As most of you will have gathered, neither Munguin nor I give a twopenny damn about royals and indeed some English bloke marrying an American woman is a yawn to us. Frankly, I don’t much care when a member of my family gets married, never mind one of their family? But it has headlined in the news so much over the last few days, and it must have been a godsend to the Maybot, whose circuitry must be close to blowing a proverbial gasket, that Munguin wanted me to mention it here.
So, just after Kensington Palace announced the betrothal, the Brit government announced quietly that most benefits wouldn’t be raised yet again this year. With inflation at 3% and expected to rise, that is an out and out scandal.
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It seems that Meghan is a Tory.
Meghan MarkleVerified account @meghanmarkle
Quick lunch break and watched David Cameron’s parting speech. What a class act
Not really a class act if you have to live here as an ordinary person, Meghan (not like a duchess, as you will, obviously). He called an unnecessary referendum in an effort to save his backside from a possible rise in UKIP voters. He made a mess of tryying to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the EU. He mishandled the referendum campaign and allowed people like Gove, Johnson and IDS, Patel and others to tell the most egregious lies about, amongst other things, NHS funding and immigration.
He refused to allow the civil service to do any preparatory work for the eventuality of a Leave vote, because, quite simply, he believed that people like him never lose anything, so that when Brexit hit us, the government was utterly unprepared.
Having promised that he would stick around and continue as prime minister if he lost, he announced early the very next day that he was standing down, but he would remain an MP. Then he quit as an MP.
He’s left the most unholy mess. Whether you are a remainer or a leaver, it is impossible not to see that the whole thing is being unbelievable badly managed by an incompetent prime minister and a set of nut job cabinet ministers at war with one another and who seem incapable of getting a single thing right.
Class act is not a description I recognise.
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Staying on the subject of Harry’s wedding, I read in the Telegraph that they are to be married in St George’s Chapel in Windsor. I also heard that Meghan is a divorcee. Colour me perplexed.
Edward VIII had to abdicate to marry his American divorcee.
Anne got round the Church of England’s ban on marriage of divorced people who have a spouse living, by coming to Scotland where the Church of Scotland has no such ban. Charles got round marrying Mrs Parker-Bowles while Mr Parker Bowles was still alive, by getting married in a registrants’ office (although he sneakily got the archbishop of Canterbury to bless the wedding, making a bit of a fool of the rules, after all, it is about the fact that marriage is till death do you part).
I was wondering when the Church of England changed their views on marrying divorcees. Anyone know?
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Another royal who suffered at the hands of the English Church and the seemingly sometimes flexible unwritten constitution was Michael. He wanted to marry Princess Pushy an Austrian noblewoman, but because she was a Catholic, he had to give up his place in the succession, because it was unthinkable that a Catholic could ever get anywhere near the throne.
I rather liked this picture of our Arlene meeting Captain Birdseye (alias Michael of Kent). I’m not quite sure what she’s doing, but it’s an embarrassing time to get caught short!
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Of course, the Daily Express couldn’t let the announcement pass without Diana popping into the office, presumably through a medium, and giving them her views on the thing.
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Anyway, as I would with any couple, I wish them the best. They will have it, of course. Many homes, paid for by us. First class transport, paid for by us. The best in clothes, paid for by us. Fabulous holidays, paid for by us. Servants, paid for by us. And presumably we’ll be paying for the blue blood transfusion as she becomes a duchess.
I was happy to hear that the royals have agreed to pay, out of their £60 billion fortune, some of the cost of the wedding. However, I suspect that the gigantic cost of security will be yet again borne by… you and me.
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Hmph. Prince of third-rate Ruritarian fascist / monarchist State dips toe into morganatic marriage, or in other words, rich man of unconfirmed paternity marries woman from overseas – is this what passes for news these days? As they say, people should get out more.
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Yep, I know. I probably shouldn’t have bothered with it, but it gave me a chance to put in that picture of Arlene doing…what ever she’s doing.
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It wasn’t a criticism of your choice of story, Tris! Actually, if you asked me to put a caption on that photo of the fragrant Arlene, it would read something like “Turribly sorry, sire, but could you just … there, thank you, only my right knee’s after surrendering…”
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LOL. Yeah… I know that Ed. Specially as it was Munguin that chose the subject. (Not advisable to criticise Munguin. He may be small but he can be deadly!) 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Worshipping one of her gods? Of course the chief god rides a white horse, but this substitute seems to be hitting her spot…
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Either that or she has stomach cramps…??
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She really ought to have taken up that offer of some Imodium…
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Imodium looks like a Latin word meaning “dream”
You know where Latin is still spoken, don’t ya?
Yep. Vatican City State.
She wouldn’t touch it with a Tarry Pole!
She shouldn’t have had her cake and eaten it!
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Is Arlene Foster (“Congratulations, William”) pooping herself with excitement?
“Shit ahoy,” exclaimed Captain Pugwash.
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LOL @ Agatha!
