Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh Current Events 25: April 2013-December 2014

[royalistbert]

IF she had Sunday services privately at Sandringham she would be criticized for that as well. Queen or not, this lady is 87+ years old and if her "loyal, loving subjects" can't understand that then it is indeed their problem. She has given of herself ALL her life and if she needs for whatever reason to cut short her walk about it seems to me to be a silly suggestion that she should just now retire inside. Like so much of the public these days it is an issue of entitlement on the part of the public. Would they expect the same thing from their own mothers or grandmothers who are that age?

My stepmothers Grandmother is 93 and can barely walk down a few steps because of the pain in her knees. She needs a zimmer frame to walk around the house and a wheelchair for outdoors. She never had any major health problems. As we age out joints become worn and our mobility declines.

People forget the Queen is 87 and walking is not as easy as it use to be.

 

[Lumutqueen]

IF she had Sunday services privately at Sandringham she would be criticized for that as well. Queen or not, this lady is 87+ years old and if her "loyal, loving subjects" can't understand that then it is indeed their problem. She has given of herself ALL her life and if she needs for whatever reason to cut short her walk about it seems to me to be a silly suggestion that she should just now retire inside. Like so much of the public these days it is an issue of entitlement on the part of the public. Would they expect the same thing from their own mothers or grandmothers who are that age?

If she had chosen from the start to have sunday services in private, or at the same church just never allowed visitors I would accept that perfectly. But they haven't.
The public accept that she is 87, we have no issues with her age, we know she's been ill this year and age can make you frail etc. But she did it on Christmas Day, and now hasn't done it for the two following weeks. Now if that's down to illness, or frailty in walking then I would accept that. If it's because she was made late for her dinner on Christmas Day by her own subjects actually wanting to meet her and now the family can't be bothered to walk past 3 sets of children to collect some flowers, I have issue.

If my mother or grandmother was The Queen and had partaken in this tradition for years, and offered no explanation as to why she was suddenly stopping, I'd be a little concerned.

 

[Iluvbertie]

IF she had Sunday services privately at Sandringham she would be criticized for that as well. Queen or not, this lady is 87+ years old and if her "loyal, loving subjects" can't understand that then it is indeed their problem. She has given of herself ALL her life and if she needs for whatever reason to cut short her walk about it seems to me to be a silly suggestion that she should just now retire inside. Like so much of the public these days it is an issue of entitlement on the part of the public. Would they expect the same thing from their own mothers or grandmothers who are that age?

She isn't my mother or grandmother but The Queen and she was in public - so she should perform.

She doesn't go to church publicly all the time - only at Sandringham and Balmoral so she could set it up to do it privately on that places as she does at Windsor most of the rest of the year.

If she isn't up to doing the entire job then she should step down and allow someone who is capable to do so. That is the case in my job - do the entire job or leave and the same rules should apply to her.

Her job isn't hard - turn up, look good and met the people - that is it on days like this and she failed.

She also needs to realise the dreadful PR - one week the photo of the boy next to the car while she drives off, and this week the girl in the wheelchair - and the heartless queen only gives a wave. There is an old saying - a picture tells a thousand words and those two pictures say 'I don't care about you - you are beneath my notice'.

 

[royalistbert]

Lumutqueen see post 540. I think there is something wrong with The Queen. It does seem strange two weeks in a row. I thought it was just a one off. The Queen doesn't strike as someone who would all sudden stop taking flowers. Something is not right.

 

[tommy100]

My stepmothers Grandmother is 93 and can barely walk down a few steps because of the pain in her knees. She needs a zimmer frame to walk around the house and a wheelchair for outdoors. She never had any major health problems. As we age out joints become worn and our mobility declines.

People forget the Queen is 87 and walking is not as easy as it use to be.

Then the Palace should say, I know health is a private issue but she is the Queen and if its going to change her routine then they should be honest. Its better than week after week of bad press for HM.

I don't have an issue with the Queen (a woman of 87 with a husband of 92) not wanting to collect flowers but if she is going to walk straight from car to church then straight back to the car why not keep the public away from the church - didn't they do this a few years ago when they clamped down hard on people taking photographs?

I must say that personal I agree that its ridiculous people getting upset because their child didn't get to give flowers to the Queen as if its some god given right to. But to me the issue is, why the sudden change now?

It all just seems rather odd to me, clearly something has changed either in the Queen's attitude or because she has been advised not to collect flowers. I don't understand why not just say whats going on, until they do people will just speculate over and over and every Sunday we are going to have the same bad press for HM.

 

[Osipi]

Lumutqueen see post 540. I think there is something wrong with The Queen. It does seem strange two weeks in a row. I thought it was just a one off. The Queen doesn't strike as someone who would all sudden stop taking flowers. Something is not right.

