#windsor jet

[a-lady-in-shining-armour]

People are so pressed about the coronation, but the tv rights were sold for millions and millions of tourists have flooded London buying accommodation, food, and alcohol. Literally people have flown in from around the commonwealth to spend money on keepsakes like coronation plates. I know it cost money, but it will also make a lot of money (and it happens twice a century not like the money spent campaigning and celebrating each American president). For every protester there was 50 people wearing comedy fake ears and getting on the piss- chill out everyone!

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

10 Amazing Stories About This Car:

1. Performance Package: The Mach 1 was a high-performance trim level of the Ford Mustang, known for its aggressive styling and powerful engine options.

2. Shelby Connection: While not a Shelby GT, the Mach 1 was often compared to Shelby Mustangs due to its performance and sporty appearance.— in New York, NY.

3. Iconic Stripes: The Mach 1's signature side stripes, often in a shaker hood design, were a distinctive feature that set it apart from other Mustangs.

4. Big Block Options: The Mach 1 was available with several big-block V8 engines, including the 351 Windsor and 428 Cobra Jet. These powerful options made the Mach 1 a formidable force on the street and the track.

5. Handling Upgrades: The Mach 1 featured a stiffer suspension, upgraded brakes, and a close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission to enhance its handling and performance.

6. Movie Star: The Mach 1 appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, including "The Fast and the Furious." This exposure solidified its status as a pop culture icon.

7. Collector's Item: Due to its iconic status and popularity, the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is a highly sought-after collector's car. Well-preserved examples can command high prices at auction.

8. Restoration Projects: Many enthusiasts have restored or modified Mach 1s to their original specifications or to create unique custom builds.

9. Modern Interpretations: Ford has paid homage to the Mach 1 with modern-day Mustang models that feature similar styling cues and performance upgrades.

10. A Timeless Classic: The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 remains a timeless classic that continues to inspire enthusiasts and collectors around the world. Its powerful performance, iconic design, and rich history ensure that it will be admired for generations to come.

[curosoplumbing]

All you need to know about hydro jetting drain cleaning

Hydro jetting is a powerful and effective way of unblocking drains. It involves the use of high-pressure water to remove built up debris, grease, and other materials from pipes. This method has many advantages over traditional drain cleaning methods, as it can easily dislodge tough clogs without the need for harsh chemicals or manual labor. In comparison to other methods of drain cleaning, hydro jetting is safer, more efficient, and often less costly. Here we will discuss about hydro jetting drain cleaning in Santa Rosa CA and plumbing services cost.

Benefits of hydro jetting: Hydro jetting is an effective way to clear stubborn clogs, remove obstructions, and clean drains without the use of harsh chemicals. The process uses highly pressurized water to safely cut through tough blockages and flush them out of the pipes.

Additionally, hydro jetting is less invasive than traditional  methods, as it doesn't require the use of augers or snakes. This means  that maintenance costs are often lower and there is potentially less     disruption to your property.

The cost of hydro jetting drain cleaning services in Windsor, CA can vary depending on the severity of the  blockage. For large-scale commercial applications, you may need to pay  more for additional equipment such as long hoses and nozzles.

Plumbing services cost in Santa Rosa, CA can also be quite costly depending on the complexity of the job. It is always best to contact a licensed plumber before attempting any plumbing project yourself  so that you can be sure the job is done correctly. A licensed plumber can also provide advice on the best course of action and provide a quote for the services they will need to complete the job.

Hydro jetting is a powerful and efficient way of clearing drains and unblocking pipes. It’s often less invasive, safer, and more cost effective than traditional methods of drain cleaning. If you are looking for such services then you should contact Curoso Plumbing Inc at 707-545-5017.

[pavanwalvekar]

~ Old Windsor, United Kingdom

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

My central thesis has always been that the Harkles wanted everything the Wales have and more. I know I remember reading that she cried after hearing William was made Prince of Wales. Right from the get go, her PR was all "Meghan is way better suited to be royal". Then there were all the Commonwealth flowers on her bridal veil and their insistence that they move into Windsor Castle. Now I don't believe everthing Neil Sean says, but his latest video mentions that Megxit was an ultimatum to get Windsor. As that is the traditional home of the Monarch, I feel as though they were attempting a coup.

Then there is the thought that Harry believes that the Dutchy of Cornwall should be split and he should eventually be made co-King or King of the Commonwealth. Let the Wales have that tiny island while they are jetted and feted around the world.

Here's my question for you. Did Meghan and Sparry REALLY believe they could leapfrog over the Wales??? I know her jealousy and envy of Catherine is bunny boiler level and he absolutely eviscerated his brother in Waagh. Has this been their plan all along?? Death by a thousand cuts for the Wales to force them to resign their place in the LOS or that they could somehow convince Charles to make Harry the heir??

I'd like to know where you think the delusions stem from. It wouldn't be the first time in history that younger brother has attempted to remove old brother from the throne.

Sincerely appreciate your blog and all the work you put into it. I'm always learning something new.

I'm pretty sure that was exactly their plan: they wanted to use their popularity to force The Queen to name them as her successors. I don't remember where I read this or when, but allegedly Harry sent "documentation" to someone - to whom specifically I can't recall, but options are The Queen, Charles, William, and/or grey suits - providing evidence for claims that he and Meghan were more popular than any of the others and deserved more than what they were getting.

And if they couldn't get the actual crown, they were going to do their damnedest to try and get a co-kingship with William. That's where Meghan's obsession with the Commonwealth came from; she had been told (again, I don't know by whom - all signs point to Harry exaggerating to keep her interested or maybe Charles spitballing ideas during his 'Magnificent Six' planning circa 2012) that William would rule Britannia and Harry would rule the Commonwealth.

I think that's why Meghan went all in on 'racist Kate.' Not only did she want to knock Kate out of the spotlight, she wanted to do enough damage that Commonwealth/realm nations would threaten to quit and The Queen would capitulate by offering to install Harry and Meghan as new leaders. This actually had a chance of working; it's been said quite often during her last years and since her passing that The Queen saw the Commonwealth as her greatest legacy and there was speculation that she would have done anything she could have to keep it in tact. And had Meghan played her cards right, she and Harry probably could have ended up becoming the main ambassadors of and for the Commonwealth, like a Commonwealth version of the UN Secretary-General.

But where the plan failed, obviously, was that it required blaming Kate for problems and issues that don't exist. Because remember, in 2021 when Meghan was making these claims, we'd just gone through the huge global reckoning that was Black Lives Matter and the agreement during/after BLM was "call racist people out on their BS. Put them on blast. Don't let them get away with it anymore." So not only would Meghan have been perfectly justified to name names, cite events, bring receipits, air the real dirty laundry and everyone would've been so much more supportive of it. But she didn't. Instead she played coy and said something like "I'm protecting them even though they don't deserve it."

Girl, please. That was Meghan's one chance to go justifiably scorched earth and air out all the dirty laundry and she fumbled hard.