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It’s a little-known fact that Arlene and Prince Michael of Kent will be on the next series of Celebrity Come Dancing and took the opportunity of this meeting to practice a few jive moves. Or maybe it’s just that she was on the point of collapsing as she had to shake the hand of a member of the Royal Family who married a CATHOLIC! By the way, he’s been restored to his place in the line of succession now – he’s 43rd – you really couldn’t make this up, could you?
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Oh goodness, I hadn’t thought about that. It was probably a faint.
That’s nice. It would be jolly to have a king Michael and Queen Pushy Bitch.
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Now if Prince Mick was to organise a bus trip for the other 42, say to Windsor Safari park, and that bus was to meet with a terrible accident…………………
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And it’s foolproof because the minute the other 42 scroungers are deid he instantly becomes King and is immune from prosecution!
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Wasn’t there an Alex Guinness film about that. Kind Heart and Coronets?
Only he wasn’t immune from prosecution …
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Yes, that sprang to mind for me too!
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Interesting findings from YouGov:
https://yougov.co.uk/news/2017/11/29/5-charts-british-reaction-prince-harrys-engagement/
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I’m glad to see we are the most “indifferent”.
I think the shower know that they couldn’t get away with a full Westminster Abbey shebang with half the army (what’s left of it) marching down the Mall and gone for the Windsor Chapel plan B.
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Maybe they reckoned they were going to have to pay for a lot of it themselves and decided to do it economy style. After all £60 billion won’t last forever if you go squandering it.
I doubt they have bothered to think how WE feel about it.
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I remember not being allowed to marry the guy I wanted to marry, but I don’t think it was because he was Catholic. Maybe it was because he was African. Yeah, that must be it.
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Well, something like that, probably…
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Wasn’t there some talk of us leaving the EU. Fuktit or Briktit or something like that Anyway I’ve clean forgotten in all the excitement.
I can’t wait to see the dress and watch it on the telly. I’m so happy for that nice Mr Witchell, he’s going to be so busy. I do hope there’ll be celebration mugs. Oh no wait a minute, that’s us isn’t it?
I wonder if the proposal was anything like this?
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LOL…
Well there was something in the news about that I think, but it’s clean gone out of our minds now that we have a wedding to look forward to… and save up for.
How fortunate that Mr Hammond has frozen benefits so that we will have the money to pay for it.
Great Blackadder!
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Not sure that comment necessarily makes her a ‘Tory’ – his speech probably just fitted the stiff upper lip image Americans like to have of us. ‘Call Me Dave’ is the Brit that Americans think we all are, i.e. Hugh Grant in Notting Hill’s unfortunate brother. Still, one does have to wonder what kind of circles she mixed in to have been introduced to Harry by a ‘mutual friend’. Sophie Winkleman, aka Lady Frederick Windsor, perhaps? The royal family marrying actresses is nothing new. Otherwise, she must be rather less ‘ordinary’ than they might want us to think, if she has connections with the British royal family. Despite the couple’s coyness, the BBC website says they “met through mutual friends in London in July 2016 when one of Ms Markle’s close friends, Markus Anderson, reportedly introduced her to the prince. Mr Anderson, who sat next to Ms Markle at the Invictus Games, is linked with private members club Soho House – of which Harry is a member.” (Possibly the Soho House in Toronto which she goes to.) Apparently Meghan is pals with the son of former Conservative Canadian PM Brian Mulroney. Don’t worry, she also hobnobs with Justin Trudeau. So she’s basically incredibly well-connected to the Canadian establishment. And comes from a middle-class family: Cinderella, she is not.
The Canary got it right I suspect, that Meghan probably isn’t very clued up on British politics. And now she’ll be officially exempt from having an opinion. “In theory, members of the Royal Family who are not members of the House of Lords (including those who are peers who lost their right to sit following the House of Lords Act 1999) are eligible to vote, although in practice they do not exercise that right.”
The couple both “have passions for wanting to make change for good”, and if they can do some positive work for good causes, then that’s worthwhile. However, this is really just a load of fairy-tale nonsense. They might be paying for the wedding (the service, at least, if not the security, as Tris points out), but the free PR from a good-looking young prince marrying a mixed-race American actress will be priceless to them. It isn’t terribly exciting news to me, I feel it just distracts Joe Public from thinking anything unpleasant about Lizzie and Co. I once believed in the fairy-tale. Then I woke up from the dream, and became acquainted with reality, beyond Hello and OK.
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I’d certainly agree that you don;t have to be a Tory to agree with Cameron’s handling of something. I’m not Labour, but I thought that Kezia was splendid over the rape clause.
I just thought that, given the utter chaos that Cameron left in his wake, only a true blue could have thought he was class. That said, of course, I take on board your point that she probably had very little idea about British politics at the time. So ignorance rather than passion may have been her attribute.
Given that the family is worth such an obscene amount of money, and the the country is on its uppers, I think they should pay for the extra security.
I appreciate of course, that it will mean some increase in tourism as foreigners come to gawk at the proceedings, but I’m wondering how much good that will do Derry or Derby or Dundee… Maybe the council tax payers of Windsor would like to pick up the tab?
