Cave News

Britain fumes as France snubs the Queen

France and England have been involved in many notable battles.

They went through the 100 Years' War, the Seven Years' War. And then came the Napoleonic Wars from 1799 to 1815.

The current battle may be no more than a hissy fit but the Queen of England (upper photo) ain’t happy!

British media reporters are even less happy!

France did not invite Queen Elizabeth II to attend June 6 ceremonies marking the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings -- and Britain's press is in a snit.

'Nicolas Sarkozy (lower photo) in D-Day Snub to Queen,' says a headline in The Sun. 'Palace in Fury as Sarkozy Refuses to Invite Royals to 65 Anniversary,' proclaims another, in the Daily Mail.

The D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, marked the start of the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has invited U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to attend the anniversary ceremonies.

It may be the last time that large numbers of World War II veterans travel to France to mark the event.

Queen Elizabeth II was left out - no invitation.

The irony is that the Queen of England is the only Royal or head of state still living that was directly involved in World War II.

As a teenager, the then Princess Elizabeth, drove an army truck to assist the ‘home front’ and rode out the blitz at night in a bomb shelter under Buckingham Palace. It seems unconscionable that she has been left out of the ceremony.

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Prince of hypocrites: green initiative not so green

A 'Green initiative' by Prince Charles will cost £80,000 ($116,928) and leave a 53-ton carbon footprint as he flies in a private jet with the Duchess of Cornwall and a staff of 10 on a five-day tour of Europe to promote environmental issues.

Instead of using scheduled flights, the Royal party has hired a private plane, thought to be an Airbus A319.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are shown above.

According to experts from the Carbon Managers company, which carries out environmental audits, the aircraft's four European flights over 2,200 miles will leave a carbon footprint of 52.95 tons - nearly five times the average person's 11-ton footprint for an entire year.

The flights on the specially converted jet, which boasts a master suite with its own lavatory and shower, will cost an estimated £80,000 ($116,928) - five times more than business-class fares on scheduled airlines.

Transport Spokesman Norman Baker said: “Prince Charles seems not to realize that he enormously weakens his case for tackling climate change by his own profligate and careless habits. It is deeply unattractive to have somebody lecturing you on climate change when they are one of the greatest emitters of carbon themselves.”

Maybe it’s only commoners that need to develop environmentally friendly habits.

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Camilla admires Prince Charles’ knees

Camilla: Charles, you have ever such lovely knees!

Royal footwork

Britain's Prince Charles stands next to wooden shoe lasts during a visit to a shoemaker's workshop in London.

He needs something to do while waiting for the Queen to die so he can finally begin his life’s work.

Quirky quotes by Prince Philip

Prince Philip (pictured), Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II, is quite famous in Britain for often making rather embarrassing, though often funny, comments.

A few are listed below:

In 1953 immediately after the coronation when his wife became Queen of England, he asked her: Where did you get that hat?

In 1969, after The Royal Variety Performance, he asked Tom Jones: What do you gargle with - pebbles?

In 1986 he told a World Wildlife Fund meeting: If it has four legs and is not a chair, has wings and is not an airplane, or swims and is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it.

In 1986 he told a group of British students in China: If you stay here much longer, you'll all get slitty-eyed.

In 1965 he said: The only active sport I will follow is polo - and most of the work is done by the pony.

Royal bad hair days

The Duchess of Cornwall has bad hair days quite often. You’d think Prince Charles could afford to buy hair spray for Camilla.

Prince Charles: put a royal sock in it if you become King

There is a sudden rash web news articles unfavorable to Prince Charles coming from the UK.

The last one, found at the link below, is titled, With all due respect, Your Highness, if you become King - please put a royal sock in it!”

It may be because his 60th birthday reminds Briton’s that Charles (upper photo) may soon become King. After all, his mother is 82 years of age.

The writer wonders if Prince Charles is grappling with issues beyond his intellectual capabilities.

One headline sounded alarm bells: ‘Charles will speak out as king.’

Beneath those words Jonathan Dimbleby, the Prince's friend and biographer, wrote: ‘There are discreet moves afoot to redefine the future role of the sovereign so that it would allow King Charles III to speak out on matters of national and international importance.’

Dimbleby went on to suggest that Charles seeks to fill a role not dissimilar to that of recent Irish or German presidents, politically non-partisan, but still activist.

Hereditary monarchy is a bizarre survival. Most nations disposed of their kings and queens, often amid bloody revolutions, during the great international upheavals of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The Queen's huge success - and such her reign has surely been - is based upon the exercise of lifelong, steely self-discipline. Never once has she allowed herself to express an opinion about any aspect of her people's governance or affairs.

Prince Charles, by contrast, is a man of passionate convictions, many of which are well known.

He claims that genetically modified crops threaten the world with ‘the biggest environmental disaster of all time’

He is a keen advocate of alternative medicine, and has used his influence to enable some alternative remedies to become available to patients at public expense

He is proud to call himself old-fashioned. He dresses, thinks, talks and acts in a manner that would have caused his ancestors of a century or so ago to embrace him warmly, in his double-breasted suits, as one of their own.

When he does become King, he likely will not follow the example of the Queen and, for the most part, be “seen, but not heard.”

If he assumes Britain's throne and attempts to use it as a platform from which to propagate his ideas, whether wise or dotty, he will plunge himself and the monarchy into controversy.

The writer ends by saying:

Follow your mother's example, Sir, and you may enjoy a prosperous reign.

Break the mould, however, and only grief will lie ahead for you - and for the British people.

If the throne cannot somehow bypass Charles and go to his son Wills (Prince William - lower photo), many Brits will hope the Queen will live forever!

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Bonnie Prince Charlie is now a grumpy 60-year-old

Prince Charles's grandfather was King George VI, who was on the throne during World War II, was 56 years old at the time of his death.

Charles (pictured) is brooding because he is older than the age at which his grandfather died after reigning as King for 14 years.

Prince Charles is still waiting to begin his reign. He is now the longest-serving king-in-waiting in British history.

If Queen Elizabeth II lives as long as her mother, Prince Charles will be 80 before he gets his first day as King.

No matter how long she lives, he must wait for her death to begin his life’s work!

No wonder he is grumpy and brooding.

More of the story here.

Prince Charles urged to step aside for William

A Daily Mail report at the link below says that Camilla has 60 small, highly personal gifts for her husband Prince Charles (upper picture) when he turns 60 on Friday.

Alas, the one present she can't give him is what he wants most: the crown. Charles, who is not famed for his sunny disposition, will be only too aware that this milestone could be a millstone. The birthday is sure to reignite debate about the pros and cons of Charles III. And, even worse, Queen Camilla.

If Queen Elizabeth II lives as long as her mother, Prince Charles will be 80 before he gets his first day as King.

Waiting for your mother to die until you can begin your life's work is a uniquely infantilising role.

Why shouldn’t Prince Charles step aside and let Wills (Prince William - lower picture) on the throne when the Queen dies? Wills is very popular while Charles is stodgy and a bit of a bore. Actually, he is a rather big bore.

Traditionalists tell us there is no choice. A hereditary monarchy is not a popularity contest.

If Charles rather than Wills ascends to the throne it may be much more difficult to defend the high annual cost of maintaining the monarchy in the eyes of younger Britons. The younger, more popular Wills would have a greater chance to maintain enthusiasm for the monarchy. Enthusiasm that will rapidly wane with a King Charles III and a Queen Camilla.

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Prince Charles going green in Wales

Charles, Prince of Wales, disembarks from a train at Ebbw Vale Station in Wales.

What? No helicopter or chauffeured limousine?