Jayson’s Reviews > Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life > Status Update
Jayson
is on page 111 of 624
Notes:
(1) Getting back into this after a bit of a hiatus.
(2) Between leaving the Navy and marriage, Charles' life seemed preoccupied with following gurus.
- You don't really hear much of gurus these days. I think it may have been a '70s thing.
(3) Charles set up The Prince's Trust in 1976 to help urban youth.
- Probably would've earned him a knighthood were he a commoner.
— Jun 23, 2021 11:50PM
Notes:
(1) Getting back into this after a bit of a hiatus.
(2) Between leaving the Navy and marriage, Charles' life seemed preoccupied with following gurus.
- You don't really hear much of gurus these days. I think it may have been a '70s thing.
(3) Charles set up The Prince's Trust in 1976 to help urban youth.
- Probably would've earned him a knighthood were he a commoner.
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Jayson’s Previous Updates
Jayson
is on page 495 of 624
Notes:
(1) Following retirement from the military, William and Kate moved into Kensington Palace apartment 1A, which features four stories, twenty rooms and a private garden.
- My first apartment was a one bedroom with a window view of a brick wall.
(2) In 2012 Harry was photographed naked at a party in Las Vegas.
- First rule of naked Vegas party: check phones at the door!
— Aug 23, 2021 04:30AM
Notes:
(1) Following retirement from the military, William and Kate moved into Kensington Palace apartment 1A, which features four stories, twenty rooms and a private garden.
- My first apartment was a one bedroom with a window view of a brick wall.
(2) In 2012 Harry was photographed naked at a party in Las Vegas.
- First rule of naked Vegas party: check phones at the door!
Jayson
is on page 439 of 624
Notes:
(1) Charles recycles his bathwater to water his garden.
- I'm more surprised that he takes baths.
(2) William's 21st birthday was fancy dress.
- It was notable for a gate-crasher dressed as Osama bin Laden, also as the first royal event attended by Kate Middleton.
(3) Harry's Nazi costume sparked international government condemnation.
- Seems overkill for kid idiocy.
— Aug 22, 2021 04:30AM
Notes:
(1) Charles recycles his bathwater to water his garden.
- I'm more surprised that he takes baths.
(2) William's 21st birthday was fancy dress.
- It was notable for a gate-crasher dressed as Osama bin Laden, also as the first royal event attended by Kate Middleton.
(3) Harry's Nazi costume sparked international government condemnation.
- Seems overkill for kid idiocy.
Jayson
is on page 359 of 624
Notes:
(1) "Stephen Fry['s] ubiquity at such functions put him perilously close to court jester status."
- From what I know of Stephen Fry, I'm sure he'd take court jester as an honor.
(2) Camilla was so unpopular that there were plans to elevate Princess Anne to "Royal Partner," to perform consort duties instead.
- Reminds me of when Chelsea Clinton was briefly First Lady.
— Aug 19, 2021 04:50AM
Notes:
(1) "Stephen Fry['s] ubiquity at such functions put him perilously close to court jester status."
- From what I know of Stephen Fry, I'm sure he'd take court jester as an honor.
(2) Camilla was so unpopular that there were plans to elevate Princess Anne to "Royal Partner," to perform consort duties instead.
- Reminds me of when Chelsea Clinton was briefly First Lady.
Jayson
is on page 329 of 624
Notes:
(1) The portion of the book dealing with Diana's death is both the most moving part of the book and the least interesting.
- I know it all already.
(2) In my opinion, the British public never really accepted the divorce. There wasn't enough time. As such, to the public, they always will be married and, no matter how official, Camilla will always be "the other woman."
— Aug 18, 2021 04:00AM
Notes:
(1) The portion of the book dealing with Diana's death is both the most moving part of the book and the least interesting.
- I know it all already.
(2) In my opinion, the British public never really accepted the divorce. There wasn't enough time. As such, to the public, they always will be married and, no matter how official, Camilla will always be "the other woman."
Jayson
is on page 317 of 624
Notes:
(1) Following a long royal tradition of hiring "men of indeterminate sexuality," Charles hired PR wunderkind Mark Bolland.
- William and Harry nicknamed him Lord Blackadder.
(2) Diana fell in love with a Pakistani heart surgeon. He dumped her for being "needy and suffocating."
- Eg. she would be furious with him for declining her phone calls while performing surgery.
— Aug 17, 2021 04:00AM
Notes:
(1) Following a long royal tradition of hiring "men of indeterminate sexuality," Charles hired PR wunderkind Mark Bolland.
- William and Harry nicknamed him Lord Blackadder.
(2) Diana fell in love with a Pakistani heart surgeon. He dumped her for being "needy and suffocating."
- Eg. she would be furious with him for declining her phone calls while performing surgery.
Jayson
is on page 303 of 624
Notes:
(1) To secure the infamous 1995 Panorama interview, Martin Bashir used fake financial documents to convince Diana that her staff was spying on her.
- This deceit was only uncovered this year.
(2) As intended, the interview permanently burnt bridges with the royals.
- As a direct result, the Queen demanded Charles and Diana divorce. She could no longer be queen-to-be.