Anyway. Let's get this train back on track. Where do the delusions come from? Traumatic childhoods courtesy of Mommies Dearest.

We all know Harry's story with Diana. She was a young, fun, free spirited loving mom larger than life with a neediness that she depended on her children to fill, rather than her own husband or other adults her age, so Harry grew to find satisfaction in supporting and providing her what she needed. He probably saw, and understood, the way Diana received what she wanted by exaggerating what she needed and following it up with excluding or isolating herself until whoever came chasing after her to give her what she wanted. And ultimately this led her (and Harry) down a path that ended up killing her; she exaggerated the relationship with Dodi to get attention from Hasnat or the BRF, then isolated herself in France to force whoever (Hasnat? Charles Wales? Charles Spencer?) to come chase after her. We know how that ends.

That's where Harry's delusions, IMO, come from. He saw how it well it worked (mostly) for Diana - exaggerate her needs/wants, then run and hide until she gets it - so he does it too. He probably started doing it right after she died, when no one knew what to do or how to handle him so they kept indulging in everything he wanted, so those wants kept manifesting bigger and bigger. And I think the way we see the BRF treating Harry is what would have happened to Diana had she lived; eventually the public would sour on her (this was already happening, by the way), which would then enable the BRF to grey rock her, devenomizing her in effect, and move on without Diana having too much of an influence on their day-to-day.

It's sort of similar for Meghan. We don't know specifically what happened (the way we do with Harry and Diana), but we know that Doria was a young, fun, free-spirited mother herself married to an older husband who had other priorities (eg kids from his first marriage). Unlike Diana, Doria probably didn't want the responsibilities of motherhood (which is the vibe Meghan and Thomas have given about Doria during Meghan's childhood) and left. And like the BRF, Thomas may have also overcompensated Doria's absence in Meghan's life by giving her everything she asked for, which made her asks get bigger and bigger and when Thomas couldn't deliver, she threatened to leave him...like Doria did and Thomas, erstwhile girldad he was, just kept throwing more and more at Meghan to keep her happy. Her delusions come from preying on other individuals' trauma to ensure she gets what she wants. The bigger her wants (ie the more grandiose her delusions), the harder she manipulates other people's trauma to make sure she gets what she wants. Which is kinda the opposite of Harry and Diana; they create the trauma to get people to do what they want, whereas Meghan exploits it to get people to do what she wants. Both are skills they learned after being abandoned (metaphorically and literally) by their mothers.

And all of Meghan's PR about "young mother," I think it's more insidious than that. Yes, it's a very overt evocation of Diana's narrative. Yes, it's a judgement against Kate. But it is also digs at Doria. "See? Motherhood is hard but I'm prioritizing my kid. How dare you to have left me" kind of spiteful digs meant to shame her for whatever happened that caused her to disappear. Meghan is the kind of person who must always have the last word, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's been targeting or belitting Doria about not knowing certain things about Archie/Lili because she wasn't around when Meghan was that age.

So...yeah.

I've realized now that this is the third or fourth Wednesday in a row that I write these super long analytical/in this essay I will posts. I guess Wednesdays are my thinking days...

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Brian Eno - CJOM-FM, Windsor, Ontario, July 21, 1974

What was Brian Eno doing in Windsor, Ontario, in the summer of 1974?! I don't know, exactly (I also don't know exactly if he was in Windsor, Ontario — see the YouTube comments for some discussion as to whether he was across the border in Detroit, instead). But I do know that this is a cool little slice of late-night radio with Eno and DJ Ronnie Legg — some candid discussion, some joking around, some catty gossip.

Eno had obviously had a very busy year already — he'd released his solo debut Here Come The Warm Jets (50 years old last month!); he'd gone on tour with the Winkies, (a tour which was cut short due to Brian's famously collapsed lung); he'd performed with Kevin Ayers, John Cale and Nico at the Rainbow Theatre (later released as June 1, 1974); he'd helped Nico record The End; and, as he tells Legg, he was already well into the making of Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy. Dude was making things happen!

But Brian sounds cool as a cucumber on the air here, explaining his departure from Roxy Music and his dislike of the touring lifestyle, along with some typically ahead-of-the-curve recommendations of Sparks and the burgeoning krautrock scene. "I'm gonna have to write these names down!" Legg (who otherwise seems quite hip) exclaims when Eno tells him about Kraftwerk, Neu!, Can and Harmonia. Good as always to remember that those were different times; you couldn't just dial up obscure German bands on your phone. But I'm sure that Brian knew that — someday — you would.

Speaking of different times, one thing Eno doesn't seem too enamored with is Lou Reed, who was then touring behind the sleaze-tastic Sally Can't Dance. He says that he's seen Lou twice already in '74 and pretty much hated both experiences. Fair enough — I can see how the cartoonish funk-rock that Reed and his band were playing at the time would definitely not be Eno's cup of tea. "He seems to have moved against all the things that I thought were interesting in the original Velvet Underground — which were the qualities of 'bad' musicianship rather than 'good' musicianship that distinguished them. The fact they didn't know when to let up when they weren't tasteful at any point. The new band that he's got now are incredibly tasteful and very into long, funky guitar solos. I mean, who needs it?"

[sassyfrassboss]

So now we know.

No chance of Harry coming back as a working royal.

Reconciliation is possible but that isn't happening anytime soon and it will take a massive amount of time and effort to achieve.

Last night Harry had his team leak to The Times that him coming back as a working royal, for the time being, was basically a done deal and that the logistics of how it would work need to be figured out by Charles and BP aides.

MEGXIT anyone?

What I want to know, how does one get to such a place of entitlement and tone-deafness that he truly believes all he has to say is his he coming back and the BRF will gratefully roll out the red carpet for him?

Truly, Harry thought that he could basically announce, via "sources" he was coming back and that was the end of discussion.

The past four years has only increased his sense of importance in a family that no longer wants nor needs him.

Is it because he is now the son of The King he believes he has the authority to make decisions on behalf of The King and the other working royals?

How did he think this was going to work? Charles would see the article and call Harry ecstatically grateful for Harry's sacrifice? That Charles would send over a private jet to collect Harry and one to collect Meghan and the kids? Install Harry and Co. in a Windsor wing and have him start royal duties Monday morning? Did he think that the palace staff would immediately go to work on planning engagements and arranging for patronages? Was there hope that they could have William stay home and Meghan could attend the BAFTA's on William's behalf?

All of this once again proves that Harry has no idea of the inner workings of his own family nor the firm. He also has no grasp of reality.

Harry is under the impression that once again, he can state his demands and the BRF have nothing else but to follow along and agree. We saw this with Megxit. Harry spoke with Charles about leaving and Charles said to send him what the overall plan was so they could discuss after the Holidays. Well that wasn't good enough for Harry and Meghan so instead they released the news on their own along with their plan on how their future in the BRF would be. That didn't work out so well for them, and at the time they actually had leverage/blackmail to use.

