Queen Elizabeth II managed to make it to the final evening of the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Sunday, meaning she came out on Friday and Sunday, and made a point of walking to her seat with the aid of a cane. On Sunday, the Queen watched “The Gallop Through History” show, and she saw her granddaughter Lady Louise Windsor do her carriage driving thing. Tom Cruise was there, so was Helen Mirren. Cruise in particular has been cozying up a lot to royalty recently and I’m not exactly sure why. He was selected to introduce a horsey collection which celebrated the four nations of the United Kingdom. One of the more bizarre moments came from Alan Titchmarsh, who was acting as sort of an MC for the event. This is what he said:
Television presenter Alan Titchmarsh said “our identity, heart and soul is embodied by Her Majesty the Queen”.
The gardening guru and writer told presenters Phillip Schofield and Julie Etchingham: “This is a remarkable year, 70 years for a remarkable woman whom I’ve met quite a lot and been bowled over by because she’s such ferociously good company.”
“She has enormous quiet charisma, like Nelson Mandela did. He had a kind of grace and the Queen’s the same.It’s important in our lives, particularly this past couple of years, that we have special. If we don’t know our own family history, we know hers, and she in a way shares her lineage with us and her history is our history, and that matters to us. Whether we’re conscious of it or not.”
I understand that a lot of people are embiggening the Queen during her Jubbly year and I realize that she’s a big part of the British national consciousness, but… can we not compare her to Nelson Mandela? My goodness. Shocked no one has said “the Queen is just like Mahatma Gandhi too.”
Seriously, what is Tom Cruise doing? Which member of the Royal Family is about to become a Scientologist?
Photos courtesy of Getty, Instar.
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- North America Rights Only – Windsor, UK -20220515- Queen Elizabeth II meets Alan Tichmarsh and Adjoa Andoh (left) as she departs following the A Gallop Through History Platinum Jubilee celebration at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle -PICTURED: Queen Elizabeth II -PHOTO by: Steve Parsons/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Windsor, UK -20220515- Queen Elizabeth II meets Alan Tichmarsh and Adjoa Andoh (left) as she departs following the A Gallop Through History Platinum Jubilee celebration at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle -PICTURED: Queen Elizabeth II -PHOTO by: Steve Parsons/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Windsor, UK -20220515- Queen Elizabeth II meets Alan Tichmarsh and Adjoa Andoh (left) as she departs following the A Gallop Through History Platinum Jubilee celebration at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle -PICTURED: Queen Elizabeth II -PHOTO by: Steve Parsons/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
Well Tom can have all the UK royals, just stay away from Meghan and Harry. As for the queen and Mandela comment, it sounds like it was written by the same idiot that wrote that “Expert Kate” article. These people are gross.
Let’s have fun speculating which royal Tom Cruise could recruit to Scientology. I would say Fergie is an easy mark. She would hitch her wagon to anything if she thought it would make her money. William’s ego is so fragile that having “Top Gun” pump up his ego would make him feel better. And he’s desperate for an in with Hollywood.
Ohh Fergie’s a good call actually! Plus they can tie it into her 22 book deal she got recently
William if he becomes king will be the future head of the Church of England, he wouldn’t never convert to Scientology because that would jeopardise his future.
Same for Pedo, as a way to stick it to Chaz. The way the cult will pander to him (at least to get him in) will appeal to that gargantuan ego.
Still, as I posted on Kaiser’s Twitter feed yesterday, I think it’s just Tiny Tim sucking up to the teat to get an O/MBE.
Scientology goes after big money – Fergie is not that.
Actually, Tom Cruise and the British royals are a match made in heaven. They can trade made-up ribbons and awards — one Order of the British Empire in exchange for the Freedom Medal of Valor.
