William and Catherine 4

[viii]

1 hour ago, louisa05 said:

The Queen  was not a micromanager. She didn’t approve everything everyone did 

Yes, people like to give the Queen more power than she actually had. A lot of the "rules" were media based and not real. Although they did have protocol (curtseying and bowing to higher rank etc) the Queen didn't enforce things like dress codes and whatnot. Same with the names - the media always made it sound like the Queen "approved" the names. I think she let her opinion be known and if she was "meh" on it, the couple chose something else, but she didn't control the family the way people think she did. 

[VGL]

On another site there is a posted going on about how the Queen was scandalized by Kate wearing wedge heels and would be horrified by Camilla wearing velour dresses and jumpsuits.

I think the only time the Queen "enforced" any sort of colour scheme for the other royal ladies were for events like Jubilees and Trooping the Colour when instructions probably said something to the effect of "The Queen will be wearing X colour, please wear something else."

Oh, she did tell William what uniform to wear on his wedding day.

 

 

[louisa05]

1 hour ago, VGL said:

On another site there is a posted going on about how the Queen was scandalized by Kate wearing wedge heels and would be horrified by Camilla wearing velour dresses and jumpsuits.

I think the only time the Queen "enforced" any sort of colour scheme for the other royal ladies were for events like Jubilees and Trooping the Colour when instructions probably said something to the effect of "The Queen will be wearing X colour, please wear something else."

Oh, she did tell William what uniform to wear on his wedding day.

 

 

The wedge heel thing started going around the first time Catherine appeared wearing them some time in 2011. I think it started because the Queen did not wear them herself and none of the older royal women had--probably because they weren't on trend when they were younger. And the Queen as sheriff of wardrobes thing got even more intense when Meghan entered the scene. Because Meghan was breaking the rules! Or no, she wasn't, because obviously the Queen approved her outfit before she wore it! As if the Queen had time in her days to approve everyone's clothing for every event.

There's an autobiography of Princess Margaret I read several years ago that included a bit about the "rules of royal dressing" that she talked about in an interview in the late 70s. The scoop was that there were no rules and have never been any rules. She did talk about unwritten rules which were common sense things like wearing layers, not wearing fabrics that wrinkle too easily (a message Meghan never got!), etc...

[klein_roeschen]

13 hours ago, VGL said:

On another site there is a posted going on about how the Queen was scandalized by Kate wearing wedge heels and would be horrified by Camilla wearing velour dresses and jumpsuits.

I think the only time the Queen "enforced" any sort of colour scheme for the other royal ladies were for events like Jubilees and Trooping the Colour when instructions probably said something to the effect of "The Queen will be wearing X colour, please wear something else."

Oh, she did tell William what uniform to wear on his wedding day.

I don't think that the Queen did manage these details. They have staff people that only take care of the clothing and what to wear to which event and so on. Staff that knows the protocolls, the written and unwritten rules and the personal preferences and sizes of the royals they dress for official events. Staff that will discuss the clothes with the Queen and the other royals, makes suggestions and so on and sit in meetings with other staff so that everything looks nice and coordinated.

[GreenBeans]

On 9/12/2024 at 1:57 AM, tabitha2 said:

Either way it’s pretty clear she is going to be a largely absent  presumably frail Queen consort

How do you assume that? There are many types of cancer where, if caught early enough, one course of chemo therapy is enough, and after a couple of years, people are only reminded of having had cancer by their 3-monthly / 6-monthly / annual checkups.

Charles is 75 years old. That’s old, but given his genes, he may very well live another 15-20 years before William becomes king. 

On 9/12/2024 at 1:57 AM, tabitha2 said:

Either way it’s pretty clear she is going to be a largely absent  presumably frail Queen consort

How do you assume that? There are many types of cancer where, if caught early enough, one course of chemo therapy is enough, and after a couple of years, people are only reminded of having had cancer by their 3-monthly / 6-monthly / annual checkups.

Charles is 75 years old. That’s old, but given his genes, he may very well live another 15-20 years before William becomes king. 

On 9/12/2024 at 1:57 AM, tabitha2 said:

Either way it’s pretty clear she is going to be a largely absent  presumably frail Queen consort

How do you assume that? There are many types of cancer where, if caught early enough, one course of chemo therapy is enough, and after a couple of years, people are only reminded of having had cancer by their 3-monthly / 6-monthly / annual checkups.

