Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall Current Events 17: September-November 2006

[Skydragon]

The Prince of Wales looked unusually dashing in that particular uniform that he wore in the cathedral! He looks a bit younger even!

It's an RAF uniform, but Charles gets a few extra 'bits'.

 

[sara1981]

Camilla looks so nice in their outfits and also hats

 

[milla Ca]

Thank you to all who have sent these nice pics from the church service on sunday!
I think in the royal forum you can see the best pics from all events with C&C, and always very quick - thank you!
I like it very much to see the Prince in uniform, he always looks great!
And i like it to see Camilla wearing her own fashion style. You can see that she lives what she wears. She has not to be a fashion icon.
Most of the time she makes a very good choice, so i think she did on sunday.

Thank you to Kerry for her very special way to say hello to me...i hope all the other Prince&Duchess - Fans understand what i have to say...

 

[BeatrixFan]

We definately do milla_Ca. It's wonderful to see someone who appreciates our dear Duchess.

 

[sophie]

same outfit

i love how camilla will wear the same outfit more than ones!!!

 

[amy0411]

I love Camillas outfit, she always looks great in what she wears!

 

[rominet09]

I am too a big Camilla fan and I have been for years and years

 

[BeatrixFan]

Nice to see you here rominet09. What first made you like Camilla out of interest?

 

[GrandDuchess]

Swedish TV journalist from TV4 is currently recording a series on royalty for her channel, with personal meetings with royals - interviewing them and following them on some events.

After just having finnished off with Crown Princess Mette-Marit in Norway, she was recently in England where she and her co-workers were granted access to Charles and Camilla as the firt Scandinavian team ever - but directly she got in some "stormy weather" as the Court officials did not make her understand the ground rules before starting.

At one point Linda Nyberg had started to ask Camilla questions without being asked, something that is apparently not allowed. Camilla looked stressed from the questions, and Charles was pulling her arm - but Linda did not understand that she had done something wrong. So after the first recording day she was called to a meeting.

- Charles reprimanded me, he was very upset, she tells Expressen.

- Camilla had been pissed off. There were certain unwritten rules that I had no idea about.

- What happened was very unfortunate. She didn't follow the rules, says Susie Isachsen, press officer at Buckingham Palace.

After the meeting the recordings could continue (my note: maybe they should think of informing foreign journalists first, next time!).

http://www.expressen.se/index.jsp?a=690364

 

[Skydragon]

How unfortunate all round

1. That nobody had told the journalist
2. That Charles was upset enough to reprimand the journalist
3. That Camilla was upset
4. That the journalist felt the need to tell everyone about the incident

 

[BeatrixFan]

Still, they seem to be going ahead with the documentary so we might see an interview with Charles and Camilla in the near future.

 

[milla Ca]

Thank you to BeatrixFan for the supportive post...so kind from you I´m looking forward to read more of you in the Prince&Duchess threads!

And hello to rominet09, very nice to meet so many Camilla fans who are loyal over all the years.

For me it is the first time that i´ve read about this swedish interview. Not easy for the journalists if they don´t know the rules from the palace, and i don´t want to apologize, if Charles wasn´t very kind....but i think Charles and Camilla only did behave this way, because they had made so very very bad experience with the press and with journalists all over the world, specially in their own country.

 

[BeatrixFan]

The thing is, when you interview anybody you are given a set of guidelines to follow. Where they will and won't go, what you can ask of who etc and some people get very annoyed if you deviate because it's a blatant disregard for the agreement you've made. Example, Joan Collins and Ruby Wax. Ruby asked Joan about her sex life with her young husband and Joan said, "We agreed you wouldn't go there". And Ruby changed topic but Joan was off with her for most of the interview after that. So if people are good enough to grant an interview, you really should stick to the rules IMO.

 

[GrandDuchess]

But how does this work? It's one thing that people can talk straight to royals in official contexts, but when they've granted an interview I would take it that then they have submitted themselves to be interview objects of the journalists (who is to be polite, of course).

From the Swedish article in Expressen, it almost sounded as if Linda Nyberg could not open her mouth without being told it's okay to do so by some aides... And no one had told her anything about any ground rules (the unwritten rules were apparently taken for granted, even for a foreign journalist).

Well anyway, I'm really looking forward to this royal series! It's been said that this journalist has received help from the Swedish Royal Court with her contacts (recommendations etc) after her incredibly successful programme with Crown Princess Victoria, when she followed her on the official trip to Hungary in 2004, and a private sit-down interview. It's been shown 3-4 times with great ratings. Hopefully it'll be online as well.

