The Royal visit - Charles and Camilla.

[Rorschach]

I remember Charles being here in his youth. I sympathised with him not being allowed to marry the woman he loved. I am ashamed of those unsympathetic souls, the ignorant and biased, who ridiculed and belittled him, particularly those Progressive morons who inhabit the Left. Just last week on radio, Dick Smith was defending his "friend". Here we have someone filling that LWProg category, who has finally, (begrudgingly), seen some light it seems.

My kind of oddball: Arise, King Charles of Australia
David Penberthy
09 Nov 06:00am

Prince Charles has been ridiculed or reviled for so long that it has been widely assumed that when his Mum shuffles into the sunset the republican debate will renew itself amid alarm at the prospect of his ascension to the throne.

Charles cops it from all directions. Lefties don’t like him simply because he is a Royal, and represents the undemocratic traditions of his unelected, filthy-rich family, the same family which absurdly enough provides Australia with its Head of State.

Right-wingers don’t like him because he is a bleeding heart, with his ruminations about the beauty of the Islamic faith, his strong views on architecture and heritage, his passionate environmentalism and his advocacy of renewable energy.

More broadly, many members of the public who have no strong political views either way don’t like him for personal reasons. These reasons go back to his divorce from the late Princess Diana, and involve unpleasant reflections on his now wife, Camilla, fuelled by a sense of disbelief that this apparently goofy Prince could somehow land one of the most beautiful and decent women on earth, yet persist in playing an away game with the Duchess of Cornwall.

The emergence of that tape recorded conversation between Charles and Camilla, where they used pet names and some raunchy banter, is still held up as proof that he’s not only an oddball but has questionable taste in women.

Not for the first time, I have found myself mildly fascinated by a Royal Visit to Australia as Charles and Camilla kindly graced our shores this week. As with the visit by Prince William a couple of years ago, where he visited the deprived Aboriginal suburb of Redfern in Sydney, revved up our troops at Holsworthy, and met with survivors of Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires, I have again found that my already muted republican sentiments are even more ambivalent in light of Charles’ stay.

There is no political will in Australia to revisit the republican question and I’m not even sure if I can see it happening in my lifetime anymore. It’s not really something that keeps me awake at night though. If we are going to be stuck with a royal family we might as well have this one.

For all the barbs which Charles has sustained since his divorce from Diana, her death, and his marriage to Camilla, I would argue that the perception of the man should be revisited, and that his passions are not so much eccentric as refreshing.

Setting aside the constitutional absurdity of it all, it troubles me not that our next head of state could be someone who thinks that gardening is good for the mind and soul, that the weight of scientific evidence points to global warming, and that rather than bombing each other back to the stone age, maybe the major religions could experiment with mutual respect and understanding.

It is a good thing that one of the first things Charles wanted to do on his visit to Australia was visit a public school in a pretty average part of Adelaide which has a ground-breaking gardening program for its young students, teaching them the basics of horticulture and sustainability.

It is a good thing that his wife is here too. For all the flak they have copped over the years, I’d say they are one of the great misunderstood love stories of the modern era, two people who were so besotted with each other, and for so long, that the apparent fairy tale of his relationship with Diana was doomed from the start, as a loveless PR exercise which did neither party any good.

As for that “Squidgygate” business with Camilla, anyone who is or has ever been in a relationship would shudder at the prospect of having their private conversations made public, as there would be a lot of other squidgies and pookies and snookies out there who would agree that it’s quite normal behaviour.

Between the endearingly left-field conduct of Charles, the decency of William, and the top-shelf, wholly commendable ratbaggery of Prince Harry, at least we will end up with a head of state who would make interesting company over a few beers. It’s just a pity that we can’t vote for them.

http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my- ... australia/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rorschach]

Oh and has anyone read "Harmony"?



Excerpt...

Halfway through reading Harmony, I began to suspect I might be going mad. When I mentioned this to my wife, she looked at me in a not-entirely-surprised sort of way and said: 'What makes you think that?’ 'Well,’ I told her, 'I’m reading this book by Prince Charles and I find myself agreeing with quite a lot of it.’

But then even those people who disagree with Charles’s every word will be hard pushed to deny that this is a bold and, in many respects, a courageous book. Essentially, it’s a distillation of his beliefs – about nature, life, beauty and spirituality. It’s also, as he says in his opening lines, 'a call to revolution’.

