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How can i become prince of Wales
Cecil comments on how Princess Anne hasn’t recieved the title Princess Royal yet although she’s entitled to expect it. That was true enough at the time. The question was dated as from 1977, but it’s massivley out of date now.
She recieved the title from the queen in 1987 so the answer needs updating.
Surely George VI was never Prince Of Wales. Normally the heir gets to be POW so I imagine Edward VIII was Prince Of Wales. IIRC George was Duke of something. I really can’t be bothered looking into that now but I am fairly sure thats the case.
Princess Anne WAS made Princess Royal some time ago…
BTW, Cecil says that Anne was “shortshrifted,” apparently using the word to mean “shortchanged.” The literal meaning of the phrase “to give short shrift” is to kill someone without giving them enough time for *shriving[\i] – i.e. last rites. (Remember the old westerns where the bad guy makes the mistake of telling someone he’s about to shoot, “Say your prayers?” He never does get the shot off.) So it’s a nice macabre phrase meaning “to make quick work of,” and I’d hate to see it fade into vagueness.
fkrausz said
True enough, but it had that meaning first in Shakespeare’s time.
The meaning of
appears in Sir Walter Scott’s writing in 1814. He, Scott, seems to have made the meaning popular. And thus it has been used for nearly two hundred years.
If we could only go back to whacking criminals wholesale, then perhaps the earlier meaning might be revived. (see Texas)
<< The question was dated as from 1977, but it’s massivley out of date now. >>
You want us to update all the columns whenever something happens? Send in a generous contribution check, so that we can afford the staff to do that, and we’ll think about it.
Most people have no problem readin the date on an old column and noting that. The library is full of books that were written before WWII, you want them all updated too?