Prince William current events 22: May 2009-

[Royal Fan]

Way to go Your Highness! keep us updated Skydragon, wow he is doing the job quickly I Dont think hed be flying till next year!

[rchat]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

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

Hmm, I can't decide if I like this type of portrait or not. I appreciate the concept of it. It's different. I'm just not sure I like how the Queen looks in it. It'll be interesting to see what he does with William and Harry's portrait.

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

[Dierna23]

Frankly my feeling is that this portrait of HM looks quite odd. I like her smile, but its nothing special in this portrait (why does it look like she has brown eyes??). Looking forward to the portraits of William and Harry

[Iluvbertie]

Originally Posted by Royal Fan

Way to go Your Highness! keep us updated Skydragon, wow he is doing the job quickly I Dont think hed be flying till next year!

The article makes it clear that he isn't actually flying the mission but is more an observer but that that is part of the training anyway.

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by rchat

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)

[Skydragon]

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

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]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

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]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

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!

[rchat]

Originally Posted by 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

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.

[rchat]

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]

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]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

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
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