Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Highlights Family Rifts
From International – The News
Prince William and Prince Harry relationship healing might have to wait for a bit longer.
Page Six reports that the estranged brothers do not intend to mend their rift amid the momentous occasion of Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Thus, William and Kate’s three kids, Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 7, and 4-year-old Prince Louis will not be able to bond with cousins, Archie, 3, and Lilibet
Meanwhile, royal admirers will see the Cambridges and the Sussexes unite on official grounds during today’s Thanksgiving Service for the Queen at St Paul’s Cathedral.
This will be the first joint appearance after Meghan and Harry’s attendance at the Westminster Abbey for the Commonwealth Day service in March 2020. Source
Editor writes…
Firstly, we wish Queen Elizabeth every happiness on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee, with our promise of prayers for her apparently failing health. Our Lady of Lourdes, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Health of the Sick, pray for her…
The media is breathlessly focussing on the estrangement of the two princes, William and Harry, as they report on the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Reports that the brothers do not intend to take the opportunity of the Jubilee to mend their rift might seem surprising, but – more likely than not – they know that it will take a lot more than a chat over a coffee (or whatever) to restore their friendship.
Still, the Royal Family is meant to be the model of a Christian family in the UK. Is this an occasion when the siblings should apply Christ’s exhortation to forgive, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times – that is, without counting? Share your thoughts – and experiences, if possible – on this thorny subject.
Comments (24)
These family rifts can last for years. Sometimes they’re over something and nothing, too, but it just takes one person to be unforgiving and there’s nothing can be done about it. I’ve seen it in my own family, sad to say. It’s terrible when it happens.
I feel no sympathy though for anyone who keeps a rift going and that goes, especially for the two princes. They were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, wanted for nothing and yet they can’t bring themselves to put an end to their disagreement, keeping it going like a pair of spoilt brats, knowing they are in a blaze of publicity all the time. Seeing them seated way apart in St Paul’s cathedral just underlines the godlessness in this country from the top (Royal Family) down.
The occasion of the Platinum Jubilee is maybe a good pinpoint to offer a prayer for them all.
I know a couple of people who have had family rifts which have lasted for years, and they don’t show any sign of ending any time soon. It’s really bad, because in both cases the original reason for the fall-out is unimportant. I’d say “misunderstandings” but people just hate to say they were wrong or even might have been wrong – they’d sooner stew in their own juice, than reconcile if it means admitting they had been wrong, even a little, so it’s very sad.
In the case of the princes, it’s more understandable given that Prince Harry has publicly attacked his family and even called one member “racist” – although which member we don’t know. That was very low, IMHO.
As for the Christian duty to forgive – I don’t think people even know what that means any more, the emphasis is so much on helping refugees etc. The clergy have lost the plot and seldom preach real Christianity these days. I’m also not sure if the two princes would regard themselves as Christian – I don’t know but I doubt it.
Firstly, I join Editor in asking the Queen of Heaven to intercede for our earthly Monarch. Obviously, the Royal Family are just like any other family – fallen human beings. With their widely publicised sins, faults and failings by an ever more intrusive media – something the likes of us don’t have to deal with – I doubt if they could ever now be thought of as ‘the model of a Christian family in the UK’.
Although I believe the Queen is a practising Anglican I wonder if she could have made a stronger stand in defence of life back in 1967: for example – King Baudouin of Belgium temporarily gave up his throne for one day, saying his Catholic conscience would not allow him to sign a controversial law legalizing abortion: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-04-mn-822-story.html And although, according to this piece, the Queen had no power to stop abortion being legalised in the UK http://romanchristendom.blogspot.com/2010/07/no-queen-did-not-have-power-to-veto.html I believe a similar abdication for one day by Her Majesty would have sent out a very strong signal to the UK and the Commonwealth and maybe the whole world about the sanctity of human life from conception to death. But as I said, she is a fallen human being, like the rest of us.
But I strongly suspect that many of her family are Christian in name only, and so can’t really give a moral lead to any of us. Only one of the Queen’s children has not been divorced and remarried (Prince Edward). Much ink has already been spilt about the scandals and shortcomings of some of the others, which I won’t go into here.
I also think that the younger members of the royal family are more focused on politically correct concepts such as ‘saving the planet’; ‘mental health issues’; ‘building communities’ and ‘diversity and equality’ rather than traditional Christian values. The future of the Monarchy is beginning to look very shaky indeed.
