In interviews for a documentary to mark the Diamond Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth’s family is speaking out about their Monarch mother and it’s not all flowers and tiaras. The ITV documentary Elizabeth: Queen, Wife, Mother, provides a rare glimpse of what it was like to grow up in Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s four children. And they don’t hold back and, if you read between the lines, you’ll see that growing up Windsor didn’t always give them the warm and fuzzies.
The Daily Mail reports that Prince Andrew actually called his mother “Your Majesty” at times and said she’s a much better grandmother than mother. That’s code for “my mum was absolute crap and gave me no attention.”
“If we were particularly wanting something then we might be more respectful, saying ‘Your Majesty’ … if you want something you will change your tone,” Andrew told Alan Titchmarsh. “She’s been a fantastic grandmother to Beatrice and Eugenie and probably revels in that more than being a mother, to some extent; always interested and concerned for what the girls are up to.”
Princess Anne concurs saying Buckingham Palace wasn’t the optimal place for sliding down banisters and drawing on the walls as a kid. She said it “is a big place to grow up in and there are so many things going on, so you are only part of the process. Certainly as far as we were concerned you were definitely not the lead item in the establishment.”
Princess Anne is always so crusty. She never looks like she’s enjoying her royal self which is probably more true than not considering she refused to give her children royal titles. Oh man, I would NEVER forgive my mother if she did that! But her interview is so sad and revealing. Look, I could see how maybe the Queen was a bit… cold with her children. But keep that shit behind closed doors. Her children are supposed to be celebrating her! Why couldn’t Anne just say, “Yep, mum was great. We had a blast”? Because I think she’s giving her mum the good ‘ole f-ck you in the interview. All her kids sort of are. For a family that’s known for its privacy, they are not above giving each other the shiv between pursed lips and veiled words. That’s what makes them so damned fun!
Did you know the Queen has never sat down for a one-on-one interview? Isn’t that nuts? In today’s age that just seems unheard of. So she placates and sends her ungrateful children out to speak for her and they respond with all these backhanded compliments. But I still don’t feel like I know her. That’s what makes her so fascinating. I have no idea what could possibly be going on in her head or what she thinks about things. Sure, Prince William has nice, guarded things to say about his “Granny” and we hear she likes Kate Middleton and tolerates Camilla Parker-Bowles. But I don’t think she sits around gossiping all day which is a total shame. That woman has seen it all and I would love to pick at her memories, especially when they come to Princess Diana, wouldn’t you?
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