Royalty Round-up

So Prince Harry is being forced to withdraw from Afghanistan now that the freaking Drudge report has leaked that he's been there for the past several months. Poor guy, all he wants to do is serve his country and he keeps getting thwarted by bureaucracy. I know that's he third in line for the throne, but Prince Andrew got to serve during the Falklands war, flying his helicopter, dodging bullets, coming home to Koo Stark. The British government of course worries that Harry could be a prime target for kidnapping by the Taliban and other extremist groups but isn't that the risk that the other soldiers take as well? At least he got a little taste of what its like to actually be in the field, something that Prince William is never going to experience.


Gone are the days when the monarch led his troops into battle. I think that William III was the last King to actually lead his troops, during the Battle of the Boyne. I don't think that any of the Georges got the chance to do more than just wear a ceremonial uniform (something that Edward VII turned into an art form).


Meanwhile the Queen's first granddaughter, Zara Philips, daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Philips, has posed for her first portrait.


Like her mother, she's fond of the horses, although much prettier. She's often labeled in the press for being a rebel which in English terms means she has a tongue piercing and likes to date rugby players. She's won the European Championships which is a big deal if you are into horses, and she's Britain's best bet if she makes the Olympic team. Princess Anne was on the 1976 Olympic Team in Canada but I don't think she did to well. Hopefully Zara will be bringing home the gold this summer for the Royal Family.


In other news, President Nikolas Sarkozy of France and his new wife Carla Bruni will be meeting the Queen next month. That should be interesting, considering that Sarkozy had another wife as of last October. Is there anyone out there but me who finds it wild that he met and married Carla Bruni like two months after meeting her? That's some coup de foudre. It's like something out of a Harlequin Presents, except without the accidental pregnancy.


Thanks for reading,

EKM