Yet again we see the all too familiar ridicule underlying the preconceptions of some about the Prince of Wales.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/book ... eview.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mantra]

If Charles had insisted - he could have married who he wanted, but probably didn't care that much. Why wouldn't he have wanted Di - she was young and lovely. It's just a pity she became neurotic possibly because Charles is a bit of a cold fish. He's lucky he managed to get a couple of reasonably attractive children from Di. That certainly wouldn't have happened if he'd procreated with Camilla.

[Neferti]

I think that Charles has matured into a decent sort of bloke. He certainly looks a lot happier now that he has married his "first love". Plus he looks less like a dork as he ages.

QE2 has done a wonderful job and to think that she was only 25 when she became Queen ....... such dedication ... it will be a sad day when she dies.

[Rorschach]

If Charles had insisted - he could have married who he wanted, but probably didn't care that much.

No he couldn't mantra... he was a dutiful son and heir to the throne. He was forbidden.

Di... ? Young yes. Lovely? Not to everyone and certainly neurotic. He loved someone else and she was probably also too young for him, but he sucked it up and did what he was told to do and tried to make it work but it didn't ... happens to the best of us.

Your bias and personal crap about people you seem completely ignorant of is showing once again.

[mantra]

If Charles had insisted - he could have married who he wanted, but probably didn't care that much.

No he couldn't mantra... he was a dutiful son and heir to the throne. He was forbidden.

Di... ? Young yes. Lovely? Not to everyone and certainly neurotic. He loved someone else and she was probably also too young for him, but he sucked it up and did what he was told to do and tried to make it work but it didn't ... happens to the best of us.

Your bias and personal crap about people you seem completely ignorant of is showing once again.

What is your problem? You're back into the hostile insults again.

My opinion is that he was a weakling who lacked passion and it was easier to go along with his parents than have a mind of his own. Anyway who gives a stuff about this boring creature. He's never been particularly popular or attractive. Like the other royals - what use is he anyway?

[Rorschach]

Fcuk off mantra, always first to cry foul, no hostile insults from me at all, just the facts.

On this as with many subjects you are clueless. Your preference is to ignore reality and go with your own personal bias. Like any compassionate person who has followed the story I will correct your biased non-factual opinion.

Get real... Charles is unattractive therefore he must be in the wrong for any reason I can think of because I think Diana was beautiful therefore she must be in the right. clueless...!

[mantra]

Did my comments upset you? If I'd known you had a crush on Charles I would have said he was attractive. -

Didn't you just post this in Politics?

Hey you asked mattus, I've been nothing but civil to you.

If you can't handle the topic, don't take it out on me through personal abuse.

Practise what you preach.

[Rorschach]

More rubbish mantra....
I really am sick of this crap you bring up.

What was it mattus said to me? Oh yes...

Go fuck yourself, topic nazi.

Pretty rude you gotta admit. I said nothing of the kind to you
In fact I normally put up with personal nonsense and crap from you before my language deteriorates in frustration. As it did above.

And of course always more of the ad hom...

Did my comments upset you? If I'd known you had a crush on Charles I would have said he was attractive. -

And you complain about Neferti

I didn't call you a Nazi, homosexual or tell you to go fuck yourself mantra... I merely commented on the ignorance and lack of knowledge in your comments. I use your own statements to criticise your comments. Get used to it...

Perhaps after 2 or 3 more hissy fits from you we can get back on topic?

[mantra]

More rubbish mantra....
I really am sick of this crap you bring up.

What was it mattus said to me? Oh yes...

Go fuck yourself, topic nazi.

Pretty rude you gotta admit. I said nothing of the kind to you

I haven't seen him say that before, but he probably felt he had good reason. Who are you to tell members that they're discussing the wrong aspect of a topic and to stay focussed. We are not your pupils.

In fact I normally put up with personal nonsense and crap from you before my language deteriorates in frustration. As it did above.

And of course always more of the ad hom...

Did my comments upset you? If I'd known you had a crush on Charles I would have said he was attractive. -

And you complain about Neferti

I didn't call you a Nazi, homosexual or tell you to go fuck yourself mantra... I merely commented on the ignorance and lack of knowledge in your comments. I use your own statements to criticise your comments. Get used to it...

Perhaps after 2 or 3 more hissy fits from you we can get back on topic?

Do I use that sort of language when you annoy me? I am entitled to my opinion. If I don't think the same way about the Royal family as you do - too bad. If you're going to be rude - I certainly won't stoop to your level, but you'll get some of it back.

Anyway do try and stay on topic. I was enjoying this thread until you disrupted it.

Your bias and personal crap about people you seem completely ignorant of is showing once again.

Fcuk off mantra