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Cameron probably fits the image of “prime ministerial” for Yanks. He acts the part. Oh and don’t forget, Meghan is probably a social climber, and if one is going to have blue blood, one must surely approve of the bluest politicians in the old country. She’s also an actress – I dare say she can spot a good performance in an actor like Dave. Jeremy Corbyn, he’s just too damn REAL…
Hmmm, I’m sure Dave is distantly related to Her Maj. One mustn’t speak ill of one’s future in-laws! Mind you, Meghan is also distantly related to Harry (see Wikipedia). They do like to keep it in the family!
I believe residents of Windsor are very excited at the news.
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I suppose he is what American Producers would chose to play a Brit prime minister. Rich, privately educated and a graduate of Oxford. Of course that his mother is related to the Queen doesn’t hurt, indeed if a documentary I saw at one point is correct, it is a positive advantage.
It seems that Eton Boy was rejected a couple of times by the Tories until central office got a letter from Buckingham Palace expressing surprise . At this point of course, he was offered a very safe seat.
It doesn’t do to upset the palace.
If she’s related to Harry maybe she won’t require a transfusion of aristocratic blood. That, at least, will save us some money.
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Indeed, remember Hugh Grant in “Love, Actually”? He played the PM. Interesting to know that Brenda had a word!
Yes, Dave is a CLASS act, all right.
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Exactly… all about CLASS.
Of course I don;t know for a fact, and I’m sure it woudn’t be Brenda herself, but the documentary certainly said that it was “the palace”.
Private secretary probably.
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Gawd help us, they’ve organised the programme for the next few years:
a) baby announcement, tick
b) engagement, tick,
c) wedding early 2018, tick
d) baby arrival, april 2018, tick
e) royal death and period of mourning, Perm any one from several.
f) another baby announcement
Should take us all the way to March 29, 2019 and Brexit. Aren’t we so lucky.
Meanwhile in small print a brexit bill of Eur100bn is changed to Eur50bn. Depends how it’s calculated. Pick a number.
EU Citizen rights, slowly getting there.
Irish Border ……tick tock tick tock…..mmmm! Delicious.
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You missed out the morning sickness.
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Aye, i did. With that programme I’ll be boaking every morning until indyref2.
LOL
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LOL LOL LOL
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Good summation.
Of course, he’s your prince too.
Any chance of a small contribution? Should we start crowdfunding?
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Go Simon…
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That sums up just how ridiculous the whole thing is.
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yeah it’s already been confirmed that the taxpayers are paying for the security or as I prefer to call it – the bulk of the costs. I wonder if they “allowed” to marry in church because her first wedding wasn’t a church wedding but on a beach in Jamaica. Also heard rumours it was a Jewish flavoured wedding as the groom was Jewish. Either way can be argued as a non Christian wedding and they do allow church weddings if previous marriage wasn’t Christian.
I hate myself for knowing all this!
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Ah, but Munguin loves you for knowing it. And I appreciate not having to go research it because it all makes me feel a little queasy.
Trouble is with these royals… they want their cake and eat it. They want to be special, but they want to be able to do all the things ordinary people can do.
Can’t sway I blame them of course. If I could pull that off, I’d be right on it.
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Here at Schloß Freeman, we shall ignore the whole thing with our usual haughty indifference… in other news, I read that next April, benefits are not to be increased in line with inflation. The CEO of the National Grid – I think it’s the CEO – has a salary of over £5 million a year. Unfortunately I can’t back that up with a reference – perhaps some kind reader…
I’m off now, I need to practice being indisposed.
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With inflation at 3%, there having been no rise in benefits for several years before and the original benefits having been set at a rate where you can JUST get by, clearly the British government is happy to kill off the poor. As it we ever doubted it.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4701188/National-Grid-gives-new-boss-500-000-relocation-allowance.html
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Summed up in one picture.
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Could the woman who’s married to the guy who actually is (allegedly) Prince Charles’s son hold off on the sprog drop till January 2019? The Brexit chaos might need a royal birthing to cheer people up.
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I’m sure that that is the plan.
Hey you’re all eating stale bread and you can’t get a flight to anywhere, but hey look, a little princess…
AWWWWWWWW
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“How the improbable marriage of an actress, courtesan, and daughter of an animal trainer to a Byzantine emperor dramatically changed the course of European history.”
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/eros/affairs-state
“And then there’s love. Any particular courtship may be plausible, but its outcome is always unforeseeable: Cupid is blind for a reason. Sometimes a romance starts in the bedroom and ends on the battlefield; dowries and dynastic claims alone are responsible for enough wars, assassinations, and conquests to fill a month on the History Channel. When the Infanta Catherine of Braganza was betrothed to Charles II, her trousseau included deeds to the cities of Tangier and Bombay, laying the foundation for the British control of India. The 1677 marriage of William of Orange to Catherine’s niece Mary led, eleven years later, to the offer of the English throne, an end to five decades of civil war, and what has come to be known as the Glorious Revolution.”
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Thanks for that Jake. Always been fascinated by early Byzantium. An excellent, if not totally factual account of those times, is “Count Belisarius” by Robert Graves, bringing alive that period in the same way he did for Imperial Rome in “I Claudius”.
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I wonder if the dowry this time will be New York… More likely some dead and alive backwater in Utah.
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