This may be totally off the wall but it very well could be a scenario of why the Queen has stopped accepting flowers. Maybe I watch too much TV. You be the judge.

Is it plausible that the powers that be have intercepted a credible threat against the Queen and that it could very well be passed to her hidden in a bouquet of flowers and that's why she's been in/out of church as quickly as she can? It might sound far fetched, but sometimes if something like this is brought to Interpol or Scotland Yard's attention, it would be on a "need to know" basis and the public would not be informed and every precaution taken.

Just an odd thought. We just don't know exactly what is going on and most likely we won't.

 

[COESpiral]

The fact that she has always collected flowers from children previously and has just suddenly stopped doing so means there's a reason for the change. Whether it be illness or security threat or whether she has given all the fu**s she had and she can't give anymore, I don't know. And I don't need to know. We'll all find out when it's time for that information to be shared. The end.

 

[MarNoe]

This may be totally off the wall but it very well could be a scenario of why the Queen has stopped accepting flowers. Maybe I watch too much TV. You be the judge.

Is it plausible that the powers that be have intercepted a credible threat against the Queen and that it could very well be passed to her hidden in a bouquet of flowers and that's why she's been in/out of church as quickly as she can? It might sound far fetched, but sometimes if something like this is brought to Interpol or Scotland Yard's attention, it would be on a "need to know" basis and the public would not be informed and every precaution taken.

Just an odd thought. We just don't know exactly what is going on and most likely we won't.

Hadn't thought of that but it could be possible. Unfortunately terrorism is now a fact of life - and as far as I'm concerned it means they're winning as we've had to completely alter our way of life because of them. Makes me really mad.

 

[cepe]

I'd say no to terrorism. But I have thought about this. Random thoughts:-

She is on holiday - that means no Lady in Waiting. The pictures I have seen, she is on her own in the car and there have been no familiar L-in-W around her.

On Christmas Day, the flowers are collected by sundry family members, taken back to Sandringham and, I understand, distributed to local care homes and hospitals. There is a reasonable police presence because they expect a lot of people, and this year that's what happened. Sometimes they help out with the flower collection.

A single police officer is present on days like today.

I've also noticed that male members don't go near the flowers.

She never keeps the flowers she is given, they are transferred to someone/somewhere else (always, not just at church). She only keeps formal bouquets given on formal engagements.

So if she takes the flowers, that means keeping hold of them herself cos there is no one to hand them to.

And I don't think she does that.

Plus 87, cold, aching bones (she doesn't walk - that's the knee problem) = no flowers

Elementary!

 

[cepe]

Additional info for today - the Queen had a royal engagement after Church today, so maybe felt she could not be delayed.

Sandringham, Norfolk

5th January, 2014
Divine Service was held in Sandringham Parish Church this morning.
The Bishop of Rochester preached the Sermon.

The Queen presented The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Academic Excellence at Springwood High School, King’s Lynn, to Darion Mayes, who was introduced into Her Majesty’s presence by Mr Andrew Johnson, the Headmaster.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

The Queen is getting old, and she has appeared more frail in recent months. She has knee and back problems, she has also struggled with other ailments such as heavy nosebleed, but she is still going strong.

 

[sndral]

I'd say no to terrorism. But I have thought about this. Random thoughts:-
...
- that means no Lady in Waiting. The pictures I have seen, she is on her own in the car and there have been no familiar L-in-W around her.
...

If you look at one of the pictures of her in the car you can see what appears to be a female hand belonging to someone sitting in the back seat of the car w/ her.
As someone watching an 80 year old mom slowly decline, I know there are good days and better days and if the Queen no longer wants to collect flowers every time she goes to church I think that's ok. If anything the press creating the uproar the previous week would cause me to refuse to be manipulated by their faux issues. I can just see Phillip telling her to ****** the press and their silly stories.
Am I the only one that thought it was a little over the top and possibly staged that one of the children waiting was in a wheel chair, or am I just too cynical?

 

[MARG]

. . . If my mother or grandmother was The Queen and had partaken in this tradition for years, and offered no explanation as to why she was suddenly stopping, I'd be a little concerned.

Quite agree.

She isn't my mother or grandmother but The Queen and she was in public - so she should perform.

She doesn't go to church publicly all the time - only at Sandringham and Balmoral so she could set it up to do it privately on that places as she does at Windsor most of the rest of the year.

She is on holiday and although she was in public (if you can call walling from the car to to the Church and back again in public), but she sure as hell wasn't on a working holiday.

Perform? How very Las Vegas, or would that be the Zoo?.

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Sandringham the one place that doesn't have a private Chapel?

Am I the only one that thought it was a little over the top and possibly staged that one of the children waiting was in a wheel chair, or am I just too cynical?

