An unusual NPC - King Charles III

[James Langham]

A short write up of a high-powered NPC.

[Rainbow Six]

Personally, this is my favourite photo of Prince Charles interacting with the Army Air Corps...it could almost be one of those competitions where you have to come up with a caption

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Personally, this is my favourite photo of Prince Charles interacting with the Army Air Corps...it could almost be one of those competitions where you have to come up with a caption

Nearly used that pic but I wanted him in uniform and the fact it was a tri-service unit suited my purposes as I have streamlined a number of service units where duplication exists.

As I already had a helicopter one I wanted something different for the second.

I have another of him with members of the Parachute Rgt which I need to add to the 44th Airborne Brigade write up.

[Canadian Army]

Good NPC, but I have a problem with this:

His links to the Canadian Armed Forces entitle him to be told of Canadian troop movements and this has often been used as an excuse to entertain the Canadian Ambassador George Miller.

This would not happen for because while all troop deployment and disposition orders, including declarations of war, fall within the Royal Prerogative and are issued as orders-in-council, which must be signed by either the monarch or governor general. Under the Westminster system's parliamentary customs and practices, however, the monarch and viceroy must generally follow the advice of his or her ministers in Cabinet, including the Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense. Which means being told of Canadian troop movements would only happen if and the Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense chose to do so. And that is a problem, by 2000 Canada is split into two governments one in western Canada and one in eastern Canada, which means there are effectually two Prime Minister and two Ministers of National Defense. Which brings into question who is he getting the info from?

[mikeo80]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Personally, this is my favourite photo of Prince Charles interacting with the Army Air Corps...it could almost be one of those competitions where you have to come up with a caption

Caption:

Damn it, I have to sleep with Camilla tonight.

My $0.02

Mike

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by Canadian Army

Good NPC, but I have a problem with this:



This would not happen for because while all troop deployment and disposition orders, including declarations of war, fall within the Royal Prerogative and are issued as orders-in-council, which must be signed by either the monarch or governor general. Under the Westminster system's parliamentary customs and practices, however, the monarch and viceroy must generally follow the advice of his or her ministers in Cabinet, including the Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense. Which means being told of Canadian troop movements would only happen if and the Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense chose to do so. And that is a problem, by 2000 Canada is split into two governments one in western Canada and one in eastern Canada, which means there are effectually two Prime Minister and two Ministers of National Defense. Which brings into question who is he getting the info from?

I should have made it clearer that this is the excuse for regular meetings with a friend. By the time of the split command and control will render the meetings irrelevant.

[Isochron]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Personally, this is my favourite photo of Prince Charles interacting with the Army Air Corps...it could almost be one of those competitions where you have to come up with a caption

Not trying to be dirty minded, but look who Prince Charles is standing in front of, where his eyes are trained and the position of his hands. And she is the only one smiling.

[Fusilier]

Originally Posted by Isochron

Not trying to be dirty minded, but look who Prince Charles is standing in front of, where his eyes are trained and the position of his hands. And she is the only one smiling.

LOL

[Tombot]

Good stuff, as usual!

How do you plan to use Charlie ? Are you playing or a preparing a british campaign ?

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by Tombot

Good stuff, as usual!

How do you plan to use Charlie ? Are you playing or a preparing a british campaign ?

A lot of my work is focused on the UK as I live here and know most about it! I'm looking at the main political and military players and as he isn't detailed in the Survivor's Guide I thought I would detail him as there are some unanswered questions (e.g. what happens to Diana).

Unlikely to run a game near future due to a lack of local players :-(

Oh and as an aside I've set him so that he could stop to help the PCs...

[Mahatatain]

A good NPC but one thing to consider is it's not clear whether Prince Charles will become King Charles or whether he will change his name when he becomes King.

There have been a load of stories (quite a lot of them spoofs) about whether he will change his name or not but the answer is that we won't actually know for certain until he accedes. There is some evidence that Royal circles regard Charles as an "unlucky" name for a King so he might become King George VII instead.

In the T2k timeline however I can imagine him sticking with Charles regardless to make it easier for people to understand who he is.

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by James Langham

A lot of my work is focused on the UK as I live here and know most about it! I'm looking at the main political and military players and as he isn't detailed in the Survivor's Guide I thought I would detail him as there are some unanswered questions (e.g. what happens to Diana).

Another of the unanswered questions would be what's happened to the Queen. Given that GDW have her abdicating, it's quite possible that she could still be alive in 2000.