Four years later, H&M have spilled all and yet still believe they have the importance and authority to dictate their terms for return.

[the-empress-7]

Did all of this "my family's not safe" bs start after the Plat Jub trip to the UK? Or because they were able to stay at Froggy Cott and had the umbrella protection there and at the 2 events they attended, it wasn't an issue and now they don't have that umbrella because they are NFI to any BRF events yet want IPP so they can do anything/go anywhere they want in the UK (and elsewhere)? So they really don't want to see his family at all, they just want to be able to (private) jet in and out of the country any time they want and be treated as a head of state.

It all started since the night his pencil dick fell into her. For real, she started the "I fear for my life because I am not white" since the day she met him, it's when she staged the false break in at her Toronto rental, which then eventually led to him releasing the love shield statement.

You have to understand that she has carefully plotted this from all the way in 2016. In short order, Harry went from being her unwitting puppet to co-conspirator.

You are right that it has ramped up and there are a few reasons for it 1. The Queen died which messed up their timeline 2. FC was never good enough for them, even if they still had it, we'd still be here today. She was never going to settle for anything less than Windsor Castle. 3. Until last year (post eviction) Charles was still offering them accommodations at CH or St. James. Like I just said, not good enough.

Not having IPP status or whatever would look like its equivalent has really put a spanner in their plan to campaign their way to getting Harry elected as Head of the Commonwealth and then Co-King (readers please don't come argue with me about this paragraph, I know what the facts are but the Harkles do not).

[kaoharu]

hello friends welcome to my milgram outfit observations 👍 im your host yves and im a totally seasoned clothing analyzer

anyways onto the observations themselves warning for incoming long post cause im a rambler o7

tagging @urrvw & @monopoisonous ^–^ !!! hi guys

alrighty now then as you can see in the newest milgram art, all the male prisoners seem to be wearing the Exact Same suit at first glance however there are some stark but also miniscule differences in both the type of suit and style of the outfits as a whole on each of them ( at least to me anyways )

some of the more noticeable parts of the suits that are different for each would be the pockets , buttons , and vents while some smaller things wld be the lapels , shoulders , seams , and collar type + tie as well as shoes

( i drew up a helpful graphic for the suit jacket parts for your convenience using fuuta as an example since we can see the most of his suit 👍👍 )

— MIKOTO

so based off the details we can see of mikotos jacket, he is Most Likely wearing some variation of a two / three buttoned single breasted notched or closing front lapel sports jacket or blazer with flap pockets. he also has front darts ( front seams ) going up the whole front of his jacket, as opposed to the side seams i highlighted on fuuta's jacket

his jacket also appeared to be a fitted silhouette as the shoulders are sligjtly defines and lifts slightly up, unlike a structures or sack jacket. as for his shirt, he seems to be wearing some type of cutaway collared shirt with a four in hand knot tie ( its very hard to tell to be honest im guessing on the general size of the knot ) his collar is neatly done and more reminiscent to how an office worker might wear theirs

finally we have his shoes, seemingly very similar to harukas, but i believe they are plain toe derby loafers since the shape is more rounded than it is sharp like a wingtip

— KAZUI

next we have kazui who im guessing is wearing two button single notched lapel suit with jetted pockets. the jacket is prob a fitted silouhette as it goes across the shoulders in a relatively straight line but kinda ? showing off his shoulders in a way. i believe he has side seams as well if you look closely to his shoulder not being covered by the bouquet 👍

his shirt seems to be a (semi)spread collared shirt with a (?) half windsor knot <- once again its hard to tell really 🤷‍♀️ then unlike all the other dudes, kazui actually has a suitvest underneath his jacket this is usually only done for formal events such as weddings, galas, or high profile business meetings . . . his collar is neat and closed tho not as much as shidous

then we have his shoes, which i think are cap toe derby loafers, his shoes are very similar to shidou, like how mikoto and haruka had similar ones, but the overall shape of kazui's shoe suggest a more casual derby rather than an oxford

— SHIDOU

shidou has a six buttoned double breasted notched lapel blazer jacket with jetted pockets. the jacket seems to be a structured sihoulette since the shoulders go pretty much straight across rather than dipping at all. he also appears to have front darts starting from his breast pocket, tho it doesnt span the whole front like mikoto

his shirt wld appear to be either a classic or spread collared shirt and an oriental tie / simple knot 👍 this a knot that is often done by wives for their husbands iirc . hrm !! his collar is completely closed as well

and like i mentioned in kazuis section, i believe shidou has cap toe oxford. these are often seen and worn in mainly formal settings

— FUUTA

fuuta has a two buttoned single breasted notched lapel blazer jacket with flap pockets. it would also appear that it has a fitted silhouette, and as pointed out in the graphic i drew he has side seams running from around the underarms to the bottom of the jacket

his shirt underneath is most likely a full cutaway w a four in hand knot ? its tied rather loosely compared to the other tho as uu can see his collar is more open than kazuis

fuuta is so silly cause he has pennyloafers ( i love these shoes btw theyre basically slip ons and once broken in theyre very comfy in my experience 👍 anyways tho ) these are often worn in business casual setting

— HARUKA

haruka has a three buttoned single breasted notched lapel sports jacket with flap pockets, tho he has a noticeable lack of seams that are used to fit the jacket on a perskn better. this makes the jacket look slightly ill fitted to him but it cld also be intentional as the shoulders imply that its a sack silhouette type

as for his collar, it looks most similar to a classic one w a kelvin knot, done a bit looser than normal but still tighter than fuutas tie

finally, im pretty sure haruka has wingtip derby loafers, as mentioned in fuutas section, as overall design of the shoe is similar to fuuta but the tipe is slightly more pointed looking

aaaaand thats pretty much it ❓️ i dont have any connections to make so yepp . . . sorry these got shorter and shorter LOL

[supercap2319]

Henry and Alex both fall for Pokemon coordinator male reader that use a Primarina

Alex and Henry didn't want to be here. They certainly didn't want to be here and be next to each other in the press box, but it was their duty to their families, so they sucked it up.

Prince of Wales Henry George Edward James Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor. And first son Alexander Claremont Diaz were the special guests in today's Pokemon contest. They were supposed to watch, observe, and cheer for whoever one the whole event. Henry liked watching Pokemon contests. They were better than showcases and much more elegant than battles. Alex, on the other hand, preferred battles, but he knew that the battling part came later on, so he was bored out of his mind. They both were.

They tried not to hide how dreadfully boring all the contestants and their performances were as they watched the master of ceremonies try to hype the energy of the crowd, but it wasn't working for Alex or Henry. That is until a young man came on next.

"And now… all the way from (insert place you live here) it's Y/N, L/N!"

Alex and Henry watched as a young man came into the center of the stage as they were both finally focusing on something else other than their boredom. The young man took out a Pokemon and flashed an innocent smile as he threw it up into the air. "Primarina, go get 'em!'" In a flash of light a Pokemon that resembles a cross between a sea lion and a mermaid. Most of its body is white, but it has a long, blue, fish-like tail. It has a long snout with a round, pink nose, bright blue eyes with long white eyelashes, and long light blue hair trailing off the back of its head.

