The glorious & addictive “St. George’s Chapel Choir”.
OK, to be fair, it was probably a very difficult, if NOT impossible, act to follow, i.e., to give a Christmas address to the world with the panache the Queen had mastered (over the 69 years she had done it).
I will also readily admit — & it is no secret — I don’t like Charles, particularly after ‘Tampongate‘. He is NOT my King! I am sorry.
Yes, I am rapidly reverting back to the Anti-Monarchist I was in my youth.
Charles, to I, comes across as a gormless dork. He lacks warmth or personality — as I always thought was also the case with his Dad. I was never a huge fan of his either. I guess, in the end, I just liked MY QUEEN. It was her.
I am not sure we need a Monarchy. Time to rethink this.
I did NOT listen to all of his speech. It was too painful. But, I loved the Choir. I am going to go back and replay them a few times.
Click to ENLARGE. From ‘Netflix‘.Click to ENLARGE. ‘Google’ search.Click to ENLARGE and read here. Wikipedia.
I definitely ENJOYED it — & that, alas, is part of the problem.
It is so well scripted & produced that you easily lose fact that 70% of what is being shown is SPECULATION! Yes, based on what happened — but imagined … fictionalized. We will never know what actually was said behind those walls. That is the problem. Just even take something simple: the private conversations between the Queen & then Prime Minister ‘John Major’. Of course they took place. That is a fact. Yes, they must have discussed the issues portrayed by Netflix. The problem is that we don’t know what was really said. What is shown is MADE UP. But, it is so cleverly done that you can easily lose sight of that.
This applies to everything. Yes, we have all heard the ‘Tampongate’ tape. But, all the talk that went before that & after — is all make believe. YIKES. That is the problem. I not really complaining. Just concerned that too many of us may have got lulled into thinking that all this dialogue is based on reality.
I don’t know how to fix that.
I am a HUGE fan of the series. Of that there is no debate.
I have learned a LOT from the Series — & for that I am grateful.
This was also the case with Season 5. I knew very little about the ‘Fayed’ family. Also the details of the ‘Martin Bashir’ deception! Wow. I knew the broad-brush version of the events, but not the EXTENT of the fraud. I was shocked & disappointed. Not worthy of MY BBC!
I loved the portrayal of P.M. ‘John Major‘. I always liked John. I think he got star billing.
So, the bottom line is that I loved Season 5, but am concerned that too much ‘faction‘ got woven in, very cleverly, as fact rather than possible fiction.
It doesn’t surprise me. I was tethering on the brink ever since the passing of MY Queen. just over 2-months ago.
I was an anti-monarchist for a fair chunk of my life! That is no secret. I mentioned that in the post I did to mark the Queen’s passing. I only got around to appreciating the Queen & become an ardent fan as we both got older, i.e., the Queen & I.
But the Queen is now gone & we are left with her profligate progeny & a large extended family. This season of ‘The Crown’ makes you fully realize what a privileged, thoroughly spoilt & entitled bunch they are. I was never a fan of ‘Charles’. ‘Tampongate‘ (below) was the last straw & that was many decades ago.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Yvn6Ok6MdFk
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It was so CRUDE. Not becoming of ANY man — let alone a future king. I can be very crude & vulgar but I would never go that far. So, with Charles on the throne I feel very differently about the monarchy.
They are too expensive a luxury. We don’t need them! Come on. We can manage without them. I think Netflix has done US a huge favor. Thank YOU, Netflix.
Click to ENLARGE. From ‘MyLondon‘ (click to access post).Click to ENLARGE. The ‘Jaguar XJ’ based hearse — from ‘Google Images’ via the U.K. ‘The Independent‘.Click to ENLARGE and read here. Wikipedia link.
Wow. Wow. Wow. I am SO RELIEVED. I was so worried that they would screw up again and use a bloody German hearse as they had done — inexcusably — in Scotland. I was glad to see in the Wikipedia entry above, for the ‘Royal Hearse’ that I was NOT the only one that had taken umbrage to this utter travesty.
