# Prince Charles And His Medals **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 30, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628 "2004-07-30T18:53:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/1 "2004-07-30T18:53:10Z")
I have just seen that waste of space Prince Charles on the TV in full military uniform wearing a whole chestful of medals. Where on earth did he earn these gongs? What major battles or campaigns has he taken part in?. I think the answer is none. To add insult to injury he was being presented to members of the Airborne Division , including veterans of WW2 . They had to earn their medals the hard way not like this pillock Charles who has never done a honest day’s work in his life and never been under fire. ---
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/2 "2004-07-30T19:02:35Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > I have just seen that waste of space Prince Charles on the TV in full military uniform wearing a whole chestful of medals. Where on earth did he earn these gongs? What major battles or campaigns has he taken part in?. I think the answer is none. To add insult to injury he was being presented to members of the Airborne Division , including veterans of WW2 . They had to earn their medals the hard way not like this **pillock** Charles who has never done a honest day’s work in his life and never been under fire. Bolding Mine. I tried looking the word up on M-W, but couldn’t find it. I assume that by the way it is used that it’s not a flatering term. So, what is a _pillock_? ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/3 "2004-07-30T19:03:49Z")
While I am sure he was coddled, was he not a helicopter pilot with the Royal Navy? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/4 "2004-07-30T19:06:00Z")
A pillock is someone who grates on your nerves, someone who is stupid or irritating. (Billy Elliot fan here… :)) ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/5 "2004-07-30T19:08:24Z")
noun {C} UK OFFENSIVE a stupid or silly person: - You pillock, look what you’ve done! ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/6 "2004-07-30T19:14:14Z")
I found this at [Burke’s Peerage](http://www.burkes-peerage.net/Sites/Peerage/SitePages/page62-6d.asp): Coronation Medal 1953, Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal 1977, Great Master Order Bath 1975, Extra Companion Queen’s Service Order NZ 1983, Grand Cross White Rose Finland 1969, Grand Cordon Supreme Order Chrysanthemum Japan 1971, Grand Cross House of Orange Netherlands 1972, Grand Cross Order Oak Crown Luxembourg 1972, Kt Order Elephant Denmark 1974, Grand Cross Order Ojasvi Rajanya Nepal 1975, Kt Order Seraphim Sweden 1975, Grand Cross Order Southern Cross Brazil 1978; Grand Cross Collar Republic of Egypt 1981, Grand Cross Order Orange Nassau Netherlands 1982, Grand Cross Order St Olav Norway 1978, Offr Order Star Ghana 1977, Grand Cross Legn Hon 1984, Grand Cross Order Carlos III Spain, Nepal Coronation Medal 1975, Grand Cross Khalifiyyeh Order Bahrain, Grand Cross Order Lion Malawi, Grand Cross Order Merit Saudi Arabia, Papua New Guinea Independence Medal 1975, Fijian Independence Medal 1970, NZ Commemorative Medal 1990, Order Merit Qatar 1986, Order Mubarak the Gt Kuwait 1993. And as noted by **UncleBill** , he was in the Royal Navy, and surely picked up the odd medal there. Good conduct, if nothing else. Or one for exemplary service to the Prince of Wales. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/7 "2004-07-30T19:18:56Z")
Not all medals are for gallantry; some are for certain kinds of statuses, memberships, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/8 "2004-07-30T19:20:18Z")
Yes be he did not have to earn most of the above medals . All he had to do was to be his over-privileged self. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/9 "2004-07-30T20:04:50Z")
Though I believe Prince Andrew was actually near some action (Falklands). ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/10 "2004-07-30T20:21:50Z")
Can I get some of those on E-Bay? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/11 "2004-07-30T20:41:46Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Can I get some of those on E-Bay? > 😃 It’s worth a try . **The Grand Cross Order Ojasvi Rajanya Nepal \*\* is the one to go after. If you can’t get that try the** Grand Cordon Supreme Order \*\* **Chrysanthemum Japan**. That is a real catch . 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/12 "2004-07-30T21:45:56Z")
Well I’ve got a **Khandahar Star** and an **Afghan Campaign Medal** from the 1880’s already so why not? _replicas, actually_ ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/13 "2004-07-30T22:03:59Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > Yes be he did not have to earn most of the above medals . All he had to do was to be his over-privileged self. To be truly pedantic, those aren’t medals, they are badges for various honors. IOW, none of them are of the type that the WWII Airborne vets carry. The great majority of them signify that he has been inducted by his mother and foreign sovereigns into various pseudo-knightly orders, such as the Order of the Bath. Note that the Order of the Bath, for instance, usually has had the Prince of Wales as the Grand Master. In a way, you are correct that all he had to do to merit them was be born. Given their status, however, they aren’t anything worth getting your knickers in a twist. ---