I was a monarchist until the last few years. I still have admiration for the Queen of old but little time for the rest of the family. The crown and hangers on are now too willing to get involved in politics. The final straw was Her Majesty being used to sell the jabs and speaking of those of us with a well-formed objection as selfish. Then we have our future king as a complete W.E.F. enthusiast for the Great Reset and all that truly satanic Fourth Industrial Revolution scheme. And that’s before we get to the antics of “Randy Andy” on Epstein Island. It’s time for a change.
May they all find salvation. May they all convert and enter the One True Fold of the Redeemer.
Andrew Q
You make some good points. I’d completely forgotten about the jab fiasco and the Queen’s lecture to those who wouldn’t have it. But I think the chances of conversion to the Faith for the Royal Family are virtually impossible, humanly speaking (although God can accomplish anything). Maybe after the Consecration of Russia . . . who knows.
As for relationships within families – one point I forgot to make in my earlier e-mail. There is a difficult problem within my own family at present (prayers please). Myself and a close relative are the only two who can deal with it. We are not particularly close and in fact often seem to rub each other up the wrong way – but I think we both understand that we have to put differences aside and hold it together, for the sake of the greater good of the other family member experiencing the problem. Sometimes it’s as much a matter of common sense as forgiveness. And a priest once told me in confession that one didn’t necessarily have to ‘feel’ forgiveness – as long as one tried to forgive and willed no harm to the other person, he said it can often be quite usual for a feeling of enmity to persist after a fall-out – as long as that feeling isn’t acted upon.
In pre Vatican II days, one of the Intentions of the Pope was “harmony between Christian princes”. These prayers were said as a condition for gaining an indulgence.
We also prayed for the Monarch and her Consort and family after Mass on Sundays.
Does anyone else remember this?
Just wondering…..
littlebellsofgold
Those prayers are still used by Institute of Christ the King and Fraternity of St Peter parishes in the UK.
Andrew Q,
Can you remember what the prayer was? I vaguely remember somebody saying it wasn’t a prayer for the conversion of the Queen, so I’m curious.
MM,
I tried to find it online but keep getting Jubilee prayers for the Queen from everywhere imaginable! The prayer for the Queen after the TLM wasn’t for her conversion, I remember that much, or at least I learned that much from the Latin experts among us 😀 A prayer for her well-being/safety, something like that. I can’t remember seeing a translation and it was quite short, that’s about all I can remember.
Did I tell you that, as I am getting older, my memory is very bad? And did you know that my memory is very bad? 😀
Margaret Mary
It’s in the 1962 Missal and ordered to be used in England and Wales after Solemn Mass on each Sunday.
V: O Lord, save Elizabeth our Queen.
R: And hear us in the day when we call upon Thee.
Almighty God, we pray for thy servant Elizabeth our Queen, now by thy mercy reigning over us. Adorn her yet more with every virtue, remove all evil from her path, that with her consort, and all the royal family she may come at last in grace to thee, who art the way, the truth, and the life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
Andrew Q,
I suppose you could say that prayer is for her conversion because nobody can be saved outside the one, true Church of Christ which we know is the Catholic Church, so praying that “she may come at last in grace to thee” etc is as good as praying for her salvation in the Church. A direct prayer for conversion would bring the wrath of the mainstream media on the Church! I wonder who wrote that prayer, BTW?
I’ve just read Prince William’s speech and it left me cold. He’s following in his father’s footsteps by pushing environmentalism. It’s the opposite of faith, so sad.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/in-full-prince-william-s-speech-to-the-queen-s-jubilee-party/ar-AAY59tf?bk=1&ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=7d58785b900747f693431a0cbb410cdd
MM,
I checked my 1962 missal this morning and the prayer is there, at the end of the ordinary of the Mass, headlined Prayer for the Sovereign of England (Chanted in Great Britain after High Mass on Sunday).
Not that av any Love for the Monarchy aye maybe the Queen’s OK and even did Her bit in WW2 as for the other
Few 1000 hangers on of whom our Taxes Keep or at least kept including the Grand Old Duke I certainly didn’t want a penny of mine going to keep that lot .
Back in my working Days any time I had an argument with a Royalist or to simplify it an Orange Man . They used to say . We Should Always Have The Right To Walk on The Queen’s Highways. Of course as we’re coming into the Walking Season I always used to say to them. ” If you lot were as keen to pay for the Queen’s Highways as well as Walk on them we would have perfect roads ”
Never mind maybe the Pride Mob and the Orange Mob may have a Mix up on Marching Days and meet each other in opposite directions.
Well One Can Only Hope.
