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Tabloids: Gossip, Innuendo, and Déclassé


Athena
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Welcome to your tabloid press topic! This series is about the lives of the some of the most gossiped people in the world so a red tops thread is necessary.

This thread can include historical and present day information concerning the real life figures from the show. The information are considered historical spoilers. You can speculate and discuss possible story lines and character developments for the show using this information.

If you want spoiler free and show only discussion, please check out the episode topics. 

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Was Prime Minister Eden a morphine addict? I googled but didn't find anything. They are certainly portraying him as such so I wonder? That would have made the news. Or maybe not, the UK had different rules I think than the US about the freedom of press.

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3 hours ago, Arynm said:

Was Prime Minister Eden a morphine addict? I googled but didn't find anything. They are certainly portraying him as such so I wonder? That would have made the news. Or maybe not, the UK had different rules I think than the US about the freedom of press.

I don't know if he was addicted to morphine. He suffered from recurring episodes of fever, illness, and pain - and went through at least four major surgeries - over a period of several years, including his years as Prime Minister.

This article has details: The effect of Prime Minister Anthony Eden's illness on his decision-making during the Suez crisis. It notes: "It was a misfortune not just for the [then] Foreign Secretary, Sir Anthony Eden, but for international diplomacy, that on 12 April 1953, what should have been a routine cholecystectomy [gall bladder removal] in the London Clinic, went badly wrong." Eden, instead of having a highly regarded specialist operate, chose a 60 year old general surgeon to perform the operation,  "who in Eden's words had ‘removed my appendix when I was younger, and I’ll go to him’." I waded through the medical jargon and it looks to me like the surgeon nicked the biliary duct accidentally. Anyway, corrective surgery was scheduled, to be performed in Boston. Then, the plot thickened, as we saw in this show:

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On the same day, 23 June [1953], that Eden was operated on in Boston, Churchill, still the Prime Minister, suffered a severe stroke. Lord Moran told Churchill's Private Secretary, John Colville, that Churchill would probably die over the weekend. Churchill had given Colville strict instructions not to let it be known that he was incapacitated. A medical bulletin was drawn up by Lord Moran and the neurologist Sir Russell Brain, which had a reference to ‘a disturbance of the cerebral circulation’, but this was cut out after discussions with Rab Butler and Lord Salisbury. John Colville consulted Churchill's three friends, the press lords Camrose, Beaverbrook and Bracken, who joined the conspiracy of silence and persuaded their colleagues in Fleet Street not to print a word about how severe Churchill's illness was.

And they didn't even tell the Palace. For which, we saw the Queen admonishing Colville and Churchill after she found out. Whatever the gaps in her general education, that young woman knew the British constitution inside and out. Heh.

An article by one of his later surgeons (c. 1970) reviews Eden's medical history, with this introduction:

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Anthony Eden (Lord Avon) was the youngest foreign secretary in Great Britain’s history. He subsequently became Prime Minister, succeeding Winston Churchill. Eden had the misfortune to have, during cholecystectomy [gall bladder removal], a biliary tract injury which required four subsequent biliary tract operations. He was subject to recurrent fevers and postoperative disability at important times in his career and during international crises.

I think the series used the hypodermic injections as a quick visual way to illustrate the severe nature of his attacks of pain and fever. 

Edited by Jeeves
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That scene in the final episode showing Eden slumped over the table while the newsreel melted made me think he had over-dosed and died but a quick scan of Wikipedia shows that's not the case.  So I assume that was a bit of foreshadowing to signal that the show will be dealing with the Suez crisis and Eden's resignation as Prime Minister in season 2.  I feel certain that we'll be treated to Elizabeth II having at least one conversation with each of her Prime Ministers over the course of the series -- at least all of the notable ones (there have been quite a few in the past 60+ years of her reign.)

Edited by WatchrTina
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40 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

.  I feel certain that we'll be treated to Elizabeth II having at least one conversation with each of her Prime Ministers over the course of the series -- at least all of the notable ones (there have been quite a few in the past 60+ years of her reign.)

If you want to see some of that, try to find The Audience. it's a stage play by Peter Morgan (the guy behind this show) staring Helen Mirren. it was fixed,pmed and I saw it in the movie theater. it is going on stage in Toronto next yearticle and I want to go but $$$.

