The Windsors and Europe

[tiaraprin]

In the case of funerals, it is protocol that states Her Majesty does not attend funerals of others unless it is a member of her family. She has only made one exception and that is Winston Churchill.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Re:

Well, foreign royalty are her family, albeit extended. I think that this rule of "I only go to the Funerals of my own" is a bit stand-offish.

 

[tiaraprin]

Well, foreign royalty are her family, albeit extended. I think that this rule of "I only go to the Funerals of my own" is a bit stand-offish.

That is the stated protocol. Perhaps you should write to Her Majesty about this issue?

 

[BeatrixFan]

Re:

Lol. I don't think I'll waste the stamp. I just find it so archaic. I know that Prince Charles wants to bring the Monarchy into the Scandinavian style and I would support him totally. I love the tradition and the pomp, but things like this are just so silly. It makes it seem as if the Windsors consider themselves higher than the Bernadottes, the Glucksburgs, the Nassaus etc.

 

[Mapple]

That is the stated protocol. Perhaps you should write to Her Majesty about this issue?

Nevertheless, she attended the funeral of the King of Belgians in 1993.

 

[Saragli]

The Queen has a very busy schedule. One must remember that the Queen of the UK is much much more busy than any other soverign in Europe. She has so much to do and many many people and orginizations depend on her. She is always there for her country and repersents her nation to perfection when she does go abroad, which is a lot. She also understands that it does not matter if she goes or not. She is secured and respected and has done a good job as soveriegn. She will try to send the glamourous royals abroad when she can and she will send Charles abroad so people can pay attention to him and how he represent so he can build up more respect for himself. She is trying to secure the royal family.

 

[Saragli]

I think King Baudin was an exeption. Wasnt she good friends with the late King or something. Or maybe she respected him much more than any other soverign. I think she went to that funeral for personal reasons and broke protocal.

 

[pollyemma]

Lol. I don't think I'll waste the stamp. I just find it so archaic. I know that Prince Charles wants to bring the Monarchy into the Scandinavian style and I would support him totally. I love the tradition and the pomp, but things like this are just so silly. It makes it seem as if the Windsors consider themselves higher than the Bernadottes, the Glucksburgs, the Nassaus etc.

i think Q2 considers the windsors above the other royal families. I agree with you that charles will increase the contacts with his continental colleagues and i'm glad of it.

personally, i really like the pomp and circumstance. in norway and denmark they don't have coronations. what fun is that!

 

[BeatrixFan]

The Queen has a very busy schedule. One must remember that the Queen of the UK is much much more busy than any other soverign in Europe. She has so much to do and many many people and orginizations depend on her. She is always there for her country and repersents her nation to perfection when she does go abroad, which is a lot. She also understands that it does not matter if she goes or not. She is secured and respected and has done a good job as soveriegn. She will try to send the glamourous royals abroad when she can and she will send Charles abroad so people can pay attention to him and how he represent so he can build up more respect for himself. She is trying to secure the royal family.

I can understand that but Weddings and Funerals are unique events. Crown Prince Frederik will only marry once (we hope!) - she can open a fountain or unveil a statue at any time of the year. I would argue that her schedule isn't as hectic as any other sovereign, but for her age, she does do alot. I think it does matter if she goes abroad to a family wedding etc.

I think that by sending Charles and Edward, Andrew or Philip, she is basically sending a message of, "I'm not going - send someone else". Charles can do his own PR, and there's nothing to say he couldn't go as well. When Felipe and Letizia married, Beatrix took Willem-Alexandra and Maxima with her , Carl Gustav and Silvia took all three children. Why can't Elizabeth take Charles and Camilla or Edward and Sophie. It would present a family front. I imagine that the Royals must think, "We'll only get Charles - Lillibet won't come". That cant be good for family relations. Just my opinion.

 

[Mapple]

I don't mean to be rude but it is really annoying that a foreigner should presume to know that there is nothing in Scotland that requires the monarch's presence. Scotland is a kingdom and the oldest in Europe at that. The Queen (she is not EIIR in Scotland) does open the Scottish parliament and when she did so last year was welcomed as Queen of Scots just as she was in 1953 when she came to Edinburgh for the first time as Queen to recieve the Honours of Scotland. ...

Actually she is Elizabeth II in Scotland, the case MacCormick v Lord Advocate having been lost by the protesters. And to style her as 'Queen of Scots' is still technically incorrect.

