#live at balmoral

[thewolfisawake]

💟 Aside from Mhoirbheinn's plans to try to be the first one Bal sees that morning

Send in 💟 to hear my muses idea of an ideal Valentine’s Day date!

"Would it be unfair tae say tae jist be with m'eudail would be enough? Och aye, ruling takes a fair bit of work but because of our...arrangement it can be hard tae hae quality time thon isnae my chambers or sneaking 'round like we're teenagers. 'Course ah can and hae simply put others oot but ah cannae dae thon a'time lest ah want gossip running aboot. Again."

"It's hard tae say though. Such a holiday is aboot yin's lover, innit? The problem is m'eudail is so amenable on my suggestions, sometimes ah cannae decide if he enjoys it truly or is following my whims. And he's nae partial tae much. Food wise, activity wise...so it's a struggle finding what he would love tae dae. But ah endeavor and hae tae thoughts."

"Outside of the Winter Revelry and some minor celebrations, there is nae much reason tae dress up in Unseelie. Or rather there's nae many places we could show up and it nae...rouse attention. So ah would choose a show up on in the mortal realm, likely choosing...ach, ah believe they cry 'em boxes tae be alone. It's an excuse fir the garbs he liked...maybe the appearance of a gift...och, how lovely they'd look on him. And dinner should be easier up there since they hardly believe in fae, much less thon they'd stroll in."

"The other goes...almost the opposite. Ah thought of a ride thon'd be outside the Citadel. Jist us on mounts, you'd be surprised how rarely we dae thon anymore. Something aboot me nae getting injured or inconveniencing the Royal Protector. Ha! As if thon wasnae something we were doing years prior. But there were some new additions tae some areas we've tromped through. Yin in particular ah heard practically belongs in the clime it sprung frae. And yin tae gang a' oot. We huvnae had a row with no limits in a while. Sounds mad but in some ways it is how we fell. Course close with a picnic. A small peace fir the day."

[princesscatherinemiddleton]

Balmoral looks like a fairytale castle

[arcxnumvitae]

You could get yourself a normal man orrrr you could get someone whose reaction to hearing there's a risk of accidentally being devoured by you because you're just that into him is to metaphorically kick his feet in the air and giggle.

[raffaellopalandri]

Photography of the Day - The Balmoral

One of the most iconic hotels in Edinburgh. The Balmoral – Photo by Raffaello Palandri

[ancestorsalive]

The Heads from Balmoral, Sydney, NSW.

Samuel Wood photo. 1928 - 1932.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Archived Link

Some highlights:

Her preventative chemotherapy treatment continues over the summer - and possibly even beyond - while her recovery will be ongoing for many months to come once even this is concluded, I understand. She will continue to work privately, and engage publicly as and when she can. Kensington Palace hope to provide guidance at some point in the future about what a return to ‘a more regular workload’ might look like. But it is important to stress that they are absolutely ‘not at that stage yet’, according to one royal insider.

and

What most will not appreciate is that Catherine had actually been unwell for some time in the run up to her initial abdominal surgery in January (further details of which have not been made public yet by Kensington Palace). It was only after that ‘planned’ operation, of course, which left her in hospital for two weeks, that her cancer was discovered. As always she hid her suffering well, but those who know her are keen to emphasise just what a tough time it has been.

and

This means that far from hitting the ground running in the autumn, as some might have hoped after her glowing appearance at the weekend, it will continue to be a ‘slow build’ for the princess, taking on things as and when she feels physically - and, no doubt, mentally - strong enough. She is likely to continue to attend keynote national events, such as Remembrance Sunday.

and

However, I am told things are finally ‘moving in the right direction‘ and the couple and their young family have enjoyed a ‘fabulous’ summer so far in Norfolk, living at Anmer Hall, their home and sanctuary on the monarch’s Sandringham estate. Spending time outdoors - cycling, sailing, and hanging out with family and friends - has put colour back in all their cheeks. ‘They made a clear and conscious decision to take time out as a family this summer. Seeing them both looking so happy and relaxed with each other and so comfortable in each other’s company tells you a lot about where they are,’ one insider remarks, suggesting that old adage ‘what doesn’t break you, makes you stronger’ is as true for the royals as it is for the rest of us.

and

It is hoped the family will be able to travel to Scotland to stay with the King at Balmoral as usual at the end of this month. Traditionally the Waleses spent time around the Bank Holiday weekend on the royal estate. William will return to work as soon as Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis return to school early next month. While he will continue to prioritise his wife and family, it is anticipated the future king will now start to take on a fairly full programme of royal duties again.

and lastly,

And when the Princess is ready to return to a more public life, she will. For now, however, Catherine continues to take her recovery one day at a time. While she happily appears to be getting better, the princess, more than anyone, knows that for the time being it’s still important for her to walk, not run.

[winxwannabe]

So Bloom's reboot outfits made me so mad I did mini fashion study on what I think a 2020's, California-raised, respectable denim queen Bloom Peters would wear, pulling from Y2K style and Winx Club itself. iPhone quality, sketches not cleaned up, etc. Further notes/ramblings under the cut!

Going left to right:

Denim Dress -> Heavy inspiration from Bloom's S4 Band outfit. Girl needs to wear black more. Cute little bow because she's being Formal, and bits of pink with the socks and the word 'love' on her shirt.