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Another of the unanswered questions would be what's happened to the Queen. Given that GDW have her abdicating, it's quite possible that she could still be alive in 2000.

I hadn't made any decision, options are:

* died - disease
* died - nuclear strike
* alive
* held by someone
* unknown

What do others think?

[Rainbow Six]

My thoughts...

Died - disease. One would assume that she would have the best medical care possible, so whilst possible but imo unlikely

Died - nuclear strike. More likely than died from disease, particularly if she stayed in London. imo whether she would have stayed in London or not is an interesting question. It's possible that she would have chosen to do so particularly for morale reasons, in much the same way that her father and mother remained in London throughout the Blitz. Personally I could see a case for staying and not staying (or departing before the strike, possibly to a relatively remote location such as Sandringham or Balmoral), so I'm 50 / 50 on this one, although I do think the fact that she had abdicated so was no longer Sovereign might strengthen the case for staying, effecively acting as the nation's figurehead whilst the King quietly slipped out of the Capital as a mater of practicality.

It's also possible she may have escaped the initial attacks and died in the strike on the Government's wartime command post that is referenced in the SGUK.

Alive. To a large extent depends on whether one thinks she survived the nuclear strikes or not. If she does then I think it's likely she will still be alive and in a secure location that is well guarded.

Held by someone. Not impossible, but I think unlikely, I think we can safely assume there would be sufficient security around surviving members of the Royal Family - particularly one as senior as the former Monarch - to ensure their security. iirc several Foot Guard Battalions are unaccounted for in GDW's order of battle.

(Incidentally, the thought has just occurred to me that the Royal Duties Force might make an interesting article in its own right).

Unknown. One could argue that no matter how well guarded some catastrophe could have befallen her and she is missing...if that were the case we could assume that enormous efforts would be being made to try and locate her.

[simonmark6]

I don't think the UK should have a monarchy, but, given that we do and given the enormous sense of responsibility that QE2 feels for the nation there is another alternative.

I'm pretty sure that she'd have insisted on a punishing series of visits to disaster sites and would have been burning the candle at both ends to serve her people and make sure the government were doing their best too. Even with the best medical care available, I see the most likely future for the senior Royals, Prince Phillip, QE2 and the Queen Mother being working themselves to death.

This would clear the way for the younger Royals and increase support for the monarchy. If you wanted to go into it, I'd have QE2 dropping dead during a visit to a hospital or refugee camp, perhaps during a speech about everyone being in it together and the need for sacrifice to make Britain great again.

[Rainbow Six]

Whilst we're discussing Her Maj, I have to say that I think the idea of her actually abdicating in the first place was probably the single most implausible thing in the SGUK imo.

Being Sovereign is a job for life.

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by simonmark6

I don't think the UK should have a monarchy, but, given that we do and given the enormous sense of responsibility that QE2 feels for the nation there is another alternative.

I'm pretty sure that she'd have insisted on a punishing series of visits to disaster sites and would have been burning the candle at both ends to serve her people and make sure the government were doing their best too. Even with the best medical care available, I see the most likely future for the senior Royals, Prince Phillip, QE2 and the Queen Mother being working themselves to death.

This would clear the way for the younger Royals and increase support for the monarchy. If you wanted to go into it, I'd have QE2 dropping dead during a visit to a hospital or refugee camp, perhaps during a speech about everyone being in it together and the need for sacrifice to make Britain great again.

Nice idea, I may well go for this.

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Whilst we're discussing Her Maj, I have to say that I think the idea of her actually abdicating in the first place was probably the single most implausible thing in the SGUK imo.

Being Sovereign is a job for life.

There were quite a few candidates for this... but it is canon so I'm stuck with it.

[95th Rifleman]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Whilst we're discussing Her Maj, I have to say that I think the idea of her actually abdicating in the first place was probably the single most implausible thing in the SGUK imo.

Being Sovereign is a job for life.

In the games I run she goes down with the ship when London gets nuked, she refuses to leave Buckingham palace. She knows the succession is secure and decides that her place is in the capital whatever happens.

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by simonmark6

I'm pretty sure that she'd have insisted on a punishing series of visits to disaster sites and would have been burning the candle at both ends to serve her people and make sure the government were doing their best too. Even with the best medical care available, I see the most likely future for the senior Royals, Prince Phillip, QE2 and the Queen Mother being working themselves to death.

This would clear the way for the younger Royals and increase support for the monarchy. If you wanted to go into it, I'd have QE2 dropping dead during a visit to a hospital or refugee camp, perhaps during a speech about everyone being in it together and the need for sacrifice to make Britain great again.