 

[Skydragon]

But how does this work? It's one thing that people can talk straight to royals in official contexts, but when they've granted an interview I would take it that then they have submitted themselves to be interview objects of the journalists (who is to be polite, of course).

I'm sure we are all sorry she was given such a hard time. The trouble is, IMO, some journalists will try to take advantage and put in one or two controversial questions, just to get a reaction that they can report on. I'm sure your lady would not have had this intention, but bearing in mind the 'gutter press' we have in the UK, I can't blame them for being careful.

I believe it is even normal for celebrities to agree what they can be asked and what they will or will not comment on.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Basically, GD, the journalist would have been given a list of topics that were off limits. Let's just say, "Horses" as an example. The interviewer and Charles and Camilla get together with a mental list of what's going to be asked. That way, Charles and Camilla can prepare and the journalist can't cause embarrasment. Now, if the journalist then says, "Camilla, tell us about your horses", Camilla has every right to walk out because the journalist has broken the agreed structure of the interview. If nobody had primed her before she met them then that's the fault of Clarence House but I think that Charles and Camilla are quite naturally defensive where the press are concerned. But hey, the priority here is this documentary!

 

[love_cc]

I am looking forward to the documentary but I am sorry to hear what happened.I guess the journalist had asked Camilla some very sensitive questions which involves her private life with Charles or some other areas which Camilla was not happy to talk about. It is the first time that Camilla chose to sit in front of the camera with Charles to have a joint interview which is very interesting to us.
Camilla must be very nervous and under great stress. I just hope that after this inccident , the journalists will be able to make the documentary with our royal couple by not making other conflicts. Camilla was angry and Charles was upset. The journalist probably asked some questions which can upset Camilla and Charles and she has not realised the effects.

 

[Incas]

I wonder if the journalist was also playing the "ignorant foreigner" card. Someone experienced enough to interview royals would have expected to know there are rules for these kind of things. Especially if she just had one done with Mett-Marit. Members of royal families don't grant interviews with anyone walking up to them. And to blab on about behind the scene negotiations...just seems to me something doesn't sound right about the poor-me bit.

 

[ysbel]

Thanks for telling us about this Sofia. Its quite interesting; I imagine that each royal family has its own protocol.

The protocol with British royals is that commoners don't speak unless they are spoken to so a journalist taking the initiative by asking questions could have been offputting. Is the Swedish protocol different?

I think if she got the connections to interview the couple through her positive relations with the Swedish court, she wouldn't want to jeopardize her working relationship with the Swedish royals by making an embarassing gaffe with Charles and Camilla. Buckingham Palace seemed to be shielding the reporter a bit by saying she wasn't briefed and I can't imagine they would do that if they felt there was some manipulation from her side.

But her paper did publicize it, which could mean they had publicly promised the interview and had to come up with an explanation of why they couldn't deliver it.

I'd be interested to see if the interviews continue. I hope at least; they should be interesting.

 

[puresnow]

Camilla's hat is gorgeous! Thank you so much for the wonderful pictures!

 

[GrandDuchess]

Thank you all for trying to explain the British how-to and protocoll to me! It was quite unfortunate that this incident did happen, perhaps if she had the ground rules explained to her it wouldn't have occured. Even though I think that the British royals are much more strict on protocoll than the other royal houses in Europe, where it's a bit more relaxed, so I think the situation was a bit different also.

In Sweden there's also a royal protocoll that dictates that the royal speaks first, then you speak - you don't address them unless you yourself is addressed by them. But it has happened that a reporter for example did not address a royal in the correct way, and even if it's something the Royal Court and the royals might not appreciate, they did agree to follow through with the interview. It's no catastrophe if someone would mistakably use the wrong form of address.

And I imagine that reporters etc. agree on the terms of each media meeting, but once they're in the interview situation I would say that they could ask anything they'd want to, within the agreed frames, but of course the royal can choose not to answer. And the reporter's future reputation with the Royal Court is of course affected, so he/she should think twice.

I agree with your assessments that it's probably the British media climate that make Charles, Camilla & the other royals to be a bit on guard.

 

[Rebafan81]

I am not sure if this is where to post this questions but it involves Charles so... I was wondering with all the attention William gets from being the heir, how does Charles treat Prince Harry? I know Diana tried to go out of her way to make Harrry feel just as important as William, does Charles do the same?
Thanks for any information.

 

[Skydragon]

I am not sure if this is where to post this questions but it involves Charles so... I was wondering with all the attention William gets from being the heir, how does Charles treat Prince Harry?