Denim Skirt -> How do you make leg warmers look good on Bloom? Step 1 is not making them out of denim. Step 2 is referencing Bloom's casual partywear from Season 1 and this Pacsun model photo. Other notes not drawn in detail: Bloom wearing some gold necklaces, including one with the classic winx wings, and her crewneck saying 'Gardenia California 2004' as a nod to the OG release.

Denim Pants -> We're stealing everything from Classic Bloom with subtle updates. Turning the classic white and blue striped sweater into a tee with thinner lines. Updated flare jeans and of course the return of the yellow platform sandals. Some may stand for their erasure, but I don't. Also some bracelets and a ponytail in reference to the Reboot leaks (!!) because there are good ideas there, they're just executed poorly.

Denim Shorts -> Bloom's cropped hoodie is a reference to comic #17 The Ghost of Balmoral, but with a heart because Pink and Heart Motif. Fun fact if you don't own a pair of worn denim shorts you can't live in California (that's why I had to leave).

[sassyfrassboss]

“since in this country we suffer from selective amnesia, the sooner H puts on an uniform and starts kissing ass again, the faster the brass will accept him.”

This brings up something I’ve thought about, but I disagree with the anon on one point. Yes, the BRF are very good at reviving a reputation. This hasn’t just applied to Camilla and Fergie but also past Harry himself. After the whole Vegas-party-Harry debacle, he got rolled out as a working royal who had his crazy days but was now grown up and contributing. This redemption arc, however smaller than what the likes of Camilla needed, worked well and worked fast.

I firmly believe Harry thinks the BRF can do another pr campaign for him. Like a child who knows that if a financial emergency happens, their parents will help out, and subsequently lives their life differently from a child who doesn’t have that back-up.

But Harry has gone too far, too fast, too many times. He has no true ally in the BRF who is willing to go to bat for him - he’s too unpredictable, emotional and dim to be trusted and his running mouth is a liability for anyone and everyone. There is also no sentiment in the UK that he can build on. Camilla 1) loves Charles and 2) has always been willing to be a contributing working royal. And the palace worked with that because it mattered enough for enough people. Harry has no cache left, not even being Diana’s son. He’s explicitly soured any avenue he had for redemption.

As for the military - Harry 1) gave his alleged kill count, 2) excepted awards for his very basic co-pilot work that he only did for a few weeks before he became bored, 3) is too willing to talk about politics (which can include military decisions) and 4) has weaponised the Invictus Games for personal gain and allowed Meghan to turn it into her personal catwalk. He’s done.

Great points!

You are right. The BRF can't spin Harry as a loving and devoted son because he complained bitterly about Charles putting his childhood emotional trauma onto Harry. Even went as far to say that he never got to ride a bike (proven false) or that Charles never hugged him, especially when Diana died. We have pictures of Charles hugging Harry. Heck at Balmoral after Diana's death, the family came out to look at the flowers and Harry & Charles were holding hands and Charles was very affectionate with Harry. Don't tell me he didn't give his son a hug when telling him that his mother died.

There is no PR angle that will work here because Harry has burnt all of his bridges. From family to the military to even the BRF staff.

He could never be trusted on his own at engagements or near a mic.

Before Meghan he was a bit of a wild card but that was part of his charm. Now he is a loose canon and the family can't take the chance on him.

The BRF would have more success bringing Andrew back at this point.

[littlepawz]

A funny and true story about the Queen:

Around 2005, the Queen and her Personal Protection Officer, Dick Griffin, were walking alone one afternoon in the hills near the Scottish royal castle, Balmoral.

Two tourists approached them, and engaged in conversation. Griffin recalls:

"There were two hikers coming towards us, and the Queen would always stop and say hello.

"They were two Americans on a walking holiday.

"It was clear from the moment we stopped that they hadn't recognised the Queen, which was fine.

"The American gentleman was telling the Queen where they came from, where they were going next, and where they'd been in Britain.

"I could see it coming, and sure enough, he said to Her Majesty: 'And where do you live?'

"She replied: 'Well I live in London, but I've got a holiday home just the other side of the hills.'

"He said: 'How long have you been coming up here?'

"She replied: 'I've been coming up here ever since I was a little girl, so over 80 years.'

"You could see the cogs whirring, so he said: 'Well, if you've been coming up here for over 80 years, you must have met the Queen.'

"Quick as a flash, she said: 'I haven't, but Dick here meets her regularly.'

The hiker then asked Griffin what the monarch was like in person.

"Because I was with her a long time, and I knew I could pull her leg, I said: 'Oh, she can be very cantankerous at times, but she's got a lovely sense of humour.'

"The next thing I knew, this guy comes round, puts his arm around my shoulder, and before I could see what was happening, he gets his camera, GIVES IT TO THE QUEEN, and says: 'Can you take a picture of the two of us?'

"Then we swapped places, and I TOOK A PICTURE OF THEM WITH THE QUEEN.

"And we never let on, and we waved goodbye.

"Afterwards, Her Majesty said to me: 'I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he shows those photographs to his friends in America, and hopefully someone tells him who I am'."

