Charles and Camilla Attacked; Questions Asked

A mysterious man was able to sneak through the Palace into the Queen’s bedroom and wake her up; another nearly kidnapped Princess Anne out in the Mall; and someone dressed as Osama bin Laden crashed Prince William’s 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle.

Fears over the royals’ safety have been few and far between, thankfully, but after such blatant security failures, it’s a wonder that the Royal residences and automobiles aren’t locked down White House-style.

In this day and age, it is fair to start wondering – when will security tighten up for the British Royal Family? What is it going to take?

Communication Breakdown

Criticism from security experts is raining down upon officials and personal protection officers since Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were attacked in their car on their way to the Royal Variety Performance.

The mob was so close that a protestor was able to jam a stick through the window of the car – which was either down or broken – and was able to prod the Duchess of Cornwall in the ribs.

In the photos that emerged of the event, both Camilla and Prince Charles were visibly upset and confused. Dozens of people surrounded their limo, smashing a rear window and splashing it on one side with white paint.

Alan Johnson, the former home secretary, has said he was “amazed” that royal protection officers were not
communicating properly prior to the car making its way through the area.

The riot had started because of a vote on the Government’s plan to cut higher education funding. Parents and educators, as well as students, turned out to protest in front of Parliament. Things got out of hand – Charlie Gilmour, son of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, was arrested for swinging from the Cenotaph on a Union flag. Others vandalized similar monuments, including a statue of Winston Churchill.

We can only hope that security will be vastly improved before Prince William’s wedding this spring. Anarchist groups have already made their intentions to strike during the wedding widely known. If a vehicle containing members of the Royal Family is allowed through a rampaging riot mob, what will happen to an open bridal carriage?

Kate gets Diana’s engagement ring. Sweet gesture or bad omen, considering the Wales’ marriage?

It’s a sweet idea and I see where William is coming from, but I think it probably would’ve been better for him (or Harry) to pass the ring to one of their own children for an engagement. It seems slightly too early to be giving Diana’s old ring the spotlight again. It should be gifted to a grandchild. But that’s just my opinion. What do you think?

“Queen tried to use state poverty fund to heat Buckingham Palace“. This makes her sound like the Sheriff of Nottingham, taking the last gold coin from the old man with a broken foot.

I highly doubt the Queen would do something like this. Her Majesty doesn’t strike me as cruel, and she certainly isn’t stupid by any means. Even if ‘advised’ by a palace flunky, could she not dismiss the advice?

I think something is rotten, and it isn’t the Queen’s doing. Just what is going on with her advisers and other palace officials?

Read more about the situation here.

Image via Wikipedia

Sarah Ferguson, the former wife of Prince Andrew, will be joining Oprah Winfrey’s new network OWN in 2011.

Ferguson will film a six-part series about her life, entitled “Finding Sarah”, that will debut early next year. She will discuss the struggle with her weight, relationships, and her finances. The latter has certainly been a controversial subject of late!

Will you watch the series, or pass on it? Do you believe this is being created out of a need for a genuine healing process, or as a bid for sympathy?

“Finally, Fergie catches a break,” says The Daily Beast.

Unbelievable statement? You bet. The website is referring to the reports that the USA’s own Oprah Winfrey has offered the scandal-plagued, money-hungry Sarah Ferguson a prime-time talk show. It would debut on the upcoming Oprah Winfrey Network, which Oprah is currently trying to fill with original shows before launch day in 2011.

The reports are currently unconfirmed, but a “source” from Fergie’s circle claims that Oprah did offer the opportunity for her own show. The reason could only come from a Fergie supporter – they claim Oprah was “impressed by Sarah’s poise when she appeared on her show”.

Oprah’s folks at Harpo Productions put it a little less enthusiastically: “We have had initial conversations with Sarah Ferguson about a docu-series,” the network said in a prepared statement, “not a talk show, but there is nothing to announce at this time.”

NY Post

Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber has his eye on Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England. He says he would love to buy it and house part of his extensive art collection there.

This isn’t good news for the castle’s owner, however. The estate has been the ancestral home of the Carnarvon clan for over 300 years, and the current Lord Carnarvon frowns upon selling it.

George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon told the Daily Mail that the estate “[I]s absolutely a treasured, long-term family estate and I have never discussed selling it to anyone. It is not for sale. [Lord Lloyd-Webber] has not approached me directly and the first I knew about him expressing his interest in this letter was just before a recent council meeting.”

Maintenance has been a struggle for Carnarvon, and the cost of repairing the 150-room stately home is estimated at £12 million. He plans to raise the funds by allowing 15 houses to be built within the 4,000 acre estate. The money from the sales – or rent, should he choose – would go to the repairs. Lloyd-Webber, on the other hand, says if he owned the property he could restore it to its former splendor without having to develop the land.

In his letter to Basingstoke Council, Lord Lloyd-Webber said that he would like to combine his Sydmonton estate and Highclere in order to house his art collection.

I don’t know about everyone else, but I think that perhaps the two men could reach a compromise: Lord Carnarvon could rent part of the estate to Lord Lloyd-Webber so that he may house part of his art collection. The rent money could then be put towards the maintenance of the estate. Carnarvon would still own the property, it would get restored, and Lloyd-Webber would have his space for his artwork.

More:
Andrew Lloyd-Webber in Castle Row

If I may be so bold, I think that allowing Ms. Ferguson to retain the use of “Duchess of York” will only cause her – and the family – further suffering.

The American Oprah interview is a strong sign that “Fergie” is looking for forgiveness and a chance to start over. The problem is that she’s done that already. There are only so many times you can start over before it looks like a hollow, shallow lie.

Ms. Ferguson claims to be a victim, though she does apologize profusely. Her explanations, however, indicate severe denial and a probable repeat of vulgar, destructive behavior. To truly prevent any further damage to herself and her family, Ms. Ferguson needs to get counseling for obsession and low self-esteem. Further counsel is sorely needed to help her manage a budget and live within her means. Sarah Ferguson is neither royal nor wealthy, and she’s just going to have to accept that fact. When she does, her whole existence will change and, hopefully, she will finally embrace who she is and realize that she’s a decent person at heart. Average, but decent.

When will Sarah Ferguson stop abusing herself and taking advantage of others? When she gets help. I pray that Prince Andrew and the Queen will set her up with a psychiatrist and a Coutt’s debt management team STAT.

In the Guardian, James Whitaker blames the Queen for giving Sarah a relatively small sum in her divorce from Prince Andrew. In fact, a few people have laid blame at Her Majesty’s feet. One commenter wrote: “Fergie was treated shabbily by the royals in the divorce settlement. She is the mother of the queen’s grandchildren”. But think of this: if your daughter-in-law had just spent you under the table, and had continued to behave in such a manner, would you be willing to give her even more money to blow annually? Giving her more is not the answer. If anything, the Queen should’ve forbidden Sarah’s use of “Duchess of York” and hired a scrupulous accountant for her instead. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have a trust, so they don’t have to worry. Well, now that Sarah’s blown through it all, I guess they do. D’oh!

Even I can’t help you, girl.