Perhaps grandma’s grudge against Jimmy Carter explains why Edward, 14th in line, was sentThat legendary boozer the late queen mother liked to entertain her guests with an “anti-toast”, in which she drank to people she disliked. One day the names ill-wished were “Tony Benn, Idi Amin and Jimmy Carter”. The benign US president featured in the same list as a mass murderer because, she explained, “he is the only man, since my dear husband died, to have had the effrontery to kiss me on the lips”.This alleged offence was enough for the queen mother to want it remembered, and not as an innocent accident. She believed it was her misfortune, her biographer William Shawcross wrote, to remind middle-aged men of their mothers; she recognised “the glazed look that came over their faces”, and thought this had made Carter reach in for his kiss. “I took a sharp step backwards. Not quite far enough.” So Carter could hardly help becoming aware of the accusation, which “distressed” him. Continue readin...
The main conceptual idea of Catherine Bennett's article is to question the ongoing relevance and justification for the role of senior royals in contemporary social and diplomatic contexts.
Bennett uses the example of Prince Edward's attendance at President Carter's funeral, arguing that it seems out of place and potentially driven by a long-standing grudge held by the late Queen Mother against Carter.
This incident, juxtaposed with the royals' recent emphasis on their diplomatic importance, prompts Bennett to challenge the public's continued financial support for such figures when their contributions seem minimal and perhaps even rooted in personal vendettas.
Essentially, she's questioning whether the traditional roles of the British royals still hold weight and value in the modern world.
The main conceptual idea of Catherine Bennett's article is to question the ongoing relevance and justification for the role of senior royals in contemporary social and diplomatic contexts. Bennett uses the example of Prince Edward's attendance at President Carter's funeral, arguing that it seems out of place and potentially driven by a long-standing grudge held by the late Queen Mother against Carter. This incident, juxtaposed with the royals' recent emphasis on their diplomatic importance, prompts Bennett to challenge the public's continued financial support for such figures when their contributions seem minimal and perhaps even rooted in personal vendettas. Essentially, she's questioning whether the traditional roles of the British royals still hold weight and value in the modern world.
