Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh current events 21: Mar 2009 - Oct. 2009

[Ella Kay]

Anne and Charles were there with HM, angela -- I just posted some pictures here in the British Royal Family Current Events thread.

[cd255]

Originally Posted by lucien

HRH The Duke will attend the commemoration ceremonies on occasion of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the City of Nijmegen on september 20th.

HRH will be received by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix and she will accompany him inspecting the Guards of Honour and the Parade after which they will meet the veterans

That is brilliant! The Queen doesn't seem to travel abroad too often anymore so I'm looking forward to seeing pics of this.

[Marsel]

Queen is 'displeased' with Gordon Brown over Afghanistan

The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales have contacted the Prime Minister about the lack of support that British troops have allegedly been given by the Government.
"The Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Charles are all furious with Gordon Brown over sub-standard equipment in Helmand, principally the underarmoured armoured cars and the lack of helicopters, and have been making their views known to him in no uncertain terms," claims Roberts, who is a close friend of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

No wonder they are enraged: British soldiers are sent to fight in a war most British don't support, and they aren't even satisfactorily equipped?!

[ada]

This is so sad, those underarmoured armoured cars are death traps, and this has been a known fact for ages

[Marsel]

Queen cancels school visit over swine flu outbreak

Queen Elizabeth II had been due to open a new sports hall at Gordonstoun School in northeast Scotland, where her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and children including eldest son and heir Prince Charles were educated. But the visit scheduled for next Tuesday was cancelled on the suggestion of the school.

"At the request of the principal of Gordonstoun School following a suspected outbreak of the H1N1 virus (swine flu), with regret the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have postponed a visit to the school," said a royal spokeswoman.

[Iluvbertie]

Originally Posted by Marsel

Queen cancels school visit over swine flu outbreak

It is sad that the Queen has had to cancel this visit, particularly considering the connections to her family over three generartions (Peter and Zara also went there as it is now a co-ed school) but it is the right thing.

Elderly people are at risk with illnesses like the flu and so this is done to protect both the Queen and a former old boy (and if not actually an original pupil certainly one of the very first) in the Duke of Edinburgh.

[angela]

It's a pity that the Balmoral holiday is a bit of a non-event compared to what it used to be. None of the Queen's grandchildren join her anymore as I suppose they find it a bit boring. I remember the days when it was a sacred duty for the whole family to gather there in August/Sept but the young ones prefer to holiday abroad now. The queen must regret the passing of the old order.

[Skydragon]

Or she might be grateful for some relative peace and quiet.

[Mermaid1962]

True. I wonder whether the press is less apt to "stalk" when the younger generation aren't there? If so, that would be a relief as well.

[Skydragon]

The Queen is presenting the Elizabeth Cross to the relatives of six soldiers killed on active service.


It is the first time she has personally presented the new honour which bears her name.


http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090912/...s-dba1618.html

[iceflower]

I must say I've really missed the Queen during the
last weeks..

Here are some pics of the event today:

Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to the Queen's Royal Lancers
at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire, where she will present
the Elizabeth Cross to the relatives of six soldiers killed on active
service, September 12, 2009


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 ** belga **

[Skydragon]

The Queen has presented the military honour that bears her name to the grieving families of six soldiers killed fighting overseas for Britain.
It was the first time she has personally presented the Elizabeth Cross, awarded to the next of kin of armed forces personnel who are killed in active service or as a result of terrorism. The cross is a mark of national recognition of their loss

Read more: Queen presents the Elizabeth Cross for the first time to families of soldiers killed fighting overseas | Mail Online

[Emeralds and Opals]

Queen enlists Antony Beevor to give Gordon Brown a history lesson - Telegraph

"The Queen's displeasure with Gordon Brown over the equipment shortages that our servicemen have been forced to endure in Afghanistan...appears to have led to a remarkable development during the Prime Minister's stay at Balmoral last weekend. I am told that the Queen invited Antony Beevor, the acclaimed military historian, to join Brown and his wife, Sarah, at her Scottish retreat.

The invitation for Beevor, a former officer with the 11th Hussars, and his wife, Artemis Cooper, who is the granddaughter of the actress Lady Diana Cooper, is fascinating. The weekend at Balmoral is the only occasion during the year at which the Prime Minister stays with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and it is said to be "highly unusual" for other house guests, apart from members of the Royal family, to join them."

[Skydragon]

The Queen was yesterday bitterly criticised by the family of a dead soldier – as they became the first to receive the new Elizabeth Cross from her.
Hours before meeting her at a private ceremony, the father of Trooper Robert Pearson accused the Queen of taking too long to acknowledge his son’s death in Afghanistan last April.
Paul Pearson said: ‘Robert signed and died for Queen and country and you don’t even get a letter from the Queen.’

Read more: Queen presents the Elizabeth Cross for the first time to families of soldiers killed fighting overseas | Mail Online

[queenofthelight]

Courtesy of Belga.

A few fresh photos.
Queen Elizabeth II visits officers and soldiers from the Queen's Royal Lancers in Catterick, Britain in her capacity as the Regiment's Colonel-in-chief (12/09/2009).

http://i30.tinypic.com/119mjkp.jpg
http://i30.tinypic.com/14vr1q1.jpg

BelgaPicture - Category details

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

The Queen was yesterday bitterly criticised by the family of a dead soldier – as they became the first to receive the new Elizabeth Cross from her.
Hours before meeting her at a private ceremony, the father of Trooper Robert Pearson accused the Queen of taking too long to acknowledge his son’s death in Afghanistan last April.
Paul Pearson said: ‘Robert signed and died for Queen and country and you don’t even get a letter from the Queen.’

Read more: Queen presents the Elizabeth Cross for the first time to families of soldiers killed fighting overseas | Mail Online

That's rather harsh. What if HM didn't know??

[Iluvbertie]

Originally Posted by Russophile

That's rather harsh. What if HM didn't know??

As every British death has been announced by name in the press, and even here in Australia we can find out (simply by watching Sky News UK) I would be extremely surprised if the Queen didn't know as that means that she doesn't watch the news or read the newspapers (and we are regularly informed that she reads the papers every morning - even if she does start at the racing guide).


That being said I don't think she has ever sent a letter of condolence in these circumstances. She would be following the example of her ancestors who also didn't send individual, or even form letters, to every soldier who died for 'King and Country' during their reigns.

[wbenson]

From Queen and Country, by William Shawcross:

In 1971 the first British soldier was killed in Northern Ireland. Martin Charteris, the Queen's Private Secretary, suggested that she send the soldier's family a letter of condolence. She declined, on the grounds that it might create a precedent that could not be sustained.

[lumutqueen]

Those are beautiful pictures of the Queen she does look wonderful.
As to the letter, why would it create a precedent that couldn't be sustained? Time have changed?

[Warren]

Originally Posted by lumutqueen

As to the letter, why would it create a precedent that couldn't be sustained? Time have changed?

It's pretty simple: a conflict or war involving major casualties would lead to hundreds or even thousands of letters having to be sent. This would debase the Royal condolences to the status of mass-produced impersonal form letters churned out by a word processor or computer program.