First of all, I haven’t seen T. Cruise for a while, and he looks good in the picture above. Second, I think William probably flattered him because William wants to be a bigger name and more famous in the U.S. Tom probably wants to promote Scientology by showing his association with the BRF. I don’t think that he necessarily wants to convert any of them but just having his picture with them out there can maybe help convert others in that country or elsewhere. Also, one of those British honors wouldn’t hurt either. Lastly, someone above said it well, that Fergie is someone who would cozy up to Cruise – not for the religious aspect but for the possibility of a donation or “business opportunity.”
22 books! Fergie??? Googled that & found it to be true. I bet she’s spent her advance already….
And yes, Tommy is looking good. He’s finally starting to appear to be aging, and it suits him. Still can’t stand him, though.
Tom Cruise is probably looking for an honorary knighthood. As for Titchmarsch, who is Charles’ friend, that comment was highly offensive given he and the rest of the British establishment always believed that Mandela was a terrorist. The only accomplishment the Queen has is remaining on the throne for 70 years. She has done absolutely nothing for the UK or the commonwealth.
Yeah, he’s looking to be Sir Tom.
Of course he is. But he hasn’t the material for it.
Good point!: Mandela has gone from terrorist to Saint, with nary a batted eyelash.
Word, Amy Bee. Betty’s only accomplishment is keeping her head down, doing a lot of busy work cutting ribbons, that is supposed to promote a “commonwealth”, and not getting caught as someone’s fondest wish to be a tampon.
In short, she’s been melba toast. I don’t understand why melba toast is a thing, but I guess people somewhere must like it, because it is a thing, and I am not offended by melba toast’s mere existance, so I’m not going to lead a revolution.
Melba toast exists as a vehicle for other things with lots of flavor that it would be socially unacceptable to eat by themselves, or whose flavor is overwhelming without some plain toast to dilute it a bit.
Apply this to the Queenie metaphor as you will.
As a South African, I can’t even be offended I just laughed. Tata Mandela fought and sacrificed 27 years of his life to fight the white supremacy ol’ Betty proudly symbolizes. Home girl read some briefing papers from a red box and lived long enough that she by default commands respect for actually doing very little. She doesn’t deserve to even walk in Mandela’s shadow.
Seriously. Everyone in this family repulses me. The Queen isn’t fit to have her name spoken in the same sentence as Mandela. I hope the monarchy is abolished in my lifetime so I no longer have to see their disgusting, inbred faces.
Lol- ALL OF THIS. I would say I’m astounded by the nerve of this comparison but I’m not. This is the level of delusional they and those who surround them operate at.
It reminds me of Jane Campion’s comparison of her career to the Williams sisters. Like, no honey. That’s apples and oranges.
Exactly. So absurd.
It would be more apt if they were to compare her to Kim Jong Un. The blind loyalty and unwavering love they command people to feel for her is just what the North Koreans do for their dear leader. It’s a much fairer comparison.
Exactly!! Her history and her placement is completely in line with NK, not South Africans Nelson Mandela! My gawd, what an asinine and disgusting comment to make!!
See, this is why I’m never optimistic when people say that the English monarchy is dying, or so-and-so will be the last king of England. Their people will find a way to worship whoever is the monarch, they will forget that monarch’s sins and short-comings and will pay homage to them because as the guy above said their very souls and identities are tied up with having a monarchy in the country. It’s a way of saying, “Take my money!” and it seems that they’ll have that mindset for a lonnnng time to come. Not each and every person, but more than enough, sadly.
I think the most that will happen is that their commonwealth (please God!) will shrink, which is good too.
So not only does he compare her to Mandela, but he’s a white dude, proclaiming to two other white presenters and a predominantly white crowd that the Queen of a pretty racist kingdom – and the former Empress of a racist empire – shares her lineage – a lineage that includes a huge amount of wealth amassed from being slaveholders – with “all of us”? That “her [family] history is our [family] history?”
You know, I started this comment to complain about the horror of such optics, but now I actually think Titchmarsh actually just made a compelling case for reparations to the Queen at her Jubilee.