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In one of the episodes -- one where Elizabeth and Philip are not getting along -- he makes a snarky comment about some member of the British aristocracy who enjoys seducing the wives of European royalty, leaving bastards with high foreheads in aristocratic families across Europe.  Elizabeth them mumbles something about them all being dyslexic too -- this just moments after Philip (who is played by an actor with a mile-high forehead) admits to being a bit dyslexic. Philip demands "What did you say?" and Elizabeth refuse to repeat the comment.  Was she hinting that Philip may be the bastard child of that same randy, aristocratic Brit?  Is there any hint of that in the real world?

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13 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

In one of the episodes -- one where Elizabeth and Philip are not getting along -- he makes a snarky comment about some member of the British aristocracy who enjoys seducing the wives of European royalty, leaving bastards with high foreheads in aristocratic families across Europe.  Elizabeth them mumbles something about them all being dyslexic too -- this just moments after Philip (who is played by an actor with a mile-high forehead) admits to being a bit dyslexic. Philip demands "What did you say?" and Elizabeth refuse to repeat the comment.  Was she hinting that Philip may be the bastard child of that same randy, aristocratic Brit?  Is there any hint of that in the real world?

No, I've actually learned a lot about Philip over the last few years, including his family of origin, and never saw any hint of that.

My take on that scene, wasn't that Elizabeth was throwing shade on Philip. The man Philip was gossiping about was her friend Porchey's father (or grandfather, I forget), Lord Carnarvon, who was also known as Porchey. We'd just seen that Elizabeth and Porchey had been lifelong friends, and that many in Royal/aristo circles had thought they would make a great match. Also, IIRC, Porchey carried a torch for Elizabeth, but seemed to have abandoned all hope when he saw how deeply in love she was with Philip, and they remained friends with a common interest in horses.

So when her husband starts dissing the parent/grandparent of her good friend Porchey - and maybe she actually hadn't heard that gossip before - Elizabeth thinks of Porchey and mutters about the dyslexia. Her refusal to repeat the comment struck me as being protective of her friend.

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There was a book many years ago that had in it that Elizabeth and Margaret were the result of artificial insemination. Of course there was no such thing in humans in 1925 (when Elizabeth would have been conceived) but it was around for cattle. it was apparently some sort of back up for the Prince of Wales and something something blah. All hogwash because in 1925 the PoW still had the option of a good marriage and children and there were 2 other brothers and a sister to keep the family going.

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Oh there are rumours everywhere that Philip was unfaithful. even up into his 80s you could find them. I don't think anyou have been confirmed.

There are also rumours that Andrew isnt Philip's son. 

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3 hours ago, millk said:

Oh there are rumours everywhere that Philip was unfaithful. even up into his 80s you could find them. I don't think anyou have been confirmed.

There are also rumours that Andrew isnt Philip's son. 

I've known the rumors about Philip but the one about Andrew is new to me. Seems highly unlikely since I always thought Andrew and Anne had (for better or worse) inherited many character traits of the Duke - more than Charles or Edward.

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3 hours ago, millk said:

Oh there are rumours everywhere that Philip was unfaithful. even up into his 80s you could find them. I don't think anyou have been confirmed.

There are also rumours that Andrew isnt Philip's son. 

 

Just now, MissLucas said:

I've known the rumors about Philip but the one about Andrew is new to me. Seems highly unlikely since I always thought Andrew and Anne had (for better or worse) inherited many character traits of the Duke - more than Charles or Edward.

I consulted my friend Google after reading @millk's comment, because the rumor about Andrew was also new to me. After a little reading, I'm not convinced, especially since the best the rumor-mongers can come up with is the appearance thing. They say Andrew doesn't look like Philip, and he's got a stocky build while the other kids are more slim. And even that he looks like the Queen's lifetime friend and (horse) racing manager, the (7th) Earl of Carnarvon, aka Porchey.

Reminds me of all those eejits who claimed (and maybe still claim) that Prince Harry had to be James Hewitt's son because of his red hair. Totally ignoring facts like all the red hair among Diana's own siblings, and that Diana and Hewitt said their affair didn't begin until after Harry was born. That's my beef with conspiracy theorists: they never let facts stand in the way of their fervent advocacy of some paranoid plot.

