The Windsors and Europe

[Moonmaiden23]

Balcony appeaeances really say nothing.

The Grand-Duke and Grand-Duchess of Luxembourg were on the balcony (the Grand-Duke was Colonel of the Regiment of the Irish Guards). The same counts for Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard (the Prince held the British rank of no less than an Air Marshal of the Royal Air Force even...).

The appearance on balconies says nothing about friendships otherwise Willem-Alexander and Máxima are "friends" because she stood with Camilla and Catherine on the balcony during the National Remembrance at the Cenotaph?

Have Willem Alexander and Maxima been invited to stay as personal guests of the monarch at both Windsor and Buckingham Palace?

Baudouin was HLM's contemporary. She and the DoE visited the Belgian Royals and there are also fascinating photos of them together on a Royal train.

Baudouin was discreet, devout, devoted to duty...every inch an aristocrat. In either words a man very much like QEII herself.

Why are you so resistant to the idea that she liked the guy and considered him a friend?

 

[Denville]

I saw these lovely photos of the CP Mary and the Princess of Wales. The ladies have met on a few occasions. Here's to hoping they have developed or will developed a long-term friendship

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnM29YJsp9b/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

no real reason why they should, is there? They've met a few times, they are in the same job but in differet cultures and countries.

 

[lucien]

There are many great friendships between Royals,both the older and younger generation..

As to the UK,especially the Wessexes are close with the Dutch King and Queen,they get along fabulously!

Princess Beatrix is a very very close friend of HM King Charles,but then she is with most if not All Royals in her age range and above and below,and a very loyal friend at that.It wasn´t without reason Beatrix was seated first row in Westminster Abbey in September.No,there are many friendships but it is kept private,as they are entitled to that too.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

Have Willem Alexander and Maxima been invited to stay as personal guests of the monarch at both Windsor and Buckingham Palace?

Baudouin was HLM's contemporary. She and the DoE visited the Belgian Royals and there are also fascinating photos of them together on a Royal train.

Baudouin was discreet, devout, devoted to duty...every inch an aristocrat. In either words a man very much like QEII herself.

Why are you so resistant to the idea that she liked the guy and considered him a friend?

I’m sure she found him pleasant in some way, but I don’t think she was close to him.

 

[Marengo]

Why would we assume they were close? Are there any stories or any other indications of a friendship?

 

[SirGyamfi1]

Why would we assume they were close? Are there any stories or any other indications of a friendship?

Moonmaiden23 was saying in a post to Duc that “Why are you so resistant to the idea that she liked the guy and considered him a friend?” I just said she probably found him pleasant but wasn’t close

 

[An Ard Ri]

I’m sure she found him pleasant in some way, but I don’t think she was close to him.

I'm not sure if they were close but the queen attended the Funeral of King Baudouin in 1993 ,something that she doesn't normally do.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

I'm not sure if they were close but the queen attended the Funeral of King Baudouin in 1993 ,something that she doesn't normally do.

Well, Baudoin was one of the longest reigning royals and many royals were present.

 

[Denville]

I'm not sure if they were close but the queen attended the Funeral of King Baudouin in 1993 ,something that she doesn't normally do.

That is the whole point that's being debated. Did she attend the funeral because he was soemone she was good friends with or was it simply that she was on holiday during that time and was advised it would look bad if she didn't go to the funeral.

 

[valeas]

As expected but still disappointing and embarrassing the top British Royals did not show their respect at Athens today.
May Xonstantine est in Peace.

 

[Marengo]

I would say the British king was well represented by the Princess Royal, a fellow IOC member.

I suppose the Prince of Wales would have been a more logical representative as the late king was his godfather, but Prince William seems to want to keep his distance from continental royals. He did not attend any royal event on the continent. No wedding, no funeral, no big birthday, no jubilee. Nothing. Only the baptism of Prince Constantine Alexios, but that was in London of course.

It is evident that whatever ties of friendship there are between the Windsors and continental royals, they will cease to be there in the next reign. I suppose it is in line with the isolation from Europe that the country prefers, so in that sense the Prince of Wales is respecting the wishes of his country

 

[lucien]

That is the whole point that's being debated. Did she attend the funeral because he was soemone she was good friends with or was it simply that she was on holiday during that time and was advised it would look bad if she didn't go to the funeral.

No!She attended as Baudouin died as a Reigning Monarch,and Reigning Monarchs are always in attendance when another Reigning Monarch dies.Always.There is none of m Holyer than thou.

It is as simple as that!

 

[An Ard Ri]

Well, Baudouin was one of the longest reigning royals and many royals were present.

Yes I've always thought that the queen only attended as the king was the senior reigning Monarch at the time.
There after the queen sent representatives to funerals but strangely no one for Queen Fabiola

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

No!She attended as Baudouin died as a Reigning Monarch,and Reigning Monarchs are always in attendance when another Reigning Monarch dies.Always.There is none of m Holyer than thou.

It is as simple as that!

I am not sure it is that simple: the Queen did not attend the funerals of King Pavlos of the Hellenes, King Frederik IX of Denmark, King Gustaf IV Adolf of Sweden, King Olav V of Norway, etc.

 

[Denville]

Why is it embarrassing? Anne went and she is the Kings sister

 

[Mbruno]

.

It is evident that whatever ties of friendship there are between the Windsors and continental royals, they will cease to be there in the next reign. I suppose it is in line with the isolation from Europe that the country prefers, so in that sense the Prince of Wales is respecting the wishes of his country.

If the UK wanted "isolation from Europe", the British Army would not be deployed today in Estonia and Poland to protect them from Russian aggression, not to mention the UK's continuing committment to support UKraine, now even supplying the Ukranians with Challenger 2 MBTs while Germany refrains from allowing them to have the Leopard 2 for fear of antagonizing Putin.