I should think that just like any parent with more than one child, Charles ensures both his sons know how much they are loved and how important they both are to him. When you have children, love isn't divided up like that. IMO.

 

[hayz64]

thanks for all the lovely pics! charles does look very handsome in his uniform...i must agree!

 

[Rebafan81]

I should think that just like any parent with more than one child, Charles ensures both his sons know how much they are loved and how important they both are to him. When you have children, love isn't divided up like that. IMO.

Thanks for your answer. I have worried about Harry since Diana died because I heard somewhere that the Palace wanted a photo session with William starting back to school and Diana wanted to make sure that they included Harry. I just wondered if Charles was strong enough to stand up to the establishment and stand up for Harry. One can't help but wonder with his reaction at his birth if he favored William. I realize a lot of what I think I know is probably not correct because it is mostly gossip, that is why I thought I would ask the experts.

 

[Skydragon]

Thanks for your answer. I have worried about Harry since Diana died because I heard somewhere that the Palace wanted a photo session with William starting back to school and Diana wanted to make sure that they included Harry. I just wondered if Charles was strong enough to stand up to the establishment and stand up for Harry. One can't help but wonder with his reaction at his birth if he favored William. I realize a lot of what I think I know is probably not correct because it is mostly gossip, that is why I thought I would ask the experts.

I'm not an 'expert' in any way but, thank you. The thing to remember is that even as young children, they need to be seen as individuals. I certainly think Charles has been up to the job of standing firm for his sons.

 

[GrandDuchess]

The incident with the Swedish TV reporter, Linda Nyberg, has been further clarified by the magazine Svensk Damtidning, which is the most reliable one of all royals/celebrity mags in Sweden.

It was on the last day she spent following Charles and Camilla, they had visited a dance school and the couple were walking out from it towards a car where Linda Nyberg was standing. They had chit chatted a little before, so Linda asked Camilla how the day had been, and she replied. Afterwards, when she was called to a meeting with court staff, she was told that she had committed two mistakes. Firstly, she was not to address either of the royals unless they had addressed her first. Secondly, they strictly instructed her never to call Camilla "Her/Your Royal Highness", but only "the Duchess of Cornwall".

Linda Nyberg comments to Svensk Damtidning about this, so it's not a rumour. It must be quite confusing, because she's surely used to call other royals Her/His Royal Highness when addressing them! This part seems very weird to me, are they trying to undermine Camilla's royal dignity?!

 

[Alexandria]

And I imagine that reporters etc. agree on the terms of each media meeting, but once they're in the interview situation I would say that they could ask anything they'd want to, within the agreed frames, but of course the royal can choose not to answer.

I've interviewed Prince Joachim of Denmark before and Nelson Mandela and for both cases I was required to submit my questions in advance. They were sent back to me with checks or exes which questions were allowed. If I wanted to amend a question, it had to be pre-approved. This ensured that no surprises were thrown at either of them and so that they could have answers prepared. It makes the interview less spontaneous but it's a fact of the life I guess.

I have also been in interviews where I had a follow up question to clarify a point or to ask about an interesting reply that would not have been on my pre-approved question list and a staff member to the person would step in and say to me that that was not on my list and I could not ask it. Sometimes the individual will say it's okay and other times they will defer to the staff member.

I am not surprised that protocol was so strong and clear with Charles and Camilla who have each been given the run around with the media where things said by either of them are quickly and easily misconstrued or misrepresented. The British royals don't tend to give many interviews either (as opposed to say the Danish royals who do so more frequently so they are probably more at ease in such a setting) so I think that they were more guarded in how the process so should go.

 

[milla Ca]

Thank you Grandduchess for the new information about the interview with the swedish journalist.
I understand that the interviewer had to pay attention to strict rules from Clarence House. But for me too, it´s confusing that the reporter shouldn´t call Camilla Her Royal Highness.
On the Prince of Wales website she is always named as HRH, and i watched a event on TV, where she was officially welcomed at a public engagement with her title HRH.

Thank you to BeatrixFan for the reply to my questions .

 

[sirhon11234]

me too

Thank you Grandduchess for the new information about the interview with the swedish journalist.
I understand that the interviewer had to pay attention to strict rules from Clarence House. But for me too, it´s confusing that the reporter shouldn´t call Camilla Her Royal Highness.
On the Prince of Wales website she is always named as HRH, and i watched a event on TV, where she was officially welcomed at a public engagement with her title HRH.

Thank you to BeatrixFan for the reply to my questions .

Camilla is an HRH shouldn't she be called that.