The 'appearance' argument doesn't convince me, because genetics is way way more complicated than "he looks more like X than he looks like his dad." Anybody who's looked into it for more than a minute knows that there are recessive genes, and "throwbacks" (a kid who resembles someone else in the family line more than anyone in his nuclear family). So, Andrew's "stocky." Big deal. So was the Queen Mum. I'm neither a geneticist nor a genealogist, but I know that both the Queen and Prince Philip are direct descendants of Queen Victoria, and I wouldn't be surprised if those genes are well sprinkled around in the various families in the British aristocracy, after all these generations. So it wouldn't be amazing that cross-family resemblances would pop up in that rather limited population.

Actually, far across the Atlantic from the UK, in circles that don't include any Brit aristos? I know a man who strongly resembles Prince Andrew. His daughter, now in her 20's, even more strongly resembles: the young Princess/Queen Elizabeth. Yep. A guy who looks like Prince Andrew fathered a young woman who could be a ringer for the Queen. Genetics is fun, kids!! :-)

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2 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

He, the folks who still claim Harry's not Charles' son are still around - nothing will ever convince them otherwise.

Also: I don't see much likeness between Andrew and true Lord of Downton Abbey ;)

And don't forget Harry is A LOT like Princess Margaret (not in terms of looks, but how he behaves.  At least Harry was a few years ago.  He's since grown up a bit, behaviour-wise...kinda).

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7 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Also: I don't see much likeness between Andrew and true Lord of Downton Abbey ;)

I know! It was fun watching the scenes with Porchey, knowing that 60 years later Porchey's ancestral pile would become so famous under another name. Heh.

Is it spelled Porchey or Porchy? I think my onscreen guide spelled it with an "e."

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Yes, Harry looks pretty much exactly like Philip in his early 30s. 

The people going with the Harry isn't Charles thing always put it as some sort of slam against Charles when really they are saying St Diana was not a saint.

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Whenever CNN sends in Anderson Cooper to cover a royal.  story I wait for him to mention his royal connection story.  Back in the day, the Prince of Wales was "dating" Thelma, Lady Furness. She was of course married and American. Her twin sister Gloria had the Little Gloria Vanderbilt custody case going on so Thelma asked her good friend Wallis to babysit her boyfriend while she went to New York for moral support. That worked out well... 

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There's another connection too.  Lord Mountbatten had an older brother named George who succeeded his father as Marquess of Milford Haven.  George married Countess Nadeja de Torby who was the daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia and his morganatic wife Countess Sophie von Merenberg.  She was a great granddaughter of the Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin who was partially black through his great grandfather Abram Petrovicah Gannibal.  Nadeja was known in the parlance of the day as "a famous lesbian" and Gloria Vanderbilt's mother  was rumored to be one of her lovers which came out in the custody trial when a maid claimed she saw them naked in bed together.  Both Mrs. Vanderbilt and Lady Milford Haven denied it.

Nadeja's son David who inherited the title when his father died in 1938, was Philip's best man at the wedding.  They also had a mentally challenged daughter.

She had an older sister named Anastasia (Zia) who married into the British aristocracy.  Zia's granddaughter Natalia Westminster is one of Prince William's godmothers.  Her son, who just inherited his father's title and a 9 billion dollar fortune is one of Prince George's godfathers.

Speaking of Thelma Furness, she knew something was going on with Wallis and David when Wallis slapped David's hand away when he picked a piece of lettuce out of a salad absent mindedly.  David may have been "modern" but that was something he would not have tolerated.

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Genetics can skip.  QEII is the spitting image of her grandmother, Queen Mary.  I also think Anne resembles her mother more than her father, and Edward resembles his father more (right down to the balding blond hair).  Speaking of which, Prince Edward will inherit the DoE title upon PP passing.  Will Louise & James then become Princess & Prince?

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15 hours ago, roamyn said:

Genetics can skip.  QEII is the spitting image of her grandmother, Queen Mary.  I also think Anne resembles her mother more than her father, and Edward resembles his father more (right down to the balding blond hair).  Speaking of which, Prince Edward will inherit the DoE title upon PP passing.  Will Louise & James then become Princess & Prince?

Apparently, it was Edward's choice as to his title and his children's.  Princess Ann and her first husband, Mark Philips, refused royal titles for their children entirely.  Her children are Peter and Zara Philips and nothing more.  This is, in part, because their father refused a title upon his marriage to Ann.  The Queen would've given him a title had he wanted one.  Ann has always been pretty no-nonsense and unimpressed with the trappings of royalty; so its not surprising she didn't want her kids to have to deal with it.  Their distance from the throne gave them virtually no possibility of ever being monarch and they were going to have to make their own way in the world anyway.

