Charles, Prince of Wales turns sixty this week and is still waiting for the job he's been groomed for all his life.

Personally I'd take the greatest of pleasure in telling Mummy to shove her job but I doubt he will.

Link

Anyone remember the name (or better yet a video clip) of the comedy show at Christmas time where they did an ongoing spoof of the Queen saying to Charles that its time to hand over the title?...then saying she was only joking! Think they did a spoof of the Queens talk too. For the life of me cannot remember. :S

I see he also wants to be known as "Defender of the faith" in deference to the non-Christians living in our little island. I think he's been talking to the potato heads a bit too much. Next he'll be wanting the title of Grand Ayatollah or some other claptrap.

Why can't he be a bit more reflective on Europe's long and varied culture and proclaim himself Dzork the Defibrillator?

Funny how we can, even when in the UK, take the piss out of our Royal Family. Does that make us a better society than others that otherrs that shall remain nameless.

Answers without naming the nameless.

Maybe the way that we (Brits) treat our Royal Family, directly affects how they behave. If I had no respect by the people around me, i think i wouldnt be much motivated. Other nameless Royal may love to do more for their people and behave well because they know they are loved and respected. Of course, there are flaws in all Royal Families (unnamed), and not being able to question anything about it seems to be extreme. However, I think in the UK we are WAY too disrespectful to our own Royals (well at least the press are). But, in the same sense, i believe the press are also way too disrespectful to many people in the spotlight. Personally im sick of seeing people being ripped to shreds.

(I do confess to finding that comedy sketch I mentioned to be quite funny though. But I dont think it was particularly disrespectful.)

I think a lot of the difference between how different royals are viewed is not because of the way the press or their subjects treat them, but how they themselves interact with those same subjects (and the press).

Whenever I think if Queen E, I think of someone you see waving from a balcony or passing car (or breezing past you while you stand rigidly at attention as a part of an honour guard, twice). I think of someone that attends "hi-so" events like Wimbledon or the Royal Ascot horse races (or what ever they call it).

When I think of someone else, I think of a person that jammed with some of the greatest names in Jazz. Someone who holds numerous agricultural patents, and has spent considerable time personally involved in trying to improve the lives of his subjects. Someone who, though could afford it, doesn't bounce around the world in a private jet or yacht, just to grace the "colonials" with his presence.

As for Charles, I suspect that long ago, mom caught him doing something (or someone) "unroyal" and determined that he simply wasn't "king" material. She probably thought that if she did hand over the crown, and Charles continued to act in such an "unroyal" manner, she would bear the blame for making him the king, and would have to live with that shame for the rest of her life.

At least this way, assuming Charles does outlive her, what ever he does after assuming the crown won't reflect on her good name (and she won't be around to read/hear about it any ways).

The queen could easily live for another 20+ years so Charles could be 80+ when he takes over the throne. Personally I don't think he'll ever get that throne, it'll go directly to William.

A prince with ears like Dumbo the Elephant just doesn't make it!

Somehow I don't think Charles lies awake in bed at night wondering when he will be king.

I seem to recall years ago Charles released a statement indicating he doesn't aspire to be King of England and would settle for some other title.

He could have very easily been the second Duke of Windsor!

But not a Duke of Hazzard!

Wrong accent?

Wrong car .... a Bentley with a white stripe down the sides just wouldn't work, neither would changing the yeee haaaw shout into tally ho... not even golly.

Wrong car .... a Bentley with a white stripe down the sides just wouldn't work, neither would changing the yeee haaaw shout into tally ho... not even golly.

And I just can't see Camilla doing a credible Daisy Duke imitation !

Top hole!

What a horrible thought.

What a horrible thought.

Yes, that has put me right off my breakfast.

The British royal family aloofness thing I think is a carry over from the pre Magna Carta time when the King was effectively God on Earth and his entourage carried his word to the masses. It has got watered down a bit but is largely kept going by the upper classes trying to maintain England as it was before the unwashed irks rose up and then all those little fuzzy-wuzzies came over.