No you are not. It was a callous and cynical staging to create an "incident".

 

[marine2109]

Queen Elizabeth II And Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Attend Church At Sandringham.

Search - Getty Images : GBR: Queen Elizabeth II And Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Attend Church At Sandringham.

http://www.brunopress.nl/bin/Brunop...si=B481EED6067D48118D9D12C130103D&rnd=472.5.5

 

[Molly2101]

I find it odd that the Queen isn't accepting flowers but I would think there is an explanation behind it all.

 

[gerry]

Search - Getty Images : GBR: Queen Elizabeth II And Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Attend Church At Sandringham.

www.Brunopress.com

interesting how HM is using a rug inside her car to cover the Knees; is the car perhaps not heated?

 

[Dman]

The Queen always use a blanket to cover her legs when she's in her car or carriage.

 

[AdmirerUS]

So I went and took a look at old Getty images relating to flowergate.

The crowds are bigger now - and there are more flowers to be gathered lately, it seems.

Here is the search: Search - Getty Images : church sandringham

In 2005, there are some folks with a banner that reads HARRY XMAS The Duchess of Cornwall is the one who collects their flower bouquet, though Harry was there.
In 2003, it looks like the entire family walked the ropes - not much like the walk up the pavement that we see today. Security or procedures are tighter today.

The fashions and hairlines are entertaining. See Bea's footwear in 2003.

 

[Grandma828]

She isn't my mother or grandmother but The Queen and she was in public - so she should perform.

'.

She is not a puppet, but a human being. You seem to forget that.

 

[COESpiral]

She isn't my mother or grandmother but The Queen and she was in public - so she should perform.

How 'bout a monologue from Chekhov or Eugene O'Neill and then a cover of 'Killing Me Softly'? No? Interpretive dance? Beatboxing?

 

[Roslyn]

Then the Palace should say, I know health is a private issue but she is the Queen and if its going to change her routine then they should be honest. Its better than week after week of bad press for HM.

I don't have an issue with the Queen (a woman of 87 with a husband of 92) not wanting to collect flowers but if she is going to walk straight from car to church then straight back to the car why not keep the public away from the church - didn't they do this a few years ago when they clamped down hard on people taking photographs?

I must say that personal I agree that its ridiculous people getting upset because their child didn't get to give flowers to the Queen as if its some god given right to. But to me the issue is, why the sudden change now?

It all just seems rather odd to me, clearly something has changed either in the Queen's attitude or because she has been advised not to collect flowers. I don't understand why not just say whats going on, until they do people will just speculate over and over and every Sunday we are going to have the same bad press for HM.

I agree with all you say here.

There's been a change and a recent one and there has to be a reason. She's done it for years and as recently as a few weeks ago, but the last two weeks she's bolted off home without taking any flowers and doing it in circumstances which I would think would be a PR manager's nightmare because of the images that were captured. A little boy one week and now a little girl in a wheelchair.

Sensible or not, good or bad, there is now a tradition of parents turning up and thrusting flower-bearing children at the Queen, and of her accepting these offerings. If she's decided to stop accepting them, an announcement should have been made so people know in advance and can't complain of disappointment if she doesn't take them. Actually people should have gotten the message after this second snub, but it would have been nice to be treated with the courtesy of an explanation.

If the Royals make a habit of treating the people with contempt, they'll find people stop turning up to see them at all, and they won't like that.

 

[Conny]

These were the two Sundays following Christmas - the 29th December and 5th January. The Queen usually stays on at Sandringham after Christmas and I doubt if every time she attends the church it involves receiving flowers from dozens of children. Traditionally those who give flowers on Christmas Day are local children but according to the reports some of those who were there this year had travelled fifty miles or more. I think there's some attempted manipulation going on and the Queen won't play along with it.

 

[Queen Camilla]

It isn't contempt if she doesn't collect flowers.

It has already been stated that the Queen is grateful for the flowers but does not always collect them.

If she is by herself as she was in the latest incident clearly she wasn't going to collect the flowers.

End of story.

The boy standing behind the Queen's car and the next time a girl in a wheelchair. What next a baby in crutches? All looked staged.

 

[Osipi]

Something really has been lost somewhere down the line here. Giving a gift of flowers is a beautiful gesture and I'm sure the Queen has felt touched and grateful that people think enough of her to bring her bouquets. Somewhere in time, it became more of a standard rule of thumb practice and people started to think the Queen was obligated to do this. She misses collecting flowers for two Sundays and the world is up in arms that the Queen is snubbing people and is being rude and a few other not so endearing opinions.

HM owes no one any obligation when she attends church services on her respite from an exhausting job that she does 24/7 for her people. After over 60 years of steadfast duty to crown and country, one would think that people would think of her as more than a dog and pony show there for their own entertainment and photo-ops.