Charles is 75 years old. That’s old, but given his genes, he may very well live another 15-20 years before William becomes king. 

[just_ordinary]

HMTQ herself starred in the infamous RF documentary in the 1960s. Yes, it was scrapped later because she felt it was too private (but still turns up on YT regularly). We also shouldn’t forget about Royal Knockout.

Kate will very probably be not as visible as many hope. Cancer or not. She has made it very clear through her actions that she sees her priority in her children and husband (and gardening/photographing/working out). People have „excused“ her low numbers for ten years now. First she was introduced slowly, then she concentrated on her young children at home, after they went to school/nursery 5 days a week it was not to overshadow the P&PPoW. Now as PoW it was because she would be doing the job till she dies (highly unlikely. W will abdicate at one point.) then she had cancer (no excuse needed) and now will still take it slow for the unforeseeable future. Let’s face it- Kate will and would have never worked more than 200 engagement per year. It’s not an insult, it’s a fact.

She is not the HoS and I think most spouses of them aren’t as visible and undertaking hundreds of engagements- even if they stop working after their partners election and live basically of the taxpayers money. She will be visible to some extent. I can see her being more absent then initially planned to focus on her well being (which is a massive privilege). Probably like Mette-Marit in Norway. They just have the advantage that there is a beautiful and accomplished young Crown Princess. That’s a future that can already be envisioned. George won’t be there soon.

In general, it seems that there is a great line-up of good (future) Crown Princesses that look promising. Anna Amalia, Elisabeth, Leonore, Ingrid Alexandra, Victoria/Estelle. The only boys are either still very young: George, Guillaume/Charles and Jacques or pretty invisible and pale in comparison Christian. 

Edited Saturday at 06:39 PM by just_ordinary

[viii]

I would be very surprised if Charles lived another 15-20 years. Even without the cancer diagnosis, Windsor men don’t live like the Windsor women do. Philip was an abnormality, not the usual. 

[morepreciousthangold]

There is a difference between remission and cure. Kate is probably in remission but in most types of cancer you aren’t “cured” for 5 years post treatment. Using that term in official releases would be confusing and even insulting for those in similar situations. It would be seen as a closure when to the patient, it isn’t. 

[QuiverFullofBooks]

19 hours ago, viii said:

I would be very surprised if Charles lived another 15-20 years. Even without the cancer diagnosis, Windsor men don’t live like the Windsor women do. Philip was an abnormality, not the usual. 

Based on whom? George V, the Duke of Windsor, and George VI all smoked and drank too much, while Edward VII also ate his way into an early grave (not to mention probably a few STDs). The queen’s older male cousins died at 73 (I can’t find Gerald Lascelles’ cause of death) and 88, while her younger male cousins are all still alive (not counting one who died in a plane crash). Charles is very careful about his lifestyle; he’s never smoked and he barely drinks. I think he’s got at least a decade to go, and 20 or even 25 years is possible. 

[viii]

Charles is very careful about his health but that doesn’t always matter. Old people die from very minor problems sometimes. Someone in great health who is 75 can fall and break a hip, landing them in the hospital and then nursing home and they’re dead before their next birthday. The average UK man dies around 79. Charles is already 75 and has cancer. Saying he might live another 25 years is ridiculous to me. I’m not wishing for his death or trying to insult the man, but let’s be realistic here. 

[Loveday]

I've known people the King's age who had cancer and lived at least another decade. There's one in my husband's family right now. He's still going fairly strong, although he's almost 87 now and while his cancer is in remission he hasn't been declared cured because...well...he's 87 and he's been on chemo off and on the past ten years. But still, he's with us and enjoying life and actually able to get around really well. To look at him, you'd never know he's had cancer. I hope he makes it to 90 and I think he will. I've also known people who were seemingly very healthy, got cancer, and died within a couple of years, or even a few weeks, like my uncle who got pancreatic cancer and didn't live long enough to even start treatment after diagnosis. He was 72.

