General News for The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall 1: Feb 2015-Sep 2022

[iceflower]

The Prince of Wales has written an article for The Times to mark International Nurses Day:


** pow: An article by HRH The Prince of Wales, written for The Times, on International Nurses' Day **

 

[Betsypaige]

The Prince of Wales has written an article for The Times to mark International Nurses Day:


** pow: An article by HRH The Prince of Wales, written for The Times, on International Nurses' Day **

Beautiful statement...

 

[Andy T]

Prince Charles has sent a video message wishing the Islamic community Eid Mubarak, and speaking about his involvement with the British Asian Trust and the Naz Legacy Foundation (which supports young people from minority communities). He's been involved in organising video interfaith Iftars involving clergy from a number of different religions. He works so hard to bring different communities together, and it must be very hurtful for him to hear allegations of racism made against his family.


He also rather poignantly spoke about how many families will have an empty place at the dinner table, and how that's how he feels after the loss of his father.

It is an excellent message, demonstrating that Charles has many developed much understanding and many qualities which will serve him and his country well when he is king. It is also delivered with great sincerity and sensitivity. It is well worth watching.

 

[valeas]

It doesn’t help that every few years there’s a Diana anniversary, we get new books, new tv shows, new movies....It’s creepy, to be honest. Think Charles has it bad now ? Wait for the new spate of productions making him look the villain, especially Diana: In Her Own Words part 2. Still, the public should know better; I don’t know what more Charles and Camilla can do, sigh. When the Queen passes, I fear the public will not support them, and we’ll see more active “William should be King” outcry.

I very much agree to this. Beyond the son's longing not to forget their mother,
Using the public's emotions pro Diana for his own goals is a tricky thing because she criticised Charles aswell, so William should be careful.
It's one thing doing this privately with his family but giving it too much media attraction can hit back and looked more and more weird.
But maybe the statue is a milestone and things will calm down after it,
I mean she is dead for a long time now, was a very two-sided figure and I am guessing for historical matters Diana will not be considered a huge impact like any other constitutional royal nowadays.
But I am confident that William will be smart enough to find a balanced solution and suppress rivalry feelings towards his brother if those occur.

 

[Denville]

I dont quite see what William has done to use the publics emotions to remember Diana. He has said that he would not be doing anything "big" after the 20th anniversary, and I think that he and probably Harry both felt upset at times that they were expected to talk about their mother and share their grief with the world in general..
So while they might join in small remembrances and there is the statue they weren't going to do anything major again.
In private I dont think they discuss Diana at all with the rest of the RF except perhaps their father...

 

[Betsypaige]

I very much agree to this. Beyond the son's longing not to forget their mother,
Using the public's emotions pro Diana for his own goals is a tricky thing because she criticised Charles aswell, so William should be careful.
It's one thing doing this privately with his family but giving it too much media attraction can hit back and looked more and more weird.
But maybe the statue is a milestone and things will calm down after it,
I mean she is dead for a long time now, was a very two-sided figure and I am guessing for historical matters Diana will not be considered a huge impact like any other constitutional royal nowadays.
But I am confident that William will be smart enough to find a balanced solution and suppress rivalry feelings towards his brother if those occur.

I think Harry has been more guilty of using the memory of his mother to sway people - but that’s as far as I want to go in this thread.

I expect it to be brutal when the Diana tributes start flowing, and it’s why I hope to see more of Charles and William together, to show people that no matter what they think, Charles has the love and support of his oldest son. I know it won’t make a bit of difference to the British public, but I think he could use the support, especially after his father’s death.

 

[Denville]

I dont quite see why William seems to be being criticized as he does not write books or do TV shows about his mother, and I think is increasingly eager to keep his memories of her private.. He may have had his issues with his father's treatment of his mother when younger but i think he's outgrown that now.

 

[Osipi]

I think the most important connection that exists right now between Charles and William is the fact that sooner rather than later, William is going to have to step into his father's shoes as heir to the throne. As he's been preparing for this now for years bit by bit, I think it most likely has given William a good hands on experience of just what his father did and was trying to do and how hard he worked on it all those years when he was growing up and how Charles has redefined the role of Duke of Cornwall and The Prince of Wales and has left big footprints for his son to follow in.