It was good to see that a ‘Jaguar‘ XJ-based hearse was used (as was proper) — and, moreover, that the Queen had pre-approved of this hearse. Way to go. The right way that things should have been done. She liked Jags. I am glad.
OK, I will admit that I would have liked to have seen a sleeker design. Not sure why it has to be so bulky & have that awkward sloping design. No doubt someone must have put up some v. persuasive arguments. C’est la vie. At least it was a Jag. To I, & I am sure to many other Brits, that is what mattered most in the end. It was a Jag. Yes, I know & grieve OFTEN, that Jaguar is no longer a British company. To I that is so sacrilegious. That, however, alas, is a different matter. For now I am just glad & relieved that a British make hearse, rather than a bloody German one, was used for the Queen’s last trip. Enough said.
The DISGRACE of having the Queen’s body conveyed in a German hearse — albeit in Scotland.
I, alas, am NOT that au fait with the details BUT we do (& I know that for a fact) still have a ‘Freedom of Expression RIGHT‘.
And, alas, we also have the catch-all ‘disturbing the peace’ — & in this case applied in connection with the ‘sacred’ ‘Royal Mile’.
But, I am sure it is NOT right. There will be an outcry (I hope) & there will be outrage.
We are a fiercely democratic nation; fiercely democratic people.
You should be able to expression your opinion. He didn’t say anything vulgar. Just an opinion.
I am distraught.
This is MY BRITAIN. Man, during my College days, IF this was the bar, I would still be in prison! I led a famous march through Swansea, with a poster of a topless Margaret Thatcher, sporting three boobs, with a caption ‘Margaret makes another boob‘. I was accompanied on the march by a police inspector. I thought he was a traffic warden. I called him as such. He never corrected me. He only said he would arrest me ‘if you or any of those behind you cause trouble‘. He didn’t define trouble. We were not arrested.
Come ON. This is Britain. Not Russia or Sri Lanka!
Click to ENLARGE. Image from the “New York Post“.Click to ENLARGE. From ‘Google’.
That was NOT right. It was a travesty. It was a disgrace. It just wasn’t cricket.
We have British hearses — even Rolls-Royce hearses. Yes, I know that Rolls-Royce is nowGerman owned, BUT the name, heritage & association will always be indelibly British.
Note that one of the Queen’s Rolls-Royces is following the hearse. So, wouldn’t it have been nice to have a British, i.e., Rolls-Royce, hearse.
The Queen, when in the U.K., was invariably in a ‘British’ vehicle — she particularly fond of Land- & Range-Rovers.
This was NOT right.
In 2018, after the ‘Harry & Meghan‘ wedding I wrote the The Palace to complain that the William & Harry had arrived in Windsor in the Mercedes van. I asked the Palace to make sure that this would not happen again. They did reply in a letter.
Click to ENLARGE.
Well, I am disappointed & annoyed. We are supposed to excel in the DETAIL when it comes to pomp & ceremony. This was a POOR SHOW.
No doubt, some of the blame must be placed with the SHAMELESS undertaker ‘William Purves’. See below. No class.
She was Queen for the totality of my life. She was the only British monarch in my life until today.
I will miss her. Over the last two, maybe three, decades I became quite fond of her. She became MY Queen. That was what made her extra special to I. She WON me over — & that (as some of you know) is no mean task.
I was an anti-monarchist for a fair chunk of my life! That is no secret. There is a good chance I will revert back to being one SOON!
But as we both got older, i.e., the Queen & I, I started to appreciate her more, respect her & become fond of her.
As many of you know from my blog, I have insisted (of late) that my Christmas is NOT done until I have heard the Queen’s speech. There will not be a Queen’s speech this Christmas. A King will give a speech instead. The problem is that I am NOT sure whether he will be MY King. That is a problem. That is a dilemma. Last Christmas I did say that I sure hope that this would NOT be her last speech. Alas, it was.
