Camilla & Charles: How has your opinion changed since the wedding?

[Roslyn]

I'm going to go out on a limb to say that IMO HM has been there too long. She's past her use-by date and is stagnating, at the expense of her son and the Monarchy generally. I wish she'd cede responsibility to Charles so he can start doing that which he has been trained to do, with precious little support and encouragement from his mother and father, since he was a child.

[rmay286]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

Charles is only boring to some. he isn't just a 'King in waiting', he is active in all manner of subjects, Not least the environmental issues, which are taught in the majority of schools now. The organic movement is growing, with stores falling over themselves to promote organic produce and despite the praise heaped by some on modern architecture, he speaks for a lot of people who think the plans, for most of it should have been put in the bin.

William may seem the 'ideal', young heir at the moment but he too will age and what will happen then? Will people be saying that now Charles is king, perhaps we should by pass William?

Charles has the knowledge and experience to become our next monarch, William has done... what exactly?
I don't think we could say he was bred for it, but he has certainly received extensive training for the position.

I agree that Charles takes his job seriously, so I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be a hardworking king. I think, though, that a fair number of people care less about who can get the job done, than who seems fresh and exciting and can bring "renewal". The current Democratic campaign in the US is a good example: one candidate has a past that includes some scandal but also presumably a lot of useful experience. The other candidate is younger, less experienced, but more charismatic. And the country seems pretty closely split on who they think would make a better president.

I totally agree that people will be less enthused about William as he gets older, though. Maybe that's already why there has been a small decrease in support for him to directly succeed Queen Elizabeth.

I was thinking, nowadays monarchs can easily be expected to live into their nineties...given the Queen Mother's longevity, it wouldn't be surprising if Queen Elizabeth passed 100. By that time Charles will be nearly 80...then if he lives into his nineties (also a strong possibility given his father and mother's health in their eighties) William will be in his sixties when he becomes king.

And on it will go, a chain of elderly monarchs. This makes me wonder if abdication at a certain age won't eventually become the norm for a monarch. How active can a 80, 90, 100 year-old monarch be compared to a younger one?

[Mermaid1962]

That's the way I feel about things as well. The Queen should reign till she dies; Prince Charles becomes King for awhile but obviously not for as long as his mother; William uses that time to learn to be King, marry, and establish his own home and family.

Originally Posted by love_cc

She means that she does not like Prince Charles and Camilla much. But now she accept the fact that Prince Charles has the natural right to ascent the throne because he is the first born of the queen. And William of course should follow his father's step to take the Crown prince's duties when his father ascend the throne.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by Mermaid1962

The Queen should reign till she dies; Prince Charles becomes King for awhile but obviously not for as long as his mother;

Problem is that Charles (and after him William and William's eldest child and so on) will always have been "around" for some time, as heir or as souverain - no matter: being focus in the public eye. Thus the perception is bound to change but which way?

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by rmay286

I was thinking, nowadays monarchs can easily be expected to live into their nineties...given the Queen Mother's longevity, it wouldn't be surprising if Queen Elizabeth passed 100. By that time Charles will be nearly 80...then if he lives into his nineties (also a strong possibility given his father and mother's health in their eighties) William will be in his sixties when he becomes king.

And on it will go, a chain of elderly monarchs. This makes me wonder if abdication at a certain age won't eventually become the norm for a monarch. How active can a 80, 90, 100 year-old monarch be compared to a younger one?

Williams maternal grandparents did not live to an incredibly ripe old age, Johnny was only 68 when he died and Frances was also 68, so longevity does not run in the Spencer genes.

I hope HM does not become as dotty as the QM appeared to become, that would be rather sad.

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Jo of Palatine

Problem is that Charles (and after him William and William's eldest child and so on) will always have been "around" for some time, as heir or as souverain - no matter: being focus in the public eye. Thus the perception is bound to change but which way?

Well so what? (Not trying to be argumentative here, just blunt. Sorry!) This happened before with Edward VII. It's nothing new. HM is just this century's Victoria. (And Long Live The Queen! )

I haven't been on this weekend, but Duke of Marmalade, so what if PC talks to his plants? That's not dotty! I talk to my house plants. I talk to my basil and tomatoes in the garden. I talk to my dog. I talk to myself. I'm a regular chatterbox so no wonder my grandfather called me a "Wind bag!"