"Use sing!" He commanded as Henry and Alex and the crowd watched as the mermaid-like Pokemon sang a wonderful song that was captivating and beautiful as the young coordinator commanded his Pokemon to switch to a move called Sparkling Aria as it created a balloon out of water until it expanded and grew to giant size. Everyone watched as it floated towards the ceiling as both boys wondered what he planned to do with it.

"Ice beam!" Primarina opened its mouth as it let out a stream of light blue energy and the bubble of water was frozen solid. The crowd oohed and ahhed at the sparkles the ice created. "Now use Aqua Jet!" The Pokemon jumped high as it shot like a rocket towards the ice bubble in a stream of water over its body as it broke through and shattered the bubble until the pieces broke off and ended up hitting each other, creating a wave of sparkles around the arena. Henry and Alex were simply enchanted by his performance as they joined the crowd in cheering for the young man.

After he left, the results of who was making it to the second round were in, and both young men were glad to see the trainer with the Primarina had made it. When it was all said and done, Alex and Henry went to the center of the stage to present the ribbon to the winner of today's contest. Y/N L/N. "Congratulations, Y/N. Your performance was simply divine." Henry smiled.

"Yeah, bro. I mean dude. You killed it at the end with that sick battle combo your Chikorita used." Alex said.

Y/N blushed and bowed. "It's an honor to meet you both and thank you." He smiled at them and they smiled back at him.

[sussex-newswire]

"I wanted to write this column about what I know of Prince Harry, because, as he ­prepares to turn 40 this weekend, I’ve heard a lot of fairly negative things said about him, character assassinations that bear no resemblance to the man I’ve come to count as a friend, the one who cares passionately about injured veterans, and who’s done more than most to change perceptions of mental health in this country.

"...It was genuinely groundbreaking when Harry – or Haz, as I had by then taken to calling him – spoke so movingly about the grief he bottled up after the death of his mother, Diana...Professor Sir Simon Wessely, then president of the Royal ­College of Psychiatrists, said that the Prince had achieved more in terms of communicating ­mental health issues in a 25-minute interview than ­Wessely had in a 25-year career.

...

"I visited them at their then-home Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, was with them at ­Buckingham Palace on the day that they left the UK in 2020, and last year I travelled to their new home in Montecito, to ­interview Harry on the eve of the ­publication of his book, Spare.

"I spent an afternoon at the house, the kids running around happily as we drank tea. Harry proudly showed me the DIY photo wall he’d recently ­created, featuring pictures of his mum.

"When I left, packed off by the happy couple with a jar of their homemade jam (which I then left in the back of a taxi in a ­jet-lagged stupor; somewhere in Los ­Angeles, a cab driver has one of the earliest batches of ­American Riviera Orchard’s ­produce), I was reminded of the fact that they are a pretty ­ordinary ­couple existing in an absolutely ­extraordinary situation.

"There are no airs or graces with them, no desire to do anything other than protect their children from an increasingly digital world that likes nothing more than seeing the worst in people. A world that forgets that no ­matter how high profile a person is, they’re just doing their best, like everyone else."

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

FORD MUSTANG BOSS 302

BOSS-A-NOVA!

They called it The Boss and for two short years it ruled the muscle car scene in the US, establishing itself as one of the greatest road and race cars of the era. Now, it’s one of the most collectible.

In 1960s US street lingo, if something was ‘boss’ it was cool, tough, the best. And the 1969 Boss 302 Mustang wore its badge with pride. It launched just four and a half years after the first Mustang was revealed to critical acclaim and record sales. Yearly updates to keep Mustang fresh in the face of tough new challengers from General Motors and Chrysler (particularly the Camaro) resulted in the once lean and pretty ’Stang muscling up, both in body shape and under-bonnet brawn, and the 1969-70 Boss models were the zenith of Mustang styling.

Thereafter, Mustangs became increasingly bloated and anaemic as the 1970s fuel crisis and stricter pollution laws cut horsepower and stylists lost their way; the rippling flanks and thrusting nose of the late 60s/early 70s cars gave way to boxy, bland designs. That early look would not be recaptured until 2005, when new Mustangs were given retro styling.

The Boss 302 was launched at the same time as its big-block brother, the Boss 429. Both were positioned as competition specials; Ford wanted to homologate its 302-cuber for Trans-Am and the 429ci monster for NASCAR. In fact, Ford went wild with engines between 1969-70, offering nine V8s – the ‘economy’ 302, 351 Windsor, 351 Cleveland, 390, 428 Cobra Jet, 428 Super Cobra Jet, 429 ‘wedge’, Boss 302 and Boss 429.

For the Boss 302, Ford’s high-compression 302ci small-block V8 was beefed up with four-bolt main bearing caps and redesigned ‘Cleveland’ cylinder heads with bigger inlet and exhaust valves, and ports that allowed the engine to breathe more efficiently.

These ‘semi-hemi’ heads were based on the Ford 427ci racing engine’s combustion chambers, and a balanced forged steel crankshaft and forged steel conrods allowed the engine to handle high rpms for sustained periods. A single 780cfm four-barrel Holley carburettor sat atop a high-rise aluminium inlet manifold, while a dual-point distributor, high-pressure oil pump, windage tray and screw-in welch plugs were further indications of its competition intent.

A rev limiter was fitted, progressively cutting spark from 5800rpm to 6150, but it was easily bypassed and the Boss 302 could reportedly keep making power up to 8000rpm with minor mods. In the muscle car marketing war, Ford claimed a peak horsepower figure of 290bhp at 5800rpm (the same as the Camaro Z/28), but that was extremely conservative.

Two four-speed manual Top Loader transmissions were available: a wide-ratio ’box with Hurst shifter more suited to street and strip use, and a close-ratio unit for racing. Adding to the race or road options list were four diffs: the stock 3.5:1 nine-inch, Traction-Lok 3.5:1 and 3.91:1 and the No-Spin 4.30:1 built by Detroit Automotive. Axles and diff centres were also strengthened to take the loads.

Suspension was also race-inspired with heavy-duty springs, shocks and sway bar up front, and Hotchkiss-style rear suspension with heavy-duty leaf springs, sway bar and staggered shock absorbers. The left-hand shock absorber was bolted behind the axle and the right in front, to reduce axle tramp under acceleration. Amazingly for such a high-performance car, braking was still only discs and drums with power assistance.

Ironically, the Boss 302’s sexy shape was styled by former General Motors designer Larry Shinoda, who is often credited with coming up with the Boss moniker. When asked what he was working on, he replied, "The boss’s car", a reference to new Ford president ‘Bunkie’ Knudson, who was also ex-GM and had recruited Shinoda to Ford.