[thewolfisawake]

Although I will say, I am more than slightly concerned by how much Bal has fixated on Mhoirbheinn saying 'You are an impressive man, Balmoral, but you are not a god.' And I'm just over here trying to be like 'He did NOT mean that as a challenge! Do not take that as a challenge!' And you know what I got as an answer? 'Well, it isn't a god but there is some equivalence once you devour one--' 'Sir-'

[anonymoushouseplantfan]

"You can’t be a casual Cali/Montecito royal." Hi, Plant, could you explain a bit more what you mean by this. Because my view is if they had been gracious towards the RF on Oprah, (i.e. we're beloved family members, but taking some time out of the spotlight. Then then come back and slowly work on projects in the US.) They could then come back for Trooping etc. Because the Princess Madeline managed to live in the US and keep her Royal image intact. (As far as I'm aware.)

I think that was the expectation in 2020. They would keep their UK charities and Frogmore and remain “beloved family members” attending family events but essentially living their own lives. Their LA lives would presumably retain a royalesque quality because they would go from their last appearances in the UK (which were pretty glam, thanks to Sarah Latham) to the Invictus Games then Trooping, polo season, and Balmoral. They were also going to do their own royalesque events, including a big fundraising tour for Sentebale and a charity concert for Invictus. That was the 2020 plan, I believe.

That’s similar to what Madeline did, although she was more low-key about it. It’s basically a royal life in the US. If the Harkles has stuck to well-known royal behaviors like the Christmas cards and birthday pictures, they could have successfully created an American Royal family. I think that’s what everyone expected them to do.

But Covid messed that up. They kept it going for a while bc everyone was doing Zoom charity calls and that kept the illusion of equivalency going, but the illusion finally shattered with the Oprah interview and then Philip’s funeral. It didn’t help that they were busy embracing James Corden and Ellen Degeneres and behaving like Hollywood clowns. Plus the British charities were sidelined and royalesque behaviors like Christmas cards and birthday pics were not consistently deployed. Their royal brand was steadily eroding.

At that point, they should have focused on their Hollywood projects and building their California brands, but they didn’t. They focused on lawsuits and family drama. They also did a bunch of paid awards, which weren’t really meaningful. The few projects they showcased felt very unprofessional. They didn’t have a real office, just those guesthouse desks. They were renting random locations and doing “coastal grandmother” lawn interviews with Gloria Steinem. Meghan was having fake tea parties with celebrities and Harry was juggling and the whole thing felt very bland and amateurish. They had a random NY tour for no reason (to read her book or something?) and jumped on activist bandwagons haphazardly (BLM, family leave, Iran, Ukraine, Uvalde, whatever…). It was weird.

That’s what I mean by “Casual California Royal.” Things like sending an olive cake to WCF and planting forget-me-nots at a random school. It all felt very whimsical and unprofessional. Worst of all, it did not feel purposeful or passionate.

They the documentary and the book came out and they royal brand just imploded. There’s nothing left now. All they can do is try to build up their celebrity image.

[coolheadofficial]

Once you've learned to correctly pronounce every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world

Dearest creature in creation, Study English pronunciation. I will teach you in my verse Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse. I will keep you, Suzy, busy, Make your head with heat grow dizzy. Tear in eye, your dress will tear. So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

Just compare heart, beard, and heard, Dies and diet, lord and word, Sword and sward, retain and Britain. (Mind the latter, how it's written.) Now I surely will not plague you With such words as plaque and ague. But be careful how you speak: Say break and steak, but bleak and streak; Cloven, oven, how and low, Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.

Hear me say, devoid of trickery, Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore, Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles, Exiles, similes, and reviles; Scholar, vicar, and cigar, Solar, mica, war and far; One, anemone, Balmoral, Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel; Gertrude, German, wind and mind, Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

Billet does not rhyme with ballet, Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet. Blood and flood are not like food, Nor is mould like should and would. Viscous, viscount, load and broad, Toward, to forward, to reward. And your pronunciation's OK When you correctly say croquet, Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve, Friend and fiend, alive and live.

Ivy, privy, famous; clamour And enamour rhyme with hammer. River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb, Doll and roll and some and home. Stranger does not rhyme with anger, Neither does devour with clangour. Souls but foul, haunt but aunt, Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant, Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger, And then singer, ginger, linger, Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge, Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.

Query does not rhyme with very, Nor does fury sound like bury. Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth. Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath. Though the differences seem little, We say actual but victual. Refer does not rhyme with deafer. Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer. Mint, pint, senate and sedate; Dull, bull, and George ate late. Scenic, Arabic, Pacific, Science, conscience, scientific.

Liberty, library, heave and heaven, Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven. We say hallowed, but allowed, People, leopard, towed, but vowed. Mark the differences, moreover, Between mover, cover, clover; Leeches, breeches, wise, precise, Chalice, but police and lice; Camel, constable, unstable, Principle, disciple, label.

Petal, panel, and canal, Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal. Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair, Senator, spectator, mayor. Tour, but our and succour, four. Gas, alas, and Arkansas. Sea, idea, Korea, area, Psalm, Maria, but malaria. Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean. Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

Compare alien with Italian, Dandelion and battalion. Sally with ally, yea, ye, Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key. Say aver, but ever, fever, Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver. Heron, granary, canary. Crevice and device and aerie.

Face, but preface, not efface. Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass. Large, but target, gin, give, verging, Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging. Ear, but earn and wear and tear Do not rhyme with here but ere. Seven is right, but so is even, Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen, Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk, Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.