I mean, if her history really is our history, certainly her wealth – borne upon the literal and figurative backs of slaves throughout the Commonwealth – is the wealth of their descendants.
So well said, blackfemmebot!
LOL i was ready to get mad but in the context he put it i guess he was only meaning their grace is simillar. I have never met the Queen but i have met the late Nelson Mandela (infact twice) there was an aura or God like presence around him, maybe thats what he meant.
That’s not what they meant. They are trying to say that doing her ‘duty’ whilst living in the lap of luxury and amassing huge personal wealth is as iconic as what Mandela did for his people.
PS: By the way, really cool that you met Madiba.
Yes i met and have the picture framed in my living room. Only when i got older then really understood what it meant. I was only ten when it happened. Thanks
I met Mandela as well. And, yes, his presence is unforgettable. I’ve never met the queen, but it would be hard to match Mandela.
That is incredibly wonderful that you all met Mandela!! What a privilege!!
Who is Tom going to start couch jumping for? Maybe he’s going to attempt to rehabilitate Andrew? Yikes on a platter.
I am so over these people trying to minimize the legacy of prominent people of color who TRULY struggled in life to achieve great things. Ol’ girl Liz is NOTHING like Mandela.
Doesn’t he jump around on couches for people named Kate or Katie?
LMAO!!!!! PLEASE, Scientology, take Cannot!
I’ve seen a lot of speculation on who in the RF will become a scientologist and most seem to be voting for Edward. I think Andrew actually. The queen is close to shuffling off this mortal coil and 10 to 1 she’ll leave a nice large inheritance for him, knowing Charles won’t take as good care of him as she would (lol). That money may already be in trusts to get around the tax laws. That leaves a lot of money for classes and auditing, he won’t have much else to do after all. From there they can start working on Beatrice and Eugenie, who have better profiles than Andrew.
To give them some credit, Scientology has always played a long game.
@ HeatherC, that’s an excellent point to make!! Once TQ is gone, Pedrew will put out to pasture, so to say. No one will be wanting him around except Fergie.
I might be in the minority here but i have never like Tom cruise. Control freak screams at me every time I see him .
I don’t like him, either.
Nice not to stand alone sometimes. Lol
Ditto
I doubt you’re in a minority. Tom Cruise at the very least is a very odd dude.
Schooch over on that couch. I have never been able to stand him either. He oozes insincerity and is pretty smarmy.
Make room for me too! Can’t stand him.
You are definitely not alone. The most complicated conversation I have had with my son is why I will not be taking him to see the new Top Gun.
Explaining sex? No big deal. Talking about politics, again, pretty straightforward. Covid? It sucks, but a 12 year old can grasp it. I was adopted, which is apparently also not a difficult conversation to have with a child.
Trying to explain why I won’t support Scientologists, in any way, has baffled the 12 year old.
Alan Titchmarsh??? What has he got to do with horses?
This is the weirdest grouping of celebs and why does the evening of a horse show look like a Hollywood event. What is going on here??
As for what he said, this is absolutely the line of the proud to be British, taking back control, etc. etc. gang the current government and BRF rely on for support and they buy into it. Even the recent Vogue was cringe inducing to read, we had all the classic lines about ‘never putting a foot wrong’ and the rest. AK referred to in glowing terms too. It’s exhausting and I fear will only get worse when she does die.
Doesn’t he do gardening shows or something?
Tom Cruise is definitely angling for something. Has he lived in the US for awhile? I wonder if he’s running away from his kids and the problems with Scientology there and now trying to angle his way as a power player in the Uk instead.
Also I noticed the kids ended up not being paraded around last night. Maybe they thought better of leaving out the Sussexes kids or it was just a stupid idea to stick 4/5 kids under 4 in a carriage without adult supervision.
Anyways looks like the Queen will only show up for horses and nothing else. I honestly don’t think she’ll do trooping.
I wonder if it was W&K angling to use the kids for PR and his cousins said no to it. B&E have been very careful about exposing their children.