Reminds me again of a quote by Mark Twain. "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."

As the years go by, the memory of Diana fades more and more into the recesses of history. This statue unveiling will most likely be the last really public "memorial" sort of thing that is done.

 

[Betsypaige]

I dont quite see why William seems to be being criticized as he does not write books or do TV shows about his mother, and I think is increasingly eager to keep his memories of her private.. He may have had his issues with his father's treatment of his mother when younger but i think he's outgrown that now.

Um, I did not not criticize William.

Let me add that I hope Charles didn’t listen to a certain podcast today, because I can’t now see how he’ll ever have a relationship with Harry again. I don’t want to say more as I’m not sure if this would be considered more for the Sussex thread.

 

[Betsypaige]

I think the most important connection that exists right now between Charles and William is the fact that sooner rather than later, William is going to have to step into his father's shoes as heir to the throne. As he's been preparing for this now for years bit by bit, I think it most likely has given William a good hands on experience of just what his father did and was trying to do and how hard he worked on it all those years when he was growing up and how Charles has redefined the role of Duke of Cornwall and The Prince of Wales and has left big footprints for his son to follow in.

Reminds me again of a quote by Mark Twain. "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."

As the years go by, the memory of Diana fades more and more into the recesses of history. This statue unveiling will most likely be the last really public "memorial" sort of thing that is done.

Disagree. Their most important connection will always be as father and son.

 

[Osipi]

Disagree. Their most important connection will always be as father and son.

The father/son connection is a constant throughout life. Even estranged fathers and sons. Over the years though, a child sees his father in many different ways and each different way creates a connection (or a disconnection). Even with disconnections, they sometimes serve to enhance a better understanding and appreciation as time goes by.

As a child and a young lad, it would have been hard for William to know and understand and appreciate what his father's role entailed. He could have seen it, at the time, as being an "absent" or a "workaholic" dad (a disconnection). As William grew older, married and had kids of his own and started his path to follow in his dad's footsteps, he maybe appreciates Charles more but also realizes what the pitfalls are when it comes to kids. William, I believe has shown a wonderful sense of balance in all his roles so far.

The icing on the cake is the strong bond this forms between a father and his son that is even stronger as time goes by. ?

 

[Betsypaige]

The father/son connection is a constant throughout life. Even estranged fathers and sons. Over the years though, a child sees his father in many different ways and each different way creates a connection (or a disconnection). Even with disconnections, they sometimes serve to enhance a better understanding and appreciation as time goes by.

As a child and a young lad, it would have been hard for William to know and understand and appreciate what his father's role entailed. He could have seen it, at the time, as being an "absent" or a "workaholic" dad (a disconnection). As William grew older, married and had kids of his own and started his path to follow in his dad's footsteps, he maybe appreciates Charles more but also realizes what the pitfalls are when it comes to kids. William, I believe has shown a wonderful sense of balance in all his roles so far.

The icing on the cake is the strong bond this forms between a father and his son that is even stronger as time goes by. ?

This I completely agree with ! In fact, it clearly happened with Charles and his own parents....

William has achieved a lovely work-life balance..Of course it helps that the Queen is so long-lived, but he’s found a wonderful stability that he didn’t have in childhood. Charles has found that stability as well.

 

[Alison H]

Um, I did not not criticize William.

Let me add that I hope Charles didn’t listen to a certain podcast today, because I can’t now see how he’ll ever have a relationship with Harry again. I don’t want to say more as I’m not sure if this would be considered more for the Sussex thread.

I really wish that Harry would stop going on about Charles being "trapped" and now Charles having "suffered". It is not for him to comment on how his father or anyone else does or doesn't feel about something. That's their business, not his.

And, yes, William seems to have found a good work-life balance. The Queen and Prince Philip didn't really have that choice, because George VI died so young, but I think Prince Charles accepts that now. When you're a little kid, everything's about you, but that changes as you grow up. That Mark Twain quote says it all!