 

[Iluvbertie]

The PR will follow though and it is bad.

She has accepted the flowers when she has gone to Sandringham in the past but this year - with no notice to the public - just suddenly she stops.

People have travelled for long distances in the past.

Whether the images were staged or not those images are out there and the PR from them is awful - it could be the start of the Windsor's 'let them eat cake' (which isn't what Marie Antoinette said but which still was awful PR) and royals can't afford, ever to have bad PR as they rely on that to stay in business.

 

[muriel]

Whether the images were staged or not those images are out there and the PR from them is awful - it could be the start of the Windsor's 'let them eat cake' (which isn't what Marie Antoinette said but which still was awful PR) and royals can't afford, ever to have bad PR as they rely on that to stay in business.

Quite melodramatic, IMO

 

[Roslyn]

Something really has been lost somewhere down the line here. Giving a gift of flowers is a beautiful gesture and I'm sure the Queen has felt touched and grateful that people think enough of her to bring her bouquets. Somewhere in time, it became more of a standard rule of thumb practice and people started to think the Queen was obligated to do this. She misses collecting flowers for two Sundays and the world is up in arms that the Queen is snubbing people and is being rude and a few other not so endearing opinions.

HM owes no one any obligation when she attends church services on her respite from an exhausting job that she does 24/7 for her people. After over 60 years of steadfast duty to crown and country, one would think that people would think of her as more than a dog and pony show there for their own entertainment and photo-ops.

Frankly I think the giving of flowers to the Queen is a stupid ritual, not something touching. The flowers rarely stay in her hands for more than a minute or so and I think it is a bit of a joke. However it did become a standard practice and because she kept doing it the people started to think HM was obligated to do it. And the Queen and/or her advisors and/or hangers on acquiesced and allowed this practice to develop. And it became a tradition and a beneficial one because it provided an opportunity for the people to "connect" with their monarch.

The world isn't up in arms that she is snubbing people; it's not very important to most of the world. But it was a major PR snafu and that is all that most of us are really saying.

No sensible person expects a woman of her age to continue to do everything she has done all her adult life. But the Queen has contributed to the expectation that as long as she can be seen she is accessible by her own words and actions. Back when she was a young woman she publicly committed herself to give lifelong service to her people. On her 21st birthday, Princess Elizabeth said, "I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong." And she made herself available to do walkabouts and collect flowers, and now she's suddenly stopped.

The Queen has given over 60 years' devoted service, but that is no more than she vowed to do. If she finds her job exhausting now, as I imagine she probably does, she should wind down and delegate more and more of her duties to her successor, and make it known that she won't be doing as much of the flower-collecting stuff.

The fact is that the BRF is a dog and pony show for the entertainment of the people and for photo ops. The monarch doesn't run the country; the people through their elected Parliament run the country. The arrangement continues to work well, but the royals have a very privileged place in society which requires them to be on show and to perform certain tricks for the entertainment of the people. Once they stop being entertaining they will have outlived their usefulness and won't be kept around.

 

[Victorian-Dandy]

I still suspect that the Queen is under the weather which is why she isn't hanging around after the church service for these last couple of weeks.

And just because she is feeling unwell doesn't mean that BP have to make a press release stating so, I'm pretty certain that they don't reveal every time she has a cold or other relatively minor illness. I'd much rather her be cautious and go from church straight to Sandringham rather than hang around collecting flowers since at her age a minor cold can quite easily turn into something far worse.

Personally I believe that when the officer spoke out the other week and mentioned "she was going to be late for her lunch so couldn't hang around" (or words to that effect) that they were bang out of order.

Also I would never dream of dragging some child or anyone else for that matter five miles let alone fifty on the off chance that they got to present flowers to someone just so I could fawn over the event.

In all the years I've been interested in the Royal family (over 40) I've never once expected them to be on show 24/7, they just like anyone else deserve a little down time and it is quite rude of people to assume that just because the Queen (or any other member of the Royal family) is going from A to B that she must stop and do an impromptu meet and greet along the way.

All in all a mountain out of a molehill that is being manipulated by the British Press (nowt new there then).

 

[marine2109]

The Queen’s Medal for Music 2013

The Queen has approved the award of Her Majesty’s Medal for Music 2013 to operatic baritone and opera director Sir Thomas Allen CBE. The prize, established in 2005, is awarded to an outstanding individual or group of musicians who have had a major influence on the musical life of the nation. Sir Thomas will be presented with the award by The Queen at an audience later this year.

http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Pressreleases/2014/TheQueensMedalforMusic2013.aspx

 

[Skippyboo]

The policemen's statement about the queen not taking flowers because she was late for lunch on Christmas is nonsense- as if her family would have started without her.