While the wheelbase remained unchanged at 2740mm, the ’69 Mustang was 96.5mm longer overall to accommodate all the V8s offered, although the big-blocks still had to be shoe-horned under the bonnet. Shinoda’s ’69 Boss 302 was also one of the first production cars to offer an optional front air dam and adjustable rear wing, and his use of high-contrast black panels, rear window SportsSlats, and go-faster stripes made the Boss a real attention-grabber. The ’69 was also the only quad-headlight Mustang, a feature that was dropped for 1970 models.

In 1970, American Hot Rod magazine dubbed the 1970 Boss 302 as "definitely the best handling car Ford has ever built", while the conservative Consumer Guide called it "uncomfortable at any speed over anything but the smoothest surface". Unique Cars resident Mustang maniac, ‘Uncle’ Phil Walker, never read the Consumer Guide review, but even if he had it wouldn’t have stopped him buying the immaculate 1970 Grabber Orange Boss 302 you see here.

Phil already has his beloved 1966 Shelby GT350H, but the Boss 302 really got his Mustang juices percolating. And he wasn’t alone, because the first Boss he saw, some 43 years ago, is still one of Australia’s most iconic race cars: Allan Moffat’s Trans-Am racer. Phil remembers it clearly.

"I saw Moff race it Calder and I was inspired to own one," Phil recalls. "It was the most aggressive-looking car; its stance was something you had to see to believe. It looked like it was doing a million miles per hour when it was parked.

"My Boss was originally a one-owner car and I bought it from a friend of mine in California, Dave, who I also bought my Shelby GT350H from 19 years ago. Dave found it in a barn with a blown engine, but in otherwise pretty good condition.

"The lady who owned it from new didn’t realise it had a high-compression engine and had run it on standard fuel. When it blew up she just parked it.

"Dave did a nut-and-bolt restoration over two years, then put it up on his hoist. He didn’t want to sell it, but I got my way in the end – unfortunately he had the last say on the price (laughs). I didn’t even bother to test drive it; I knew it was a good car. It had 21 (new) miles on the odo when I picked it up and only 54,000 miles in total."

Since then, Phil has only put a couple of hundred miles on the car, but that’s enough for him to have bonded with it.

"I’ve only had the Boss since January and it’s growing on me. It’s different to the Shelby. It’s bigger and very low.

"The engine is incredible. Dave is one of the best engine builders in California and when he rebuilt the 302 he changed the cam spec. US camshaft technology was okay in the 60s and 70s, but if you had a big-cam muscle car they wouldn’t idle and they were terrible for driving in cities.

"A proper Boss engine can rev to 8500rpm all day and for a V8 that’s pretty serious. But they’re not renowned for low-down torque; it starts coming on from 3500rpm. My car still has a solid-lifter cam, but it pulls like a train from 1200rpm in top gear and I can drive it around at 1500rpm in top all day.

"It’s got the four-speed close-ratio Top Loader with the long first gear and with a 3.7:1 rear end it does about 55-60mph (89-97km/h) in first gear. It bloody goes!"

Phil is a fussy bugger and his cars have to look just right, so Russell Stuckey from Stuckey Tyres has ordered him a set of genuine 15 x 8 Minilites from England to replace the standard Magnum 500s.

"I want it to look like the Parnelli Jones race car, and to get the stance I want it’s going to have 275/60s on the rear and 255/60s on the front. At the moment it’s a pretty car that is tough, but I want a tough car that looks tough. And that’s all I’m going to do to it."

After his first real fang in the Boss, Phil felt that his Shelby would be half a lap in front at the end of a 10-lap sprint at Sandown, but now thinks the Boss would be quicker. We might have to put both to the acid test one day. What do you mean "no way", Phil?

It was a nervous Phil who turned up at a Melbourne storage facility in January to pick up his new Boss 302. So nervous, in fact, that he took along Unique Cars art director Ange and a sturdy tow rope – just in case.

The storage people were even more apprehensive – they had been warned about just how anal he is with his cars, as he explains: "The lady there said, ‘You must be pretty fanatical because we’ve been given strict instructions that no one is to touch the car except you’." Fortunately, the car arrived in pristine condition.

"I was pretty excited, I’d been waiting for seven weeks," Phil laughs. "I took the car cover off it, fired it up, and it drove home like a brand new car. It was as good as I thought it would be. I spent the next three hours washing it."

Sounds like our Phil.

PARNELLI AND ME

Three years ago, my mate Dave and I were invited to a Trans-Am dinner at Portland International Raceway where Dave was racing his 1970 Trans-Am Boss 302 and I was crewing for him.

When we were driving there we noticed this black Mercedes following us. When we stopped it did too and this bloke got out and said, "I noticed you guys back at the hotel. You’re going to the Trans-Am dinner aren’t you? I’m lost." It was Parnelli Jones!

I jumped in with him and when we got there I ‘invited’ myself onto Parnelli’s table, which also included Pete Brock – the guy who designed the Shelby Daytona Coupe. There was I, Mr Nobody, with all these US racing heavies, but Parnelli was a real gentleman, not up himself in any way.

The next day they had free lap time at Portland and, when I saw Parnelli there with Ford’s new ‘Parnelli Jones’ Boss 302 tribute Mustang, I asked if there was any chance of a ride and he said jump in. We did 10 laps and the guy hadn’t lost any of his ability; my eyes were getting bigger and bigger coming into the corners.

It was a great experience that I’ll never forget. – PW

IT's MINE...

Moff’s Mustang is probably the most iconic Australian racecar and after seeing it I was inspired to own a Boss Mustang. Then, about 25 years ago, I went to Pebble Beach in Monterey for the first time and saw a 1970 Grabber Orange Boss 302, which was the colour Parnelli Jones raced in Trans-Am. That day I knew I had to own a Boss. It was the car I’d always wanted after my Shelby, which was my lifelong dream car.

My Boss 302 is fully optioned, including the Shaker, extra side mirror, tacho and rear louvres, and it’s got a lot of wow factor. When you drive down the freeway, you get the thumbs-up from all sorts of different people. I think it’s the colour.

It’s closer to show standard than my Shelby. It’s got the paint marks on the tailshaft and all the little concours details, but I’m never going to show it; I’m not into that.

The 1969/70 body shape is still the best. Ford got it right then, but lost the plot after that and it’s reflected in their collectibility today. – PW

[houseofbrat]

A carefully constructed plan inspired by Operation Bubble which protected the late Queen from Covid-19 was thrown into action.

He would have weekly treatment in London and factor in vital periods of rest time at Sandringham, Highgrove and Windsor.

But his health plan was thrown into turmoil when Prince Harry announced he would jet from Los Angeles to see his father.

While the King delayed his helicopter flight from Buckingham Palace to Sandringham, his wayward son was given just 30 minutes of his company at Clarence House.

Plans were in place to avoid the King contacting a secondary infection and Harry flying 5,000 miles on a jet was not ideal.

Aides prevented Harry, 39, joining his father at Sandringham fearing “we’d never get rid of him” and he needed to reduce his social contact while undergoing cancer treatment.