Edward was given the title Earl of Wessex upon his marriage.  Supposedly, the Queen wanted to give him a dukedom, but he and Sophie requested that specific Earldom because there is a reference to the Earl of Wessex in Shakespeare in Love, one of their favorite films.  As for their kids, once again, the Queen could've made them Prince and Princess but their parents apparently didn't want those titles for them.  So their kids are Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn.  Count of Severn is one of Edward's other titles.  I don't think James and Louise will become Prince and Princess unless their parents want it, and it appears they don't.  Once again, their kids are never coming close to the throne and might be better off without the titles.

Edited by doodlebug
correct movie reference
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On 11/7/2016 at 7:38 AM, Jeeves said:

The 'appearance' argument doesn't convince me, because genetics is way way more complicated than "he looks more like X than he looks like his dad." Anybody who's looked into it for more than a minute knows that there are recessive genes, and "throwbacks" (a kid who resembles someone else in the family line more than anyone in his nuclear family).

From personal experience I don't look like either of my parents but I look like my younger brother who I remember seeing in the hospital after he was born so I know I'm not adopted!

Eyes are what I focus on the most in family resemblances. Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII had the same heavy-lidded eyes. George V got his big eyes from his mother Queen Alexandra and it was passed to Edward VIII/the Duke of Windsor. Princess Margaret had the same eyes as her father George VI.

Edited by VCRTracking
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11 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Apparently, it was Edward's choice as to his title and his children's.  Princess Ann and her first husband, Mark Philips, refused royal titles for their children entirely.  Her children are Peter and Zara Philips and nothing more.  This is, in part, because their father refused a title upon his marriage to Ann.  The Queen would've given him a title had he wanted one.  Ann has always been pretty no-nonsense and unimpressed with the trappings of royalty; so its not surprising she didn't want her kids to have to deal with it.  Their distance from the throne gave them virtually no possibility of ever being monarch and they were going to have to make their own way in the world anyway.

Edward was given the title Earl of Wessex upon his marriage.  Supposedly, the Queen wanted to give him a dukedom, but he and Sophie requested that specific Earldom because there is a reference to the Earl of Wessex in The Princess Bride, one of their favorite films.  As for their kids, once again, the Queen could've made them Prince and Princess but their parents apparently didn't want those titles for them.  So their kids are Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn.  Count of Severn is one of Edward's other titles.  I don't think James and Louise will become Prince and Princess unless their parents want it, and it appears they don't.  Once again, their kids are never coming close to the throne and might be better off without the titles.

I thought Wessex was from Shakespeare in Love (the guy Gwyneth Paltrow was supposed to marry).  As for Edward's kids:  Doesn't one of them have special needs?  How does having special needs affect duties one takes on as they grow up? 

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1 hour ago, PRgal said:

I thought Wessex was from Shakespeare in Love (the guy Gwyneth Paltrow was supposed to marry).

Yeah, he chose the title based on Shakespeare in Love.

I can understand to a certain extent, because:

1. I really like that movie, and

2. Colin Firth.

But on the other hand, that character was a despicable, despicable human being. It's like a king choosing the regnal name of Joffrey because they're a big fan of Game of Thrones.

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One advantage of choosing Wessex is that it's otherwise unused -- there is no such region in modern England, although Sussex and Essex are real. The kingdom of Wessex ceased to exist in 1066 with the unification of England, and authors (principally Thomas Hardy) have used it as a convenient fictional location for their stories.

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2 hours ago, PRgal said:

I thought Wessex was from Shakespeare in Love (the guy Gwyneth Paltrow was supposed to marry).  As for Edward's kids:  Doesn't one of them have special needs?  How does having special needs affect duties one takes on as they grow up? 

Ooops, you're right!  I should've looked it up.  I knew it had to do with a movie they liked.  I don't know if either of their kids are special needs, but Lady Louise has an eye problem for which she has had a couple surgeries.  If  you look at photos of her, she often looks cross-eyed.  She was also born prematurely after her mother suffered a placental abruption (separation of the placenta from the uterus before delivery) and they both lost a lot of blood; with the rough start and prematurity, it's possible she has other issues, but it's not been publicly acknowledged. Edward's children are so far from the line of succession, 10 and 11, currently, that I don't think it matters whether they have special needs as far as intellectual disabilities.  They're not going to be needed for royal duties anyway. 

