When will people learn? Queen Elizabeth II broke precedent by attending the funeral of King Baudouin of the Belgians. This was the first funeral of a foreign sovereign she had ever attended. Her father, King George VI, did not attend foreign funerals or weddings after succeeding to the throne. Ditto Kings George V and Edward VII.
Check this list: http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2010/05/british-royals-and-foreign-royal-events.html How difficult is it for people to understand that the British sovereign sends representatives to weddings and funerals, and this has existed for more than 100 years. Very, very few exceptions. The last British king to attend a foreign royal wedding was in 1913!
But what a wedding it was!
ReplyDeleteIs it because the British monarchs are considered the most lofty and important of all sovereigns, and attending such events cheapens the image?
ReplyDeleteI've often wondered about this. Queen Beatrix strikes me as rather grand, but she goes abroad.
Perhaps someday this will change in future reigns.
John, I have no idea for the reason, but it is what the British does (and other monarchs understand). It is unlikely to change, especially in view of the fact that the British royal family largely distances itself from the other families -and this goes back to World War I. Princes William and Harry, and Beatrice and Eugenie, have had very limited contact with the European royals, let alone with each other - the Wales and Yorks only see each other at the formal events.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is true, one rarely sees the Wales boys and York girls mixing except for public occasions. School and military comittments for one, but also probably to keep the former duchess out of association with the family. If one of her daughters were social friends with a Wales, I could picture her on talk shows talking about it as if she were involved.
ReplyDeleteit has nothing to do with Sarah. Charles and Andrew are not close - nor are Charles and Anne, although William and Anne's kids have a relationship. The same can be said for Queen Elizabeth. She has never been close to most of her royal first cousins, apart from Alexandra Kent. it is a normal thing - there are millions of people who barely know their first cousins -- like me.
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