The Windsors and Europe

[scriptgirl]

I don't think friendly relationships will be built among younger BRF family members. I think they are very English and don't think of themselves as global or continental citizens. I feel this is partly due to England being an island and isoated from the rest of Europe.

I still remember the WWII event that the Cambridges and King Felipe attended and the Cambridges ignored Felipe. Kate at one point seemed to ask an aide as to who he was and she William seemed to confer on greeting him and they didn't. Maybe they did later, but I never saw pics of it.

 

[Pranter]

Thanks for clarifying.

However, you don't have to go that far back for the royals to be related at the moment: the king of Belgium and grand duke of Luxembourg are cousins; the queen of Denmark and king of Sweden are cousins. The former king and queen of Spain are brother-in-law and sister(-in-law) of the former Greek king and queen (the one being the sister of the queen of Denmark).

However, the trend is clear, nonetheless, most of the 'continental royals' (especially the Scandinavians and more in general the (former) crown princely couples still have (rather) close relationships with each other - just no longer the expectation that they marry each other

I'm speaking more of the relative tie between the BRF and the rest of the European houses not certain groupings. I clarified more in the other post about Queen Victoria.


LaRae

 

[Pranter]

I don't think friendly relationships will be built among younger BRF family members. I think they are very English and don't think of themselves as global or continental citizens. I feel this is partly due to England being an island and isoated from the rest of Europe.

I still remember the WWII event that the Cambridges and King Felipe attended and the Cambridges ignored Felipe. Kate at one point seemed to ask an aide as to who he was and she William seemed to confer on greeting him and they didn't. Maybe they did later, but I never saw pics of it.

At the time it was said they had already greeted him prior to that situation.

There are ties already being built with the younger core group ...just look at the trips they have been taking (and still scheduled to take) this year.

LaRae

 

[TLLK]

At the time it was said they had already greeted him prior to that situation.

Yes there are photos showing them greeting HM the King. Kate is curtsying to him.

 

[scriptgirl]

Pranter do you have links to any articles that say the Cambridges already greeted Felipe? Cause it didn't seem like it from the footage and pics I saw.
But I also heard Felipe didn't go out of his way to greet the Cambridges.

 

[TLLK]

Here is a couple of photos from that day. In one Kate is curtsying to HM. The second shows William and Felipe chatting together, while Kate is with Mathilde and Phillipe.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/2a/14/1c/2a141c8bd7952d74f3f106ffbf6cd1f9.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/08/04/article-2715359-203ECAC400000578-625_634x418.jpg

 

[scriptgirl]

Good. Glad to see a warm relationship there. The video I saw was off-putting.

 

[Pranter]

Yes that's the pics, thanks for posting them TLLK!


LaRae

 

[Rudolph]

Just use Google. There are pics all over the internet of Kate curtseying to the king and he and William talking one on one.

 

[Pranter]

Good. Glad to see a warm relationship there. The video I saw was off-putting.

Sometimes pics/video are edited in a way you don't get the whole picture...sometimes not by accident.


LaRae

 

[scriptgirl]

Pranter I agree with you re editing. But this video was not edited that way. I wish I could find it but I can't.

 

[Pranter]

We probably all saw it at the time when it all went on. However after the other pics etc came out I think it was a non-issue.


LaRae

 

[TLLK]

Sometimes pics/video are edited in a way you don't get the whole picture...sometimes not by accident.


LaRae

Yes often times the media chooses to manipulate the images to garner a particular reaction. ?


Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge join commemorations for WW1 anniversary | Daily Mail Online
Here is an article from the event. If you scroll down you will see the royals and presidents seated in the front row. William and Catherine have four to five people seated between themselves and Felipe (blue tie.) They'd already been seated when Felipe was escorted to his seat and they were engaged in conversation with France's President Hollande. Since they'd already given the King his due bow/curtsy and spoken with Felipe earlier, it isn't necessary to bow/curtsy again. William had a speech to deliver and there would be time to converse again after the ceremony.

 

[TLLK]

We probably all saw it at the time when it all went on. However after the other pics etc came out I think it was a non-issue.


LaRae

Yes and the press obtained the clicks/reactions that they wanted to ensure more revenue!!!
Oddly enough, Felipe's wife has often been the victim of these types of manipulated images. I recall seeing one where the headline stated that she was angrily addressing her mother-in-law Queen Sofia. It claimed that Letizia was furiously pointing and jabbing her finger at the Queen. Not true at all because there was video to accompany the photos. Turns out they were only having a conversation about where Letizia was to put her handbag.?

 

[camelot23ca]

We'll see what develops over the next few years. The impression I get now is that William and Kate are of course cordial and friendly with various other royals when they meet them but aren't actively looking to start to do the rounds at the various continental royal events the way Edward and Sophie do.

It would be nice to see the couple develop an actual friendship with other royals around their age but that's something that has to develop naturally over time. And there's no guarantee we'd ever know about it if the people involved preferred the relationship remained private.

 

[Somebody]

I'm speaking more of the relative tie between the BRF and the rest of the European houses not certain groupings. I clarified more in the other post about Queen Victoria.