Edited by doodlebug
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Princess Anne with an E not Ann.

Anne was the only competitor at the 1972 Olympics to not have to do a sex test because she had been so well documented her whole life.

Edited by millk
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2 hours ago, millk said:

Princess Anne with an E not Ann.

Anne was the only competitor at the 1972 Olympics to not have to do a sex test because she had been so well documented her whole life.

What's a sex test? Did they have to prove if they were a man or woman in order to compete in their gender category? I didn't realize.

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With this show sparking interest in the older generations, more images of the family have popped up online.  It is funny how I think it puts to rest the notion Harry is not Charles son.  Not only does Harry look like his paternal grandfather, but he also looks like Elizabeth II's uncle the Duke of Gloucester.  And going back a few more generations a lot like some of Philip's family both the Holstein-Gottorp bunch and the Hesse family as well.  Kind of ironic what with Harry having the poor and immature (at the time; he seems to have grown as nice a royal can) taste about wearing a Nazi uniform at a fancy dress party.

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5 hours ago, Suck It Trebek said:

What's a sex test? Did they have to prove if they were a man or woman in order to compete in their gender category? I didn't realize.

For a number of years, female Olympic competitors have had to undergo testing (I think just a swab of their cheek) to prove they were female and not males trying to pass.  This came about because of rumors that the Soviets and East German swimmers on the womens' teams were, in fact, not all female.

There was an athlete, Stella Walsh, who competed in track and field for Poland in the '30's and won multiple medals, who was widely rumored to be a male, much to her embarrassment because that stuff was taboo back then.  She ultimately moved to the US, Cleveland, Ohio; where she was a respected member of the Polish community.  It wasn't until she was shot and killed during a robbery that the truth came out during the autopsy.  She had male organs.  Testing showed that she was a chromosomal mosaic; meaning that her chromosomes were mostly male (XY), but a significant number had only a single X chromosome.  Several friends and her ex-husband all knew she had a 'birth defect' but genetic testing hadn't been around at the time she was born or when she was competing.  Apparently, at birth, she looked like a girl, but, as puberty dawned, her genitalia became more male in appearance although not exactly 'normal' (whatever that is).  Anyway, nowadays, Stella Walsh would've gotten genetic testing as soon as any unusual development came about and certainly wouldn't have competed in the Olympics.  She was known to be a terrific athlete and a caring, wonderful friend and good citizen; I'm sort of glad she didn't know her specific diagnosis before she died.

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2 hours ago, doodlebug said:

For a number of years, female Olympic competitors have had to undergo testing (I think just a swab of their cheek) to prove they were female and not males trying to pass.  This came about because of rumors that the Soviets and East German swimmers on the womens' teams were, in fact, not all female.

There was an athlete, Stella Walsh, who competed in track and field for Poland in the '30's and won multiple medals, who was widely rumored to be a male, much to her embarrassment because that stuff was taboo back then.  She ultimately moved to the US, Cleveland, Ohio; where she was a respected member of the Polish community.  It wasn't until she was shot and killed during a robbery that the truth came out during the autopsy.  She had male organs.  Testing showed that she was a chromosomal mosaic; meaning that her chromosomes were mostly male (XY), but a significant number had only a single X chromosome.  Several friends and her ex-husband all knew she had a 'birth defect' but genetic testing hadn't been around at the time she was born or when she was competing.  Apparently, at birth, she looked like a girl, but, as puberty dawned, her genitalia became more male in appearance although not exactly 'normal' (whatever that is).  Anyway, nowadays, Stella Walsh would've gotten genetic testing as soon as any unusual development came about and certainly wouldn't have competed in the Olympics.  She was known to be a terrific athlete and a caring, wonderful friend and good citizen; I'm sort of glad she didn't know her specific diagnosis before she died.

I'm from Cleveland and still remember her murder.  She was in the parking lot of a grocery store. 

And from things I remember reading at the time of her death - she did kind of understand that she was an amaphrodite (but I don't know if she knew the term). She had breasts, but also male scrotum that hadn't "dropped".  The media left out if she had the makings of a penis.  

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5 hours ago, roamyn said:

I'm from Cleveland and still remember her murder.  She was in the parking lot of a grocery store. 

And from things I remember reading at the time of her death - she did kind of understand that she was an amaphrodite (but I don't know if she knew the term). She had breasts, but also male scrotum that hadn't "dropped".  The media left out if she had the makings of a penis.  