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by Russophile

Well so what? (Not trying to be argumentative here, just blunt. Sorry!) This happened before with Edward VII. It's nothing new. HM is just this century's Victoria. (And Long Live The Queen! )

I haven't been on this weekend, but Duke of Marmalade, so what if PC talks to his plants? That's not dotty! I talk to my house plants. I talk to my basil and tomatoes in the garden. I talk to my dog. I talk to myself. I'm a regular chatterbox so no wonder my grandfather called me a "Wind bag!"

As lomg as you don't stop talking to Mr. Russo, all should be well.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

Williams maternal grandparents did not live to an incredibly ripe old age, Johnny was only 68 when he died and Frances was also 68, so longevity does not run in the Spencer genes.

I hope HM does not become as dotty as the QM appeared to become, that would be rather sad.

I guess the government already has plans what to do in case the queen gets any kind of health problem. There are many scenarios plausible, so I am convinced each as been spoken about. I wonder what the public reaction would be, though, if HM ends like her sister?

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Jo of Palatine

As lomg as you don't stop talking to Mr. Russo, all should be well.

I think sometimes Mr. Russo would LIKE me to shut up!

In the movie, The Queen, they had a whole scenario of what they were going to do if the Queen Mum passed and had that slapped together for Princess Diana.
When Charles married Camilla, do they have a whole burial scenario ready to go for her as well??

[Elspeth]

I'm sure they do. They have a whole department of people dealing with protocol matters.

[tinkerbell1948]

Yes it's my understanding that complete arrangements are already in place for the Senior Royals at least and always have been

It's been 10 years and my memory is hazy. I still have all the newspapers from that awful week but they are packed at my son's (and probably going yellow and motheaten I didn't preserve them in any way) but did they actually use the QM's funeral plans as a guide or was that a flight of fancy ( like many of them lol) for the movie? Having said that I thought the movie was very well done and have always loved Dame Helen Mirren right from when I saw her in Prime Suspect.

[wbenson]

It wouldn't have been inconceivable. The original procession route for Diana (before being extended out to Kensington Palace) was the Queen Mother's two processions combined, and both funerals were in Westminster Abbey. From a logistical standpoint, it would have made sense.

[Sasha3]

Since he married Camilla Duchess of Cornwall I haven't seen any miserable photos of him unless there is a serious ceremony that he has to attend then he is serious otherwise he is pretty cheery. I was and still a Princess Diana freak but we all have our faults and I have read a few books about her and she has already claimed that she was no saint that we all made her out to be. It does take two to break up a marriage and she also claimed that she will only be blamed for half. I have grown use to seen Camilla around in the news and she is doing good and I think people should give her a chance.

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Sasha3

Since he married Camilla Duchess of Cornwall I haven't seen any miserable photos of him unless there is a serious ceremony that he has to attend then he is serious otherwise he is pretty cheery. I was and still a Princess Diana freak but we all have our faults and I have read a few books about her and she has already claimed that she was no saint that we all made her out to be. It does take two to break up a marriage and she also claimed that she will only be blamed for half. I have grown use to seen Camilla around in the news and she is doing good and I think people should give her a chance.

You know, that's a very nice way of looking at things!

[angela]

As she was Mrs. Parker-Bowles for approx. 30 years; mother and now grandmother of two children I find it difficult to accept her as HRH the Duchess of Cornwall no matter how much I try.When I see her in those huge tiaras I'm afraid the first thought that springs to mind is along the lines of " Oh, there is Mrs. P-B in a huge tiara trying really hard to look Royal. Dosn't she look silly? " I'm afraid that after so many years of being mistress to the POW I'll never be able to look on her as being a true Royal.

[Elspeth]

Do you mean to say that if she'd married the Prince back in the 1970s she wouldn't look silly in a tiara now, but because she didn't marry him until after being his mistress for many years, she does? How does her marital status over the last 30 years change the way she appears now?

[Eloise]

hahaha i agree with you, and yeah how being the thing now if she being the princess of wales, oh no! tahts horrible, so doesn't exist william and harry