The news that His Royal Highness Prince Edward, youngest son of our Sovereign, and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, were not able to eat in a manor house restaurant during a recent visit to Northern Ireland, has not gone down well in many circles.
From what I can tell, it does sound as if the Northern Ireland Office bungled the arrangements and the restaurant's response doesn't seem like a republican snub. However, I can't help but feel that the excuses offered by the proprietor of the property in question, Mr. Damien McFaul, sound a little weak. The Earl and Countess are members of the Royal Family, who were making visits to a beautiful part of Northern Ireland - the concerns of the "privacy" of Mr. McFaul's other guests seems like a silly, indeed dubious, excuse for refusing to cater the Royal party on their visit.
More coverage in The Belfast Telegraph.
I think it is charming how the royal couple went to the pub next door and enjoyed a hearty lunch in the bar.
ReplyDeleteSurely by saying that he is entitled to enter any establishment owned by the National Trust just because his brother is the patron is a bit childish? The scope of the royal family goes beyond Rathlin Island to be fair, he could also claim that since 'Mummy' is on all the coins he should be allowed to take my money too eh? It is up to the leasee after all what arrangements can be made for their own particular restaurant. Still find it amusing.
ReplyDeleteYou mean childish as in the same ilk as referring to the Queen as "Mummy" as a means of mocking upper-class pretensions, thus implying their views have no legitimacy? :)
ReplyDeleteBasically, the article's point was not that it was somehow illegal but particularly rude to exclude someone who is related to your patron, be it royal or not.