5 hours ago, roamyn said:

 

 Also a Clevelander here, her murder made big news especially when one of the TV stations got wind of the autopsy findings concerning her genitalia and demanded a copy of the report be made public.  The coroner, to his credit, especially in that era, issued his report on her chromosomal condition while also definitively stating that Stella lived her life as a woman, considered herself to be female and nothing else mattered.  Stella did realize that her genitalia appeared more male than female and that this was a 'birth defect' as her ex husband, as well as several friends, had talked to her about it.  She just didn't have any testing to discover the cause of her specific problem.

In any event, Princess Anne was not required to undergo genetic testing to participate in the Olympic equestrian events (1976 in Montreal, I think) because she had a public life since birth and her gender was well known and not disputed.  Also, I believe it was considered somewhat unseemly to request such an exam of royalty.

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44 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

 Also a Clevelander here, her murder made big news especially when one of the TV stations got wind of the autopsy findings concerning her genitalia and demanded a copy of the report be made public.  The coroner, to his credit, especially in that era, issued his report on her chromosomal condition while also definitively stating that Stella lived her life as a woman, considered herself to be female and nothing else mattered.  Stella did realize that her genitalia appeared more male than female and that this was a 'birth defect' as her ex husband, as well as several friends, had talked to her about it.  She just didn't have any testing to discover the cause of her specific problem..

One of the only times Sam Gerber was human (ie his screwing up the Torso murders crome scenes and the Marilyn Sheppard case).

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This is sad news.  The Queen's cousin and best friend has passed away at 91.
Inevitable, I suppose, when one reaches their 90s that lifelong friends would pass on but particularly with someone of the Queen's status who, by the very nature of her vocation, would have very few people with whom she can just be herself.  
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/queen-mourns-cousin-best-friend-margaret-rhodes-dies-aged-91-1593682?utm_campaign=soficalflowfacebook&utm_source=socialflowfacebook&utm_medium=articles
 

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Queen Elizabeth's first cousin and close friend, Margaret Rhodes, passed away aged 91 on Friday 25 November, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. Reports indicate that over the past few weeks, as Rhodes fell ill, the Queen was a regular visitor to her side.

An official statement will not be issued because it was a private matter, the palace said, adding that the Queen had sent her condolences to the family. Rhodes, who was often referred to by the Queen Mother as her "third daughter", was a year older than Queen Elizabeth II.

A royal insider told the Sunday Express: "The Queen will be devastated to have lost her best friend.

"She grew up with Mrs Rhodes and they had so much shared history. They remained close throughout the Queen's reign and Her Majesty continued to be a regular visitor at Mrs Rhodes's Windsor home until very recently.

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Particular to this show, when the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret died, there was a lot of talk about HM losing people who called her Lilibet. I think Margaret Rhodes would have been the last of them.

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On 11/6/2016 at 6:40 AM, Arynm said:

Was Prime Minister Eden a morphine addict? I googled but didn't find anything. They are certainly portraying him as such so I wonder? That would have made the news. Or maybe not, the UK had different rules I think than the US about the freedom of press.

I posted this a few weeks ago:

On 11/6/2016 at 7:09 AM, Jeeves said:

I don't know if he was addicted to morphine. He suffered from recurring episodes of fever, illness, and pain - and went through at least four major surgeries - over a period of several years, including his years as Prime Minister.

* * *

I think the series used the hypodermic injections as a quick visual way to illustrate the severe nature of his attacks of pain and fever. 

Now, thanks to a link posted over in the history topic, I've learned that Eden wasn't a morphine addict, but was prescribed "a powerful combination of amphetamines and barbiturates called drinamyl. Better known in post-war Britain as 'purple hearts'," they were banned in 1978. I don't know if they were pills or injections, or what his actual usage was, from the stories I read. But it seems the man was impaired by painful illness, and apparently by the drugs he took to combat it. 

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2 hours ago, Jeeves said:

Now, thanks to a link posted over in the history topic, I've learned that Eden wasn't a morphine addict, but was prescribed "a powerful combination of amphetamines and barbiturates called drinamyl. Better known in post-war Britain as 'purple hearts'," they were banned in 1978. I don't know if they were pills or injections, or what his actual usage was, from the stories I read. But it seems the man was impaired by painful illness, and apparently by the drugs he took to combat it. 