It really is very sad when there is a dispute within any family. I’ve got close friends who have not heard from close relatives for years, after some unimportant breach. One of the family stepped in to try to mend fences but was rejected. I can’t understand it at all. Nothing is that important that you would prefer never to see or have anything to do with a parent, sibling or cousin, surely?
When you see the way those two princes are supposedly so concerned about the world, i.e. climate emergency and mental health, yet won’t put aside their own differences, it is sad, yes, but also irritating. They want to present a “caring” face to the world while not caring about each other. That’s hypocrisy, in my view.
There isn’t anything anyone can do to resolve a family dispute if the main people at the centre of it, don’t want to try. That is the sum and substance of it, in my personal experience.
Even if one of the parties apologises and takes the blame, if the anger is deep rooted, then the other person won’t accept it. In the situation I know about, the real root of the problem is the loss of the Catholic religion. That’s it. One side hasn’t practised the faith for years and lives at odds with it, and so the lack of grace there shows up in her response to the other (practising) family member’s attempts to fix matters.
I agree about the two princes – they’re just a stubborn pair, IMHO.
The rifts in my family have been caused by jealousy. My older sibling cannot get over the fact that I was born and he has suffered from sibling jealousy ever since. This was 32 years ago! He never had much to do with me at all, and he would only telephone me once in a blue moon to cause trouble. I had to cut him off because he was so toxic. Unfortunately, no matter how much I want to reconcile with him, it is impossible because he cannot change. Reconciliation requires that both parties change and make compromises. If only one party is willing do to this then it will not work.
It is a similar situation between members of my extended family. The Bible (Proverbs 27:4; NRSV) says “Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who is able to stand before jealousy?” I have experienced a lot of jealousy from Catholics in the past. Can any of you offer some spiritual wisdom about how to deal with this and protect myself from it is the future?
Miles Immaculatae,
I don’t think you can fix jealousy. If someone is jealous of you, it’s a poison and the more you try to appease the person, the worse it gets, they get more and more jealous because they see the goodness in you. My advice, for what it’s worth, is to try to avoid whoever is showing you jealousy and pray for them to make up for the avoidance, LOL!
Miles it must be hard for to be resented by a Brother you only want to show love to . God knows but I was certainly the Black Sheep in my Family and caused especially my Parents heartache. I thank God that I was given the time and the opportunity to make amends. I know I did this ,not because of Pride but because of what they told me.
On one other note though and I have mentioned it before. I went an extra mile to help someone and they didn’t even really thank Me and yes to tell you the Truth it hurt. No one not even Christ liked an ungrate . Remember He said when the Leper came back to thank Him ” Where are the other Nine ”
I personally would ( if you have not already ) write to your Brother and tell Him how much the separation Hurts .
He will read your letter if not for anything else except curiousity . If He does not answer then to me you have done all in your power to heal the rift.
O and one other thing don’t let Him as we say take Saftness for Daftness.
On that am talking with experience.
God Bless.
FOOF and Josephine,
Thank you for your advice.
Miles Immaculatae,
I agree with FOOF about writing a letter, not so sure about avoidance, because aren’t we supposed to do good to those who persecute us? I’d say be extra kind to jealous people but don’t overdo it because that would make them worse. Just a polite kindness, sort of thing, IMHO, could work wonders.
I came across this classic British comedy a few weeks ago and was keeping it for one of those light/fun threads which we enjoy (I hope!) from time to time. Anyway, seeing as how this thread isn’t exactly bursting at the seams, I decided to post it here to finish off the Jubilee holiday weekend. I thought it really comical at the time and I hope you all agree…
I watched that film late last night and it was hilarious! Some well known actors, much loved. What a great way to end the Jubilee celebrations!
Happy Feast of Pentecost everyone! I usually post a thread to mark this hugely important Feast which is not (as too many preachers claim) the “birth” of the Church but simply, essentially, the conferring of the Sacrament of Confirmation on the Apostles. Here’s a previous post on this subject (from 2018)
https://catholictruthscotland.com/2018/05/19/pentecost-not-birth-of-the-church/
Apologies for not posting a fresh thread on the topic but this, that and the other prevented me. Especially, as you will surely appreciate, “the other” since “the other” is a tad more sunshine than we’re used to here in not-so-sunny Scotland so this, that and the other has been complicated by my presence being required here, there, and everywhere! 😀
Happy Feast!
Speaking of rifts – here’s a report about the EU leaders totally ignoring the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – how petty.
https://savebritain.org/european-union-chiefs-ignore-queens-platinum-jubilee-in-bitter-diplomatic-snub/