How to get to the top....

[ORAC]

Poor guy. I mean, where can he go from here....... :hmm:

The Grauniad: Prince Charles promoted to four star rank for 58th birthday

As if he did not have enough honorary military titles to keep him warm - 26 at the last count, plus four air commodoreships - Prince Charles will wake up this morning on his 58th birthday to discover he has been promoted to four star rank in all three services.

The prince's brief military career ended 30 years ago, in charge of the coastal minesweeper HMS Bronington. "I spent most of the time petrified that I was going to run aground or we'd have a collision," he said soon after. Now he will become simultaneously an admiral, a general and an air chief marshal. He was last seen in uniform on Sunday at the Remembrance service at the Cenotaph, when he was merely a vice-admiral, air marshal and lieutenant general, wearing naval rig on that occasion.

It is more than 250 years since an English king led troops into battle, but the prince has been steadily promoted since he last saw active service, patrolling the sea lochs of Scotland and the Irish Sea. He was made a naval captain and RAF group captain for his 40th birthday, given two star rank for his 50th and last promoted four years ago.

[ZH875]

If the 5 Star rank had not been removed, I think HRH would be an old and bold 5 Star rank holder, before his Mummy let him have his proper job.

I wonder if he will get the full 4 star pension x 3 ?.

I wonder if the Queens grandchildren will gain Army 'promotion' as quick, if there is an army left by then.

[The Helpful Stacker]

And your point is?

I don't believe (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) he takes up any active posts, they are still mainly full of career brown-nosers who are feathering their beds just long enough to come to the attention of a defence contractors board of directors.

Seeing as the Prince of Wales seems to support the efforts of the Armed Forces a damn site more than those actually paid to support us why the hell not promote him, after all I'm sure that in a couple of years he'll be our CinC anyway?

[WorkingHard]

"after all I'm sure that in a couple of years he'll be our CinC anyway?"

Please Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[Wader2]

The DoK will still out rank him as the DoK is a Field Marshal :) however his younger brother is still only a Captain.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

"after all I'm sure that in a couple of years he'll be our CinC anyway?"

Please Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

So you'd prefer the septic way? At least, for now, we can pretend we aren't doing all this for whichever f**kwit occupies No 10 at the time.

Easy targets, the Royal Family, aren't they.

[WorkingHard]

GBZ - no they are not really easy targets but there are such a lot of them simply leeches on the back of the legitimate taxpayer. What right does the wonderful Prince Charles have to wear a uniform that so many have earned the hard way and died for? As for the vast array of medals he wears - well what can I say. The general public cannot distinguish between a medal earned and one given as a favour. Would you like to see King Charles and Queen Camilla?

[insty66]

Would you like to see King Charles and Queen Camilla?
Yes, so much more than I would like to see president Blair/Brown/Reid or whoever
Whatever:rolleyes: it's not as if he'll be allowed to make any decisions (now there's an idea!)

[Roland Pulfrew]

GBZ - no they are not really easy targets but there are such a lot of them simply leeches on the back of the legitimate taxpayer.


Ah WH. Somewhat disingenuous. You appear to have fallen for the old class war propaganda. I think you will find that the money made by the Crown Estates, which now passes to the Exchequer, is, IIRC, some 10 - 20 times greater than the entire civil list. The Queen pays tax, the Duchy of Cornwall pays tax and I presume Princes William and Harry will be paying tax on their army salaries - so therefore legitimate taxpayers.

And after HMQ there should, IMHO, be a King Charles. Much rather that than President Brown/Cameron/Ming the Merciless.

[WhiteOvies]

Thread Drift but I seem to recall that when The Queen (God bless her) departs the throne the current Prince of Wales will not actually become King Charles III. Not sure if correct or what he would be instead.

On thread, at least he has done useful mil service and is staunchly supportive of the Forces which is more than most :mad: :mad: politicians.

I guess I am old fashioned in being proudly Royalist.

[Archimedes]

It's been suggested that he'll call himself George VII in honour of his grandfather (and because Charles is regarded as an unlucky name - Civil War, Execution, Plague, Great Fire, Crisis over the succession...).

[GPMG]

Nothing wrong with being a Royalist WO, we should see WH lose his liberal little head on the chopping block.

It will be pretty special to raise a glass of port and proudly say 'To the King'.

I would hate to see this country turn into another banana republic.