So Eden was in constant pain due to a gall bladder surgery that went wrong and he suffered for the rest of his life. I too, have suffered from gall bladder attacks until I had mine removed so I know how painful they are. Luckily my surgeon didn't mess up and sever my bile duct, that just sounds terrible. I did have to spend 10 days in the hospital so I really feel for him. That article pretty much puts the blame on his terrible Suez canal decision squarely on the drugs he was prescribed and his addiction to them. It is really too bad

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On 2016-11-15 at 10:32 AM, Rinaldo said:

One advantage of choosing Wessex is that it's otherwise unused -- there is no such region in modern England, although Sussex and Essex are real. The kingdom of Wessex ceased to exist in 1066 with the unification of England, and authors (principally Thomas Hardy) have used it as a convenient fictional location for their stories.

Broadchurch fans will know that Chris Chibnall has borrowed Hardy's fictional "County of Wessex" (and other Hardy references) for  his show.

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On 11/29/2016 at 6:31 PM, Arynm said:

So Eden was in constant pain due to a gall bladder surgery that went wrong and he suffered for the rest of his life. I too, have suffered from gall bladder attacks until I had mine removed so I know how painful they are. Luckily my surgeon didn't mess up and sever my bile duct, that just sounds terrible. I did have to spend 10 days in the hospital so I really feel for him. That article pretty much puts the blame on his terrible Suez canal decision squarely on the drugs he was prescribed and his addiction to them. It is really too bad

I had this issue happen three days after my gallbladder was taken out and it was 1000000 times more painful.  Put it this way my normal blood pressure is 100/65 ish.  When I had an attack begin my BP was 210/125 and they gave me Dilaudid and I was screaming at the doctor to give me pain meds.

I have an entirely high tolerance for pain and a very intolerance of pain meds (I am take Hydrocodone and I am in a coma LOL)  THAT is how painful this is.  I so feel for poor Eden and thank the fact I was in surgery within 5 hours of the initial attack for emergency surgery.

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The Duke of Windsor was a child. He never grew up and only thought of himself and Wallis. England was given a gift when he abdicated.

 Tommy was bitter,(with good cause) , I can't believe that story about him not caring that his father was dying and only cared about seducing a lady. Oh, wait, I totally can.  What an ass. He was pissed that he didn't get any cash when his dad died? Hello? You are King of England,jackass! He is absolutely unbelievable and am amazed that the Queen was able to deal with him when he was begging for money from them when he was one of the richest men in England. Talk about entitled. I can't stand him and the only thing that makes me feel better about him is the stuff about Wallis thinking he was nothing more than a babysitting job she got roped into. She got stuck and had to live with it.

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On ‎11‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 10:19 PM, PinkRibbons said:

I have a $3 (we're cheap) bet with my father over whether she's already pregnant. My argument against is that if she was pregnant, they wouldn't be announcing an upcoming wedding in Spring, they'd be announcing a wedding that took place yesterday. His argument is based on how she apparently looks in a coat she was photographed in. *shakes head* Men.

I was at the grocery store the other day and in the check out line there was a magazine with the headlines Meghan Already Pregnant, so your dad's not the only one who thought Meghan looked pregnant in that white coat. I have to say the photo the magazine had of Meghan did make me do a double take because the style, angle, etc. did make her look a bit pregnant. 

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So I have a random question. Since Meghan is an American Citizen and doesn't plan on renouncing her citizenship does that mean if Harry and Meghan have kids that they will have dual citizenship?

Edited by Fireball
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53 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Yes. If Meghan is still a US citizen when she has kids, they will also be US citizens. 

I suspect she will very quietly give up her US citizenship somewhere down the line. 

Princess Madeline of Sweden's husband has dual citizenship.  However, he turned down a title when they got married.  They spend abt 1/2 their time in NY so he can work.

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8 minutes ago, roamyn said:

Princess Madeline of Sweden's husband has dual citizenship.  However, he turned down a title when they got married.  They spend abt 1/2 their time in NY so he can work.

Since they will most not likely spending close to that much time in the US, she will probably be consulting her accountant because their are tax implications of keeping her US citizenship.

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The Swedish monarchy is much more relaxed than the British, and Christopher O'Neill doesn't participate in official court life. Meghan will. I can't see her keeping her U.S. citizenship forever. And as biakbiak mentioned, there are tax implications for her. The information she'd have to turn over to the IRS would include information about the finances of the BRF, and there's no way any of them want that. It will be interesting to see what happens.

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