— Aug 16, 2021 04:00AM
Notes:
(1) To secure the infamous 1995 Panorama interview, Martin Bashir used fake financial documents to convince Diana that her staff was spying on her.
- This deceit was only uncovered this year.
(2) As intended, the interview permanently burnt bridges with the royals.
- As a direct result, the Queen demanded Charles and Diana divorce. She could no longer be queen-to-be.
Jayson
is on page 283 of 624
Notes:
(1) Though there was little doubt that Diana would be "the fun parent," she made extra effort to have her fun in public, so that Charles would by contrast look uninvolved in raising his sons.
(2) When Buckingham Palace opened to the public, the Queen put Charles in charge.
- He bemoaned selling cheap items in the gift shop. Though, what exactly is "cheap" to Charles?
— Aug 12, 2021 04:20AM
Notes:
(1) Though there was little doubt that Diana would be "the fun parent," she made extra effort to have her fun in public, so that Charles would by contrast look uninvolved in raising his sons.
(2) When Buckingham Palace opened to the public, the Queen put Charles in charge.
- He bemoaned selling cheap items in the gift shop. Though, what exactly is "cheap" to Charles?
Jayson
is on page 271 of 624
Notes:
(1) Best chapter of the book so far covers 1991-1992, from Diana's press offensive against Charles, to the Morton biography, to the separation.
- I sort of wish the entire book was the scandalous parts, but then, it wouldn't be a comprehensive biography.
(2) In 1992, there was still hope, despite the separation, that Diana would be crowned Queen.
- How very medieval.
— Aug 11, 2021 04:00AM
Notes:
(1) Best chapter of the book so far covers 1991-1992, from Diana's press offensive against Charles, to the Morton biography, to the separation.
- I sort of wish the entire book was the scandalous parts, but then, it wouldn't be a comprehensive biography.
(2) In 1992, there was still hope, despite the separation, that Diana would be crowned Queen.
- How very medieval.
Jayson
is on page 251 of 624
Notes:
(1) Diana's nickname for Camilla was "Rottweiler."
- I can't tell whether that was a reference to her appearance or her temperament.
(2) Charles kept his affair monogamous and out of public view. Conversely, Diana carried on several affairs simultaneously, and in full view of Kensington Palace staff and her children.
- So very different. Little wonder it didn't work.
— Aug 09, 2021 04:00AM
Notes:
(1) Diana's nickname for Camilla was "Rottweiler."
- I can't tell whether that was a reference to her appearance or her temperament.
(2) Charles kept his affair monogamous and out of public view. Conversely, Diana carried on several affairs simultaneously, and in full view of Kensington Palace staff and her children.
- So very different. Little wonder it didn't work.
Jayson
is on page 241 of 624
Notes:
(1) Dorchester needed to expand. Rather than sell off land to developers, Charles decided to build his own town, Poundbury.
- As Duke of Cornwall, I suppose it's technically his land to decide what do with.
(2) Seems very authoritarian to deny townsfolk a supermarket and cinema for aesthetic reasons.
- Though, to be fair, they did choose to live in Charles' Sim City.
— Aug 08, 2021 04:35AM
Notes:
(1) Dorchester needed to expand. Rather than sell off land to developers, Charles decided to build his own town, Poundbury.
- As Duke of Cornwall, I suppose it's technically his land to decide what do with.
(2) Seems very authoritarian to deny townsfolk a supermarket and cinema for aesthetic reasons.
- Though, to be fair, they did choose to live in Charles' Sim City.
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Rebecca
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Jun 24, 2021 08:23AM
There are a ton of Instagurus now. My husband’s cousins just joined one of their “groups” (ahem, cults). He now labels himself “superhuman” and “limitless.”
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Rebecca wrote: "There are a ton of Instagurus now. My husband’s cousins just joined one of their “groups” (ahem, cults). He now labels himself “superhuman” and “limitless.”"Well, glad to know gurus are keeping up with the times and embracing social media. I figure, as long as they're not asking people to turn over their life-savings, estranging people from their loved-ones, or actively hating on certain other groups, then they're harmless enough, albeit oddball and anachronistic.
Oh, I’d say it’s almost worse now. They have access to you in your home, through social media. They don’t come right out and tell you they’re a cult and you should give them all your time, money, and personal connections. They mask themselves as self-improvement gurus or MLMs. A new, particular danger are the ones who claim that you can change your DNA or cure the incurable by “vibrations” or “manifesting” or just buying a lot of magic oil/merch. That shit has real world, life and death consequences.
Rebecca wrote: "Oh, I’d say it’s almost worse now. They have access to you in your home, through social media. They don’t come right out and tell you they’re a cult and you should give them all your time, money, a..."Ah, yes, I see. What you're talking about are plainly cults. What I was reading in this book are more akin to philosophical mentorships, albeit with a tinge of eastern religion. Possibly the meaning of guru has morphed over time, or else was co-opted by con-artists. My feeling is, people can believe whatever stupid stuff they want so long as it makes them happy. The problem with cults is that they're parasitic, personally destructive and founded on deception and manipulation. Snake-oil salesmen have been around since the beginning of time, I guess this is just the modern manifestation of it.
