Prince Andrew, Duke of York Current Events 6: July 2011-February 2015


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For some reason this amuses me to no end. :lol:
 
If any of this is true, I also hope the Duke thanked the officers for their heightened protection. While I understand that it is scary to be stopped by security, in fact, security stopping people is the only way to make sure the palace remains un-breached.
 
HM the Queen would not have been amused if anything had happened to her favorite child, the apple of her eye.

All's well that ends well!;)
 
Nor would she probably have been amused if it hadn't been her son (favourite or not) but a burglar who managed to steal art work worth millions and millions.
 
At least the security team recognized him. Had they not then HRH would have had reason to get pissed, but you cannot get upset with people for doing their job. I doubt he was too upset, and is probably telling funny stories about the incident now.
 
I know it's not funny - poor Prince Andrew!! - but it made a brilliant "silly season" Sunday tabloid headline!
 
This story was just featured on CNN, accompanied by a picture of Andrew wearing a top hat. Hubby: "Was he wearing that hat when they told him to put his hands up?" Me: "Sadly, no."
 
Andrew is her Favorite? I thought Edward was.


I think it is a case of Anne is Philip's favourite child, Andrew is The Queen's but Edward is their joint favourite. Poor Charles doesn't seem to be the favoured one of either of his parents - shades of the Hanoverians where this was the common situation with the heir not being favoured by the parents.

So The Queen would prefer to be with Andrew out of the 4.
Philip would prefer to be with Anne

But the two together would prefer to be with Edward.
 
^^^^
I tend to take all DM stories with huge grains of salt especially when the story is about a member of the royal family. There would be no point in writing about a prince not being upset.
 
:previous: While I can understand the humour in the situation . . . for us, I understand Andrew's anger.

Being "halted" in his own garden by armed police must have been really shocking in the first instance. Whether or not guns were drawn is irrelevant, he knows they are armed. So yes, I think he could be forgiven if he felt a moment of sheer terror. That is usually followed and rage. Anger at having been frightened and anger that he showed it.

But there is a very serious, very unfunny side, to this incident. What use is a Protection Squad if they are not even familiar with who they are "supposed to be" protecting! Surely the usual security briefing before each shift updates Officers as to who in the BRF is on the ground, who is a frequent caller and, more importantly, what they look like. If they don't then their Standard Operating Procedures are sadly lacking. I would almost say dangerously lacking. If Andrew had responded with immediate anger and refusal to comply would they have drawn their weapons? Would that vastly accelerate the likelihood of him being shot and injured or shoved to the ground and injured.

The news online and TV say he "graciously" accepted an apology from Police and basically said they were just doing their job and that sometimes they get it wrong. I think it is far worse than that. Police inserted rank amateurs into the Protection Squad after the last little security "incident". However, they did not bother to educate the draftees and that puts people at risk. Regretfully I think this is the second of two very bad security breaches and that this one had more potential to injure members of the BRF.
 
:previous:

Being "halted" in his own garden by armed police must have been really shocking in the first instance. Whether or not guns were drawn is irrelevant, he knows they are armed. So yes, I think he could be forgiven if he felt a moment of sheer terror. That is usually followed and rage. Anger at having been frightened and anger that he showed it.

But there is a very serious, very unfunny side, to this incident. What use is a Protection Squad if they are not even familiar with who they are "supposed to be" protecting! Surely the usual security briefing before each shift updates Officers as to who in the BRF is on the ground, who is a frequent caller and, more importantly, what they look like. If they don't then their Standard Operating Procedures are sadly lacking. I would almost say dangerously lacking. If Andrew had responded with immediate anger and refusal to comply would they have drawn their weapons? Would that vastly accelerate the likelihood of him being shot and injured or shoved to the ground and injured.
Some of the articles say he did respond w/ anger.
How often does he stay @ Buckingham Palace? I thought he lived elsewhere. From the perspective of the security/police officers the primary residents are in Scotland, where they alerted that another member of the family would be in residence? Where they alerted that said member would be roaming the grounds (the former chief of security quoted in the article suggests that this is protocol.) If the answer to both those questions is yes, then his irritation is understandable and the police owed Prince Andrew an apology, which they tendered.
If on the other hand they believed the family was elsewhere (and Andrew had just returned from vacation) then I err on the side of better safe than sorry when you run into a person where you don't expect to 3 days after a burglar made it all the way inside the palace. A simple demand to see an ID under those circumstances doesn't seem out of line to me.
Let's hope that both the extended family and those who are responsible for protecting the grounds, the palace and the person of the sovereign now have a method of clear communication in place so that they can do their job and Andrew can enjoy mommy's garden w/out having his ego bruised by the fact that he's not as recognizable as he thinks.
 
What I dont understand is..Why do they have to announce all such things, and give another field day for tabloids..
These awkward things do happen once in a while..Not a big deal..
 
Scotland Yard is a fairly public entity. Secret police doings have other, bigger problems than the press.
 
:previous: You are joking aren't you? You really think the problem is Andy?