Europe owes a great debt of gratitude to the United Kingdom, from the Napoleonic Wars all the way to World Wars I and II and the Cold War. The Dutch of all people should be reminded of that .

 

[SirGyamfi1]

I would say the British king was well represented by the Princess Royal, a fellow IOC member.

I suppose the Prince of Wales would have been a more logical representative as the late king was his godfather, but Prince William seems to want to keep his distance from continental royals. He did not attend any royal event on the continent. No wedding, no funeral, no big birthday, no jubilee. Nothing. Only the baptism of Prince Constantine Alexios, but that was in London of course.

It is evident that whatever ties of friendship there are between the Windsors and continental royals, they will cease to be there in the next reign. I suppose it is in line with the isolation from Europe that the country prefers, so in that sense the Prince of Wales is respecting the wishes of his country

Well which birthdays, weddings could he have been invited to? Not everyone in royal circles is fussed or obsessed with going to other royal events. Do I think he should have gone to the funeral of the King, possibly or yes, but at least Anne and Lady Gabriella were there. I think they will simply remain cordial relations with other royals but that will be it. I don’t really see any need for him to do involved in anything with other royals unless the Foreign office sends him to do foreign tour or the King requests it.

 

[Mary-Rose]

Is it possible that the British royal family never or rarely sends the monarch or heir to the throne abroad on royal occasions because they are "afraid" that their safety will not be guaranteed? It seems to me that most of the royal families are generally "more relaxed and uncomplicated" than the British, and they are better able to deal with breakdowns or the unforeseen, the British are very well structured and maybe afraid of breakdowns?

 

[Denville]

The RF go abroad when it is requiered of them. They do a lot of tours and usually some member of the RF attends funerals abroad. It just isnt' usually the monarch or his/her heir.

 

[Denville]

No!She attended as Baudouin died as a Reigning Monarch,and Reigning Monarchs are always in attendance when another Reigning Monarch dies.Always.There is none of m Holyer than thou.

It is as simple as that!

She didnt attend the funerals of other reigning monarchs, as far as I know. She has rarely gone to funerals abroad.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I’m sure she found him pleasant in some way, but I don’t think she was close to him.

I never meant to imply that their late Majesties were best friends.

As for the absence of William from Athens today...let's just say it's pretty glaring.

 

[JR76]

Europe owes a great debt of gratitude to the United Kingdom, from the Napoleonic Wars all the way to World Wars I and II and the Cold War. The Dutch of all people should be reminded of that .

The trope that Europe should be eternally grateful to the UK for being one of the winners of a war that took place 80 years ago is starting to wear very thin for everyone except the British.

 

[Denville]

HOw is it glaring? Anne went as rep of the British crown

 

[Prinsara]

So Britain is both isolationist and determined to remind Europe that they won WWII?

 

[Denville]

So Britain is both isolationist and determined to remind Europe that they won WWII?

how is it isolationist to send a representative who is the Kings sister?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The trope that Europe should be eternally grateful to the UK for being one of the winners of a war that took place 80 years ago is starting to wear very thin for everyone except the British.

And it is always neglected by the West, but Russia has lost 23 million (!!) compatriots in WWII and their immense and gruesome war effort at the Eastern Front has made Nazi-Germany to collapse. In fact the Allied invasion in Normandy was to open a fresh front. But to continue the reasoning: we should fall on our knees (the British included) and thank Putin for everything we have now thanks to Russia?

 

[Winnie]

HOw is it glaring? Anne went as rep of the British crown

I agree. Anne knew this gentleman extremely well and probably wanted to attend his service. They certainly didn't have to be anyone else attending from her country. Same as Prince Albert of Monaco. I doubt if Prince William even knew that man that well. It was up to King Charles III say who represented the country. Queen Elizabeth II always delegated a working Royal to represent her to funerals and weddings in the last 30 years of her life. He is probably continuing that tradition. JMO

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I agree. Anne knew this gentleman extremely well and probably wanted to attend his service. They certainly didn't have to be anyone else attending from her country. Same as Prince Albert of Monaco. I doubt if Prince William even knew that man that well. It was up to King Charles III say who represented the country. Queen Elizabeth II always delegated a working Royal to represent her to funerals and weddings in the last 30 years of her life. He is probably continuing that tradition. JMO

On itself Anne was a perfect representante. But we can not deny that Charles is 50% Greek himself, son of a Prince of Greece and Denmark, that this was about the Head of his very own father's Royal House, a once reigning King as well.

It is really not strange that eyebrows are lifted when, in comparison, the international royal turnout was unbelievable.

 

[A Tudor]

If I were to guess I'd say that the absence of the POW and HM at King Constantine's funeral was probably out of security concerns, which are higher and bigger when we're talking about the British. The UK involvement in an on going war means the BRF (or any British state official) are even more in danger nowadays. Maybe the Security agencies didn't feel confident they could be protected properly.

 

[Magnolia471]

And it is always neglected by the West, but Russia has lost 23 million (!!) compatriots in WWII and their immense and gruesome war effort at the Eastern Front has made Nazi-Germany to collapse. In fact the Allied invasion in Normandy was to open a fresh front. But to continue the reasoning: we should fall on our knees (the British included) and thank Putin for everything we have now thanks to Russia?

No, I have to correct you on this. Soviet Union won the war and lost 23 millions people NOT Russia. Soviet Union and Russia are not the same thing, citizens living in USSR were called Soviets not Russians.
At least half of Red Army Soldiers were not even ethically Russian but people coming from other Socialist Republics.
And Ukraine was the second largest republic to contribute to that war with more that 3 millions soldiers that joined Red Army against Nazi.
So it's historical incorrect keep repeating that "Russians" won or that we should be grateful to them or even Putin, when Putin wasn't even alive!