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/14 "2004-07-30T22:21:57Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > A pillock is someone who grates on your nerves, someone who is stupid or irritating. (Billy Elliot fan here… :)) Thanks for the info. I enjoy watching Eddie Izzard stand-up comedy, and have head him use the term on more than one occasion. I just never knew what it was exactly. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/15 "2004-07-30T23:36:12Z")
How is this much different than the chestful of fruit salad you can earn in any military without having been to war or done anything particularly outstanding? In my batch, I count: good conduct (5 awards), meritorious unit citation, meritorious unit commendation, battle efficiency (2), humanitarian service (2), expert rifle, expert pistol, national defense. Most of these were unit awards. I could have been the biggest fuckup in the unit and still received these medals. The national defense medal was (is) given to anybody who happens to be able to fog a mirror during wartime. Doesn’t mean you went to where the action was. The weapons ribbons took a modicum of skill, but are basically meaningless. The good conduct awards just mean I never got caught. ---
**Author:** ![legion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/838e76/32.png) [@legion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legion)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/16 "2004-07-30T23:53:55Z")
A list of Prince Charles honours: **British & Commonwealth Honours:** Duke of Cornwall Duke of Rothesay Earl of Carrick Baron of Renfrew Lord of the Isles Prince and Great Steward of Scotland Prince of Wales Earl of Chester Order of the Garter Order of the Bath l Knight Grand Cross Order of the Thistle Knight Privy Counsellor Order of Australia Knight Canadian Forces Decoration Queen’s Service Order Knight Order of Merit Member **Foreign Honours:** Finland Order of the White Rose Grand Cross Japan Order of the Chrysanthemum Grand Cordon The Netherlands Order of the House of Orange Grand Cross Luxembourg Order of the Oak Crown Grand Cross Denmark Order of the Elephant Knight Nepal Order of Ojaswi Rajanya Ghana Order of the Star of Ghana Norway Order of St Olav Grand Cross with Collar Brazil Order of the Southern Cross Grand Cross Egypt Order of the Republic Collar The Netherlands Order of Orange-Nassau Knight Grand Cross France Order of the Legion of Honour Grand Cordon Malawi Order of the Lion Grand Commander Bahrain Order of al-Khalifa 1st Class Qatar Order of Merit Collar Spain Order of Carlos III Grand Cross Saudi Arabia King Abdul Aziz Order of Merit 1st Class I guess it pays to be connected! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/17 "2004-07-30T23:54:12Z")
> [@Greathouse](#): > > Thanks for the info. I enjoy watching Eddie Izzard stand-up comedy, and have head him use the term on more than one occasion. I just never knew what it was exactly. Thanks again. Well, well, the Pit has gone ever so polite today. 🙂 I had always understood the literal meaning to be a bit more physical tan merely a person who gets on one’s nerves. I reckon I have the Shorter Oxford on CD-ROM, but since I don’t know where it is, this lsite will have to do. > [@](#): > > Its origins are in the word pillicock, which is northern English slang for ‘penis’, and which compares with the shorter and more southern cock. The earliest usage recorded in the OED describes someone getting their feet wet and saying: **“Mi pilkoc pisseth on mi schone.”** 5 > > Pillock is no longer considered obscene. Mo Mowlem was filmed on TV in a shopping precinct during the 2001 general election campaign telling somone wearing an odd shop uniform that they looked ‘a complete pillock’. Everyone smiled, possibly with relief that Ms Mowlem, who has a reputation for using short words, used one of the longer and more repeatable ones. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/18 "2004-07-31T00:34:37Z")
I got a couple a medals I won for coming in third in Jr. High chess tournaments. I don’t think Sgt. York and Audie Murphy are going to come and kick my ass if I want to wear them. The fact that some medals can be won only by valorous conduct under fire doesn’t make all the other, more pedestrian medals offensive. ---
**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/19 "2004-07-31T01:39:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Bahrain Order of al-Khalifa 1st Class > Saudi Arabia King Abdul Aziz Order of Merit 1st Class What?! No Order of Merlin, 1st Class? I hear the Fudge administration will sell you one for 2000 Galleons. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628/20 "2004-07-31T02:01:23Z")
> [@ricksummon](#): > > What?! No Order of Merlin, 1st Class? I hear the Fudge administration will sell you one for 2000 Galleons. 🙂 Ah but you see, the poor bunny gave all hiso pennies (and galleons) to that deranged Diana. My heart bleeds for him. > **[News](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/)** > > Latest breaking news, including politics, crime and celebrity. Find stories, updates and expert opinion. > [@](#): > > The Prince of Wales was “taken to the cleaners” and handed over his entire personal fortune to Diana, Princess of Wales, as part of their divorce settlement, his former personal financial adviser has revealed > > … > > “Princess Diana took every penny he had,” Mr Bignell told the Telegraph last week. “I was told to liquidate everything, all his investments, so that he could give her the cash. He was very unhappy about that. That’s when I stopped being his personal financial adviser because he had no personal wealth left. She took him to the cleaners.” > … > > It is understood that the Queen lent her son several million pounds for the divorce settlement and that he is still repaying her. 'Tis a hard life. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-charles-and-his-medals/257628.md?page=2)