Really liking that idea! Possibly combine the overwork with a surprise nuke attack on her location - either way her days were numbered...

[James Langham2]

An update incorporating some of Rainbow 6's material.

[Silent Hunter UK]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Whilst we're discussing Her Maj, I have to say that I think the idea of her actually abdicating in the first place was probably the single most implausible thing in the SGUK imo.

Being Sovereign is a job for life.

Especially as she saw what Edward VIII's abdication did to her father.

[unkated]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Personally, this is my favourite photo of Prince Charles interacting with the Army Air Corps...it could almost be one of those competitions where you have to come up with a caption

Hmmm. The Treason Act of 1485 discusses the crime of laying hands ON the Royal personage, but does not cover the Royal personage laying hands on....

Uncle Ted

[unkated]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Whilst we're discussing Her Maj, I have to say that I think the idea of her actually abdicating in the first place was probably the single most implausible thing in the SGUK imo.

Being Sovereign is a job for life.

While I generally agree, I would point out Albert II of Belgium (2013) and Juliana (1980) and Beatrix of Holland (2013) have taken this route. Monarchs of have abdicated in favor of their heir rather than become old and feeble, rather than a Regency. Before say 1980, it would be easy enough to leave an aging monarch alone out of sight, but in the late 20th C constant media circus, that is less and less possible.

No, I am not calling QE2 feeble, as it is not true, and I do not want to be visited by 007 in the middle of the night. But the Queen does not move as spritely nor appear as often as she did 20 years ago.


And please... Astin-Martin.

Does Charles get the Astin Martin DB5, Q-edition, once retired from the British Secret Service?

[Silent Hunter UK]

She's a 91 year old woman; that isn't hugely surprising.

However, she saw what her uncle's abdication did to her father - the stress of being forced into a role he wasn't ready for at the time of the greatest crisis in the UK's history shortened his life considerably.

[The Dark]

Originally Posted by unkated

While I generally agree, I would point out Albert II of Belgium (2013) and Juliana (1980) and Beatrix of Holland (2013) have taken this route. Monarchs of have abdicated in favor of their heir rather than become old and feeble, rather than a Regency. Before say 1980, it would be easy enough to leave an aging monarch alone out of sight, but in the late 20th C constant media circus, that is less and less possible.

No, I am not calling QE2 feeble, as it is not true, and I do not want to be visited by 007 in the middle of the night. But the Queen does not move as spritely nor appear as often as she did 20 years ago.


And please... Astin-Martin.

Does Charles get the Astin Martin DB5, Q-edition, once retired from the British Secret Service?

Aston Martin, old chap.

[Louied]

James,

Another idea, a couple of years ago Prince Charles was an advocate of forming a Sikh Regiment in the British Army. The Sikh community resident in the U.K. seemed very positive about this and officials reckoned they would have no problem forming at least a Bn. However the PC types shot it down, no regiments to be based on religion (hmmm, seem to recall a regiment called the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) were formed originally from Convenanters).

https://web.archive.org/web/20071118...4/nsikh124.xml

Maybe, as King and post TDM, he gets his way, perhaps a company at first, then maybe The Sikh Guards ?

FWIW approximately 350,000 identified themselves as Sikhs in the 2001 UK Census.

[James Langham2]

Originally Posted by Louied

James,

Another idea, a couple of years ago Prince Charles was an advocate of forming a Sikh Regiment in the British Army. The Sikh community resident in the U.K. seemed very positive about this and officials reckoned they would have no problem forming at least a Bn. However the PC types shot it down, no regiments to be based on religion (hmmm, seem to recall a regiment called the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) were formed originally from Convenanters).

https://web.archive.org/web/20071118...4/nsikh124.xml

Maybe, as King and post TDM, he gets his way, perhaps a company at first, then maybe The Sikh Guards ?

FWIW approximately 350,000 identified themselves as Sikhs in the 2001 UK Census.

Interesting - I might look into this.

[The Dark]

It was looked at again in 2015, but I believe the MoD chose not to proceed at that time because they only had around 160 Sikhs in the armed forces. The ruckus about a religiously-based regiment was back in '07.

[Louied]

Yes, absolutely correct but the argument was that if you have a Sikh Regiment
The number of Sikhs joining would drastically increase, or so say the leaders of the Sikh Community.

Another news article about it in 2015, with pic of Sikh Guardsmen in The Scots Guards.....

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.daw...ws/amp/1165614