 

[Denville]

I'd imagine that both boys were more unhappy that Charles was not at home because he was with Camilla, when they were kids. He did try to spend more time with them as teenagers, because Diana had died.. but I think that the habits of workaholism were still there and he didn't spend as much time as he could have done. (and the queen and Philp were away in Malta when Charles and Anne were little and were left at home with their grandparents - because Eliz and Phil were of the generation and class that didn't spend a huge amount of time with kids)....
I think that as Will has gotten older, he does realise that his parents' marriage was pretty hopeless and blames his father less - recognizing that he was at fault but that he did try with the marriage. I think that he also feels that now that his father did do his best to see his sons and also work to try and help people... but Harry I dont know. Sounds like he hasn't forgiven Charles for neglect or infidelity, really....

 

[Osipi]

I really wish that Harry would stop going on about Charles being "trapped" and now Charles having "suffered". It is not for him to comment on how his father or anyone else does or doesn't feel about something. That's their business, not his.

And, yes, William seems to have found a good work-life balance. The Queen and Prince Philip didn't really have that choice, because George VI died so young, but I think Prince Charles accepts that now. When you're a little kid, everything's about you, but that changes as you grow up. That Mark Twain quote says it all!

Harry is a good example right now of what I was trying to point out as a "disconnection". It stands out though that both sons grew up with the same father yet one finds a balance and appreciation and has learned from mistakes to "break the cycle" while the other one runs across the world away from it and sits there and rationalizes his actions. The contrast is staring us right in the face.

 

[Betsypaige]

I really wish that Harry would stop going on about Charles being "trapped" and now Charles having "suffered". It is not for him to comment on how his father or anyone else does or doesn't feel about something. That's their business, not his.

And, yes, William seems to have found a good work-life balance. The Queen and Prince Philip didn't really have that choice, because George VI died so young, but I think Prince Charles accepts that now. When you're a little kid, everything's about you, but that changes as you grow up. That Mark Twain quote says it all!

It was far worse than that - Harry essentially accused Charles of mistreatment/abuse. He spoke of “breaking the cycle” - which you hear when referring to abuse. He spit all over his grandfather ...and grandmother. Unfortunately I expect we’ll be hearing a lot more of this....it’s ??.

When Charles made those comments to Dimbleby, I suppose he was still that little boy who so desperately longed for his parents’ affection. He’d focused for so long on the negative that I think he forgot all the good times, the love, etc.. Fortunately he understood that he’d been wrong, and he was able to fix his relationships with his parents ...That Twain quote is perfect !!

 

[Betsypaige]

Charles is showing unconditional love for Harry, something I hope H will one day appreciate. As angry as I am, I don’t believe it’s my place to decide that C should cut his son out of his life as some in Twitter think he should. At this point, it’s clearly not tenable for H and M to be even a small part of the BRF, but I can’t blame Charles for hoping that, many years down the line, they might be back even in a small way.

But the heir to the throne remains determined to find a way back into the royal fold for his wayward son and wife Meghan Markle – even if it takes years to broker a rapprochement.

Allies of the Prince of Wales concede the father/son relationship is currently 'strained to say the least', but they insist Charles is focussed on finding a long-term solution, not Harry's regular verbal missiles.

A royal source with insight of Charles' position tells me: 'The Prince of Wales knows he didn't always succeed as a father, but he tried his absolute best.

'Harry has been hurting since he was a little boy. It's not an easy situation. But Prince Charles would much rather his son be by his side.

'Of course, there is disappointment and sadness about the Oprah interview, and the relationship with Harry is strained to say the least.

'But Prince Charles, as the new patriarch of the Royal Family, is very aware of his future role and the need to protect the monarchy.

'An ongoing battle with Harry and Meghan in California is not conducive to that. At the end of the day, above everything else, family always comes first.

'The Prince of Wales would like to find a way to make Harry and Meghan included again, even though that is likely to take many years.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/...am-Kates-aide-quitting-entice-Harry-back.html

 

[Osipi]

At this point in time, I think Charles' best solution is to practice a bit of tough love. With as much as he does love his son, I hope he realizes that right now, it's up to Harry to deal with and work out his mental issues. Right now, Harry is at the stage where he's playing the "blame game" and pinning his problems on everyone else and alienating people left and right as he's the "victim" and the solution is to eradicate the source of the problem. Out there. That rarely works.