[...]

But the King was withdrawn from all public duty for 103 days although he continued reading government red boxes.

It can now be revealed the decision to postpone his public facing role was made as a “precautionary measure” because of the King’s diminished immune response to other diseases.

The Royal Household copied Covid-style protocols — or tiers imposed by the Government during the pandemic — to minimise secondary infection such as seasonal cold or flu.

A source said: “We had to minimise potential risk from other people, not because he couldn’t do the job.”

But as winter turned into spring and weather became warmer it meant they could relax the Covid-style tiers.

This was demonstrated when the King emerged from the Easter Sunday service and was greeted by 60 well-wishers at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Just days earlier, the monarch and his team had received news that the treatment had gone better than anyone could have expected.

One insider said: “He was raring to go after the positive results and didn’t want to hang around any longer”.

It meant the King told aides that a trip to Australia, seen as the most important tour a monarch will ever take, must go ahead in the autumn, as first revealed by The Sun.

In May, his public comeback began at London's University College Hospital MacMillan Cancer Centre where he told patients he was having treatment later that day and confessed in an off-script moment he had lost his sense of taste.

[...]

Around 27,000 messages and get well soon cards had been sent to the King and Princess of Wales, and he told then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak some of the “wonderful messages and cards” have “reduced me to tears”.

Despite the King’s positivity and drive to return to work and tour Australia, his aides and doctors remain “protective” about how many hours a day he can carry out public-facing duties.

While famous for being a “workaholic” with Harry and William once saying they would find him in his office working during the night, the King has been made to restrict public face-to-face interaction to only five hours a day.

This is expected to be the same when he goes to Australia with Camilla in October where the tour is expected to have engagements on around seven days.

Sources explain rest and recuperation are built into the King's usually hectic schedule so he is not exhausted.

[...]

In truth, if it was not the cancer then the prostate procedure would have stopped him riding at Trooping, it is said.

Amid the recovery his personal doctor Michael Dixon, previously slated and accused of backing controversial homeopathy, has been credited with aiding his recovery with a programme of complementary treatment.

The King will now spend summer months at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate and be surrounded by family, including the Princess of Wales who is continuing her own cancer journey.

He will keep a positive frame of mind tending his garden, taking long walks, painting and fishing.

And he will be ready and raring to go for Australia in October where his recovery could be even further down the line.

The trip Down Under which includes speaking at Common wealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa is expected to last less than two weeks including travel and take in Sydney and Canberra.

[...]

The King has been open about his prostate problem and cancer but it is unlikely he will now specifically name which cancer he has, so that to “reach out and embrace as many people as he can impacted by cancer. The more specific you are the fewer people you are able to engage and support.”

Of making the news public, an insider said: “I can’t tell you what a difference that has made for him, it came with his support.

“When presented with facts of how many suffered enlarged prostate, and that there was a public health campaign and therefore some good can come of his personal setback, he totally got that and has been genuinely bowled over by the scale of response to that and cancer itself.”

On social channels, Buckingham Palace has collaborated with charities MacMillan, Maggie’s and Cancer Research UK.

And when the King chose his comeback event, he attended University Hospitals cancer ward where he bonded with patients revealing he had lost his sense of taste and had treatment later that day.

But a source added: “Never say never. There are no current plans to reveal the cancer.

“But if he felt that the time was right . . . ”

[archive link]

[eternallyfrustratedwriter]

And I Lit A Fire That Wouldn't Go Out

Chapter 9

Prev Next

In a small town in the backwoods of Ohio, Dia stood at the cemetery entrance, the wind ruffling the hair that managed to peak out of the beanie pulled low over her face. She was wearing baggy clothes over her regular jumpsuit, the effect being that her form was mostly obscured and now appeared almost shapeless. An old belt held her pants up and the lettering on the sweatshirt had long since faded to the point of being unreadable. Her eyes were hidden behind Windsor sunglasses, the lenses almost jet black that did a remarkable job at hiding how her eyes seemed to almost glow in the in the fading light of the day. 

Hands stuffed in her pockets, she slowly made her way through the graves to a small stone that showed signs of neglect. A corner of it was chipped off and several cracks were running through it, the writing faded but still legible. Weeds tried to make their way into the available spaces in the rock, dead leaves covering a bundle of flowers that had long since died. She stared at the stone for a few seconds before crouching down and starting to carefully clean it up the best she could. When it seemed the best she could make it, she fully sat on the ground and let one of her fingers trace the letters lightly. 

A small tear escaped her, eyes closing as she took in a shaky breath. Memories of green eyes and a warm laugh went through her mind causing her heart to clench in pain. Before she could slip deeper into her sadness, though, Dia heard familiar footsteps approaching her. The smell of a freshly lit cigar filled her nose as the steps stopped a few paces behind her. A heavy silence hung between them before the newcomer broke it, voice awkward and gruff as he talked. 

"So, this is why you wanted to stop in this shit hole. Who's that, an old boyfriend?" asked Logan, tone short as he gestured towards the stone. 

"He's my brother," said Dia, voice almost too quiet to hear even with enhanced hearing. 

Logan shifted awkwardly behind her as he ran a hand over his face, muttering the word 'fuck' behind his hand as he tried his best to backpedal. Eventually, he settled for crouching down beside her and lightly resting one of his hands on her shoulder. After he was sure she wasn't going to just shrug him off, he curled his fingers around it before giving a light squeeze. Dia took in a shaky breath before placing her hand over his, taking comfort in the small touch. 

"Do you want to talk about him?" asked Logan, eyes fixed firmly on the stone that had clearly seen better days. 

"His name was Nelson and he was 10 years older than me. I was our parents' accident baby and they didn't hide that. They weren't extremely awful or anything like that, I wasn't hit and I always had my basic needs met. It was just obvious that I was an afterthought to them. Nelson never treated me like an afterthought, though. He made sure to include me in his life even after he left for college. He'd been about to finish the first semester of his second year in med school when the draft happened. He was one of the unlucky bastards that was picked in the first draft." started Dia, eyes now taking on a faraway unfocused look as she remembered her past. 

"He ended up becoming a combat medic for the army. He wasn't on the front lines but he was pretty damn close. He was in the conflict for a year and a half when the field hospital he was working in was attacked. He survived the initial assault but later died from his injuries two weeks later. The medical report said his heart just gave out. I ended up running away from home a few days after my 17th birthday. I couldn't stay here anymore and my parents had all but stopped acknowledging my existence, too caught up in their grief for my brother. I made my way all over the country with a band of hippies, living out of a van and bathing in rivers. I got several tattoos, pierced that probably should have been left unpierced, and just drifted for 5 years. 

