Britain - The Official Thread
- Thread starter Ross
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Many forget that Diana was incredibly manipulative too. She got Charlie just where she wanted him - to say nothing of Martin Bashir - and got exactly what she wanted out of it, in full knowledge he was up to his throne room in Parker-Bowles (I nearly mistyped that as "bowels", which would have conveyed a very different meaning) the whole time. She courted the tabloids as much as anyone, and though we like to recall the paparazzi hounding her to her death, what killed her was a drugged up, drunk, French chauffeur who drove into a concrete pillar at 65mph and Diana not wearing a seatbelt.
Kate seems to be treading a very similar path, and if Meghan has got Harry in thrall too then the old adage of marrying women who have similar characteristics to out mothers would appear to hold water...
Kate seems to be treading a very similar path, and if Meghan has got Harry in thrall too then the old adage of marrying women who have similar characteristics to out mothers would appear to hold water...
I don't buy the idea that Meghan has changed Harry. The lad's always been loose (from what I've seen) and seemingly done what he's wanted to do rather than simply being pushed around. Both Harry and William have been far more private that their mother ever was, probably due to how her mother came to an end and then how they've been hounded their whole lives by the press.
I don't know why we have to support the Royal Family's vast set of relations or non-airs to the throne. So Harry making this step can only be a good thing IMO. He's lived with his family his whole live and will continue to do so... so having at least some time away can only be positive and make for a more balanced person.
I don't know why we have to support the Royal Family's vast set of relations or non-airs to the throne. So Harry making this step can only be a good thing IMO. He's lived with his family his whole live and will continue to do so... so having at least some time away can only be positive and make for a more balanced person.
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I always thought Harry would get himself booted out, never foresaw this of course, but I did feel he'd been behaving himself a bit more in the last decade.
This is pretty much how I feel about all this, though. Pretty much the only intriguing thing about the monarchy, as morbid as it is, is what might change about their security as an institution once the longest reigning and most globally adored (probably, talking out my rear) monarch we've ever had dies in a world with considerably fewer monarchies than when she first sat her bum on the royal khazi.
This is pretty much how I feel about all this, though. Pretty much the only intriguing thing about the monarchy, as morbid as it is, is what might change about their security as an institution once the longest reigning and most globally adored (probably, talking out my rear) monarch we've ever had dies in a world with considerably fewer monarchies than when she first sat her bum on the royal khazi.
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- TenEightyOne
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I dsagree. They occupy land that should never have been theirs and they do so for personal profit. Through their ancestry they claim an enormous amount of privilege above and beyond that which their own wealthy backgrounds should afford them. The claim is that they bring tourists in, although occupied Royal sites or pageants should be amongst the UK's biggest tourism draws... but they aren't, not by a long way. Unoccupied residences of historical royals do very well, of course, and that's something to think about. We could finance the removal of the incumbent privileged bloodline by reclaiming some of the treasures they've taken from the nation. We could repatriate some of the ones stolen from other nations while we're at it.
We'd save a fortune in real terms on policing, security, intelligence and purses while losing hardly anything on the imaginary "good for tourism" ********. Many of Britain's problems are down to the way we're locked in a caste system where the propaganda implores the lowest to worship the highest. **** that, out with the lot of them.
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I reckon the monarchy is in serious trouble without the Queen. The Queen has set an exemplary standard - but it is one that simply cannot be matched by any of her potential successors.
The monarchy needs to repurpose itself as a force for the greater good if it is going to survive, but it cannot do that with certain members bringing the entire enterprise into (serious) disrepute.
Presently, the balance still lies in favour of the monarchy because the Queen’s exemplary standard outweighs all the shortcomings of the rest of them. But once the Queen retires, that huge counterweight is mostly gone.
The monarchy needs to repurpose itself as a force for the greater good if it is going to survive, but it cannot do that with certain members bringing the entire enterprise into (serious) disrepute.
Presently, the balance still lies in favour of the monarchy because the Queen’s exemplary standard outweighs all the shortcomings of the rest of them. But once the Queen retires, that huge counterweight is mostly gone.
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Maybe Princess Beatrice should be made heir to the throne, her only sin so far is wearing a toilet seat on her head.
I mean, it seems like they do contribute. But I don't think they offer us value in simply existing as a tourist curiosity. They outlive and outlast governments and are or can be very useful diplomatic tools that can benefit the country. Regardless of their claim to wealth (I'm sure we could look at almost anyone of the top wealthiest Britons and find they didn't earn their money 'fairly'), they offer a stable and generally positive diplomat and ambassador for the UK. And while I'm not against reforming the Royals to some extent, I think they hold a fair bit of value that many discount.
I think William could but it's a strong act to follow
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They cost each member of the public about £1.25 a year. I'm no royalist, i'm totally indifferent to the concept of a monarchy, but i'm happy to stump up for that
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Can the policing, security & intelligence be seen as job creation & a way of moving some royal money back to citizens?
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- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
At a cost of around £350m a year (excluding the enormous income from public land that they've occupied for the purse) that's about £11 a year per taxpayer, not sure where the £1.25 comes from. The properties would be far more profitable if we weren't allowing a single wealthy family to inherit them for generation after generation with no obvious reason.
Many British people are descendants of Alfred the Great, that very likely includes you and I... why does a particular line give such privilege over another? It shouldn't, I'd say that much is obvious.
Prescient, the fall from grace of Tromp after much wrangling and division in his country's political parties.
Tired Tyres
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No I can't, as a true Royalista the ghost of Diana still haunts me
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Big Ben is under renovations. It's not able to ring. In order to create a super duper extra special ring, the government has set up a crowdfund for people to donate to.
Let me restress that.
The government is asking people to willfully give them more of their own money just so Big Ben can ring on 31st January.
Anyone who falls for this is an idiot.
Let me restress that.
The government is asking people to willfully give them more of their own money just so Big Ben can ring on 31st January.
Anyone who falls for this is an idiot.
Tired Tyres
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Why not mark the day than with Big Ben to see us off, well maybe just the English as it may turn out, into the great adventure of finding our destiny?Big Ben is under renovations. It's not able to ring. In order to create a super duper extra special ring, the government has set up a crowdfund for people to donate to.
Let me restress that.
The government is asking people to willfully give them more of their own money just so Big Ben can ring on 31st January.
Anyone who falls for this is an idiot.
I could go on... But I've suddenly lost the will.
Roo
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