 

[Elise27]

Maybe you should submit the question through their website. In any case I do think that the queen perhaps just likes to avoid these events, to me it is more telling that she has always been like that and yet look at all the royals that showed up for her golden jubilee and the QM's funeral. Maybe she just avoids them altogether because she's being diplomatic so that she doesnt feel she has to attend all of these events. besides it gives charles something to do. In addition remember that the queen is older than the other monarchs-different generation. Perhaps shes just shy and not very social, I ve seen plenty of events where it has been the DoE having lively conversations with other royals and the queen is just sitting there. Like at the commemoration of the D-day invasions--phillip was chatting away with Q Beatrix but HM just sat there and hardly crossed a word with Beatrix at least thats what I saw.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Maybe you should submit the question through their website. In any case I do think that the queen perhaps just likes to avoid these events, to me it is more telling that she has always been like that and yet look at all the royals that showed up for her golden jubilee and the QM's funeral.

Wouldn't it have been a to-do if they all said, "No - Sorry dear, we're all busy that weekend".

besides it gives charles something to do.

He does about the same amount of work as the Queen engagement wise - Princess Anne could be excused for not going. She works extremely hard and frequently.

In addition remember that the queen is older than the other monarchs-different generation. Perhaps shes just shy and not very social, I ve seen plenty of events where it has been the DoE having lively conversations with other royals and the queen is just sitting there.

She's older but lets be honest, she doesn't exactly travel in the same your average joe does. Someone packs for her, she's driven to the airport, she wouldn't have to lift a finger - just turn up at Gatwick!

Like at the commemoration of the D-day invasions--phillip was chatting away with Q Beatrix but HM just sat there and hardly crossed a word with Beatrix at least thats what I saw.

I'm glad someone else picked up on this one! Why wouldn't they get on? Maybe Elizabeth thinks Beatrix is too jolly.

Am I being too harsh?

 

[Oppie]

I have heard (and I don't know how true this is) that the Foreign Office didn't want her to become a "jet set" royal so they didn't let her go to alot of events.

Also the Queen is the Queen of 16 different countries not including the UK dependents, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland plus the rest of the Commonwealth. I know that Denmark and the Netherlands and others have overseas terroitories and Spain is invovled with Latin America. But it is still a lot more then the others. Just keeping up with what is going on in those counties must be alot of work, not to mention visiting a couple a year.

Also she isn't the only one. It seems as a rule she never goes but other monarchs pick and choose. King Juan Carlos wasn't in Denmark. But Queen Margarthe went to Spain.

 

[royal005]

I think that Queen sends other members of her family to royal wedding etc, because she much older than other royals and and she seems to have more royal duties than them, workin throughout the Uk not forgetting that shes Queen of Canada, Austraila, New Zealand and head of the commonwealth.

I feel like the Queen like to keep herself to herself and not get involved other peoples business.

Please correct me if an info is wrong!

 

[BeatrixFan]

Re:

I think we need to be realistic.

The only official work she actually has to do is to go through the red-boxes each day. That apparantly takes her an hour or two. And for a 79 year old lady, I'm sure it is tiring. But if she can't be the globally seen representative of GB Royalty wise, then she should abdicate and let a younger man take over. One who will be more friendly towards the extended family.

I hate to come across as a downer on QE2. I'm not against her. She's done a wonderful job and I respect her alot. I applaud her ideals and I think that her plan to stay on the throne until she departs this human plane is again, admirable. But - being Queen is not just about signing a few papers and popping a crown on one's head to open parliament each year. And she knows that too. My original question wasn't to sum up whether she's fit to rule or not, but I'd like to see her at the family weddings etc. I know she's old and I know she probably isn't up to the travelling, but as I said before, she is pampered thoroughly and if going to Denmark for a few days to wish a cousin well is too much for her, then she should step aside.

I hate it when you see the footage and we see all the other reigning monarchs and then not ours. She doesn't have to go to every single event but one wedding and one funeral a year would be a good compromise wouldn't it?

I feel terrible criticising her but its one of my bug bears!

 

[Oppie]

But if she went to one wedding and one funeral don't you think people would be upset still. What if she went to Prince Felipe wedding but not Prince Frederick. Or is she went to Queen Juliana funeral and not Queen Ingrid. See it is still a problem and to avoid it she doesn't go to any.

Although I still think it has to do with the first point a made. They didn't want her to be a "jet-set" royal and stopped her from going to alot of events.

 

[Mapple]

I think that the habits of the Queen will not change... It will take something exceptional for her to break the mould. Maybe if the US president were to die in office, she would travel to his funeral.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Re;

I've come to accept that she'll never be a Margrethe or a Beatrix. I hope Charles and Camilla do things a little differently. They don't need to change everything - just a few odds and ends.

 

[pollyemma]

I feel like the Queen like to keep herself to herself and not get involved other peoples business.

