Comments on: Thoughts on Royals

By: Michael PS

Michael PS — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 08:21:21 +0000

I should imagine the life of a constitutional combines tedium and irritation in an uncommon degree

As Seneca says, “Parva si non fiunt quotidie” [These things would be trivial, if they did not have to be endured daily]

By: Gail Finke

Gail Finke — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 02:26:33 +0000

What a great essay! Patrick: Queen Elizabeth is hard-working, or at least she used to be (don’t know about now in her elderly years). It is hard work to represent your country at event after event, day after day, year after year, sometimes several times a day. Being on display like that, talking to hundreds of people, always having to look just so and be perfect no matter how you feel or what you think or what you’d rather be doing… it may not seem like working, but it is.

By: Ethan C.

Ethan C. — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 01:51:06 +0000

If I were formulating the laws of a constitutional monarchy, I might contemplate letting the sovereign retain the right to arbitrarily execute one member of the media each year. At least so long as it was their only power.

By: Art Deco

Art Deco — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:24:22 +0000

Lovely story… I admire Queen Elizabeth too, but “hard working?” Come on, that’s insulting to people who really do work for a living.

She has an extensive schedule of public appearances and mounds of state papers to read. She is still at it at the age of 86.

–

The Duchess of Cambridge’s privacy was invaded, but as a rule the only person who should see you topless is your husband.

By: peg

peg — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 11:58:15 +0000

I love the tales of the Japanese crown prince, but am distracted by the impressive achievement of the George family—four sons at Oxford? Wow.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 03:16:20 +0000

Lovely story… I admire Queen Elizabeth too, but “hard working?” Come on, that’s insulting to people who really do work for a living.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 01:18:13 +0000

Oh come now, the topless-Kate flap is hardly the same thing as Harry’s shenanigans. She takes her shirt off to sunbathe on a private vacation with her husband, on a private beach, in the middle of nowhere, in the South-of-Frace, where everyone goes topless anyway. And the paparazzi spy on them! Kate’s behavior is hardly the problem here.

The stories you tell of Prince Hiro (which are so lovely!) only accentuates the point: sometimes Royals need to be regular people too. And if the paparazzi weren’t so dogged in their pursuit of the British Royal family, maybe they’d have a chance to be so.

By: Mitch

Mitch — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 22:45:52 +0000

I think it should be noted however that Kate and William are married and there is nothing scandalous about their behavior, perhaps better judgment could have been made on the location they chose to go sun bathing, perhaps not, I don’t know, I haven’t followed closely enough.

By: nancyo

nancyo — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 20:16:50 +0000

I love the stories about Prince Hiro – wonderful! And you are so right; if the clothes stay on there can be no scandalous photos to later surface.