The squad tasked with Royal Protection, like those of Diplomatic Protection, are, or should be, absolute professionals. That means they know who all the members of the family (both immediate and extended) are, which members are present, who the members of staff are and which ones are present at any given time. That means they are not thrown off because a member of the family didn't ask their permission to enter their own home. The first line of defence is it's entrances which are, of course, electronically monitored. A car doesn't pass in or out of the Palace grounds that is not caught on cameras which are monitored 24/7.

To that end, it is a fundamentally basic requirement that they can at least identify those they are there to protect. This is not an unreasonable expectation but a rather pedestrian bottom line. That is the very essence of their job and if they can't get that right then we have a problem and that problem is not some patronising drivel about Andy's supposedly bruised ego!

The UK is renowned for the efficiency and efficacy of it's Police. This is one big slap at it's hard won reputation and the second in less than two weeks. If they are perceived as being a big joke, Keystone Cops even, then the security of the BRF is under threat. Not Andy's ego!
 
Some of the articles say he did respond w/ anger.
How often does he stay @ Buckingham Palace? I thought he lived elsewhere. From the perspective of the security/police officers the primary residents are in Scotland, where they alerted that another member of the family would be in residence? Where they alerted that said member would be roaming the grounds (the former chief of security quoted in the article suggests that this is protocol.) If the answer to both those questions is yes, then his irritation is understandable and the police owed Prince Andrew an apology, which they tendered.
If on the other hand they believed the family was elsewhere (and Andrew had just returned from vacation) then I err on the side of better safe than sorry when you run into a person where you don't expect to 3 days after a burglar made it all the way inside the palace. A simple demand to see an ID under those circumstances doesn't seem out of line to me.
Let's hope that both the extended family and those who are responsible for protecting the grounds, the palace and the person of the sovereign now have a method of clear communication in place so that they can do their job and Andrew can enjoy mommy's garden w/out having his ego bruised by the fact that he's not as recognizable as he thinks.
You are joking aren't you? You really think the problem is Andy?

The squad tasked with Royal Protection, like those of Diplomatic Protection, are, or should be, absolute professionals. That means they know who all the members of the family (both immediate and extended) are, which members are present,which are who the members of staff are and which ones are present at any given time. That means they are not thrown off because a member of the family didn't ask permission to enter their own home. The first line of defence is it's entrances which are, of course, electronically monitored. A car doesn't pass in or out of the Palace grounds that is not caught on cameras which are monitored 24/7.

To that end, it is a fundamentally basic requirement that they can at least identify those they are there to protect. This is not an unreasonable expectation but a rather pedestrian bottom line. That is the very essence of their job and if they can't get that right then we have a problem and that problem is not some patronising drivel about Andy's supposedly bruised ego!

The UK is renowned for the efficiency and efficacy of it's Police. This is one big slap at it's hard won reputation and the second in less than two weeks. If they are perceived as being a big joke, Keystone Cops even, then the security of the BRF is under threat. Not Andy's ego!
 
I think it costs an important public person nothing to respond with grace. Petulant and entitled is not a good look on a man in his 50s.

It sounds as if there is no policy (or a policy not followed) for ascertaining the movement of the family about the grounds. I don't mean track them room to room - but it would be prudent to know when family arrives at BP, leaves the building, moves from private residence to state rooms or offices (different security zones), leaves the Palace, etc. If someone is out on the grounds alone - we all know they could be an easy target for a sniper's rifle. Or someone out for a walk could fall ill or get injured.

I realize the family may prefer to wander at will - but that's just silly from the standpoint of benchmark security procedures.
 
Some of the articles say he did respond w/ anger.
How often does he stay @ Buckingham Palace? I thought he lived elsewhere.

Like all royals he has a country residence - Royal Lodge at Windsor - and a London base - Buckingham Palace. So he does live at BP and was taking a walk in his own garden.

From the perspective of the security/police officers the primary residents are in Scotland, where they alerted that another member of the family would be in residence?

As this is also Andrew's home and he had obviously entered the palace from his engagement that day they would have known he was there.

Where they alerted that said member would be roaming the grounds (the former chief of security quoted in the article suggests that this is protocol.)

We don't know this.

If on the other hand they believed the family was elsewhere (and Andrew had just returned from vacation) then I err on the side of better safe than sorry when you run into a person where you don't expect to 3 days after a burglar made it all the way inside the palace. A simple demand to see an ID under those circumstances doesn't seem out of line to me.

Andrew had been on an engagement during the day so would have returned and been noted to have returned to his London home.

Why would he need identity in his own home - to get in yes but once inside the palace and the grounds no.
 
In pictures, he looks bloated and not the way he used to look. If he lost at least 20 pounds and worked out he might be more easily recognizable. Walking in the garden was at least getting some exercise, too bad the police interrupted him doing something healthy! Maybe he had determined to walk around the garden as many times as possible each week, to get mild exercise. I don't usually recognize him in pictures unless he is identified. Charles and Edward are more distinctively themselves in pictures.
 
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