LaRae

The family ties between the British and the continental royals are further and further away, however, that doesn't necessarily mean that the friendship ties also loosen (case in point: the Dutch (especially Willem-Alexander and Máxima), hardly related to the others, but close to the other royal families - probably the 'center' of bringing the various groups together at the level of crown prince couples). So, family relations matter but are only part of the bigger picture.

We'll see what develops over the next few years. The impression I get now is that William and Kate are of course cordial and friendly with various other royals when they meet them but aren't actively looking to start to do the rounds at the various continental royal events the way Edward and Sophie do.

It would be nice to see the couple develop an actual friendship with other royals around their age but that's something that has to develop naturally over time. And there's no guarantee we'd ever know about it if the people involved preferred the relationship remained private.

Until a few years ago, it seemed they had hardly met (other than at their own wedding) the other European royals, so it seems a good development that they have been sent on various trip to the mainland and are getting to know members of the other royal houses. Again, it is not just up to them to decide to which festivities they go. They might indicate a preference to the queen but she is the one who decides and so far, it seems that Edward and Sophie are doing an excellent job (and are closer in age to the 'core' bunch). Maybe things change when Charles becomes king? It would be nice to see them (W&C or H&wife) at these occasions as well.

 

[Pranter]

Well some of these events...you have to get an invite to ...so there is that as well.


LaRae

 

[Rudolph]

George V had a long look in the mirror in 1918. Of the three cousins he had the least amount of real power and probably thought himself lucky his head didn’t wind up on a pike. He knew change had to happen plus the Scandinavian monarchies have family ties and very strong cultural ties. They are always working together on something. Much the way Britain is with the old Commonwealth.

It’s pretty difficult to develop natural friendships when you just don’t see each other that often and Churchill’s words in 1953 are probably true today at least in spirit

“Where do we stand? We are not members of the European Defence Community, nor do we intend to be merged in a Federal European system. We feel we have a special relation to both. This can be expressed by prepositions, by the preposition ‘with’ but not ‘of’ – we are with them, but not of them. We have our own Commonwealth and Empire.”

 

[Curryong]

The Commonwealth will of course still remain important to the BRF (and after all when Britain had a huge Empire there were countless blood links with other royal families.) However, that shouldn't prevent the younger Windsors from trying to develop some closer ties with their contemporaries in Scandinavia and Continental Europe.

I do wonder actually if there has been a gentle hint since King Harald's birthday that the Scandinavian royals at least would appreciate a few visits, a chance to develop some friendships with younger royals they hardly know.

This is perhaps becoming important as a new reign approaches. We don't know whether in Charles's time Edward and Sophie will still be the automatic attendees at foreign birthdays, christenings, weddings etc.

 

[scriptgirl]

I remember that there was a push to try and create a friendship of sorts between the Cambridges and Mary and Frederick, but that seemingly came to naught.

 

[Rudolph]

It’s pretty difficult to turn around 70 years of history in this day and age.

Imagine when Harry has kids and it announced that say Prince Daniel was going to be a godparent. People would say gosh we didn’t know he was close to PD and the palace says they’re not it’s just for show. People would think he went off the rails.

So unless these friendships can be somehow developed organically it will be difficult.

That’s not say though that they don’t have each other email or whatever. After her visit to Luxembourg last year, Kate and Stephanie may chat on the phone twice a week and we wouldn’t necessary know about it.

 

[Pranter]

It does seem like we see Prince Albert in England often enough...wonder if he has any close friendships with the members of the BRF.



LaRae

 

[Somebody]

I remember that there was a push to try and create a friendship of sorts between the Cambridges and Mary and Frederick, but that seemingly came to naught.

That was purely a media ploy. William and Catherine happened to meet them first on a foreign engagement and the media ran wild with it. The purpose of that trip wasn't to foster friendship between the couples but to support the work of UNICEF in Eastern Africa.

 

[scriptgirl]

I agree that it was a total media ploy. I was kind of annoyed at the media for pushing the relationship. And obviously any fostering of a friendship did not take.

 

[Rudolph]

For those wanting more interaction between the Windsors and Europe, it’s just been announced the Cambridges will make official visits to two European monarchies. Norway and Sweden.

 

[Pranter]

So William knew what he was talking about at that garden party


LaRae

I think the visit to Sweden will be especially sweet due to all young children (and pregnancy) they have currently! Would be neat if more personal friendships came out of that visit.


LaRae

 

[scriptgirl]

That trip to Scandinavia was announced months ago and Kate will not be going to Finland anymore. William will go solo.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

William talked about it at a garden party at BP in May, but it wasn't announced before today.

 

[Pranter]

Yep...we finally got it confirmed! The only change up is they are postponing the Norway/Sweden part due to the pregnancy.


LaRae

 

[Jacknch]

Just a reminder that details of the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Norway and Sweden may take place in the http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...-part-3-march-2017-a-42002-9.html#post2028556 thread for the time being.

Obviously discussion on the relationship between members of the British Royal Family with members of the Royal Families of Sweden an Norway may continue to take place in this thread.