The Windsors and Europe


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People I've talked to on Twitter stress the same that when abroad it's the Foreign Office that has the final word and not the BRF.



Come on! Do you really believe that, if the Queen wanted to send a representative to an international event, the FO would dare to say "No"?
I think it is very simple: The BRF wasn´t that close to Fabiola. She was married to a foreign distant cousin from the continent who himself died long ago. May be Fabiola wasn´t "important enough" for some of them to attend: She wasn´t the last Queen of Belgium before the current one, but even predecessor of her! I mean, when was Fabiola´s last contact to the Queen (of Britain), f. instance? Over 20 years ago?

It occurs to me that the BRF only mingles with other Royals when it is absolutely necessary (Prince of Wales seems to be a bit of the exception; he seems to enjoy the company of his continental cousins).
And the younger generation seem to follow that pattern. I remember seeing a photo of Pr. Harry at the London olympics when Princes Daniel and Carl Philip of Sweden greeted him and William (I think it was). While William managed to smile at them politely, Harry´s face spoke volumes: It was somethin´ like "Just get lost, guys! Who are you anyway? Wanne watch the game...!"

Queen Elizabeth was 2007 here in Brussels for a state viisit.. and then she was meet also with Fabiola
 
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I can't believe this discussion. The UK was represented by its ambassador. We have been told that no-one was available to attend. We don't know what personal condolences or messages have been sent. And I think "they didn't go to that funeral so we won't go to theirs" is petty and unlikely. There's an awful lot of righteous indignation here...
 
May be Fabiola wasn´t "important enough" for some of them to attend: She wasn´t the last Queen of Belgium before the current one, but even predecessor of her! I mean, when was Fabiola´s last contact to the Queen (of Britain), f. instance? Over 20 years ago?

You really mean that? I don't think Q.Fabiola was really close to the other monarchies either? I find the BFR acting quite disrespectful in this case, sorry. I feel like they feel superior, I don't know... I'm really dissapointed in fact...
 
This abscence has been noticed even more because of the already existant "dettachment" the BRF has in regard to the continental monarchies IMO. And since this a a funeral of a former Queen I see no reason for them not to attend. Period. Also that family is large enough and could find a member, just only one that could be sent there... I'm sure the same would be said if other european royals wouldn't turn up to HM 's (hope this happen in many years) funeral... So I don't see why they shouldn't get some flak for this mishap today...

And I don't think it was a small reaction only coming from this forum as well

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/News/1.2179226
 
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I can't believe this discussion. The UK was represented by its ambassador. We have been told that no-one was available to attend. We don't know what personal condolences or messages have been sent. And I think "they didn't go to that funeral so we won't go to theirs" is petty and unlikely. There's an awful lot of righteous indignation here...

No one from the extended British royal family was available to fly 27 minutes from London to Brussels and to attend a funeral service? Not one, not the Duke of York, not the Princess Royal, not the Earl of Wessex, not the Duke of Gloucester, not the Duke of Kent, not Prince Michael, not Princess Alexandra, name them all?

Interesting, what an efficiently organized family firm...

:flowers:
 
You know what? When the Queen and Phillip die...all the other monarchies should simply ignore it, or send some very junior person.
 
The non-attendance per se does not surprise me. I hoped that Earl and Countess of Wessex would represent the UK.
 
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British royal non-attendance of Fabiola's funeral

I can understand their abscence if they weren't invited or if someone is very ill without our knowledge.
To show up uninvited would be even more disrespectful. But as so many other monarchies were there i simply can't belive that the british royals didn't even got an invitation. If Fabiola really wanted a small funeral all royal houses should have accepted her wishes. Don't belive QEII and DoE didn't like Baudouin and Fabiola.

I hope we'll hear a good explanation from them on why they couldn't even send one member from the royal house.
If not, i guess it's ok for every royal house to send their ambassadors in London to the future funerals of QEII and DoE because no one is "available".
 
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:previous:
I shall be greatly surprised, if the Buckingham Palace produces any explanation.
 
You know what? When the Queen and Phillip die...all the other monarchies should simply ignore it, or send some very junior person.

No, because all the other royals know that good manners and politesse still have a profound meaning for them.