Pronunciation -- think of Psyche! Is a paling stout and spikey? Won't it make you lose your wits, Writing groats and saying grits? It's a dark abyss or tunnel: Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale, Islington and Isle of Wight, Housewife, verdict and indict.

Finally, which rhymes with enough -- Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough? Hiccough has the sound of cup. My advice is to give up!!!

[littlemuoi]

Prince Philip: 'A capacity for unbridled kindness but intolerant of faff' - my memories of the duke by Alastair Bruce (April 12th 2021)

ARCHIVE LINK

The Duke of Edinburgh was a motivator, an impatient moderniser, but he could be abrupt.

Prince Philip had a directness of manner that seemed to alarm many people and even horrified some. But he was capable of unbridled kindness, with the capacity for huge affirmation, support and encouragement.

People of his generation who knew him well said his character was forged from the rather challenging circumstances of his upbringing. Yes, he was royal: a grandson of the King of the Hellenes but, in truth, not really Greek.

The duke's blond good looks came from his Danish ancestry

The throne of Greece was given to a Danish prince in 1863 and this accounted for his blonde Viking good looks. But Greece was never entirely at ease under its monarchy and this put many pressures on Prince Philip's family; added to which, his parents did not enjoy an easy marriage.

Whatever the circumstances of his childhood, Prince Philip was conditioned to be independent, capable, determined and pretty intolerant of faff.

Learning about his rather unconventional start in life, from the vantage of today's social understanding perhaps it's easy to grasp why.

But I want to underscore the frequent kindness he showed to me and invested in many people I know.

Letters about mallard ducks and sturgeon pie

In what has been a remarkable life, he occasionally found time to contact me, often out of the blue, to tell me about things he thought might be of interest.

For instance, in my constant quest to find out the provenance behind strange British customs, he would often share things he had discovered while travelling the country with the Queen. After all, most of his life had been spent living among, colliding with or regulated by the oddities of British life.

The Queen and the duke in July 1947 in Edinburgh, four months before they wed

One letter he wrote to me concerned mallard ducks with gilded beaks.

It had amused him when the Queen, as Duke of Normandy, was presented with two of them on arrival in the Channel Islands, in order to fulfil a feudal due.

Another told me about a pie that had arrived at Balmoral, cooked from a sturgeon, which tradition stipulates must be offered up to the monarch. Both are full of facts, a smattering of humour, but no reference to the weather, how I might be or any other tittle-tattle.

When Prince Philip became the Queen's consort, the change in his life was seismic

It is difficult to understand why he bothered to do this. But I think he was amused to find someone genuinely engrossed in surprising or esoteric interests.

In fact, he was like this with everyone. Or maybe it was his own fascination and passion to fully understand the obscure and how things worked that, seeing it in another, added to his avuncular intrigue.

"This is Alastair... Bungy's grandson"

Not everyone's life had Prince Philip in it. So, perhaps it's worth explaining how he came to overlap with mine.

In 1950, the Duke of Edinburgh took command of HMS Magpie in Malta GC.

For any officer in the Armed Forces, unit command is the tops! It is where your leadership qualities are fully tested and it's where the possibilities for the rest of your career can be broadly set.

Prince Philip (in sunglasses) relinquishes control of HMS Magpie in Malta in July 1951. Pic: AP

It just so happened that HMS Magpie was part of the Destroyer squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet, which was then commanded by my grandfather, Admiral Sir Peveril William-Powlett.

Grandpa was better known as "Bungy", because, as fly-half for the English rugby team in 1922, he had seemed entirely elastic. Every time he was tackled, while at full pelt towards the try line, he seemed to bounce straight up again and run on.

He was also a keen polo player and, here again, the Royal Navy polo team brought Admiral William-Powlett and Prince Philip together.

One of my favourite photographs of them both shows their exhaustion after a fiery chukka under the Mediterranean sun: the youthful and handsome prince beside his balding boss with cups in hand. Their faces convey the joy and satisfaction of a win - probably against the Army.

The Royal Navy polo team brought Philip and Admiral William-Powlett together

Maybe this professional bond between the spirited and able naval destroyer captain and his Admiral made the Duke of Edinburgh, a generation later, hold his avuncular eye out for me.

It certainly meant a great deal to me that, when the duke introduced me to people of his own naval generation, he would say: "This is Alastair... Bungy's grandson."

"Well, get on with it!" - One of the most influential retorts of my life

When I wrote a book about the United Kingdom's coronation ritual, aged 28, I mentioned to Prince Philip that one day I hoped to make a television documentary about the role of ceremony in national life.

In what possibly proved to be one of the most influential retorts of my life, in that it was probably the catalyst to my career heading where it has, he eyeballed me and said: "Well, get on with it!"

With this, he got up and went. And so did I. To do what he suggested.

The day of the coronation - the duke's words spurred Alastair to make his programme. Pic: AP

In fact, within a few months and a great deal of work, I found someone willing to produce the film and it was commissioned by ITV.

Hearing about this, Prince Philip called me into Buckingham Palace for dinner to hear how the project was going. He also invited the film producer, Lord Brabourne; they were cousins by marriage, through the prince's uncle, Lord Mountbatten.