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Some of you may have noticed that I used ‘sobered’ as opposed to ‘saddened’. That was after due consideration. The v. very few that know me know that I have a strange & ambivalent attitude towards death. I do not attend funerals & I rarely mourn. The Queen had a good innings. Yes, it would have been great if she had managed to score a century. Plus, given that I have now been in exile over here for 38-years, the Queen has not been a constant presence in my life for a very long time. So, while I will, of course, miss her, I can’t genuinely claim that I was shocked or markedly distressed. I was sorry. I will miss. I don’t think I will ever be able to sing the National Anthem with “God save the King”! Let’s leave it at that.
I sure will MISS not being able to say “Long Live Our Glorious Queen”.
I, one way or another, have seen & still get to see a LOT of live musical performances. (Just in my capacity as a volunteer for ‘Great Waters‘ I see at least 7 great shows each summer.)
So, when I say that Gary Mullen was a revelation you should take some notice. I do not say that lightly or ignorantly. Just for the record, though I was at all 6 Great Waters performances this year, this is the ONLY show I felt compelled — obligated — to rave about. I will say that ‘Michael Cavanaugh‘ was BRILLIANT (& a wonderful person), that the Family Stitt was a joy & that I real enjoyed ‘Rumors’. All those folks, plus the ‘Beatles’ & ‘ELO’ were great. Wonderful. It is just that Gary Mullen was simply MORE ELECTRIC, more dynamic, more charismatic.
Gary Mullen needs to be — deserves to be — KNIGHTED for his services to the arts! Yes, I appreciate that ‘Freddie Mercury‘ was never knighted. {Smile} Well Gary Mullen (thankfully) is NOT Freddie Mercury! I plan to write to MY QUEEN asking for Gary to be considered. {As some of you know, I do write to THE Queen. Alas, unlike my adoptive mother I do not have (a supposed) direct phone connection to her.}
Gary Mullen was beyond fantastic. So much energy. So much drive. So much commitment. So much dedication.
While I am hesitant to do so, given that our efforts are as different as chalk is to cheese, I do know some about performing on a stage. Yes, I have performed in front of a crowd in excess of 800. {Smile} Yes, I too have performed on stage in the U.S., Europe & Hong Kong. Yes, I made a decent living doing presentations & seminars & YES, I did put on a show. I was noted for my shows. So, I kind of know, to an extent, what it takes. That enhances MY appreciation of Gary Mullen.
He is brilliant. Just awesome. A very NICE GUY too. Yes, I did get to meet him after the show & chat a bit. We had made eye contact twice during the show given that I stood propped up against the show. Yes, he perspired over me. {SMILE} He is a treasure. As a Brit I am so proud of Gary Mullen.
Click to ENLARGE. From ‘Google News’.Click to ENLARGE. From ‘Google’.
This was the first thing that crossed my mind when I heard the (sad & disturbing) news this morning. Yes, I like Boris. I can relate to him. {SMILE}
They key thing that many Americans might not fully appreciate was that he was forced out by members of his OWN PARTY — members of his OWN CABINET. Kind of similar to the ‘25th Amendment‘ being enacted against a president. If you want to think of it in terms of ‘Trump’, it was the equivalent of HIS Republican party voting to impeach him — & getting all the requisite votes. At this juncture REFLECT that NO U.S. president has ever been successfully impeached (i.e., convicted).
Boris survived a vote of no-confidence in Parliament — when all parties had a say in getting rid of him. But, he was undone by his OWN PARTY — the U.K. Conservative Party (& I am STILL a U.K. Conservative despite my major liberal leanings). This is the bit you have to seriously mull over. He was ousted by his own party. Can you see that happening in the U.S.?
Yes, I understand that the dynamics, process & implications are different in the U.K. The BIG difference being that the U.K. Prime Minister is appointed by his party (or a coalition of parties) rather than by the people. Boris did NOT contest the last election as the P.M. He ran as just another Member of Parliament (MP) who at that time happened to be the head of his party, i.e., the Conservatives. The Conservatives won the most seats, & he as the head of that party was asked (by the Queen) to P.M. There is a difference there.
Anywho … this is not the time or place to discuss the huge differences in the political structure, mechanics & process between the U.K. & the U.S.
For now just mull over the question, would a U.S. president ever be forced out of office solely by the members of his own party?