:flowers:
 
I have a question: for a national funeral, Royals have to be invited or it's something that the two Royal offices make arrangements?

For example empress Michiko wants to attend, she will wait until the Japanese Royal Family get an invitation or she tells her staff to contact the Belgian Royal Palace and get her an invitation??
 
https://ru-royalty.livejournal.com/2664690.html#comments

This post claims that the British royals could not attend the funeral due to political problems. I wonder what these political problems might be. How serious is the squabble between the UK and EU?

Seen this rumour on another board too. Apparently some thought that to have members of the BRF in Brussels at the same time and in the same building than the President of the EU Jean Claude Juncker would cause a stir from the UKIP. So The Foreign Office, or even Downing Street, vetoed the presence of the British Royals at the funerals.
Seems a bit far fetched ...
 
You really mean that? I don't think Q.Fabiola was really close to the other monarchies either? I find the BFR acting quite disrespectful in this case, sorry. I feel like they feel superior, I don't know... I'm really dissapointed in fact...



It is not my personal opinion and I put the word important into "...",
but I guess the BRF DOES make differences between Royals and Royals; Elizabeth seems to be close to the greek royal family, possibly because they´re her husband´s relatives and Anne-Marie and Constantine lived many years in London. I know she still telephones with the King regularly.
I also firmly believe if Beatrix dies someday, former Queen Regnant, there´ll also be a british representation. Or Prince Bernhard: long-time friend ("Thursday-club") of Pr. Philip, fought in the brit. army during WW2 and an honorary colonel-in-chief of a british regiment. The same goes for King Harald, whose father was born on the Sandringham estate (Appelton House).
Fabiola was a spanish noble Elizabeth didn´t know before she married the King and after that met for may be 5 or so times. She wasn´t "The" Queen of the Belgians since more than 20 years.

Yes, they could have sent somebody - but they didn´t and that´s that.

The Royals themselves don´t seem to care as they continue to come to Britain when ever there´s a royal event. And my impression is that they enjoy going there!
 
The then Duke and Duchess of Brabant were at the wedding of William and Kate and since then British and Belgium royals have had many joint appearances.

No one is snubbing anyone. Its just ultimately in Britain the FO/Government makes such calls and not the Queen

I doubt if someone from the BRF wanted to go privately, they would have been there. Someone named Windsor should have been there.
 
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You know what? When the Queen and Phillip die...all the other monarchies should simply ignore it, or send some very junior person.

Now, now...let's not go overboard. Just tuck this in the back of your mind to remember when the Windsors are being overly praised regarding their sense of decorum and tradition.
 
I guess the BRF DOES make differences between Royals and Royals;
Well that's a shame. I don't say the queen should have gone to. Someone else would have been perfectly fine. But they send nobody. Period. And that's really unrespectful. They have been queens together, they met. And it's not like the funeral was on the other side of the planet or something. It's one of the closest countries to got to.


The Royals themselves don´t seem to care as they continue to come to Britain when ever there´s a royal event. And my impression is that they enjoy going there!

It's not because some are not respectful, that everyone should be. Royals are not babies anymore, they can handle dissapointment. And I don't feel like the have much more pleasure going to Britain than in other countries... ;)
 
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Well that's a shame. I don't say the queen should have gone to. Someone else would have been perfectly fine. But they send nobody. Period. And that's really unrespectful. They have been queens together, they met. And it's not like the funeral was on the other side of the planet or something. It's one of the closest countries to got to.

I agree with you!



It's not because some are not respectful, that everyone should be. Royals are not babies anymore, they can handle dissapointment. And I don't feel like the have much more pleasure going to Britain than in other countries... ;)



Well, I didn´t state they enjoy their time more in England than in other countries, just that they seem to do. When Royals are interviewed and asked about the Queen (of the UK) they´re always full of admiration, gratitude and respect.
We do not know if someone´s "disappointed"! Thinking someone should be is not the same as someone really IS disappointed.
 
Buckingham Palace have provided an explanation - no-one was available. Apart from the Ambassador whose job it is to represent Her Majesty's Government at such occasions.
 
