From the Guardian:
For many men, a 60th birthday is a time for reflection; a winding down of activities, handing over to the kids (passing on the family firm, perhaps), looking forward to retirement.
Not so for the Prince of Wales, whose birthday it is today. All his life, since the age of three, he has been readied for the day when he will succeed his mother. It could happen maybe next week, maybe next year, maybe not for another 20 years. The Queen is fitter than her mother was at the same age, and she lived on to be 101.
Abdication is not written into the royal DNA and so, barring accidents or long-term, incapacitating illness to the Queen, Charles also serves by only standing and waiting. He is already the oldest Prince of Wales and third-longest serving heir-apparent and, in another five years, he would be the oldest person to become king.
Imagine spending one's whole life "only standing and waiting". Retirement before he's ever had a job and may never have a job? I meant to do a serious post on Charles' birthday for my friends from England and the countries of the Commonwealth, but as I saw the official picture and read the article, I began to laugh. The end result is mainly satirical. I blame the Guardian and extend apologies to all his admirers.
Look at the official portrait. It's a flattering picture, showing him at his best, but - really! Isn't the Gilbert and Sullivan uniform a bit over the top? I know it is a real uniform, but still....
And his life. Waiting since he was three years old to be king. The once and future king - not! He could be doddering by the time he takes the throne, or it may never happen.
He seems more settled since his marriage to Camilla, although, it is reported that they quarrel a good bit. However, they get over the arguments and are friends again soon enough.
He has practiced and promoted organic gardening for many years now. His charity work includes sponsoring a trust for educating disadvantaged children, and he speaks out for preserving the environment - all good things, surely.
Charles does not use computers. He prefers long hand-written notes or communicating by phone. His life is presently more peaceful than in tumultuous times past. As the article says:
But now the turmoil is over: he has married the woman he loved all along, his sons are grown and tucked away in the armed services, his charities flourish and, mention it gently, some of his pet causes - the environment, organic farming, human-scale architecture, improving interfaith relations - no longer seem quite so wacky after all.
Happy Birthday, Prince Charles! And many more to you - standing and waiting.
“God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts. Who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed,
And post o’er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.”
John Milton
UPDATE: If you think I'm bad, watch the video at the site on the Guardian's cartoonist, Steve Bell and how he was able to capture Charles in his drawings.
I love the uniform but then I am a gay royalist :-)
ReplyDeleteSeriously I do feel sorry for Charles, sure he has messed up some of his life but haven't we all and thankfully not in the public gaze for most of us. I do think some of his previous eccentricities have become rather mainstream. And he has had a job in the Firm just has to wait (hopefully) a log time to become head of the Firm. I do feel sorry for his mother who can never retire.
a LONG time and my 'hopefully' is not a criticism of him rather due to my immense admiration for his mother.
ReplyDeleteBrian, mea culpa. I intended this to be a simple "Happy Birthday" wish, but I obviously got sidetracked.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't the queen retire, if she chose to? Surely, she won't go on to age 101, if she lives that long.
I would have refrained from criticism of the uniform, had I known your preferences. ;o)
I have a sneaking fondness for him and his new missus. I do think he is a lost soul, adrift without a real function. Monarch-in-(perpetual)-waiting: what sort of a job is that for a grown-up?
ReplyDeleteDP, I wouldn't say that I have a fondness for him, but I do feel a bit sorry for him. I wish he'd pay for a business class seat for me to fly over to his and your wonderful country. He wouldn't miss the money. Or perhaps he could start a foundation for trips for the elderly from the US who want to visit.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read, the Queen has an aversion to abdication due to the situation with her uncle Edward VIII.
ReplyDeleteShe is supposed to have snorted with derision when told the Queen of the Netherlands had abdicated. Also I read that she is cutting down on activities which is providing more work for Charles. I will petition him as a loyal servant to fulfill your request but I would not start packing yet :-)
Do you think he is gay?
ReplyDeleteBrian, I see. You know a lot more about this than I do. However, she will remain the decider, in as much as a Queen gets to decide.
ReplyDeleteRevd Dr Chris, I do not think Charles is gay. I take him at his word when he said that he wanted to live in Camilla's knickers.
The Queen won't abdicate, especially since she remembers her father's experience the last time someone abdicated.
ReplyDeleteShe might even outlive Charles and pass the crown to a middle-aged William.
Who would want the job of monarch these days? I would imagine the current one, if she had her druthers when young, would never have taken the job. To her great credit, she's done a fine job as head of state, and I don't see the younger generations of royals as any improvement.
I say it's time to retire the royals to Sandringham or Balmoral or where ever they want to go, disestablish the Church, get rid of Lords, and write a constitution. Monarchy is an idea whose time has long passed.
But then, I'm a Yank.
Charles is not gay, but Edward...
I love the line about Charles getting on the cartoonists tits. I had never heard that one!!
ReplyDeleteI have so been enjoying your blog. But I confess I am sad you read
ReplyDeleteThe Guardian it is not the best UK paper around... As long as you don't take any notice of La Toynbee, who is a really bad writer all is well! :-)
As a Brit I can honestly say Charles is not gay - his youngest brother hmm well... he is probably the same as our last PM...
Charles has done a lot of good charity work here - just look up The Princes Trust.
Josephine
Josephine, it's 4:20 AM in the UK right now. You're up late - or early. Which is the best UK newspaper? I confess that I have not always been greatly impressed with the Times, but I do not read any of the British newspapers regularly. I drop in from time to time.
ReplyDeleteCharles is not gay. I'm sure of that. Edward is like your last PM? Tony Blair? Are you trying to tell me something?
Under the circumstances, Charles does as well as can be expected, I suppose. He's in quite an awkward position.
Thanks for visiting.
Counterlight, I pretty much agree with you, but the English can do as they like. It's their country. William could well be the next king, if there is a next king.
ReplyDeleteSusan, even in the real photographs of Charles, he's often pictured scowling. Do the photographers pick out the least flattering pictures to publish, or is Charles always scowling? He's a cartoonist's dream subject.
The reason the Queen won't abdicate is almost certainly that she doesn't want to live to see the balls-up her boy's going to make of the job.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to the wonderful Steve Bell video. In future on my attention will be riveted on Prince C's oral contortions.