They bookended me at a heavily polished table in a small dining room overlooking the central quadrangle and listened as I explained the litany of refusals and hesitations our production faced from organisations that viewed cameras as invasive, back in 1992.

One by one, they suggested ways that might help me out. But, make no mistake, it was for me to do the legwork, not them.

When one of the solutions these two champions had plotted for me went horribly wrong (I mean, horribly!) Prince Philip tenaciously engaged with the matter, until a solution was found.

The duke maintained close links with the military all his life. Pic: AP

During this spat, there was a big parade for my regiment, the Scots Guards, at Holyrood in Scotland.

The duke, who was for many years the Senior Colonel of the Household Division, attended this and, afterwards, he spotted me across the throng. Striding over, he delved straight into the precise details on what had happened.

His escorting officers, all of whom were much senior to me, listened while the prince and I forensically unpicked what might solve the problem.

The trick was to bite the cat back - respectfully

The duke also had the measure of my often unbridled tenacity too and, when I made an office call to discuss something or other, he greeted me with: "So who have you infuriated today?"

His staff often berated me, probably with good reason, but I never felt this was at the direction of the prince. Actually, I sensed he rather appreciated a "why not" attitude, wherever he found it.

In fact, he loved to hear about the conflicts I had with organisations, which deemed my requests for filming access inappropriate. Perhaps this was because it reminded him of the challenges he faced, as the young consort of a new monarch inheriting a world of fixed attitudes in 1952 set by his late father-in-law's courtiers.

But Prince Philip was no rabble-rouser and, if he judged the defeat I faced as justified, he freely added his reproach, or added criticism.

Prince Philip could be blunt in his criticism but admired a robust response

To get the best from Prince Philip it was vital you girded yourself for his directness of speech, some blunt criticism and refreshingly ruthless cross-examination.

For some, this cat-plays-with-mouse treatment was daunting. But I learnt quite fast that the trick was to bite the cat back, respectfully, of course. Prince Philip admired a robust response.

Occasionally, he would ask for an absolutely truthful view. You knew this moment in his eyes. When it came to this moment, I would like to think the prince knew I gave it straight. And, assuming you could prove a point that countered his, he accepted with implicit respect.

The duke's extraordinary 'Chamber of Horrors'

On one occasion, the prince took me into a room at Buckingham Palace that I think he called his "Chamber of Horrors".

Here he had gathered an extraordinary array of the presents he had been given during a lifetime of public service, openings and anniversaries.

"What do you think that is?", he asked, while handing me a rough lump of worn and rusted metal mounted on a wooden base. My fingers felt the dedication label and instinctively, I was moving it towards my eyes. "No, don't read the inscription - think! Guess?"

Well, my suggestion was way off the mark. "It's one of the teeth from the machine that dug out the Channel Tunnel," he revealed

It was clear he was interested in the object, what it had done, but I could see why it had not been put on display.

A forgotten meeting and remarkable patience

The duke was a masterful and timely letter writer, never wordy and always to the point. He typed most of them himself, adding his splendid, powerful but minimal signature "Philip" by hand.

While his staff used paper embossed with his heraldic badge in black, the prince himself had it printed in his chosen livery of green. If you sent him a letter, you could be certain that the postman would be back at your door within three days, with a special delivery reply. He dealt with everything with the discipline and efficiency of a wartime naval officer.

A painting of Prince Philip in 2017, the year he retired, by artist Ralph Heimans

On one occasion, I can't think why or how, I completely forgot an office call I had booked with Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace. But then, I am and have always been horrifyingly forgetful.

I remembered with a jolt when the prince's military equerry rang to ask where I was. I admitted that I was in Hampshire. In a voice that sounded barely muffled by a hand, I could hear: "He's in Hampshire, Sir."

There was a short pause, the sound of the telephone being grasped and then: "You're a bloody idiot!" from the prince. Then, with probably as much surprise that I had achieved this particular forgetfulness, he added by way of instant forgiveness: "You had better sort out a new time. I'm here a lot next week."

Indeed, the prince was remarkably tolerant of my inefficiency considering he was the personification of the efficient. One story fully bears this patience out - particularly, as I did not deserve it.

The duke (at Trooping the Colour in 2017) pulled some strings to secure a last-minute message. Pic: AP

I have already referred to the Duke of Edinburgh being Senior Colonel of the Household Division, which included my regiment. When I wrote a book with the photographer Julian Calder on the Queen's Birthday Parade, Trooping the Colour, we wanted a foreword from the senior colonel.

His private secretary asked when the book was to be published. Next week, I replied.

"Next week?!"

Sure enough, within seven days a message of eloquence was ours to print and it made all the difference.

"You're a bloody idiot! Nobody will be interested!"

Within the last few years, we were at someone's house for dinner and, afterwards, while coffee circulated, Prince Philip came and sat beside me on a sofa. He told me how he had been flicking through the TV channels, probably looking for a documentary on nature. "And there you were talking a lot of nonsense about me!"

Well, inevitably, he thought the programme was "jibberish" but, as if, in fact, affirming what I had been saying in the programme, he took up the points I had been making and explained precisely what had been his view of the situation.

Prince Philip broke a heart-shaped chocolate in half and gave it to Alastair's newly-engaged parents

In this way, Prince Philip was endlessly robust, consistently gave zero quarter but would readily square up and be open about facts he knew, if faced by genuine interest.