On the 8th anniversary of my brothers' death, I ended up making my way back here in a Volkswagen Beetle that had a busted AC and passenger window that wouldn't roll down for shit. It was a crappy car but damn did I love that thing. Anyway, I bought a week in a janky motel and took a week for nostalgia. Most people didn't recognize me but those that did were surprised to see me alive. Yeah, apparently my amazing parents were telling people I was dead," said Dia, snorting softly after that last word before continuing. "I came here the day before I left town again so I could visit him and apologize for staying away for so long. When I got here, though, instead of finding some solitude and having a heart-to-heart with a hunk of stone I ended up finding this weirdo passed out and curled around the headstone."

A small smile was now creeping onto Dia's face, eyes fixed on the ground still but the coldness in them had worn off. It was replaced with a soft warmth as she chewed softly on her bottom lip, considering how to continue the story. Logan, for his part, patiently waited for her to continue. By this time he'd also lowered himself down beside her as the lamps that dotted the small cemetery flickered on, flickering shadows dancing off of them. 

"That weirdo ended up being a man named Mitch Hargrave. He'd been drafted into the army the same time Nelson had, them belonging to the same troop. Nelson had ended up taking Mitch under his wing since Mitch had only been barely 18 when he'd been dragged into the war, not even done with high school. I ended up dragging him to the diner that used to be across the street and we talked for hours. When I left town the next day, I took the sorry bastard with me." finished Dia with a soft chuckle. 

"Feel better?" asked Logan, arm now fully wrapped around her shoulder as he subtly pulled her closer to him. Her head softly rested against his chest, able to hear the steady rhythm of his heart. Feeling her eyes start to droop, she ended up just nodding softly against him. "Hey, no falling asleep. You won't like how I carry you back." 

While the words sounded harsh the small vibration in his breathing from holding back laughter betrayed him. In response, Dia simply burrowed deeper into his chest while wrapping her arms around him for good measure. Suddenly, Logan was standing up and throwing Dia over his shoulder, one arm wrapped around her thighs to hold her steady as he started towards the exit. 

"I warned you."

After their late-night conversation among the dead, the tensions they'd started the trip with seemed to fall away slowly. Conversation, when it happened, flowed easier though they both weren't big talkers, content to bask in the silence. Dia was almost able to believe she was on one of the aimless road trips that had occupied so much of her time when she was younger. The illusion was furthered by them being huddled close to a small fire they'd managed to build in the wilds of British Columbia. They'd been on the road for about 4 days and they would be making the final stretch tomorrow. Scotts motorcycle that had been "borrowed" for the trip was dirty and she knew they'd be getting an earful when they brought it back. 

Hotdogs had been stuck onto the least dirty sticks they could find and were being slowly cooked over the fire. Neither of them was particularly worried about germs but that didn't mean they wanted to eat dirt either. Dia grabbed the beer she'd gotten from the convenience store they'd visited, one of her nails turning sharp before she flicked the cap off of it and took a long swig. Logan who had been about to use his claws to open his bottle rethought his decision before holding the bottle out to her, eyebrow raised. She raised one of her own in return before flicking the cap off for him as well. 

As they were eating and making their way through the 6 pack of beer, Logan awkwardly cleared his throat as he repositioned himself. It was clear there was something on his mind but he was having an internal debate of whether or not it would be worth saying it. Eventually, his curiosity won out as he swallowed the last of his half of the six-pack, placing the now empty bottle in the bag they'd designated for trash before lighting a cigar and taking a long drag from it. 

"So, while I was in the med bay I heard Jean and the professor talking about a Mitch. Jean said something about Scott wanting you guys to get back together?" said Logan, trying, and failing, to look nonchalant as he directed his gaze up at the stars that blanketed the sky. His gaze was a little too fixed on their surroundings and his posture was stiff as he tried to appear casual. 

Dia bowed her head deeply as her ears plastered themselves to her head, hat abandoned for the night. A small flush could be seen on her cheeks as she covered her eyes with one of her hands, the other one occupied by the beer she'd been sipping on for the past half hour. 

"God... Mitch and I were together for a few years before I sprouted the ears and tail. We'd ended up semi-settling down in Nevada in the Vegas area. I was a bartender and Mitch worked for one of the hotels as a maintenance man. After my new powers emerged, though, I knew we couldn't stay. I'd heard about this place in New York for mutants, the passion project of a trust fund kid is how it was presented. At that time it was my only lifeline so I clung to it. I told Mitch I'd go on ahead and he could make his way up after he'd sorted things out in Vegas. You already know how well that plan went." said Dia as she swallowed down the rest of her beer before gathering her knees close to her chest, gaze now firmly on the small fire. 

"I'd nearly forgotten about him when we finally reunited a little over a year after I was kidnapped. We did our best to pick up where we'd left off but it was hard. Still, we did manage to gain a bit of happiness for a while. He built a house out in Buchanan and got a job at a small diner that was run by an older couple. They didn't have kids of their own so they ended up semi-adopting him, giving him ownership of it a few years later when they weren't able to take care of it themselves anymore. I'd split my time between the mansion and there, inviting Scott to spend holidays with us. Of course, good things just aren't meant to last. 

The bubble burst about five years ago. We were on a walk and we'd stopped in front of this pond and were looking at our reflections in the water. I looked like I hadn't aged a day while the man I was in love with now looked like he could be my father. The fact that I was going to outlive him hit me in the head like a giant anvil. Suddenly, I was staring down the barrel of forever and I knew he wasn't going to be there to meet me on the other side." Tears slipped down her face and dropped off of her chin, wetting the knees of her pants. 

Throughout the story Logan had just been looking over at her, occasionally taking a puff on his cigar. He didn't have any comforting words to offer, his last 15 years, the only ones he could currently remember, having been spent in self-imposed solitary confinement. Occasionally something would stir feelings of familiarity in him, blurry images knocking against the in his mind that didn't want to budge. Sometimes, at night before he fell asleep, he'd hear a soft voice whispering his name and telling a story he'd never be able to remember when he woke up. These moments would leave him bathed in sadness and aching for something he couldn't quite articulate. 

He settled for awkwardly patting her on the back instead before putting the cigar out and going to lay down a small distance away from her. While he knew that she could regenerate as well he still didn't want to end up stabbing her when he inevitably had a nightmare. After all, just because you could regenerate didn't mean it didn't still hurt. 

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I always thought Harry created Travalyst in a rush because he heard about the Earthshot Prize without knowing what it was and wanted to rival it. In 2020 there was the prank call with the false Greta Thunberg where Harry was saying that giving prizes would help nobody that we needed action (quite ironical now that he's so pressed for prizes). Maybe he created it in a rush to pretend he has dibs on it, like you say.

I think so too.

The one thing I'm on the fence about is what exactly Harry knew. It's been made very clear that when William split the household (and also kicked the Sussexes out of the Royal Foundation) that he/his team stopped coordinating the longer-term strategic projects with them, which would have included Earthshot.

So like you, I think Harry knew William was working on something but he probably didn't know when it would be announced, how developed it was, what it actually was, or what kind of people were expected to be involved. He was probably caught very, very off-guard by the official announcement. Maybe he even felt like he had been deceived by William or William's people on how developed the plan was.

