That perceptive and excellent scribbler, Mr. Geoffrey Wheatcroft, says it all in this week's 'Speccie' when he asks, nay pleads, for not-so-bonnie Prince Charlie to give us all a break and declare his intention to renounce his claim to the throne in the sad event that 'Her Maj' finally pops her right royal clogs! Mr. Wheatcroft, being the sort of decent British gentleman that I am not, is kind to Prince Charles, if only out of a sense of fellow feeling:
I’ve always had a soft spot for the prince, as a fellow crank and one more emotionally illiterate Englishman.
The problem is that 'Prinnies' crankery and emotional good intentions, ranging as they have done from marrying a simple-minded girl who had no idea what she was letting herself in for, to swallowing hook, line and sinker all that global warming crap, actually results in severe harm. If we could rely on him to just keep schtum and confine his talking to his plants at 'Highgrove' then we might get through his reign with minimal damage. But alas, as Mr. Wheatcroft emphasises, 'Prinnie' never stops telling everyone and their uncles - and us! - his opinions on absolutely everything from modern architecture to bonkers fringe medicine to genetically modified crops - and that includes cabinet ministers in receipt of his non-stop memos and letters.
I know I have said this before but it is the prerogative of the elderly to repeat themselves - another reason 'Prinnie' at 67 would be a pain in the butt - it would be a great relief to us all if he passed the baton straight on to William V and his elegant wife. With two photogenic 'kiddiewinkies' to keep the tabloids and the ladies happy they could steer our monarchy through what might prove to be difficult times.
Her maj could go on until 100 like her mum. Hope so anything to keep that twat off the throne. Will V and consort what a difference. I am a great believer that having a constitutional monarch is great for our country and the cost of maintaining it is repaid many times over in so many ways. To change that would be disastrous. If Charles becomes king this country at the moment overwhelmingly royalist could suddenly become republican because he would be a dreadful king.
Posted by: Antisthenes | Saturday, 09 April 2016 at 07:40
If anyone has any doubts as the essential nature of our Royal family just pause and consider the possibility of, say, President Prescott - yeeeeeeeees, quite!
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 09 April 2016 at 09:19
Perhaps I should have added that Charles I came to sticky end and hope this Charles does to preferably before he becomes Charles III.
Posted by: Antisthenes | Saturday, 09 April 2016 at 09:21
A little harsh, Antis. Yes, he's a bit of a plonker but if we bumped off all the plonkers in the world that would only leave me and you!
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 09 April 2016 at 09:57