I think my favourite story about him is not even a memory of mine but one that my mother and father told me once.

The night they announced their engagement, in Malta in 1950, Prince Philip shared a taxi home with them to the road where the two families, my mother's and the Edinburghs', lived.

On the way, a box of chocolates was passed along the line and the prince picked the strawberry-flavoured heart, broke it and gave them each a half.

He came to their wedding, where everyone was in white because this was the naval uniform at the time. This adds a magic to the black and white photographs, some of which include the dashingly Viking chisel-cheeked duke enthralled in conversation.

I still have the clock on my mantelpiece that he and Princess Elizabeth gave as their present, complete with the message of goodwill inside, handwritten and signed by them both.

Within a year, she was our Queen and he her loyal, robust and supporting consort.

A clock presented to Alastair Bruce's family by the Queen and Prince Philip

This change in the duke's life was seismic.

He must always have known it was coming but the suddenness was stark, especially for a capable naval commander whose upwards career was now set by the annual reports he earned from my grandfather's judgement.

From even the small knowledge I have of this titan in British public life, who took such a generous interest from time to time in what I was up to, I can be fairly certain of what he would say to me, after reading this.

"You're a bloody idiot! What a lot of nonsense. Nobody will be interested in this!"

[melancholicstation]

The Socially Active Secretary: Chapter Two

pairing: robert francis kennedy female ❤︎ original character charlotte agapov (secretary!reader)

author's note: BOBBY'S ARRIVED...

synopsis: charlotte agapov, a divorcee whom recently moved back to the states after a disastrous lovers quarrel, assumes the secretarial position to the most important man in America, but it is not he who has captured her attention, no. instead, it's his meek younger brother, the runt of the kennedy pack, bobby francis Kennedy.

[ 1585 words ]

taglist: @kennediva @absurdlyvintage @bloxholden35 @astro-vibes-bro @h-l-vlovesvintage @kimcrystal123 @remotewatch

chapter one, three

masterlist, charlotte moodboard, rfk moodboard

Chapter Two

May 2nd, 1962

Charlotte didn't often think of her life in London since her return to the states but it was hard not to in such living conditions. She wondered if her back would flare up due to the lumpy mattress she laid atop, in London she would get nearly daily pilates to her body and mind alive and distracted for her failure and her deteriorating marriage. A marriage which seemed to eat away at the both of them like a moth would do with a particularly lovely woollen shall. With each argument left untouched and dinner plate growing cold by Hugo's indifference, it seemed that nearly constant movement for Charlotte safeguarded her from total delirium.

Now, Charlotte certainly doesn't have the finances for such activities, not with Miss Desmond on 34rd street paying thirty-five dollars for a week worth of classes, it was preposterous to spend such funds on such abstract trivialities.

In the stead of her pilates escapades Charlotte took a certain likening to taking a walk with her insurmountable and seemingly unshakable grief on how her life had shaped up and a good virginia woolf paperback given to her by her grandmother in the early fifties.

Charlotte still had yet to get a callback from the strange job advertisement, not much of a shock to Charlotte's, yet it upset her enough that her mother noticed

"You know dear, I say you take the bus and head up to the cape, you that wonderful summer home that aunt Katherine has? i'm sure she would delighted to see you visit, doesn't have to be forever--just a couple days y'know I-i think it would do you a great deal of good. To get away for a few days?" Her mother expresses in such a tone that Charlotte feels shackled into agreeing.

Maybe a few days of relaxation and time by the sea would do her some good.

So she did.

Aunt Katherine greeted her with warmth and an admittedly delectable beef tartare at dinner time. The home smelt of tulip and hard candies, with incense wafting through the mahogany crack between the floor and all the home doors. And to top it off, Charlotte had the best sleep she's had in millennia.

Due to her inclination for the morning sunrise, Charlotte awoke at around five am, dressed herself and penned a quick note to her aunt assuring her that she was going to check out the famous beach spot her mom had recommended and that she'd be back before she woke up.

As she weaved her way through the sea of people, not too dissimilar in their anarchy as the crashing waves of the coastline, standing in line at the gelato stand, she cursed her choice of footwear. A pair of suede western-style knee high boots, highly practical for perhaps a stroll in balmoral but not such for a walk through Massachusetts beaches.

Charlotte searched the perimeter of the beach, trying to pin point the specific spot from memory that she remembered adored playing in as a young girl. She considered giving up a turning around many times during the adventure, she had always defaulted to giving up once the times got rough. At least she thinks that's what her ex-partners would posture.

But just as she was starting to believe that spot was a figment of her childhood imaginative spirit, she spotted it. There it was. All in its glory, though aged, but all the more beautiful for it. The lighthouse seemed to have had it tough in the years of Charlotte's absence, with its paint still bleach white but now with barnacles attached. Society often treated once beautiful things that have changed as outcasts, but Charlotte found them all the more fascinating for it.

The bleached and weathered wood creaks under her boots as Charlotte tries and fails to salvage the hem of her knit pants from getting muddled by the damp sand nearly encompassing the stairs.