His daughter lives in London so if he’s running away from his kids, he’s not doing a good job lol. I think he’s probably spending a lot of time there because Bella lives there with her husband. I’m assuming he is still on speaking terms with Connor who lives in Florida and the last I heard spends his time fishing. Suri is the one he avoids because he has to shun her since she’s no longer a Scientologist and she’s been living in NYC with Katie Holmes for years now.
Tom Cruise is either pushing for a royal to enter Scientology (Andrew makes sense like @HeatherC said above) or he wants a knighthood, or both.
the queen looks nice here, glad she was able to get out, it will be interesting to see what jubbly events she ends up attending.
Can you get an actual Knighthood if you are not from the UK !?
Angelina Jolie is a Dame, so he could get something…presumably.
I think so? Maybe? I don’t know all the rules, lol. But I think you can definitely get something, especially if he quietly changes citizenship or something. Who knows.
Yeah you can. But they’re called “honorary knighthoods” I believe and you don’t call yourself Sir/Dame unless you’re a citizen of the country where the queen is head of state.
They’re honorary if you’re a US citizen since titles aren’t recognized here.
@ Becks1, TQ does look good here. She seems to have enjoyed herself and is able to move well enough. We now know where her loyalties lie and it’s with her ponies. As long as she has that chance to be with her ponies, she comes out. But I am glad that she did come out for them as they make her happy.
She does look very sparkly and animated when she comes out for her beloved horses. No Weekend at Bernie’s for now!
Does anyone else find it odd that the only family member there with the queen was Edward? I don’t see Sophie or their son and where is Charles or Camilla or the Cambridge’s?
Sophie was there, I saw a picture of here on another site.
Thanks for letting me know.
I see Eddy in the picture with Betty, did any other Windsors go?
Sophie was in the audience, and Louise in the parade, but where were all the great grand kids? Weren’t they supposedly practicing for this event?
I guess whatever they were planning will be used for the actual jubbly. it’ll be real interesting to see if Lili and Archie are included. I can see Harry and Meghan being a rock hard no on their involvement, but there will be a lot of pressure if it’s when they’re there. Having it this weekend was the perfect reason to leave them out.
I imagine Cruise is trying to recruit more people into Scientology and the aristo/high society crowd have been deemed an easy mark – hence why he’s there. I can see some of the aristos getting into it or at the very least, entertaining Cruise but I don’t see the royals joining outright (even if they go to his premiere). Maybe some of the “minor royals”.
As for the Mandela comment, it’s ridiculous but like you said, it’s embiggening season for the queen.
He wants that knighthood, I think
There’s still plenty of time. I’m sure that the Gandhi comparisons will start soon.
Tata Madiba is rolling in his grave! “I sacrificed 27 years of my life for my people…was locked like an animal, spent my days breaking rocks and missed the most important years of my children’s lives and I get compared to this woman who only attained her position because she “won the vaginal lottery”!” Eh!
Not to start rumors but the Betty’s smile has been pretty bright lately. Almost too bright, like chemically induced bright. Am I the only one?
You are not the only one. It’s quite something.
She’s always been smiley and giddy around horses. It’s people she doesn’t like.
yeah that’s her smile when she’s around horses and corgis.
Something I only realized recently is Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were at Diana’s funeral. I know tons of celebrities went to it but it surprised me that he and Nicole were invited because I didn’t think he knew Diana even though I know Diana met tons and tons of celebrities. He also looks his age finally. He was doing some kind of work to his face (fillers or Botox?) and it looks like he stopped getting it done. It’s kind of refreshing and he doesn’t look so waxy.
As for the Queen, glad she got to enjoy herself and made it out to see the horses. But these pictures made me realize just how gaunt she has gotten.
Now they went a bridge too far with that one.
She showed up for horses….again
In that she met President Mandela when he was alive because that is the only time their names should he together in a sentence. Ever.
