Royal couple to visit charities

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are to visit charities in Gloucestershire.

Prince Charles will meet patients with terminal illnesses when he opens Cotswold Care Hospice's new £2.8 million building in Minchinhampton.

He will tour the facilities and meet residents, staff and supporters of the hospice.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cornwall will visit the Emmaus charity shop in Market Street, Nailsworth, to meet staff and trustees.

Camilla is a patron of the charity which offers homeless people a home and work through refurbishing and selling donated goods.

She will then head back to Highgrove, in Tetbury, where she will host a reception for staff and children from Latch, the Welsh Children's Cancer Charity.

Tomorrow, Charles will visit the recently refurbished New Brewery Arts centre where he will meet artists and craftsmen.

Queen Elizabeth to celebrate Christmas once every two years...

I just finished reading that, because of the tough economic times, HM Queen Elizabeth II is going to celebrate Christmas once every two years with her staff. The Queen also said that they (staff) behave "outrageously" at the annual Christmas party. In addition, all of the decorating will be with baubles from her shop in Buckingham Palace and the staff gifts would all be the same this year -- a pair of coasters.

Okay, so I'm falling off my chair after reading this. After all, the British government recently seized a profitable Icelandic owned bank branch located in the Isle of Man that held $1 billion in deposits. Surely that could pay for a few Christmas parties at the Palace. It might even leave enough to pay back the depositors about half what is still owed to them.

The irony of this is that Her Majesty's government is a principle responsible for the current conditions that have led up to the royal staff looking forward to a biennial coaster -- expected to be a big hit on Ebay come January 1, 2009.

Seriously, if she is looking to save taxpayers some money one way might be to grant a few of 16 states within the Commonwealth realm their independence and free them from supporting the British monarchy. The Isle of Man has her cousin, HRH Prince David Howe, whom she has recognized as the de jure King of the Isle of Man. And, unlike most royals, David Howe is an experienced businessman and MBA. Perhaps Prince David of Mann could do a more competent job of running the Isle of Man. It's not likely that HRH Prince David would have shut down a profitable off-shore bank as did the British government and serve up coasters to his staff as if they were a coveted gift in recognition for loyal service. That much is sure.


Queen Elizabeth's biennial party
HRH Prince David on Ziki
Linkedin with Prince David Howe
Bigtsight on David Howe


HM Queen Elizabeth II, David Howe, HRH Prince David of the Isle of Man, King of the Isle of Man, David Drew Howe