Charlotte then ascends and moves towards the door, painted in a carmine and fixed with a copper hand rusted beyond belief. But just as she fixes her hand around the doorknob, her manicured hands grasping the jagged texture of the handle, she felt a strong resistant. Not unlike a hand grasping the handle on the other side of the vermillion-washed door.

Charlotte immediately backs her hand off the doorhandles and waits for a response, on the nameless figure she proposes is behind the door. She curses herself for being shocked into place and unable to simply leave down the stairs she came from, after all it was just a stupid lighthouse; a childhood fixation of her personal adoration, whoever could be behind the door could be a dangerous person, or simply just an unfriendly one.

However she was left unable to mull over that thought, like she would do with a good glass of 1942 Dom Perignon Brut, when the person on the other side of the door revealed themselves.

And instead, it wasn't a dangerous or unfriendly face. It was categorically the opposite. The person, now directly facing Charlotte's direction, was a young man with soft, kind eyes and a small straight nose holding up a set of worn acetane sunglasses who could've been no older than 40 staring straight back at her, with equal parts surprise and mild shock.

"Oh I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to shock you! I wasn't aware that this old place had much visitors and was simply passing through, I'll leave you to it." the man said in a thin, bordering on blubbering way that was emboldened with an implacable charm. He was beautiful. And stunningly so at that.

"Oh quite the contrary, it's me who should apologise really I-I'm sorry to have disturbed you, y'know it seemed that we were both under the impression that this old place hasn't seen a familiar face in a while I suppose,"

Charlotte says in a attempt at brevity--truth be told ever since her divorce she had been something of a recluse, and it seemed her social skills were a little more than rusty at the moment.

"Quite so"

,he says chuckling and in a tone that has become more cheerful by the second, as he seems to try to communicate that the disturbance has not been an unwelcome one though not through words.

"Y'know it was quite simple of me to think that such a place of beauty would not have other inhibitors" Charlotte shrugs and playfully notes, as she takes in the surroundings.

The pair begin to fawn over the lighthouse, sharing anecdotes of their favourite details of the structure. The stranger's being the small seagull figurine attached to the wooden railing. Charlotte's being the darling shades of coral and azure painted upon the cupola of the lighthouse.

Mid conversation Charlotte shifts and catches the man's attention,

"At the risk of being brazen, could I ask your name?" Charlotte said in a half-whisper.

"No-no not all my names Robert but y'know people just call me Bobby really--sort of a nickname that stuck I guess.",

It's only then that Charlotte makes note of the strong accent bursting from this kindred spirit in the form of a stranger, a strong Boston accent. So strong in fact that the r's sound less like an r and more similar to a h.

"Well I suppose I should act in the same spirit, my name's Charlotte." she said in a tone she hoped came across as airy.

"Very nice to meet you Charlotte." A beat of silence escorts it.

"Well you know I'd hate to disturb your day plans any longer, so I'll get on my own way. It was wonderful to meet you Charlotte, truly" Robert murmured while receding down the wooden stairs while maintaining comfortable eye contact with such grace and untouched elegance that Charlotte thought had prior only been reserved for dignified princess and Hollywood starlets, like Hepburn or Kelly.

But just as Robert had descended the stairs, Charlotte surprises herself, and Robert, as evident by the minuscule rise of his shoulder blades beneath his poplin dress shirt by calling out to him

"Hey don't I know you from somewhere?, I feel like I've seen you on TV or something?"

"This face?, well you see a face like mine is surely not made for television I can tell you that. Goodbye Charlotte, you have a good day now." He laughs with an air of brevity in his tone.

Charlotte finds herself laughing too, without even a direct reason why. The realisation hits her that this is the first time she'd laughed in nearly six month. She had been so focused on survival from her divorce that Charlotte had closed herself off from all frivolity, such as a kind interaction with a similarly kind stranger.

Just as her eye's focus back from the dream state of Charlotte's that had to border on at least ten seconds, Charlotte looks back to where Robert had just stood. And he was gone without a trace.

Well, not entirely without a trace. Though his physical being had left Charlotte could see the imprint of his loafer on the sandy wood of the stairs.

If it weren't for those Charlotte would regard the interaction as a dream sequence, a figment of her fractured, socially-stifled brain.

But it was real. Entirely real and as tangible as the sand passing through her fingers.

Charlotte would go on to repeat those two sentences all the way back to her temporary cape abode.

End of Chapter Two.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

re: Charles adultery interview vs Diana adultery interview ( panorama) and why William probably has a better view of Charles interview, but not Diana.

First of all, Charles interview didn't trash Diana at all. That's a huge difference. 

The Charles interview is online, and it wasn't set up as an adultery interview. It's a 1hr broad documentary about his life that year. The usual Charles at work, charles with his charities etc, but it also included a section on his disdain for the paparazzi which was filmed in the grounds of Balmoral and actually includes William and Harold playing with other kids/ retainers/ Charles.

Then there is a 5-10min section which is the proper sitdown interview where he is asked about his marriage. He is clearly relunctant to discuss said marriage and it's more a question and answer session as if he is answering an exam. 

He is asked if he loved his wife and had married her for love to which he said yes. But he also says he doesn't want to go into details because once you start explaining yourself to the media it becomes a runaway train and it's unfair on others( paraphrasing).

Then the interviewer asks him if he was unfaithful, he says yes. Interviewer asks when? He replies that after his marriage had irretrivably broken down, but he doesn't go into further details.

