My Granny knows the lady who knitted some of the exhibition shawls in the museum in Lerwick (on her back! She was bed-rid the whole time!) She was looking at one of them one day only to hear a tourist convince her friend it was actually a cobweb, not a shawl at all.

Your history knowledge goes much further back than mine... I like my biographies with photos, or at least portraits, the ones with tapestry inserts just don't do it for me.

They had a sort of pact, it was considered uncouth and detrimental to the nation but there was a huge element of deference and not wanting to slander the future king.

I am love with this, and by inference , you.

Just back from visiting family in Shetland where my first attempts at Fairisle knitting were 'meh'd' over and the staple story of the 'wedding ring shawl' were paraded out for me to feel inadequate over.

They took the name Windor for the family name after WWI when the German connitations of Saxe-Coburg (I think) were considered too un-PC after the war.

Harry's short for Henry, a name with rather more unpleasant connitations! Plus we've had a few Williams since the Conqueror. The last was William IV, Queen Victoria's uncle.

Ethelred!

I think the way it goes is that all your friends and family call you Charles as normal. All your intimates go on the same but those who know you as king call you by the official name - staff, subjects, press etc. The tabloids will be calling him Charlie for ever, you can't wind back the effect of the modern news age…

Here in the UK this is how most labours go. Start naturally, bit of gas and air if wanted, maybe a shot of pethidine if you are going quick quickly, then epidural if wanted. It's rare to have an epidural right from the start and many woman in the UK deliver with gas and air alone.

I think this is a great attitude, see how it goes and don't be too fixed in your ideas, some woman who are vigilantes about natural birth end up needing intervention for what ever reason and end up so down about how it all went. Much better to be philosophical (I say this as a 2x natural birther, birthee? No…

Both ways to go have their disadvantages. Epidurals are FANTASTIC pain relief and many women would literally kiss the feet of their anaesthetist if they could after getting one. But, epidurals increase the incidence of instrumented deliveries (forceps etc) and progression to C Section, so that is why some people…

I think it's one of the reasons monarchs often ruled under a different name eg Edward VIII - David, George VI - Bertie. Elizabeth was called Lillibet by her parents I think but I don't know if that's what Phillip calls her. The younger royals all seem to go by their 'family' names in public.

I took this as more a joke about her dad, Keith Allan, having a reputation as a massive drinker/hellraiser.

ok

I do feel we have a certain responsibility for these dreadful people so despite my reluctance we probably should bring them back and lock them in the Tower.

The Queen Mum was in the minor nobility. It was unusual for royals to marry outside the other royal families of Europe, but after WW1 George V wanted to keep things British, especially as lots of spouse potentials were from the royal houses of Germany (who are of course all interrelated from Hanover onwards.)

William wasn't a Duke either until the Queen gave him the Duchy as a sort of wedding present. Princes tend to be poor historically speaking because being a prince in the UK is not attached to a bit of land with a castle on it. That's why they are given other titles, Duke of Edinburgh, York etc. Prince Charles'…

It's true, her family and friend call her Catherine. Kate is a media invention, the tabloids liked that it rhymed with 'wait.'

All midwives here are nurses so that may be the main difference.
Over regulation definately sucks, my midwife for my two births is independant in her practice and there is an issue with insurance regulation for independant midwives which may put them all out of business. It really sucks.