I also think Harry got caught off-guard was the reaction to William's project, compared to his. When he announced Travalyst, it was a very lukewarm reaction. Everyone collectively went "mm-hmm, we'll see" because a) no one really knew what it was and b) everyone knew he and Meghan were trying to dig out from all the criticism about their private jet usage that summer (2019) so there was a lot of side-eyeing. But when William announced Earthshot, everyone went completely gaga and it dominated the headlines the first few days of the New Year, helped by a beautiful photo from Kate. And that was absolutely what he was thinking about when he said "prizes suck" in the prank call.

And that prank call happened right before the Commonwealth Service, didn't it? I bet that was one of the reasons William was frosty to Harry that day - because he was pissed about the "prizes are stupid" comment (as well as the tantrum about the procession, I'm sure). Sophie was also angry that day too. I could never figure out why - she gave Meghan a Look before the service and it made Meghan glitch the same way she glitched from Kate's Look at the Windsor Walkabout. (I remember speculation at the time that Sophie was upset Harry had arranged marriage between James and fake-Greta on the prank call.)

[what-if-queen-camilla]

Chapter 39

31st August 1997

Around 10 am, a black Audi stopped in her driveway. Mark from Charles' security team got out of the car and greeted Camilla with a sorrowful face. "Ma'am.", he said firmly, opening the door for her. She had quickly dressed herself in the outfit she had worn at her mother's funeral three years ago; black seemed the only colour acceptable to wear on this through and through black day that would undoubtedly go down in history as exactly that. "Oh Mark…", she sighed, looking at him just as saddened as he had previously looked at her. Mark had been around for years, they knew each other well, and she'd always appreciated his discretion and politeness. "We'll take an RAF jet from Brize Norton to Aberdeen, Ma'am.", he explained to her as they drove onto the M4 and Camilla nodded understandingly. She wasn't keen on flying at all, not to speak of such a tiny little RAF jet but she just had to pull herself together now and stay strong for everyone else. She just hoped that Charles wouldn't have left for Paris already when she arrived. She needed to see him, even if it was just for a few seconds, she needed to look in his eyes, to hold his hand, to give him a kiss… she just felt like she needed to give him as much love as she could for him to carry with him and keep him going for that awful ordeal that laid ahead of him…

Thank God there were no paparazzi yet when they landed at Aberdeen Airport about an hour later. Camilla couldn't believe how much colder it was up here than it had been down in the South despite the early hours, but maybe it was just the nature of the situation that made her shiver. Outside of the airport, they got into another black Audi, driven by a member of Balmoral staff who didn't say a single word the entire hour plus twenty minutes the ride took, which made it feel endless. Camilla felt sick inside and though she was trying hard not to let show, she was incredibly anxious of any possible encounters with any member of the family apart from Thea and Charles. She knew the Castle, she had been here before, she and Andrew had been frequent guests here in the seventies and early eighties, and clearly these kinds of houses never really changed so it almost felt rather familiar when she was escorted through the entrance hall and up the stairs to the family's private apartments, where she'd hopefully just quickly meet Charles, take her daughter and could disappear again - but as always with those Windsors, it had to be as dramatic as possible. She hadn't entered Charles' apartment properly yet when she heard several people shouting at each other, including her Prince and both his parents, with his father sounding quite aggressive which made her shiver once more. Wasn't the whole situation horrible enough already? And where on earth were the children? A servant motioned for her to follow him into the next room, obviously some kind of a drawing room, and her heart stopped beating for a second when she finally caught sight of William, Harry and Thea, sitting on a chaise lounge, her poor little daughter between her brothers, holding their hands as if she was trying to comfort them, Harry was sobbing heartbreakingly and William's eyes just seemed completely empty.

"Mummy?", Thea reached out anxiously, and without thinking any further, Camilla just did what felt most natural to her, rushed over to the children and pressed all three of them against her as tight as she could. "Oh boys, I'm so very sorry.", she whispered, heavily gulping down her own tears. "I know your mother and I weren't quite the best of friends… but she loved you so very much.", she added, and for a few moments, they just sat there, holding each other, and Camilla hoped that her motherly heart was great enough to give as well some comfort to these poor boys, until the door flung open and they rushed apart, Camilla performing a deep curtsy in front of the Queen, who, followed by the Duke of Edinburgh, who's face had turned red in anger, and Charles who just looked completely lost, entered the room. "Your Majesty…", she said politely, her eyes fixing the ground, as she couldn't bear looking at Charles as she went on to greet his father and him as protocol required: "Your Royal Highnesses… My sincere condolences on the heartbreaking news…" "Darling…", she could read Charles' lips silently forming, but she didn't know what to do. "Mrs Parker Bowles.", the Queen greeted her without any emotion in her voice. "It's good that you're here. This is not a place for a child of Theodora's age under the given circumstances.", she added, motioning for Thea to walk over to her mother but both her brothers pressed her little hands even tighter and she refused to do what she had just been told. "Granny, please.", William said, and Harry cried even more. "First, I'm not allowed to accompany Dad to Paris and now you're sending off our sister.", he sobbed and Camilla covered her mouth with her hand as this was getting all too much. In some way, she thought it was touching and precious how Thea wanted to be there for her brothers - and how much comfort William and Harry apparently got from her little sweetheart, despite her young age, and it felt wrong to separate the siblings in a situation where they obviously needed each other. But this wasn't up to her…

"Goodness, Henry, stop crying, you're not a girl! Pull yourself together and behave like a man!", the Duke ranted and Camilla winced. How did he speak to a 12-year-old who had just lost his mother? Insecurely and disbelieving she looked from one to the other and didn't know what to do or say. Charles stood behind his mother, obviously in a state of shock, unable to do or say anything either. "Enough is enough!", Prince Philip declared, rushing over to the children, pulling Thea away from her brothers, tears streaming down her little face, as she fell into her mother's arms. "Mrs Parker Bowles. This is family business!", he said sharply. "And neither you nor your daughter will ever be a part of this family!" "Grandpa!", William screamed, horrified and disbelieving looking from his grandfather to his grandmother, then to Charles, and back to his grandfather, who then gave a challenging glance to his eldest son: "Charles! Tell her!" Camilla looked at Charles and it took everything in her not to rush over to him, pull him into her arms and take him and the children anyway, just far away from this awful and loveless place. Of course, he'd told her about his father's outbreaks and how he'd treated him when he still was a child but experiencing all of this first-hand would probably haunt her in her dreams for the rest of her life. He looked at her so desperately, beggingly almost, and she knew that the only thing she could possibly do to help now was to take Thea and disappear as soon as possible, though it broke her heart to leave him and the boys in this absolutely devastating moment… "Come on, Thea.", she said to her daughter. "We'll better take our leave." "But Mum!", she insisted, but Camilla took her by her hand. "No, darling, we have to go!", she hissed, turning to Charles and the boys one last time, praying they'd feel at least a little bit of love and comfort she had so wanted to give them but wasn't allowed to, before she went off.