Prince William Current Events 20: May-January 2010

[Skydragon]

I'm sure Rankin has done other famous people, but who else has he done a portrait of? Anyone know?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rankin_(photographer) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rankin_(photographer)#cite_note-indyprofile-0

Last year, Prince Andrew cost the taxpayer £140,000 for jetting round the world and entertaining in his role as a global ambassador for British business.
Understandably, objections have been raised over his “snoozing and schmoozing” expenses but Air Miles Andy’s jaunts are mere budget airline trips compared to Prince William’s colossal £600,000 military pilot training bill.


Flyboy Prince William is a royal drain - mirror.co.uk

 

[Wisteria]

From my point of view it is a complete waste of time and money and resources that are needed urgently elsewhere.
He will never use these skills and isn´t expected to, he will appear with his uniform and medals all over his chest whether he takes/finishes this course or not.
I am inclined to agree with the assessment that it is just indulging a boy´s fantasies, but at a tremendous cost to the British people.
In other words, absolutely useless expenditure.

 

[Iluvbertie]

From my point of view it is a complete waste of time and money and resources that are needed urgently elsewhere.
He will never use these skills and isn´t expected to, he will appear with his uniform and medals all over his chest whether he takes/finishes this course or not.
I am inclined to agree with the assessment that it is just indulging a boy´s fantasies, but at a tremendous cost to the British people.
In other words, absolutely useless expenditure.

I was under the impression that he was being trained to serve with the SAR. As he couldn't serve on the ground in Afghanistan this was seen as a real alternative.

I thought the SAR was a section of the RAF that served both at home and overseas and that he was going to serve, probably at home, on domestic Search and Rescue missions for a number of years.

If he isn't going to actually serve then it is a waste of his time and taxpayers money but if he truly is going to serve then he needs to be as fully trained as the other officers in the SAR surely, in which case it isn't a waste of time and money. He will have to serve however, for the required number of years (unless he actually becomes King during that time).

Please correct me if my assumption is wrong and that their is no intention of him actually serving with the SAR.

 

[Lady Ann]

I am sorry but the picture of HM makes her look as if she's had botox....i hope he does better with William and Harry .....

 

[Lumutqueen]

Now, Rankin is being lined up to shoot Princes William and Harry in what he says is a reflection of photography eclipsing traditional portraitur

Princes William and Harry to pose for Rankin's modern portraits - Telegraph

I wonder if there portrait will be anything like that of the Queens
I was hoping William and Harry would have official portraits soon.

 

[Skydragon]

I was under the impression that he was being trained to serve with the SAR. As he couldn't serve on the ground in Afghanistan this was seen as a real alternative.

I thought the SAR was a section of the RAF that served both at home and overseas and that he was going to serve, probably at home, on domestic Search and Rescue missions for a number of years.

All pilots who serve with SARF serve in combat zones as well as in the UK. The exception is likely to be William, therefore, IMO, it does make it a waste of valuable resources.

 

[Iluvbertie]

All pilots who serve with SARF serve in combat zones as well as in the UK. The exception is likely to be William, therefore, IMO, it does make it a waste of valuable resources.

I see what you are saying but at the same time someone has to be deployed to do the job at home and having William do that frees up another pilot for combat duty. That is, of course, unfair in that one pilot isn't taking that extra risk but the other side is that there is a pilot able to do the work at home.

I have read, though, that William does hope to be deployed to Afghanistan in this capacity and I hope he gets his wish (so long as no extra soldiers are deployed to protect him).

 

[Myself1995]

I have to admit, now that I've read the article, I want to see the pictures.

Pair admit to stealing intimate pics of Prince William and Kate Middleton | The Sun |News|Royals

 

[Ella Kay]

We won't see them, of course -- but isn't it interesting that The Sun congratulates itself on not publishing the pictures, but they certainly did take the time to reveal fairly detailed descriptions of them!

 

[Opal]

I have to admit, now that I've read the article, I want to see the pictures.
Pair admit to stealing intimate pics of Prince William and Kate Middleton | The Sun |News|Royals

This is old news, like a year old.

 

[Ella Kay]

The incident happened a year ago -- this is an update, explaining that the suspects have confessed to the crime.

 

[Opal]

Apparently Rankin has photographed quite a few top celebrities. So he must be pretty good. I just wish I could see some of his other work. Anyway, here's a little write-up about him:

John Rankin Waddell (working name Rankin, born 1966, Paisley, Glasgow) is a British portrait and fashion photographer. His subjects include Britney Spears, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Kylie Minogue, Leonardo DiCaprio, Spice Girls, Holly Valance, Cate Blanchett, Damien Hirst, Queen Elizabeth II,and Tony Blair.
Born in Glasgow, he was brought up in St Albans, Hertfordshire. After being expelled from school, he briefly studied accountancy at Brighton Polytechnic before moving to Peckham and studying photography at the London College of Printing, which he left to found Dazed & Confused with Jefferson Hack in 1991, assisted by a £50,000 loan from his father.


I still think I'd rather see a formal "painted" portrait of William and Harry as I don't think they've ever had one done before have they?