Please correct me if an info is wrong!

i agree the queen seems like she doesnt like to get involved in other people's business. she had a very old fasioned british upbringing this way. I recall once reading that her aunt the countess of harewood's son was getting divorced. though she was scandalized and upset, the only words the countess ever uttered to her son about it was, "what will people say?"

but I would certainly not considering attending someone's wedding "getting involved in other people's business."

interfering would be: if she arrives she starts ordering that the decorations be changed or tells the groom flat out that she doesn't approve of his choice of bride and the wedding should be canceled.

 

[Saragli]

I have high hopes that Camilla will be very much a peoples Queen Consort and much more open and fun. Charles will be the honorable and dutiful King. It is a pretty good balance between them.

 

[Lena]

What I wonder...has she attended the funeral of king Olav? When not, then she has already made an exception for king Baudouin...and that´s out of a diplomatic point of view as bad as going to all funerals, but to one not.
I don´t mind, that she doesn´t go to the weddings of these young crown princes. When they reign, her regency is probably over. So this is more Charles turn. But IMO she could (have) go(ne) at least to the funerals (e.g. the one of the former queen Juliana) or to weddings of Monarchs (something which happens very seldom these days...I think when the Swedish king married, she wasn´t present...was she?)

 

[Larzen]

No she did not go to Olavs funeral, If I remember correctly the reason she went to Badouins funeral was that he was burrried on August 7th 1993 when she was on summervacation, and it would look bad to be on vacation when all the other royals where in Belgium attending the funeral.

And I dont think QEII agenda is so much fuller than Juan Carlos in Spain, and he always finds time to go to funerals. I understand that she does not attend weddings and partys but funerals are somehting else IMO

 

[tiaraprin]

I think that the habits of the Queen will not change... It will take something exceptional for her to break the mould. Maybe if the US president were to die in office, she would travel to his funeral.

She did not come when President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Prince Phillip came. But then again, she was pregnant with Edward.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Re:

I don't want her to go to every event where a Head of State is concerned but she should go to the ones that concern her family. Events seem incomplete sometimes without her.

 

[bct88]

Unlike other monarchs, The Queen's schedule is planned months in advance. So the possibilities of her going to events such as funerals are little to none due to her schedule. Like Larzen said, I believe The Queen was on summer vacation, so she could attend King Baudouin's funeral. One also has to remember that King Baudouin and Queen Elizabeth became monarchs around the same time, and his death was very unexpected and shocking to not only Belgium, but the world. Regarding weddings and other parties, I believe that The Queen attended the silver wedding anniversary of Juliana and Bernhard, although I could be wrong.

 

[Alexandria]

The "I Want to be Alone" thread has been merged into this one since the issue of why Queen Elizabeth II does not attend other royal events outside of London has been discussed here with some valid points raised and questions asked.

 

[Aussie Princess]

I can understand that but Weddings and Funerals are unique events. Crown Prince Frederik will only marry once (we hope!) - she can open a fountain or unveil a statue at any time of the year. I would argue that her schedule isn't as hectic as any other sovereign, but for her age, she does do alot. I think it does matter if she goes abroad to a family wedding etc.

I think that by sending Charles and Edward, Andrew or Philip, she is basically sending a message of, "I'm not going - send someone else". Charles can do his own PR, and there's nothing to say he couldn't go as well. When Felipe and Letizia married, Beatrix took Willem-Alexandra and Maxima with her , Carl Gustav and Silvia took all three children. Why can't Elizabeth take Charles and Camilla or Edward and Sophie. It would present a family front. I imagine that the Royals must think, "We'll only get Charles - Lillibet won't come". That cant be good for family relations. Just my opinion.

I've always thought it is just that she is Queen of not just the UK but the whole Commonwelath and has a lot busier scedual which is said to be planned 2 years in advance. I don't know if that's true. But I saw her not attending the wedding of Prince Frederick as not her just not caring, but thinking it would be nicer for the bride and groom to have a relatively newly married couple who are basically the same age as them attending the wedding rather than herself.

 

[Australian]

Also, isnt it a fact (correct me if i am wromg) that if QEII goes to a foreign royal wedding, she would have to be seated in front of the host royal family? For example, if she attended the Danish royal wedding, she would have to be seated in front of Queen Margrethe because of hierarchy or something? Maybe she doesnt attend to save the embarrassment of the host family's soverign?

 

[BeatrixFan]

Re:

Surely she could wave that issue at family weddings etc? It seems that HM is a bit of a law unto herself when it involves the extended family.

 

[Mapple]

She did not come when President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Prince Phillip came. But then again, she was pregnant with Edward.

I've read somewhere (Manchester, The Death of the President? Not sure.) that the Queen said that if she had not been pregnant, she would have attended the funeral of JFK.