I agree with Prince Charles’ view that climate change sceptics are the ‘headless chicken brigade’ but is it right that the heir to the throne expresses such strong views in public? He is now doing a joint venture with the Queen on Royal duties, but can one imagine HMQ ever making such public attacks on people – who may be wrong and funded by the oil companies – but are still entitled to their views.
Charles is presumably going to write more scrawny handwritten letters on this to ministers; they have refused many requests from the Guardian and others to see these letters, only to be told that such letters are part of his preparation for ‘kingship’.
The next stage in this ‘preparation’ must surely be for Charles to form a political party to help promote his views; Roll on the King’s Party – we could call them ‘nutters’ to balance the ‘deniers’!
He would do best to follow his mothers’ example and keep out of politics!.
Quite apart from the CofE of which his mother is head, being the
Tory party at prayer. He may belong to as many parties as he likes, may he not? I always refer to the Media and not to the message. monarchy specializes at being on charge of evrything, but saying and doing nothing, so if he gets really keen on the Message, perhaps he will do himself down.
The biggest scam of all was talking himself in to the Poundbury racket, after seeing how many of the ancients have been making good capital from selling agri/residential conversion land round the edges of their “captive” development towns. Now he has got one too,
manufactured out of the blue!
Recent violent winds in the West country are something I have not experienced before, very violent inland squalls; equally sudden stillness within a couple of minutes, and then violence again. An experienced sailor might know about it.
The one piece of Charles I have liked for years, which doesn’t mean I like the institution of Monarchy, is that he tells it as he sees it. And so he should. He, as with all of us, has the right to ‘freedom of expression.’ A human right that must be available to all men if it is to mean anything at all.
Yes, it may well damage the hate or like connection the monarchy has with the public, as in, never speak of politics or religion, but, in his position he has a duty to use the influence he has to alter what he sees as wrong footing. Any man of slat has a conscience and his needs just as much space as the next human being.
Whether I agree with his notions or not doesn’t matter one iota as I have no power whatsoever, but he does. And as such he should use it. Where I disagree with this use of power in his sphere, is when he uses it to feather his own nest, by not paying his rightful share of tax or fiddling his books to avoid the size of his bounty being revealed for possible taxation. And, I don’t need the rabid quick fixers to enlighten me on matters of ‘royal perogative’ in their obscene tax breaks and how they are exempt.
Besides, it’s time he became the man he has the potential to be. Stifling his need, the way ‘we’ do, is simply to protect those who have a pay off in the institution of inequality he will one day be head of. And they do it just in case he should mess it up for all of them, not for protection of him on a personal level.
The history of Kings confirms they are only good when they take their rightful lead at the head of a battle.
Look at how his refusal to bow on the matter of his marriage to Camilla has confirmed the importance of commitment leading to his obvious contentment, even in a man who could, lets say, have it all without it. And he did this with dignity as a single father. You have to give him ten out of ten for that.
As I like most of his ideas on matters he supports, I suppose you could say I have a bias. But, if you weigh that against my disinclination for the ridiculous inequality of birth being a reason to doff your cap, you have balance.
“those who have a pay off in the institution of inequality he will one day be head of”
If you can’t beat it, just go join it. You would enjoy it. Just say Maude Elwes, with your card at the ready!
Maude Elwes, I Have to agree. A prominent individual speaking plainly without affiliation to a particular party is rather refreshing. Perhaps not the actions of a British Monarch, but then again he ain’t one just yet!
I’m surprised this thread hasn’t (yet) been hijacked by the climate sceptic brigade…
The monarch would never make such comments in public, and that will be as true when Charles becomes king. However, the monarch has a weekly audience with the Prime Minister, which Charles does not currently enjoy. For all we know, the Queen could be bending Cameron’s ear about climate change weekly. Sharing some royal duties he may, but as things stand Charles has the same rights to express his views as any other private citizen, and people may choose to listen to or ignore him as they see fit.
“the monarch has a weekly audience with the Prime Minister, which Charles does not currently enjoy.” Does he not stand in from time to time? It does not matter after all!!
We get along well when he has got his Morris Man gear on, but then he is an everything gear man, so as Maude says there is no winning! He knows the form!
The whole Matter is wish-washy,
because isn’t the monarch supposed to be the last defender of the Peoples’ needs, rights and interests ?
JSDM.