Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh Current Events 23: July 2011-June 2012


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This was a lovely article to read and thank you for posting it. Prince Philip is as much of an institution as the Queen and has certainly been a contributing factor in her strength and steadiness through all her formidable decades on the throne. I know I saw an empty space at her side at the Christmas service and am glad he's back to fill it.
 
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What a great read. Prince Philip has been Her Majesty's support system for so long, and it's lovely to know that after all these years they're still going strong and love (and are in love with) each other. Often people wish that they could find a partner for life who will be a best friend as well as a husband/wife, and only few succeed. I loved reading the fact that they enjoy each other's company so much and don't need to have a lot of friends around.
 
A new book about HM came across my desk today for anyone who's interested in reading it, called "Elizabeth the Queen - The Life of a Modern Monarch" by Sally Bedell Smith. This also includes William's and Kate's wedding. One of many books, I'm sure, that'll be published for the Jubilee. Anyway, I was looking through the color photos and above the one of Elizabeth and Philip on their wedding day, there's his quote: "Cherish Lilibet? I wonder if that word is enough to express what is in me."

One of those "awww" moments. Sometimes I do like my job for the goodies that come my way.
 
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A new book about HM came across my desk today for anyone who's interested in reading it, called "Elizabeth the Queen - The Life of a Modern Monarch" by Sally Bedell Smith. This also includes William's and Kate's wedding. One of many books, I'm sure, that'll be published for the Jubilee. Anyway, I was looking through the color photos and above the one of Elizabeth and Philip on their wedding day, there's his quote: "Cherish Lilibet? I wonder if that word is enough to express what is in me."

One of those "awww" moments. Sometimes I do like my job for the goodies that come my way.

That brought tears to my eyes. How tender and loving. Shows that underneath that feisty exterior there's a man with a heart of gold :wub:.
 
This is a marvel of jewellry.
 
There are some gorgeous pieces on display in the article. Would love to obtain the exhibition catalogue, because I doubt I'll be making it over to London to see this live.
 
Thanks for that story. I have to say, HM still sits a horse well at 85 and it's incredible to see her still riding at her age. I had read that she made a concession to her age years ago by giving up her Thoroughbreds and riding Fell ponies, a smaller breed of horse. And as far as not wearing a riding helmet, HM never wore helmets at all much to the concern of family and friends who had urged her to wear them for obvious safety reasons. I guess at this late stage, she's not going start wearing a helmet now.
 

I'm glad that Her Majesty is still able to enjoy some form of riding. I know she had knee surgery, so it must not always be a bed of roses when it comes to walking and getting onto a horse. She looks relaxed and content when riding. May she enjoy many more years.

Riding out picture coupled with a grim discovery on the grounds of Sandringham:

Human-remains-found-on-Sandringham-Estate

That is very grim indeed. Hopefully no foul play was involved here.
 
LOVE the pics of the Queen riding that amazing horse, she really loves the country estate, and all those activities! Good for her-
 
I love the expression on the Queen's face in some of those pictures. It looks like she's trying to figure out why this paparazzo is following her and taking so many pictures! :whistling:

The expression in the second picture is pretty much that of annoyance/curiosity. One of the things I love about Her Majesty is her ability to say quite a lot with her facial expressions.
 
The Queen's children are to stand in for resting Duke of Edinburgh - Telegraph

Since the Queen acceded to the throne 60 years ago, the Duke of Edinburgh has walked one step behind his wife at almost every public engagement. Prince Philip’s heart operation has, however, caused courtiers to carry out a radical rethink of the couple’s working partnership.
Mandrake can disclose that the Duke, who turns 91 later this year, will carry out just one public engagement this month and one in February, the anniversary of his wife’s accession.
After that, the couple’s four children are expected to take turns accompanying their mother on many of the diamond jubilee engagements that were due to be attended by the Duke.


I'd love to see the Queen with her children more, though I wonder if maybe the Countess of Wessex might also accompany the Queen in future. I think Charles will accompany her least and Anne and Edward the most.
 
I'm sure the Queen will miss having her steady Prince by her side.
 
This makes a lot of sense and it's only reasonable to dispense out these duties considering the Duke's health and age. The Queen herself must take care of herself as well. I guess we're now seeing a changing of the guard in many respects.
 
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With regard to the Duke's Engagements in January and February, generally speaking, these have always been traditionally 'light' at this time of year [ditto in the case of the Queen]. This is because the Queen tends to extend her Christmas and New Year break well into February. [Reputedly, the Christmas decorations still remain up at Sandringham during the whole period, instead of coming down on Tweflth Night]. The Queen does, however, still work on her Red Boxes each day.

I don't know therefore if Prince Philip has actually cancelled engagements, or not.

He is due in Cambridge next week for the Dinner at the Polar Insitute and it seems he is also expected to 'pop in' to Papworth [close by] for a check-up.

I do feel so sorry for the Queen if she is without her consort for most of the Jubilee engagements. Although it is purely speculation on my part, as the Duke, in the event, did not significantly reduce his public roles and engagements last year [The Palace had formally announced that he would be 'cutting down' his work significantly following his 90th birthday, although from the fact that he only relinquished about a dozen patronages and Tim O Donovan's list showed only a small decline in number of engagements that he undertook], I had presumed that in practice, the end of the Jubilee year would then see the Duke significantly cutting down his engagements. It now seems that things have accelerated since his cardiac surgery. In fact, although one of the patronages that Prince Philip did relinquish was Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, the engagement that he is scheduled to perform next week is at.........Cambridge University. So if you think about it......... Mind you, the Duke is 'a tough old bird' and since the majority of the diamond jubilee visits are not scheduled to start until the [theoretically] better weather in the Spring, there might be less cancellations than the papers indicate.

One does not want to dwell too much on the future, but as the Queen so obviously relies on her 'other half', if the Duke is not going to be at her side for her yearly programme, it is going to be a tremendous blow to her. I can remember watching a television programme around the time of the Queen's 70th birthday, and the general tone of the programme was that the Queen would never abdicate [which I still think is the case today] but that the particular commentator felt that if the Duke was no longer at the Queen's side, whilst a 'Queen Victoria'-style absence of duties was not thought to be likely, it seemed to the commentator that the absence of her spouse [for whatever reason] would prove the catalyst for the Queen to hand on much of the 'day to day' business of monarchy to her son.

Fingers crossed for the return to duty of Prince Philip. On a personal level, the party hosted by the Duke that I am due to attend in a few weeks' time [and which could easily be cancelled] has NOT yet been cancelled. To be truthful, I have been expecting a 'regret' card to pop through my door for the last 10 days or so........

Alex
 
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This makes a lot of sense and it's only reasonable to dispense out these duties considering the Duke's health and age. The Queen herself must take care of herself as well. I guess we're now seeing a changing of the guard in many respects.

I think that it'll be very strange for Her Majesty not to have her biggest supporter at her side for the next several months. However, I think that in the long run it's better to cut engagements now, and make sure that the Duke lives longer, and is therefore, at his wife's side when she comes home, and just a phone call away during a working visit (should she wish to check in and say 'hello'). It'll definitely be a very different atmosphere, that's for sure.
 
So is the Prince still planning to have the dinner? Havent heard anything else about how he is feeling. Any news?
 
I remember reading or hearing (perhaps in a TV documentary) that although HM takes care of all the "Firm" stuff, Prince Philip is, and has always been, in charge of "family" matters. If HM would have to do both, I can imagine her schedule could become quite burdensome. Perhaps someone could confirm this, as I may have dreamed it.
 
I've read that before, Kitty, so you're not dreaming. The Queen as well deferred to Philip when it came to the education of their children, especially Charles.
 
I remember reading or hearing (perhaps in a TV documentary) that although HM takes care of all the "Firm" stuff, Prince Philip is, and has always been, in charge of "family" matters. If HM would have to do both, I can imagine her schedule could become quite burdensome. Perhaps someone could confirm this, as I may have dreamed it.


This is how we in the UK understand it, KittyAltanta. It might be ringing a bell with you at the moment because I mentioned it a few days ago in one of my latest posts.

I think it is repeated quite often in Royal Family articles and biographies but lots of people like me notice evidence of this when we see the Royal Family 'out and about' at 'private' events. When I used to watch Prince Philip playing polo as a school girl and more recently when I have watched him carriage driving or walking about at Windsor at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, the Queen always looks like a 'housewife', suddenly whipping out her camera to photograph her husband, looking up at him to 'take the lead' ias they walk about etc. It seems lese majeste to talk of the Queen as 'ordinary', but when she is 'off duty', she does seem to be very much the wife rather than the monarch.


I've read that before, Kitty, so you're not dreaming. The Queen as well deferred to Philip when it came to the education of their children, especially Charles.

And certainly in relation to education Baroness. From memory, in various biographies of the Queen Mother, there were mentions that the Queen was leaning towards Eton for Charles [The Queen Mother's family had traditionally sent their sons to Eton] but was 'overuled' by Prince Philip, who wanted his son to go to his Alma Mater.


Hope this is of interest
Alex
 
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