Thursday Thirteen #480

Next in line. Many Brits are up in arms because Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have returned to the UK and may be trying to return to royal life. Much of the public unhappiness has to do with money. Mr. Henry Mountbatten-Windsor wishes to be a "non-working royal" – meaning a private citizen and not a representative of The Crown or kingdom – yet he seems to feel entitled to security at tax payer expense. Around-the-clock protection for the Sussex family could cost up to $4 million a year. More if the family also moves to a tax-payer funded royal home, which would be easier to secure.

Unpopular as Harry and Meghan are they are still likely to get all this, and here is why. The King is head of state in the UK constitutional republic. Until their constitution is changed – and no one sees that happening any time soon – the monarch is a legal requirement for the continuity of government. And Harry is still in the Top 10 in the line of succession.

In fact, so is his uncle, the highly discredited and even more unpopular Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (no longer Prince Andrew). It takes an act of Parliament to remove him, and that is not likely to happen until/unless he is convicted of a crime. The reasoning is that his expulsion would influence a jury if is he brought to trial. Anyway, it's super complicated and time-consuming because Andrew's removal would involve, at least peripherally, all 15 Commonwealth realms. But it has been discussed. Once the process begins, King Charles is not expected to intervene on his brother's behalf.

But Harry is higher up in line, and that makes him relevant. Constitutionalists argue that King Charles is not well. Were he to die soon, Prince William would become King, and next in line to the throne would be Prince George. Who is 13. If for some reason William became incapacitated, Prince George could not become King because he's too young, and Harry would be designated Regent. Harry would hold the throne until George comes of age.

An awful lot of bad things would have to happen in the next five years for Harry to assume the throne. It's highly unlikely, but it is possible. And a Parliament who has yet to expel Andrew for being an Epstein perv is not going to remove Harry for being snippy and having a wife no one likes. And if they tried, King Charles could and likely would throw roadblocks in their way. So in a weird way, Andrew is Harry's job security.

Confused? Maybe this list of 13 will help. 

The current line of success behind King Charles III.  

1. Prince William, Charles' son, born in 1981

2. Prince George, William's son, born in 2013

3. Princess Charlotte, William's daughter, born in 2015

4. Prince Louis, William's son, born in 2018

5. Prince Harry, William's brother, born in 1984

6. Prince Archie, Harry's son, born in 2019

7. Princess Lilibet, Harry's daughter, born in 2021

8. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (yes, he's still here), Charles' brother, born in 1960

9. Princess Beatrice, Andrew's daughter, born in 1988

10. Sienna Mapelli Mozzi, Beatrice's daughter, born in 2021

11. Athena Mapelli Mozzi, Beatrice's daughter, born in 2025

12. Princess Eugenie, Andrew's daughter, born in 1990

13. August Brooksbank, Eugenie's daughter, born in 2021

If Andrew is kicked out, his daughters and their children would move up, and Ernest Brooksbank, Eugenie's younger son, would take the 13th slot. 

Princess Anne is currently #19 in succession. Charles' sister is kinda neat. Virtually scandal free, she's fusty in the way a Queen should be. 76 years old and reportedly in excellent health, she has lived a life of service and kept a busy schedule representing the Crown all over the world. She currently serves as patron for more than 300 charities, with a special emphasis on helping children and veterans. She would be the logical choice, if for any reason a Regent was required to guide future King George. But that can't happen because, at least to this Yank, logic doesn't have a shit-ton to do with any of this.

 

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

"... If that's what's bothering you"

Yesterday my shrink and I were discussing my recent, and increasingly more frequent, bouts of irritability. I have infinite patience with my cats. I never lose my temper with customers at the card shop. I can comfortably chat up a seatmate on public transportation. But Christine from movie group, my neighbor at the end of the hall, they exasperate me. Perhaps beyond proportion. 

I have not been having "bad days." I'm feeling well. There is nothing going on that I can attribute my snappishness to.

Christine is a kind, well-meaning woman who is trying to expand her social circle. There is no shortage of online articles that will reinforce how difficult this can be for women of our age. Yet planning and spending a movie day with her left me ill-tempered and worn out. No, I didn't say anything to her about it. I try not to be mean. But she was high-maintenance and intellectually incurious and I couldn't wait to get away from her. Even though she had a lovely time, brought me a book she found at a library sale, and followed up with texts the next day. She seemed to enjoy the same day that left me exhausted. What's wrong with me?

My neighbor at the end of the hall has disabilities. He has to wear a brace on one of his legs. He has some form of Tourette syndrome that causes him to yell loudly when he's alone. He is lonely and has trouble with boundaries. He is always asking me where I'm going, what's in that shopping bag I'm carrying, etc. I don't think he means to be creepy, but he is. Last week he banged and banged on my door, demanding I answer even though I was busy doing something more than a little private.* When I finally answered, what he wanted was not remotely urgent or even my issue. He asked what I thought we should do about the Amazon package that had been delivered here by mistake. I yelled at him, telling him I'm not on-call 24/7, not his employee. He looked as though I'd stricken him. Yes, I raised my voice and made a man with disabilities feel bad. What's wrong with me?

"There's nothing wrong with you, if that's what's bothering you." So said my shrink. OK, so let's work on what's wrong with these situations ...

Regarding Christine: Maybe I just don't vibe with her. If you can't talk politics, baseball, or pop culture, or if you don't make me laugh, we're not going to click. That's no one's fault, it's just chemistry. Also, compared with recent get togethers with friends that I have enjoyed, Christine and I were together for nine hours. That is too much for me. I'm not that social anymore and my introversive streak has gotten wider. Christine is a nice woman who is trying to make friends so I'm not going to snub her. That would be mean and I refuse to do it. But I can limit the length of time we're together when we see each other.

Regarding my neighbor: He suffers from neurodiversity. He does not respect boundaries and cannot pick up subtle cues. I wasn't being a reactive bully, I was doing what was necessary. If I hadn't yelled at him, he would continue becoming more intrusive. That is simply the way it is. His very real issues, which I see and have compassion for, do not give him the right to make me uncomfortable in my own home. 

I am an old dog but I am still learning. I guess at core, what I have been struggling with is how to live my Christian faith. I want to be a kind person. I want to treat everyone as I wish to be treated. I want to end each day knowing the way I behaved toward others is a way that would please Him.

But sometimes I lose myself in the equation. Christ's plan for me is not that I be inherently unhappy, is it? So I will develop a relationship with Christine that works for both of us. I will be nice and gracious to my neighbor but insist he respect my privacy.

Therapy is worth the time and worth the dime.

  

*I had just applied prescription cream to a rash that I'd rather not talk about, but let's just say I wasn't dressed to welcome visitors. So I had to smear the expensive cream to get dressed to answer the door and yes, this really pissed me off.