I would hope the British Foreign Office or someone would eventually explain the BRF non-attendance. I would hate for them to appear in a bad light if it really is something that was beyond their control.

And yes, saying no one was available (or however it was worded) doesn't ring true. To me, there's something odd when Her Majesty broke protocol and attended King Baudouin's funeral, but no one in the entire family can spare a few hours to attend his consort's funeral?

Yes, I hope they provide the real explanation so if it's out of the BRF control, it stops the scrutiny.
 
When Royals are interviewed and asked about the Queen (of the UK) they´re always full of admiration, gratitude and respect.
I do have admiration for the Queen, and sure they do too. And even if they hated her, they won't tell it to the press.

We do not know if someone´s "disappointed"! Thinking someone should be is not the same as someone really IS disappointed.
I do not want them to be dissapointed. And I certainly think they are sad enough to start mocking about the BRF's non-attendance. I hope the Queen sent
a letter explaining why (I'm sure she did) even if there is no really good reason nobody was there today. I think QEII and king Baudouin had a lot in common and got along quite well, so sending someone would have been the least she could have done, to honor Q.Fabiola and K.Baudouin.
I don't want to make this problem bigger than it is.

Nobody of the BRF attended. Period. They should have sent someone.
 
The Queen did not "break protocol" back then. King Baudouin died unexpectedly in the summer holiday, in Spain. Also Queen Elizabeth was holidaying -at Balmoral- and had a whole month empty in her agenda.

It would have reflected very, very poorly when Queen Elizabeth would not hop over to attend the funeral of a crowned head of state just 35 km over the Channel, who was her senior in anciennity and who -like her- a scion of the same royal dynasty.... So most likely Queen Elizabeth felt she had no excuse, in the middle of her summer holiday. All other crowned heads of state interrupted their holidays as well and came en masse to pay their last respects to King Baudouin.

:flowers:
 
Well, times when somethin´like this caused diplomatic problems between 2 nations are over. I think this is something Royalty-watchers care much more about than those involved...!

As I said before, like the rest of us, we all make differences between "family members" (even if most of us here do attend funerals of persons we weren´t that close, simply because of "politeness" - but is this really an honest thing to do?).
Anyway, there is something in the air between the Brits and the Belgians since about Albert II´s accession: Never a state visit, neither by the Queen nor by Albert and Paola, never a Knighthood of the Garter! Something´unprecedented in history, as far as I know (please do correct me, if I´m wrong)! Old Emperor Hirohito had to give his back (for a period of time) because of his controversial role during WW2, but a foreign monarch who never received one? It´s all a bit obscure. But we can only guess as nobody will tell us. And I really don´t know if pure speculations do any good....?!
 
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I disagree - she did break protocol - the Queen does not normally attend funerals other than for immediate family so attending King Baudouin's funeral was out of the ordinary. What is extraordinary is that she interrupted her holiday to do so - she wasn't going to for the mother of her grandchildren until she bowed to public pressure.
 
We go through similar "outrage" every time The Earl and Countess of Wessex are sent abroad for weddings. Everyone always says the Windsors are snubbing the Continent and yet the relations always remain cordial and friendships maintained.
 
I disagree - she did break protocol - the Queen does not normally attend funerals other than for immediate family so attending King Baudouin's funeral was out of the ordinary. What is extraordinary is that she interrupted her holiday to do so - she wasn't going to for the mother of her grandchildren until she bowed to public pressure.
I think no one expected Queen Elisabeth II to attend the funeral. The TRF members thought that a member of the royal family would be sent by Her Majesty to represent her.
We go through similar "outrage" every time The Earl and Countess of Wessex are sent abroad for weddings. Everyone always says the Windsors are snubbing the Continent and yet the relations always remain cordial and friendships maintained.
It has been my observations that relations between the British royal family and the continental royals are just polite.
 
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We go through similar "outrage" every time The Earl and Countess of Wessex are sent abroad for weddings. Everyone always says the Windsors are snubbing the Continent and yet the relations always remain cordial and friendships maintained.

I agree. I really think too much is being read into this. It's all about our watching and making suppositions. It could be arrogance or a sense of superiority or (here's a thought) Buckingham Palace were telling the truth. There was simply no-one available...
 
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