There's a saying that "wherever you go, there you are" and this applies to Harry right now, IMO. I hope therapy with a good, accredited mental health professional can guide him to realize that if he wants to make changes, they have to come from within. He won't be able to heal things with his family until he can start healing himself from within.

None of this really should have ever been exposed to the public domain in the first place.

 

[Denville]

But Charles does seem to ahve tried to do tough love and to tell Harry that he had to man up and earn his own living..

 

[Betsypaige]

At this point in time, I think Charles' best solution is to practice a bit of tough love. With as much as he does love his son, I hope he realizes that right now, it's up to Harry to deal with and work out his mental issues. Right now, Harry is at the stage where he's playing the "blame game" and pinning his problems on everyone else and alienating people left and right as he's the "victim" and the solution is to eradicate the source of the problem. Out there. That rarely works.

There's a saying that "wherever you go, there you are" and this applies to Harry right now, IMO. I hope therapy with a good, accredited mental health professional can guide him to realize that if he wants to make changes, they have to come from within. He won't be able to heal things with his family until he can start healing himself from within.
I
None of this really should have ever been exposed to the public domain in the first place.

Tough love in a way won’t really be necessary as Harry is 6000 miles away, but to the extent that he can practice it, he will. I think he pretty much is leaving Harry to do his thing - as an aide is quoted above, Charles knows he wasn’t perfect but he also knows he did his best. That sounds like a dad who takes responsibility for certain things, but not everything; I think Charles knows he can’t help his son figure things out - maybe because he was in the same kind of situation. He had to realize on his own how much his parents loved him, that his father truly meant well...I suspect he’s hoping that that will happen to Harry. If so, I hope it happens while Charles is still around, and not when it’s too late.

 

[Osipi]

Now I think its time to turn this thread back to news solely related to Charles and what's going on in his life. We'll probably never know about private interactions that go on within that family and I sincerely hope we don't.

 

[Alison H]

; I think Charles knows he can’t help his son figure things out - maybe because he was in the same kind of situation. He had to realize on his own how much his parents loved him, that his father truly meant well

I don't know if anyone else saw the "Queen's cousins" programme the other night, with Olga Romanoff and Ivar Mountbatten, but Ivar Mountbatten raved about how brilliant Gordonstoun was and how much he loved it there. Peter and Zara have both said the same. I personally would have hated the place, and I can quite see why Prince Charles did, but Prince Philip wasn't deliberately sending Charles to A Horrible School. He'd been very happy there himself. It just wasn't the right place for Charles, but it was chosen with good intentions. I think Charles does realise that now.

 

[Betsypaige]

I don't know if anyone else saw the "Queen's cousins" programme the other night, with Olga Romanoff and Ivar Mountbatten, but Ivar Mountbatten raved about how brilliant Gordonstoun was and how much he loved it there. Peter and Zara have both said the same. I personally would have hated the place, and I can quite see why Prince Charles did, but Prince Philip wasn't deliberately sending Charles to A Horrible School. He'd been very happy there himself. It just wasn't the right place for Charles, but it was chosen with good intentions. I think Charles does realise that now.

Charles ended up being bullied at Gordounston, which tells me the people running the show did not do right by the students. I suspect it was different in Philip’s day. There’s no doubt he thought he was helping Charles as his experiences there had helped shape him..and yes, I certainly think Charles came to realize that. Ultimately father and son learned to agree to disagree...This current situation is not exactly the same as Harry seems to harbor a great deal of anger towards Charles that I guess no one seemed to realize was there. All Charles can do now is live his life, do his thing....and hope his son comes back to him emotionally (I’m not overly optimistic about that, for reasons)

 

[Osipi]

I think some things from Gordounston stuck with Charles though. I seem to recall reading that Charles still takes cold showers as he was required to do during his years there.

I do think Philip's intentions were good to send him to the school that did a world of good for him. Unfortunately, Charles and that environment didn't mesh together very well at all.

 

[Denville]

It was the wrong school for Charles, and I think that Philip while his intentions weren't bad, should have known that a boy like his eldest son was going to be bullied at a school like that. But I think he was something of a bully himself and thought it would be good for C to be toughened up.