Interviewer then asks whether he cheated with Mrs PB, and he replies that he has many female friends that he holds dear especially Mrs PB. ( again paraphrasing).

Cut to media reporting of this documentary: 

Breaking news: Charles said he cheated with Camilla/ Charles names his mistress ( again paraphrasing).

Fast Forward a year later:

Diana revenge interview ( panorama) is aired. 

She trashed Charles in nany, many ways including saying he wasn't fit to be King all couched in manipulative language that positions her as the victim. 

However, some reporting afew days later regarding William is heartbreaking. 

It seems that news of Panorama interview had found it's way to William's housemaster at Eton. He rings Diana to come to school to explain it to William in person. At first she refuses claiming that William us a big boy and anyway she hasn't said anything bad in the interview. Housemaster insists, and Diana finally goes to Eton to explain to William and leaves him with a breezy nothing-to-worry-about view of coming interview. 

The interview is aired. Housemaster gave William his sitting room to watch it in private. Apparently William cried as he watched the interview. And then for days afterwards was teased by other boys for the interview. 

When he came home for exeat, he and Diana had an almighty, shouting row. He was upset that she'd trashed Charles, aired dirty laundry about herself etc.

But the next day, he apologised to her. She would later tell her friends that she realised in that morning/ apology that she'd broken him, and their relationship would never be the same. 

And she was distraught and regretted the interview in that moment. Prior to that moment, she'd been euphoric at what she saw as her triumph, but seeing it's effect on William, she realised the damage she'd done. 

But more shock was to come 2wks after the interview. As a direct result of that interview, The Queen ordered the divorce which came as a huge shock to Diana because she'd married the only man who by *law couldn't divorce which suited her romantic ideas even if reality didn't live upto it.

The separation in 1992 had been finessed with constitutional experts/ privy council and Palace PR to get around this law on condition that there would be no divorce and John Major, PM of the UK had made separation announcement to that effect. 

*despite Henry 8 divorce shenanigans, our constitution regarding the heir to the throne and the Monarch is that they can't divorce without Parliament's permission. 

The reality is that Parliament often says no,  as George 4 found out with his repeated attempts to divorce his wife Caroline when they were Prince & Princess of Wales and again once he was King and she was Queen Consort. 

[abiiors]

Edinburgh

A/N: Anon who's sent me two more requests, if you're reading this one, I'm so sorry I'll get to that one I promise 😭

Matty Healy x Reader

‘How am I supposed to live, laugh, love in these conditions,’ you groan into the pillow. 

‘Come on,’ he laughs, ‘you’ve got a broken leg, baby. It’s not the end of the world.’

You shoot a glare his way at that. ‘We were supposed to be in Edinburgh this weekend. I was supposed to be walking down cobblestone streets.’

‘Well, you’re the one who decided to “rescue” that cat from our roof.’

‘Because I thought it was stuck!’ you defend vehemently. 

‘You just jumped at the opportunity to kidnap another cat.’

There’s no point denying it. Your attempts at getting as many cats as you can aren’t exactly subtle to him. So you just huff in silence and mutter a few words about being bullied. 

‘Besides, Edinburgh will still be here in three weeks when your cast is off.’

This is a childish grudge, you know it is, yet you cannot help but pout at him, ‘well, what if it isn’t!’

‘Then I will personally, with my own two hands, build you a new Edinburgh. Brick by brick, I promise.

‘Melodramatic,’ you laugh; finally crack a smile for the first time that day and his whole face softens at that. 

He scoots closer to you on the bed and takes your broken leg in his lap. It’s covered in a very cheerful-looking yellow cast which makes you hate it even more. He’s also taken to doodling on it whenever he feels like it. So far it has—a cat, a very wonky-looking box with 1975 written inside (courtesy of George), “get well soon” messages + signatures from all four of them, and what looks like a flower? (it could honestly also be a sunny-side up). 

He grabs the marker he keeps on the bedside table for this explicit purpose and starts drawing a few lines. You strain your neck to see what it is and soon it becomes clear that he’s trying to draw the Balmoral Clock. 

‘The artistry, mmm, outstanding!’ you giggle. 

‘Stop teasing me, I am trying to bring Edinburgh to you.’ 

You lean back again and let him continue. His lips are parted in concentration and his curls keep fighting to escape the headband he’s put them in. One, in particular, manages to escape and falls on his eyebrow in just the most spectacular way possible. It feels like a scene from the movie, this. The bed is messy in just the right way and the sunlight that streams through the window creates the perfect soft halo around him. 

‘What are you thinking,’ he asks without looking up.

‘That I should auction that cast on eBay once they take it off,’ you snicker as he gives you an unimpressed look and goes back to putting the final touches on his magnum opus. He even goes as far as drawing a very elaborate M that’s surrounded by tonnes of little hearts.

Then he bends down to place a small kiss on your cast, just above your broken ankle. 

‘Hmm, Healy, is there a kink I should know about?’ you tease.

‘You twat,’ he chucks the marker cap at you in response, ‘I’m never doing anything nice for you again.’

‘Aww no! Okay, I will frame the cast once it’s off, I promise.’ 

‘You better,’ he says as he crawls back next to you and presses his lips onto yours.