Yes, it's the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. I don't think he should attend.

[MorWired]

Yes, it's the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. I don't think he should attend.Agreed. Definitely not appropriate.

[Coot]

I think the whole thing is way, way overblown. 20 year olds do stupid things on a daily...sometimes hourly basis. The fact that the nimrod in question is a member of a highly symbolic inbred family should have nothing to do with it.

[Piobaireachd]

I think the whole thing is way, way overblown. 20 year olds do stupid things on a daily...sometimes hourly basis. The fact that the nimrod in question is a member of a highly symbolic inbred family should have nothing to do with it.
True, 20 year olds do stupid things. The difference is that the royals get special treatment and benefits. This also carries extra responsibilities. The fact that they always are supposed to act properly and as role models in my opinion are part of the deal.

I think of it as paying the dues for the extra privileges.

[MorWired]

I think the whole thing is way, way overblown. 20 year olds do stupid things on a daily...sometimes hourly basis. The fact that the nimrod in question is a member of a highly symbolic inbred family should have nothing to do with it.But, unfortunately for him, he's NOT just another 20-year-old, much as he might wish himself to be. He is one of the most highly visible representatives of his country. Think of the furor (pun acknowledged, but unintentional) if the Bush twins dressed up in nazi uniforms. And they've only been national press fodder for 5 years -- this kid has spent his life being watched by the international press and being groomed, and he most certainly should have known better. And if not him, what of the people surrounding him, didn't anyone else notice what he was planning? Why didn't anyone else warn him off this idiot-boy idea?

[Coot]

He does nothing, but be the topic of conversation, which means a fairly useless existence. I don't think anyone in their right mind sees any of that bloody lot of useless idiots as anything to emulate. Quit paying attention to them and a vastly outmoded system of tradition can die a quiet death...and save the British taxpayers tons of samoles.

[mikepd]

This is not your average 20 year old nimrod, Coot and I think that makes a difference. He had to know the signifigance of the uniform and the consequences of wearing it. He is probably bored or otherwise feels constrained out of his mind with the responsibilities his social standing enforces on him so wearing the uniform is an act of rebellion of sorts.

What are they going to do? Cut back his allowance by $1,000/week?

[Coot]

This is not your average 20 year old nimrod, Coot and I think that makes a difference. He had to know the signifigance of the uniform and the consequences of wearing it. He is probably bored or otherwise feels constrained out of his mind with the responsibilities his social standing enforces on him so wearing the uniform is an act of rebellion of sorts.

What are they going to do? Cut back his allowance by $1,000/week? What responsibilities? The responsibility not to make an ass of himself and embarass the family? Sounds like typical 20 year old stuff to me.

What is the indispensible function and purpose of the royals? To be an object of fawning and gossip? To be the the focal point of public outrage when they do not fulfill the expectations of those doing the fawning?

Seems to be much ado about nothing.

[Stiofán]

Who knows why he did it and I could care less. Everybody seems to think they have a full time professional right of getting offended. Yes, we all get offended at times. So what. When I was twenty years old I was shoving all kinds of chemicals in my bloodstream, living as a ski bum, contributing to the good of society to be sure.

So he screwed up. He apolgized. To err is human. But of course none of his detractors has ever made a stupid mistake at age twenty so they can stay on their pedestals and harp on about it.

[Swamp Fox]

I think it's pretty disgusting, actually. :thumbdown

[MorWired]

Who knows why he did it and I could care less. Everybody seems to think they have a full time professional right of getting offended. Yes, we all get offended at times. So what. When I was twenty years old I was shoving all kinds of chemicals in my bloodstream, living as a ski bum, contributing to the good of society to be sure.


So he screwed up. He apolgized. To err is human. But of course none of his detractors has ever made a stupid mistake at age twenty so they can stay on their pedestals and harp on about it.Sure, I've made mistakes, but believe me, I've never even considered wearing a nazi uniform, or dressing up in a KKK sheet -- some things you just know are unacceptable, regardless of youth. As I said before, imagine the uproar if the Bush daughters had done the same.

[Stiofán]

Seems I'm not alone, fortunately. Much ado about nothing. (http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/15932426?source=TiL&ct=5)

[MorWired]

Yes, it's the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. I don't think he should attend.It would appear that Charles wants him to go privately, not as part of this ceremony. Much better, and very appropriate.
.http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/01/14/harry.charles.reut/index.html
The paper said heir-to-the-throne Charles was "incandescent with rage" with the 20-year-old grandson of Queen Elizabeth and wants him to make a private trip to the concentration camp to learn more about the Holocaust.

[archidante]

Well once again we see why the American founding fathers had a lot of good ideas. Good idea number one: Loose the Royals.

[Piobaireachd]

Well once again we see why the American founding fathers had a lot of good ideas. Good idea number one: Loose the Royals.
I thought the Kennedy's were the American royal family! :haha:

[Coot]

Well, Ted certainly makes about as much sense as Prince Philip. :happy:

[ravital]

What is the indispensible function and purpose of the royals? To be an object of fawning and gossip? To be the the focal point of public outrage when they do not fulfill the expectations of those doing the fawning?
It is exactly, as you said, much ado about nothing. The thing is, and there's no escaping it, as a royal, he has been blessed with the privilege of making a choice: Does he want his life to make a difference, or does he simply let himself and the whole concept of the Royal Family drift into ever-deepening irrelevance? He has the ability, just by being born where he was, to make something else of the institution of Royalty in England. I'm sure he's still too young to grasp this, but when he does, he will regret this much more sincerely than he does now, if he even does.

[ditch]

The British royals' antics are certainly great fodder for the gossip rags. But this kid Harry has been given, I assume, the best, most expensive [not necessarily the same thing] education yet he still behaves in this ignorant and naive manner which reflects badly on the system that "produced" him. Liked it or not, there are many millions of people, most of them Brits, who look up to this House of Windsor and would kiss their feet if they had the chance. They serve as role models, the Queen is head of the Church of England etc etc. For Harry to behave as he has is a major embarrassment. I can fully understand why non Brits don't give a toss. But for the average Brit, it's a different matter. Admittedly the royals' poularity though isn't as great as it was.

In this country as we are a Constitutional Monarchy, our Head of State is Elizabeth II. This idiot Harry possibly, but not probably, will replace her one day. This incident hasn't worried anyone too much down here though. Just the same, he's got to learn how to behave in a way befitting his position and role in life and not as a ignorant spoilt brat. Royal or not, what he did was inappropriate.

With just a little bit of luck we'll have another referendum soon and become a republic and won't have to concern ourselves with having a head of state who is the king or queen of England. It should have happened years ago but the majority of the electorate was too timid to accept the changes that would have resulted. Plus, there's a small percentage of die hard royalists who will never change who do all they can to stand in the way of a republic. Send them to the guillotine perhaps?