[SirPercyWare-Armitag]

And of course, anyone with an smidgen of knowledge about our constitution will know that the Monarchy is the only guarantor against a single party dictatorship. Any party seeking to vote themselves in for life using a Commons majority would have it blocked by the Monarch thus provoking a constitutional crisis and precipitating a General Election.
There used to be a second guarantor: the House of Lords but the Socialists have started to meddle with that. Suspicious isnt it?
Thats what republicans dont tell anyone: We have an politically independant Monarchy, a fair and impartial arbitrator with no effective power save to defend democracy
And some fools would cast that away for the wiles and uncertainity of an elected and politically biased President
Bah puff pant rage anger kill hack hack mummy must die

[hobie]

It's always been my view that Military Rank and Medals are earned in active service ..... anything else is really $$$$$$

have you ever noticed the great respect show by TV commentators (those with a Military background) during the likes of last weekend when they spot distinguished Medals and speculate on how "Old Soldiers" may have earned them .... :ok:

[NoseGunner]

Just to join this thread and the air-show cock ups, does anyone have a photo of Charles's little prang when he landed his own Royal Flight?

into wind/ down wind / whatever, one lands in any direction one wishes!
:}

[Monty77]

Nosey:

Not fair mate. The only bloke responsible there was the captain. HRH was out of practice, not current and attempting a short field landing. Who signed for it?

I have heard of other Royals, let's call him Andrew (because that's his name), to have behaved outrageously in attempting to influence the captain to conduct flights in a way that was plain barking.

There. I've made a statement on the Royal Family. No mention of homosexuals, so hopefully the anonymous moderator of this thread will not delete/cut what I've said. Thread creep: who moderates this? Anybody know?










( I'm a full-on mona

[WorkingHard]

I did not say I was anti monarchy, actually far from it but the way some of them take the michael is just not on. Now if you really want to debate the paying of taxes, yes the Queen "has graciously consented to paying income tax on her personal income" was the statement; so personal income goes down to ??(zero for all we know) and all the "personal" income goes into trusts where royal trusts are not taxed. Any more bright ideas that dont actually involve class war propaganda? Spot on hobie.
Where is the legitimacy in the Queen receiving all monies from people who die intestate from certain parts of the UK?
When the Queen mother died it was acknowledged that she had the most opulent house in europe; yet, it is reported, Prince Charles sees fit to spend some £5million of taxpayers money on an apartment which he move his father in law into.

[bwfg3]

Just a thought: Cherie Blair is a republican, nuff said :rolleyes: I say with heart and voice "God save the Queen!!"

[brickhistory]

So you'd prefer the septic way?

Actually we take an oath to "support and defend the Constitution" not the occupant per se of 1600 Penn Ave.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled in-fighting................:cool:

[WorkingHard]

Why is it assumed to be Monarchy v Presidency? Other countries seem to have a monarchy without all the cr*p and cost we have in England. Hear hear to God Save the Queen but would not something like Land of Hope & Glory be a better National Anthem?
NO I do not want an elected President but if the royals continue to treat the public with disdain then sadly it draws that day nearer.

[Melchett01]

I do not want an elected President but if the royals continue to treat the public with disdain

Sounds a bit like our current lot - President Tony and Queen Cherie!

Would much rather have Auntie Liz and King Charles / George. Yes they may be rich beyond comprehension and have a few funny ideas every now and then (I never did quite see the point of talking to the plants), but that wealth means they don't have to worry about offending people ie President Tony - they can take a genuine interest in people and the way things are going.

Talking to plants apart, I think Charles will make a bloody good future C-in-C. Apart from a few odd ideas, he genuinely cares about people and certainly is better qualified to be a C-in-C than either of the recent draft dodgers that have been squatting in Pennsylvania Avenue.

[vecvechookattack]

I have heard of other Royals, let's call him Andrew (because that's his name), to have behaved outrageously in attempting to influence the captain to conduct flights in a way that was plain barking.


Complete and utter B@ll@x. I flew many, many times with DOY and he was a good poler. Academically challenged I would agree...but a good pilot.

[Roland Pulfrew]

NO I do not want an elected President but if the royals continue to treat the public with disdain then sadly it draws that day nearer.

Thank God for that. But do the Royals really treat the "public" with disdain? Have you ever really been involved with the Royals? Have you ever seen a Royal interacting with the public? Close up? One or 2 of the minor royals might be a bit high and mighty, but the important ones? And what's so different about them and certain politicians, senior government officials, so called celebrities, senior businessmen, senior clergymen.

And if Prince Charles spent £5M (do you have the evidence for that or did you read it the Mirror?) - so what? How much did the Lord Chancellor spend from taxpayers money doing up his residence? Not far off what you quote Charles spending? And which one will treat the property with more respect>

Everyone treats someone with disdain - get over it. Even I treat certain parts of the "public" with disdain - Chavs anyone?:yuk: