Sarah, Duchess of York Current Events 15: October 2009-December 2010

[*Eugenie*]

Harry came with a military plane to Germany. He probably went back the same way. Also the weather conditions were a little better when he was in Germany.

 

[Lumutqueen]

But when he flew back, a lot of people were still stranded here wanting to go to germany, and there wanting to come home.
There are other ways for Sarah to get to Norway. I don't see why she can't go either, Heathrow is nearly up and running, but other airports in the country haven't been halted by the snow as far as I know. Is there some issue with the Norwegian airports?

 

[Zonk]

Where is that article did Sarah say anything remotely 'poor me'?

I think there is something wrong with the girls that they don't insist on spending Christmas sometimes with their mother. I simply don't understand supposedly loving daughters accepting the idea that they don't see their mother on Christmas Day.

Why is the owness on the girls, who have only come of age in the last 3 to 4 years?

More of the owness really should be on Sarah, Andrew, and yes, The Queen.

Frankly, in the last couple of years it has always been assumed or acted on that the family of everyone else (the inlaws and divorced spouses) have had very little say in how the children spend their holidays. In the past they happy medium with Beatrice and Eugenie when they were younger was Sarah to be at Woods Farm, but since she might have officially burned that bridge this year......you can't blame anyone for that.

 

[Mirabel]

Surely Sarah has some friends left in London?
I can't think of why she needs to be alone on Christmas, unless she prefers it that way.

Or has she become such a pariah that no one will invite her?

 

[Iluvbertie]

Why is the owness on the girls, who have only come of age in the last 3 to 4 years?

More of the owness really should be on Sarah, Andrew, and yes, The Queen.

Frankly, in the last couple of years it has always been assumed or acted on that the family of everyone else (the inlaws and divorced spouses) have had very little say in how the children spend their holidays. In the past they happy medium with Beatrice and Eugenie when they were younger was Sarah to be at Woods Farm, but since she might have officially burned that bridge this year......you can't blame anyone for that.

She hasn't been invited to Wood Farm for years - not just this year.

I think the girls, as they are now adults, and reportedly have been upset at the way their mother has been treated, are showing that they take their royalness as more important than their love for their mother.

I would imagine that if Diana was still alive William and Harry would have been spending alternate years with her since they became adults.

I do think it is very sad that two adult girls just accept being separated from their mother every Christmas to be with 'granny' - whoever that granny is and it is also very poor form of 'granny' to insist or expect that the girls would be apart from their mother. 'Granny' has her children with her every year and also expects the grandchildren as well - very selfish in my opinion.

 

[Lumutqueen]

How do you know that "Granny" insists or expects them to have christmas with her?
She obviously excepts it when Harry and William are not present?
I don't think William or Harry would spend alternate years with Diana.

Eugenie and Beatrice can do what they like at Christmas, they can choose to stay with their grandmother, their mother or their respective partners. Why does it matter? They are adults as you say?

And IMO, I would rather spend christmas with my grandmother if Sarah was my mother.

 

[Zonk]

That's a very harsh statement to make IMO.

We know that Sarah has done some very scandalous things in the past. And while it is alleged that she is living off her daughter's trust fund, there has been nothing (unless someone would care to enlighten me) to indicate that she has been a totally bad mother. Even mothers who have issues with drugs (not saying Sarah does just making a comparison) have children who love them.

So why would Beatrice and Eugenie not love Sarah?

And I agree with iluvbertie's assessment that its a very selfish thing to expect one's children and grandchildren to spend every Christmas with them when they have divorced parents. You never see Peter and Zara every year? I do think William and Henry would have done the same...they were very devoted to Diana.

 

[Lumutqueen]

It might be harsh, but it's just my opinion.
And like I said, how do we know that HM is making them attend every christmas and they are not doing it by choice?

 

[Zonk]

Well since Beatrice and Eugenie are young adults, I certainly agree that they could and should make a fuss if they so desire.

When they were children, its obvious that they spent their holidays with their father (and his family) so I think that says it all to support any assumption.

In regards to your opinion, it certainly is and that says alot.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I agree that if they desire to make a fuss about not wanting to attend then they should, but if they choose to spend christmas with their "royal" family, then that's fine aswell isn't it?

 

[Iluvbertie]

When they were children their mother stayed at Wood Farm and they would spend the afternoon with her there (and the Queen would also visit).

 

[Jaya]

Christmas is sometimes a great time to be alone.Everything is yours ; including all bedcovers.Perhaps it is not easy for most but Sarah is a strong person and she has a perception that is all her own. I hope it works out no matter what. Wonder if she will be at the wedding of Wills and Catherine........

 

[Zonk]

When they were children their mother stayed at Wood Farm and they would spend the afternoon with her there (and the Queen would also visit).

I know Sarah has stayed at Wood Farm in the past and that the Queen has also visited her there.

The point of my statement is to illustrate the fact that even when Beatrice and Eugenie were younger, there was more of an emphasis on spending the holidays with the Queen and the Royal Family. Yes, Sarah was at the estate and she saw her daughters....but the point had already been made that "Granny" expects her children and grandchildren to spend the holidays with her.