 

[Heavs]

Charles ended up being bullied at Gordounston, which tells me the people running the show did not do right by the students. I suspect it was different in Philip’s day. There’s no doubt he thought he was helping Charles as his experiences there had helped shape him..and yes, I certainly think Charles came to realize that. Ultimately father and son learned to agree to disagree...This current situation is not exactly the same as Harry seems to harbor a great deal of anger towards Charles that I guess no one seemed to realize was there. All Charles can do now is live his life, do his thing....and hope his son comes back to him emotionally (I’m not overly optimistic about that, for reasons)

You can, unfortunately, get bullied anywhere, even at schools that supposedly pride themselves on a nurturing environment. It was basically Philip's only home for many years, Charles hated it and so sent his sons to a completely different type of school much closer to home and other members of the family sent their kids there despite having gone to a school the opposite end of the country (Princess Anne). So life, as always, is a mixed bag of experiences.

I really can't think of anything Charles could do at this stage that would help and not become the subject of the next interview. Except pay for everything.

 

[Denville]

I think that Charles left it to Diana to decide about where the boys went to school.. and she liked Eton as it was close to London and less harsh than Gord. He hated the place and didn't see any reason to inflict it on the boys but I think it was largely Di's doing that tehy went to Eton. (She might have chosen a less academic school for Harry though but when she died, it was flet better to keep him closer to his family adn his brother.

 

[Betsypaige]

I think some things from Gordounston stuck with Charles though. I seem to recall reading that Charles still takes cold showers as he was required to do during his years there.

I do think Philip's intentions were good to send him to the school that did a world of good for him. Unfortunately, Charles and that environment didn't mesh together very well at all.

Philip came from such a different time, where to be a MAN meant to be tough, etc.. I recall reading recently - I think from Giles Brandreth, author of a new Philip bio- that Philip honestly felt that Charles needed to toughen up in order to get by in the world, which was a tough place. I suspect his childhood influenced many of his choices.

Charles seems like he was a great deal like Bertie, which is no doubt why QM had special bond with him.

 

[Betsypaige]

You can, unfortunately, get bullied anywhere, even at schools that supposedly pride themselves on a nurturing environment. It was basically Philip's only home for many years, Charles hated it and so sent his sons to a completely different type of school much closer to home and other members of the family sent their kids there despite having gone to a school the opposite end of the country (Princess Anne). So life, as always, is a mixed bag of experiences.

I really can't think of anything Charles could do at this stage that would help and not become the subject of the next interview. Except pay for everything.

I was bullied myself..not actually in school, but by a few nasty boys who lived on my street...usually it was on the school bus (one of them was a mean kid anyway, so...). A few years ago, at the first of several HS reunions, one of them apologized to me for how he’d treated me, and thanked me for not reporting him. I never thought to do that - mostly the boys just were mean, didn’t do anything to me, and they grew out of it. I appreciate his apology - all the boys, fortunately, became really decent men. So anyway, good point ...

Charles also gave his sons the freedom he felt he never had....There’s no playbook for being a parent - you do the best you can.

I’m afraid your last point is a good one...I kind of doubt that Charles and Harry will be speaking much, which might be a good thing. The updated FF will be....not good.

 

[Erin9]

I don't know if anyone else saw the "Queen's cousins" programme the other night, with Olga Romanoff and Ivar Mountbatten, but Ivar Mountbatten raved about how brilliant Gordonstoun was and how much he loved it there. Peter and Zara have both said the same. I personally would have hated the place, and I can quite see why Prince Charles did, but Prince Philip wasn't deliberately sending Charles to A Horrible School. He'd been very happy there himself. It just wasn't the right place for Charles, but it was chosen with good intentions. I think Charles does realise that now.

Exactly. One of the things that I feel was/is so cruel about Charles and Harry lashing out in public is that I do believe their parents did the best they could based on what they knew. Mistakes were made, but it wasn’t intentional. (And it’s rarely mentioned enough that Philip’s own unstable upbringing obviously affected his parenting.)

I do think Charles sees that now. And it’s lovely that he and Philip had the opportunity-to work through things. Hopefully, Charles and Harry will too. There’s no telling what Harry’s kids will say about his life choices and how they impacted them....he may in the future get a public reckoning of his own. Hopefully not. These things should be private. But- we’ll see.