Point being, it's impossible to predict how long someone, especially a much older person, is going to live after a cancer diagnosis. Personally, I think that unless he's got pancreatic cancer* he will likely live at least another five to ten years, but that's more me hoping so rather than a prediction. He's waited a very long time to be king, I think he deserves a few years in the job before he shuffles off this mortal coil. And that's coming from someone who doesn't particularly care for him all that much one way or another. 🤷‍♀️

 

*I don't care if there IS someone out there who has had that one for years and is still with us (Eric Idle, bless him!!! ❤️), the odds of surviving more than a year or so with it is next to zero. My own mother, at 85, was diagnosed with it and she was gone nine months later. My aforementioned uncle died three weeks after diagnosis. Three fucking weeks. 🥵 It's pretty much the most brutal cancer you can get re survival rates, and I really hope the King does not have it, or that, if he does, it was caught as early as Idle's was and he has a fighting chance. 

@QuiverFullofBooks, I've been looking all over for a cause of death for Gerald Lascelles, and holy cow, it's like a conspiracy. Nothing, nada, zilch, anywhere. 🥴

[viii]

3 minutes ago, Loveday said:

Point being, it's impossible to predict how long someone, especially a much older person, is going to live after a cancer diagnosis. Personally, I think that unless he's got pancreatic cancer* he will likely live at least another five to ten years, but that's more me hoping so rather than a prediction. He's waited a very long time to be king, I think he deserves a few years in the job before he shuffles off this mortal coil. And that's coming from someone who doesn't particularly care for him all that much one way or another. 🤷‍♀️

Agreed; it’s very hard to predict anyone’s health, but especially someone with the fickle beast of cancer. After so many years of waiting, I hope he gets at least a decade of being king. 

Plus, I just think it would be more preferable for the Wales children to be a bit older when their father becomes king. 

[Baba O'Riley]

My aunt was diagnosed with cancer when she was 75.  I don't remember what kind but it was somewhere between her stomach and nether regions.  She was quite ill and her daughter was told it was an emergency and she had 24 hours to live.  Long story short, she lived till she was 100.

[just_ordinary]

Charles allegedly does a lot to stay healthy. Doesn’t mean he is- his swellings are definitely a sign that good health isn’t necessarily coming easy to him. He does have some advantages though. Just by his position (best care possible) and his attitude. Following doctors advices and continuing to live a healthy lifestyle will be easier for him than for someone that didn’t have decades of doing that already.

I am neither here nor there regarding how long his reign might be. Let’s not forget that times have changed. People at 70 today are whole different ballgame than people at 70 ten years ago. Statistically. Of course you find examples on every end and in between. I doubt we will see him going into his 90s. Either because he dies/gets ill so W takes over as regent or because he realised that he can’t fulfill this role anymore and abdicates at the last minute. Not with a light heart surely and after long consideration, but I also doubt that he is as set on not abdicating as his mother. 
From a pure opportunistic point of view it would be best if he powers through some fundamental reforms in agreement with Wiliam and than abdicates. W could start with a clean slate and people love young royals and the young set of future monarchs. Of course that’s not taking into account what that would mean for the Walses as individuals and their family. If you look at that, they probably hope Charles makes it to 100.

[GreenBeans]

On 9/15/2024 at 10:56 PM, viii said:

Charles is already 75 and has cancer. Saying he might live another 25 years is ridiculous to me. I’m not wishing for his death or trying to insult the man, but let’s be realistic here. 

You never know. My grandma was diagnosed with colon cancer at 74 years old. She had surgery, but refused chemo therapy (the doctors recommended it but said they’d understand if she didn’t want to go through that). She turned 91 this year, it’s been 17 years. Her parents (my great grand parents) lived to very old ages too, her father until 89, her mother until 94.

Yes, the older you get, the shorter your remaining life span is, statistically speaking, especially with cancer. But still, statistics do not determine the outcome for any individual. Both of Charles’ parents grew very old, his father lived until 99, his mother until 96 years old. It may very well be he has another 10 - 20 years left.

[Coconut Flan]

So much depends on what kind of cancer he has.  I know people have speculated, but unless he says it's xxx, I remain doubtful we're getting true fact especially from royal pundits.  

3 hours ago, GreenBeans said:

Yes, the older you get, the shorter your remaining life span is, statistically speaking, especially with cancer. But still, statistics do not determine the outcome for any individual. Both of Charles’ parents grew very old, his father lived until 99, his mother until 96 years old. It may very well be he has another 10 - 20 years left.

That's so very true.  He could live many more years, yet in his 70s, he could also have a heart attack or stroke tomorrow.  Just because he has cancer doesn't mean that's what will be the terminal event.