 

[Katrianna]

That the Queen expects her children and grandchildren to be with her at Christmas can be put down to old fashioned tradition and it appears that Her Majesty has followed what has been done since she was a child and what has taken place in her family for generations. I cannot believe that Her Majesty is that strict about the celebrations that she would insist the York sisters be with her and not their mother. The sisters are now adults and they can make their own choices, they chose to see their Grandmother and really, they may not have many years left to see her although I truly hope it's a very long time.
Sarah has a half sister and a step mother she could visit for Christmas and she could have visited her sister in Australia. Yes, I realize it's a long flight, but it could have been possible. I wonder who it was that brought the situation concerning Sarah being alone for Christmas to the Mail? Sarah may have had alternative plans since she couldn't go to Norway, but the Mail may have chose to leave that out.

 

[Mermaid1962]

Sometimes I wonder whether Sarah herself is the "friend" on some occasions, because of the detail in the quotes.

I wonder who it was that brought the situation concerning Sarah being alone for Christmas to the Mail?

 

[Zonk]

That the Queen expects her children and grandchildren to be with her at Christmas can be put down to old fashioned tradition and it appears that Her Majesty has followed what has been done since she was a child and what has taken place in her family for generations. I cannot believe that Her Majesty is that strict about the celebrations that she would insist the York sisters be with her and not their mother. The sisters are now adults and they can make their own choices, they chose to see their Grandmother and really, they may not have many years left to see her although I truly hope it's a very long time.
Sarah has a half sister and a step mother she could visit for Christmas and she could have visited her sister in Australia. Yes, I realize it's a long flight, but it could have been possible. I wonder who it was that brought the situation concerning Sarah being alone for Christmas to the Mail? Sarah may have had alternative plans since she couldn't go to Norway, but the Mail may have chose to leave that out.

This may be true but its also important to remember that many couples (not all just enough) during the Queen's generation stayed married through thick and thin. That is not the case when 3 of your 4 children are divorced (and a sister as well). I would think some "adjustments" would be made for divorced parents. The somewhat adjustment for the Yorks was Sarah's presence at Wood Farm. Another adjustment would be to do what most divorced parents do...switch off years for major holidays. It seems to work for Alexandra and Joachim of Denmark. This year their sons are celebrating Christmas with their father, stepmother and Queen Margrethe. Last year they were with their mother and their step father.

And again, I recognize that Beatrice and Eugenie are adults and one would assume are able to make such a decision for themselves but several things could already be in place 1) the precedent has already been set (thru the years with Sarah exiled to Woods Farm) that Christmas with the Dad, the Queen and Prince Phillip was just a tad more important and 2) Sarah appears to have made arrangements that for a variety of reasons have changed and she told her daughters (or they just decided) not to change their plans.

Either way..its just for a couple of days and I am sure Sarah will be with Beatrice and Eugenie for the New Year.

 

[Polly]

Just because a tabloid newspaper reports that Sarah will be on her own and that her children will have 'deserted' her is no reason to assume that it's true.

Sarah is extremely popular with a great many people and still has a large number of friends - I doubt that she'd be left languishing with nothing to do and no one to talk to, with only servants to cook her dinner.

Her daughters have spent every Christmas with their grandmother and I can't see what's so special about this year. Personally, I don't think it remarkable that the Queen would want to have her entire family with her at Christmas: the family are all so involved in their separate lives and her own life is so busy that I'm not surprised that this one annual opportunity to be with them all is so important to her.

 

[Annie.M]

And again, I recognize that Beatrice and Eugenie are adults and one would assume are able to make such a decision for themselves but several things could already be in place 1) the precedent has already been set (thru the years with Sarah exiled to Wood Farm) that Christmas with the Dad, the Queen and Prince Phillip was just a tad more important and 2) Sarah appears to have made arrangements that for a variety of reasons have changed and she told her daughters (or they just decided) not to change their plans.

Either way..its just for a couple of days and I am sure Sarah will be with Beatrice and Eugenie for the New Year.

And again, I recognize that Beatrice and Eugenie are adults and one would assume are able to make such a decision for themselves but several things could already be in place 1) the precedent has already been set (thru the years with Sarah exiled to Wood Farm) that Christmas with the Dad, the Queen and Prince Phillip was just a tad more important and 2) Sarah appears to have made arrangements that for a variety of reasons have changed and she told her daughters (or they just decided) not to change their plans.

Either way..its just for a couple of days and I am sure Sarah will be with Beatrice and Eugenie for the New Year.

Well said! Sarah doesn't seem to be someone who would unduly create a fuss. I imagine her deep respect and admiration for the Queen and Prince Andrew have influenced her decision to allow the girls to spend part of the Christmas period with their father's side of the family. Considering the family they are and all their engagements, it would be quite difficult for them all to congregate together unless it is a planned function or perhaps a major holiday. Sarah would understand this. She's just adapted to make it work for her and to be fair to the Princesses and their father. After all there were the many years Sarah would stay with the girls on the Sandringham Estate and celebrate with them before or after they had visited their paternal family. So what if they spent lunch and went to the church with the Royals? They still were with Sarah a lot even on the day. That isn't being cruel and unfair. If anything it would be awkward for Sarah to be amongst a family where there are members she may not get along with so well anymore.

Nowadays she's just altered their plans somewhat. I am positive Sarah and the girls would have their own time together a little earlier. I remember seeing pictures of them at a theatre performance or at a restaurant only a few days before Christmas. And it seems as if there is a tradition of the girls seeing in the New Year with their mother. In fact I wish I could remember what interview it was Sarah herself said that there was a routine of the girls going to see their grandparents just for a few days from the 23-28 December before they celebrated the New Year together. This sounds like a very workable and fair arrangement to me not to mention a very modern one.

 

[Zonk]

Its time for a new thread, which can be found here http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...-current-events-15-january-2011-to-29718.html .

Thanks to all who posted!