 

[mktv2000]

Arrest finally made

Another story on the arrest. I wonder why it took them so long to confess? That is quite a long time to hold out. And interesting that The Sun turned them in instead of publishing...I wonder what their criteria is?

Examiner Story - Wills and Kate pics stolen

 

[Skydragon]

I see what you are saying but at the same time someone has to be deployed to do the job at home and having William do that frees up another pilot for combat duty.

All pilots are rotated, whether for Afghanistan, the UK and all the other countries where we are active. Training William to perform solely in the UK means another poor blighter will have an extra deployment to a danger zone.

Much better to have spent the money training an ordinary chap who can fulfill all of the duties, including the deployments expected of a pilot.

 

[Myself1995]

We won't see them, of course -- but isn't it interesting that The Sun congratulates itself on not publishing the pictures, but they certainly did take the time to reveal fairly detailed descriptions of them!

That's the first thing I thought when I read the article - they may as well have shown the pictures. I'm waiting for them to do weekly updates on the story where they say what is in each picture- at the time it happened, I thought "Well how interesting could vacation pics be?" It's a complete invasion of their privacy, but the description of the pics do make me want to see them, though.. At least this article left out the Wills in a woman's hat tidbit.

Another story on the arrest. I wonder why it took them so long to confess? That is quite a long time to hold out. And interesting that The Sun turned them in instead of publishing...I wonder what their criteria is?

Examiner Story - Wills and Kate pics stolen
__________________

 

[Iluvbertie]

All pilots are rotated, whether for Afghanistan, the UK and all the other countries where we are active. Training William to perform solely in the UK means another poor blighter will have an extra deployment to a danger zone.

Much better to have spent the money training an ordinary chap who can fulfill all of the duties, including the deployments expected of a pilot.

You are, of course, assuming that he won't actually be rotated to Afghanistan (I don't think he will either by the way) but then again I thought one of the reasons for this training was that he would be rotated to a frontline post somewhere.

Maybe he will be posted to a peacekeeping area rather than Afghanistan but I think he will get to see some suit of frontline duty partly in order to justify the expense involved.

 

[Skydragon]

If he does do a battle line stint, it will not be until they have managed to sort out the Kevlar problem. AFAIHH, there are no plans to allow William anywhere near a battle ground, it would take too many extra people/craft to guard him.
------------------------------
A mother-of-three viciously attacked by a pitbull in Sutton received a royal gift to cheer her up during recovery.
The 38-year-old woman, known as Maureen, was surprised by a handwritten letter and a bunch of flowers from Prince William, who is the patron of the charity she works for.

Prince William sends letter to Sutton charity worker attacked by dog (From Your Local Guardian)

 

[Myself1995]

Stories like this are why I like the BRF.

 

[mktv2000]

William

Here is another quick story on this topic. I too love stories like this - with all the lather about the BRF, sometimes this stuff gets missed.

 

[Lumutqueen]

How beautiful. William is such a wonderful person.

 

[Wisteria]

How beautiful. William is such a wonderful person.

How touching, I bet he went out and chose the flowers all by himself.

 

[Elspeth]

I'm sure he didn't. But it does sound as though he wrote the note all by himself.

 

[muriel]

You are, of course, assuming that he won't actually be rotated to Afghanistan (I don't think he will either by the way) but then again I thought one of the reasons for this training was that he would be rotated to a frontline post somewhere.

Maybe he will be posted to a peacekeeping area rather than Afghanistan but I think he will get to see some suit of frontline duty partly in order to justify the expense involved.

This has been a long standing argument as to whether senior royals should serve in the armed forces or not. The reality is that a senior member of the royal family (and most certainly the future monarch) will never serve a full term in the forces as a normal person would. So to that extent, it could be argued that resources spent on William's training could be better spent elsewhere. That said, IMO, the British people expect that senior members of the BRF have military careers. If Wills had left the army and entered royal duties full time instead of joining the SAR, he would have come in for severe criticism for not serving with the very troops he was expected to one day lead. So, IMO, there are no really simple answers here, and there are clear arguments for both sides!

 

[Myself1995]

Prince William hopes to strike black gold in Azerbaijan - Telegraph

 

[Sereta]

Where the heck is this place? I've never even heard of Azerbaijan. Is this for real?

 

[Mermaid1962]

It's in Asia.

Where the heck is this place? I've never even heard of Azerbaijan. Is this for real?

 

[grevinnan]

Where the heck is this place? I've never even heard of Azerbaijan. Is this for real?

Just read some international news and you will not be able to avoid news stories about it.

 

[Myself1995]

Where the heck is this place? I've never even heard of Azerbaijan. Is this for real?

It's on the Caspian Sea, and it's bordered by Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Iran, which is probably more than you needed to know. I didn't know they were a big polo playing country, though.

 

[ParisJackson]

How touching, I bet he went out and chose the flowers all by himself.

I find it hard to take to William seriously lately. His decision-making could only be described as misguided at best. And, no, I don't blame Kate.

 

[Lumutqueen]

In the first photo, the profile view, he looks a lot like his uncle Edward.

He does, looks very handsome.
I've just looked at the pictures from when William was called to the Middle Bench as a Royal Bencher. I think he looks stunning, very very regal.