Magical bond that will save the monarchy
IT WAS joyful to see Prince Charles sharing an affectionate and witty moment with his son William last week during a public engagement with their wives at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Nottinghamshire.
Princess Diana was determined that Prince Harry should not be overshadowed by William as just a spare to the heir.
But in many ways the reverse happened, with Harry being seen as the free- spirited, witty and compassionate replica of his late mother. Similar comparisons were made when Princess Margaret was portrayed as more fun and glamorous than the Queen. Harry and Meghan were presented as the saviours of the Royal Family with William and Kate looking dull and staid.
But the Sussexes were soon seen as difficult, condescending and hypocritical by saying they craved privacy while behaving in a way that showed that was the last thing they wanted.
I hope that now they have decamped to Canada, the spotlight will shine where it belongs: on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Their behaviour and attitude towards their public role strikes just the right balance.
Kate was young when she joined the royal circle, but executes her role perfectly.
And William has the balance between the public and personal roles in his life just right.
Like Harry, he must have struggled when their mother died. He had to support his younger brother while preparing for his future role of King.
He has done superbly well without whining or moaning and is a son to be proud of. What shines in Prince Charles’s eyes when he looks at his elder son is pride. SARAH TREWEEKS, Birmingham.
Abusive father
I AM delighted the Duchess of Cornwall supports the Safe Lives charity that fights against the scourge of domestic abuse. She is so right that we need to talk about this issue.
My father was a controlling brute. As well as violent outbursts, he liked to control us by withholding food. One Saturday night, all three children were crying with hunger. There was food in the house, but it was locked away.
Out of desperation, mother took us all to the police station, but they didn’t want to know because it was deemed to be ‘a domestic’.
I could never understand why she didn’t stand up to my father until she told me she had got through the war years because of the help and support of the whole community, but she was on her own tackling my father’s abuse.
Name and address supplied.
Verging on the ridiculous
I COMMEND the Great British Spring Clean and the efforts made by local communities. For at least six years, I have tried to get a small piece of verge at the rear of my home cleared of rubbish.
It is constantly used to discard food and drink cartons and vehicles even stop to clear out their ashtrays.
The council has cleared up when old furniture has been fly-tipped, but it won’t take action to discourage the litter louts.
I have suggested the verge should be paved, but the council says it is not its responsibility because it is against a wall surrounding a phone exchange.
I don’t think it is fair to expect me or the local community to rummage among contaminated, overgrown shrubs and nettles to clear up other people’s rubbish.
RAY FINNIE, London N11.
Animal tragic
I WAS fascinated to read about the Chinese virus that flew around the world (Mail).
Some years ago, I visited the charity Animal Asia’s China Bear Rescue Centre in Chengdu, founded by British woman, Jill Robinson. She works to save the magnificent Moon bears from the bile trade, a fate worse than death, in which they are incarcerated in crates for up to 30 years.
Jill was helped in founding her charity by Virginia McKenna, of the Born Free Foundation.
Together they toured bear bile farms and live animal markets. I shall never forget the horror stories they told me of all manner of wild creatures, from bats and snakes to fox cubs, awaiting their fate in cages.
In 2002, SARS broke out in China where the food markets sell live snakes, foxes, civets and rats.
With coronavirus, it is claimed the poor, scaly pangolin, the most trafficked wild animal in the world, is the vector, probably having been infected by bats while waiting to be stir-fried.
When will we (in)humans learn? Wildlife should be left in the wild. ANGEL HUMPHERY,
London NW3.
Call this justice?
JUSTICE for Harry Dunn? I am afraid that American justice can be different from ours.
My son died in Florida at the age of 29 when a speeding driver overtook him on a narrow bridge, pushing his car into a river.
Was the driver prosecuted? No, because he was not intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. When he appeared in court, his plea was that he had suffered brain damage from a previous accident. He was sentenced to eight months in jail, which was deferred because his partner was pregnant, and he ended up serving just two months.
I did not want to punish the driver — nothing would bring back my beloved son — but I thought such a dangerous driver should be prevented from breaking the hearts of other parents.
Y. M. LONG, address supplied.
Forced to sell up
I SUPPORT former pensions minister Baroness Altmann, who asks why there is £100 billion to pay for HS2, but no grand plan to help solve the crisis facing the elderly (Mail).
The Government should be embarrassed into doing something to alleviate the problems caused by decades of inaction.
Only a few people will use HS2, but many elderly people are being forced to sell their houses to pay social care fees. Why are we punishing those who have saved all their lives to pass on an inheritance to their children? IVAN HOLDER, Welwyn Garden City, Herts.
Don’t blame us!
CHRIS WHITTY, the new Chief Medical Officer, warns that the NHS is being overwhelmed by the number of patients over 65.
The solution is to refuse to treat anyone in their 40s and 50s so they don’t reach old age! People could be encouraged to binge drink and eat to hasten their demise.
I am fed up with hearing that every problem in the NHS is due to the ageing population.
If we are living into old age, it is because medical science has made great strides and we have taken the advice to look after ourselves.
JOYCE HARWOOD, Eastbourne, E. Sussex. HOW interesting that the towns with the greatest percentage of over-65s are beautiful Ambleside and Cromer (Mail).
Visiting these places, you are impressed by the absence of litter, bad behaviour, foul language and mobile phone zombies.
DAVID GLEGHORN, Leeds.
Silence is golden
WHAT I value is silence. Too many people don’t think how the noise they make impacts on others.
They toot their horn to let their friend know they are waiting outside instead of knocking on the door. Rather than close a door correctly, they let it slam.
Passengers on public transport have loud conversations on their mobile phones or force others to listen to their music while cars waiting at traffic lights crank up their booming stereos. ADRIAN BONNINGTON,
Northampton.