“Like Nelson Mandela, she is over 90 years old and has white hair.”
That was my first thought too!
The queen and Mandela: have both lived into their 90s, and have both been on currency. That’s pretty much where the similarities end.
Not only are they both vertebrates and mammals, they in fact both belong to the species H. sapiens. The similarities are getting EERIE.
@CC ha ha ha!
I feel like these royal posts are trolling us lately:
“Queen compared to Nelson Mandela”
“Kate is data driven royal expert”
“Iron ring around the Queen”
“Harry and Meghan invited to Jubbly but banned from balcony”
“Charles is worried Harry will burn Camilla in his tell all book”
Pics of queen smiling?! Equally as shocking
I swear, if I saw these in 2018 I’d call y’all liars. We are living in a simulation.
`
They think that if they write it, people will believe it to be so.
In that top picture, at first I thought it was Dennis Quaid….doesn’t look like tom cruise at all. Seems like maybe he’s had some work done?
A few weeks ago Tom made some appearances in which his face was notably tight and plastic-looking. It was bad enough that it trended on social media for a moment. Now his face looks a lot more settled, but still not quite like himself.
LOL, if it weren’t for his position as 2nd in line, William would totally be an ideal candidate to lure into Scientology. This is the same guy who apparently consults psychics to tell him how awesome he is (courtesy of the infamous Tatler article). He’d definitely be an easy mark with enough flattery, and it looks like Tom’s been buttering him up good, judging by the private Top Gun screening and the scheduled appearance at the premiere later this week.
Here’s hoping Tom Cruise stays in England forever. He can replace data driven Kate as FFK’s bestie. They can do badas*ery things like wearing matching velvet suits whilst jumping out of planes, trains and helicopters together to the Mission Impossible theme as they implode the monarchy.
Would be more interesting that the Jubbly horsey show. Poor Helen Mirror had to wear ill fitting breastplate and bad white make up to play queen Bess while delivering lines about defeating the hastily built fiberglass Spanish Armada.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/may/16/more-stunts-maverick-even-tom-cruise-couldnt-save-the-queens-hellish-jubilee-horsefest
Lol, correcting autocorrect. It’s Helen Mirren. Not Mirror. (Though a kingdom for a mirror may serve Ms. Mirren better in this production.)
Another great article from the Guardian! Thanks for the link!
Compared to Mandela??? How very droll! Tata Mandela is rolling in his grave! “Recollections May Vary” but I remember the British government, along with the US and the Dutch, labeled Nelson Mandela as “terrorist” and lifted nary a hand to get him freed from prison.
But the moment he became his nation’s leader, Western governments rewrote their scripts. Now the very Queen whose government publicly condemned Mandela during his 27 year incarceration is being compared favorably to this civil rights icon?
GTFO
The UN passes a non binding resolution calling for an end to apartheid in 1962. But like many things, that effort was more political theater given the background of the vicious Cold War in the 60’s and the heavy hands of international corporations and their bottom line in Africa. Russia and the US were funding arms in proxy wars across the African continent. SA military was involved in many of these fights
It was Thatcher and Reagan and their governments which resisted calls of international sanctions against SA. Many western countries also had ambivalent reaction regarding sanctions as they too have corporate investments to contend with. It took common people all around the world with their rude protests and their votes which forced their respective governments to take actions against SA apartheid government to force the release of Nelson Mandela and other ANC members and to recognize ANC as a political party. It was these actions that eventually ended apartheid. The international sanctions and boycotts, along with African leaders, isolated SA as a pariah that made it economically unsustainable. But it was the sustained grass root efforts and sacrifices by South Africans themselves who broke the chain of apartheid.
QE2 came late to the party and only because heads of various African states threatened to leave the Commonwealth and many more Commonwealth nations were threatening to boycott the 1986 Commonwealth Game, did QE2 finally caved to the pressure.
WTaF.
The queen will always come out for horses. For people? Not so much.