Prince Charles, to his credit, is trying via his various estates to encourage thinking not so far removed from the sufficiency economy promoted by the man. Problem is that Charles is often quoted out of context and portrayed by the press as some kind of kook. I think he's given up now and adopts a "if they think I'm a kook I'll give them something kooky to write about" attitude.

I think the loss of respect for our monarchy was the start of the decline of social standards in the UK to the point now that nobody respects anything and we are a short step away from anarchy. Sure some of the things you see on satirical shows like Spitting Image are funny but some are, or were, downright offensive. There is a fine line between humour and insult, as messrs Ross and Brand (? Can't recall the name of the piece of shit) found out but the public love them for some unknown reason. I wonder how much they'd love me if I called anyone up and claimed to have sh@gged their grand daughter?

Odd that the youth culture today recognises disrespect as in the phrase "you're dissing me" (dissing = disrespecting so I believe) but then they don't demonstrate any respect for those outside their circle. In fact the phrase is an opening gambit for a bout of bother, aggro, fisticuffs call it what you like and has little to do with actual respect. Respect within these youth cultures is almost back to the tribal hierarchical structure that existed a thousand years ago. It appears that maybe "we", by that I mean society, have failed to learn from history and thus are condemmed to repeat it.

Sunday sermon rant over, it's 11:55 am here in Seoul time for a sh1t, shower, shave and a shampoo and it's off down the pub for some of the p1ss that passes for beer here.

Long live THE man and people's respect!

Have you tried 'de-caf' phil?

Have you tried 'de-caf' phil?

De-caf? It'll take a good few weeks more to get the Vietnamese coffee out of my system.

Best coffee in the world.

Have you tried 'de-caf' phil?

De-caf? It'll take a good few weeks more to get the Vietnamese coffee out of my system.

Best coffee in the world.

I take it Vietnamese coffee is nothing like Thai coffee then?

I've been told by a coffee buyer that Thai coffee is actually much better.

I've been told by a coffee buyer that Thai coffee is actually much better.

I'm talking about how they prepare it. Used engine oil would be a good desription.

Sunday sermon rant over, it's 11:55 am here in Seoul time for a sh1t, shower, shave and a shampoo and it's off down the pub for some of the p1ss that passes for beer here.

Off to Poly's Tea Kettle then?

Camila Parker-Duke.

Arent you even a little bit tempted?

Hmmmm, nothing a half-bottle of Jack and some dim lighting couldn't overcome.

Or a brown paper bag might do the trick.

Or be patriotic and cover her head with a flag and do "it" for your country.

Then again, if she really looked like that, I'm sure she already knows what it's like to "bite the pillow".

Oh kerry, see the pc thread please...

Hmmmm, nothing a half-bottle of Jack and some dim lighting couldn't overcome.

Or a brown paper bag might do the trick.

Or be patriotic and cover her head with a flag and do "it" for your country.

Then again, if she really looked like that, I'm sure she already knows what it's like to "bite the pillow".

Kerry, just remember one thing for me will ya?

You may want to write it down even as this could be the best piece of advice you will ever receive.

You do not look at the mantle when you are stoking the fire.

As for Charles, I suspect that long ago, mom caught him doing something (or someone) "unroyal" and determined that he simply wasn't "king" material. She probably thought that if she did hand over the crown, and Charles continued to act in such an "unroyal" manner, she would bear the blame for making him the king, and would have to live with that shame for the rest of her life.

OK, this Stephen Colbert report from a few years ago might be the answer to that question.

http://www.noob.us/humor/stephen-colbert-f...-stop-laughing/

Edward VII waited 60 years for the throne and his Mum, Queen Victoria, made it no secret that she considered him an unsuitable monarch.

His relatively short reign was remarkably successful with several political controversies being handled quite well.