Here are some photos of Prince William on Wednesday, his final day in Saudi Arabia. He was taken to the desert and he managed to awkwardly jazz-hand out there too. Can I just say? One of the ways in which King Charles is far superior to his heir is that Charles is always game to participate in local customs when it comes to dressing. If Charles had been sent to wander around a Saudi desert, you bet your ass he would have worn a thawb/thobe (the long, dress-like garment) and a traditional headdress. It would have had a useful purpose too – you know William’s bald-ass head was burnt after all of that time uncovered in the sun. Speaking of which, the Times’ Kate Mansey christened William with a new nickname: “William of Arabia?” The question mark was in the headline. Scooter King? More like “Peggy of Arabia???” There are a few interesting pieces of information in this piece:
The third and final day of Prince William’s visit to Saudi Arabia had all the hallmarks of a classic royal tour: a walkabout, a meeting with farmers and an opportunity to highlight the plight of an endangered species.
Yet this diplomatic trip, described by a palace source as the British government’s “one big ask” of the prince this year, was anything but ordinary.
Even before William arrived in the country on Monday, his spokesman said the Prince and Princess of Wales were “deeply concerned” about the continuing revelations about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. On Tuesday, a journalist risked the ire of the palace by asking the prince whether he thought “the royal family had done enough around the Andrew and Epstein scandal”.
Then, there was the issue of how an “intimate” dinner with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s controversial de facto leader, would be received by the audience back in Britain.
But as the sun shone on the ancient rock formations of the Raggasat Valley in the desert on Wednesday, William’s Saudi hosts were not at all interested in asking about Epstein.
Prince Salman bin Sultan, the governor of Madinah province, told William: “I remember when His Majesty came to see King Abdullah and spent a night out sleeping in a tent. Maybe we can do that for you next time.”
“That would be good,” said William.
He’d surely be happy to swap a palace for a tent when, in Saudi Arabia at least, it means being treated like a king.
It’s absolutely bonkers that William is so dedicated to laziness that he will only allow the government “one big ask” of him annually. When Charles was Prince of Wales, he was constantly traveling and touring at the request of the government. Charles attended diplomatic missions, funerals and international state events at the drop of a hat. But William is such a lazy lightweight, demanding that he only be sent on ONE of these trips a year?
What else for “William of Arabia?” He was 40 minutes late to his events on Wednesday because he had lunch with Mohammed bin Salman and the lunch ran late. William’s aide also told the Telegraph: “The trip showed the power of monarchy. The Saudis are looking for long-term, deep relationships and William can deliver on that.” William of Arabia (?) needs to settle down – his father and grandmother nurtured their relationships with the Saudi royals for decades. All William had to do was a photo-op with Prince Bonesaw.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
