The Queen

[chris & the giant peach]

A few thoughts...Why is it so expensive to keep her on the throne? Why the palaces, the castles, the third, fourth, fifth, family homes? Surely one would have thought, that a modest house, a makeshift crown (does it need to be embroidered with diamonds?), a pair of suitable gloves and a frock would suffice?

Shouldn't the 'family' be smaller? Those that stand zero chance of getting anywhere near the throne be denied access to the zillions they receive via the taxpayer? That money then be redistributed back into society and invested in education, training, business.

Should the Queen apologise to the thousands of deceased young men who after returning from the hell of the Trenches (they were apparently fighting for King and country) were ostracised and couldn't get work...many committing suicide, many dying in abject poverty?

WWII is justified, but the first world war is a shameful and terrible part of our history for which no apology has ever been forthcoming.

[aubrey]

Give her and her family a £26k cap.

[chris & the giant peach]

Feb 6, 2012 17:48:47 GMT aubrey said:

Give her and her family a £26k cap.

If that happened Aubrey, I guarantee they wouldn't be so keen on maintaining their roles. IOO% cast iron guarantee. It's all about great wealth via accident of birth.

[everso]

Feb 6, 2012 17:36:32 GMT chris & the giant peach said:

A few thoughts...Why is it so expensive to keep her on the throne? Why the palaces, the castles, the third, fourth, fifth, family homes? Surely one would have thought, that a modest house, a makeshift crown (does it need to be embroidered with diamonds?), a pair of suitable gloves and a frock would suffice?

Shouldn't the 'family' be smaller? Those that stand zero chance of getting anywhere near the throne be denied access to the zillions they receive via the taxpayer? That money then be redistributed back into society and invested in education, training, business.

Should the Queen apologise to the thousands of deceased young men who after returning from the hell of the Trenches (they were apparently fighting for King and country) were ostracised and couldn't get work...many committing suicide, many dying in abject poverty?

WWII is justified, but the first world war is a shameful and terrible part of our history for which no apology has ever been forthcoming.

What? The Queen should apologise for something that happened more than 10 years before she was born?

I don't understand your obsession with the Queen. Better to direct your displeasure towards those who really deserve it, like the politicians and other corrupt people. The Queen herself has led a dutiful and blameless life, and I don't for one minute feel envious of her wealth. I wouldn't change places with her for anything - at least I was able to retire!

[chris & the giant peach]

Feb 6, 2012 23:31:49 GMT everso said:

Feb 6, 2012 17:36:32 GMT chris & the giant peach said:

A few thoughts...Why is it so expensive to keep her on the throne? Why the palaces, the castles, the third, fourth, fifth, family homes? Surely one would have thought, that a modest house, a makeshift crown (does it need to be embroidered with diamonds?), a pair of suitable gloves and a frock would suffice?

Shouldn't the 'family' be smaller? Those that stand zero chance of getting anywhere near the throne be denied access to the zillions they receive via the taxpayer? That money then be redistributed back into society and invested in education, training, business.

Should the Queen apologise to the thousands of deceased young men who after returning from the hell of the Trenches (they were apparently fighting for King and country) were ostracised and couldn't get work...many committing suicide, many dying in abject poverty?

WWII is justified, but the first world war is a shameful and terrible part of our history for which no apology has ever been forthcoming.

What? The Queen should apologise for something that happened more than 10 years before she was born?

I don't understand your obsession with the Queen. Better to direct your displeasure towards those who really deserve it, like the politicians and other corrupt people. The Queen herself has led a dutiful and blameless life, and I don't for one minute feel envious of her wealth. I wouldn't change places with her for anything - at least I was able to retire!

I am not obsessed everso, nor am I envious of their wealth, which is what you infer. HM represents this country , no? She also represents her family and her predecessors, no? So why shouldn't she apologise for the massacre of innocents in WW1? They were fighting for her family they were told at the time.

The Queen is able to retire btw...she can abdicate anytime she wishes to do so. That is her right.

[Weyland]

Feb 6, 2012 23:31:49 GMT everso said:

Feb 6, 2012 17:36:32 GMT chris & the giant peach said:

A few thoughts...Why is it so expensive to keep her on the throne? Why the palaces, the castles, the third, fourth, fifth, family homes? Surely one would have thought, that a modest house, a makeshift crown (does it need to be embroidered with diamonds?), a pair of suitable gloves and a frock would suffice?

Shouldn't the 'family' be smaller? Those that stand zero chance of getting anywhere near the throne be denied access to the zillions they receive via the taxpayer? That money then be redistributed back into society and invested in education, training, business.

Should the Queen apologise to the thousands of deceased young men who after returning from the hell of the Trenches (they were apparently fighting for King and country) were ostracised and couldn't get work...many committing suicide, many dying in abject poverty?

WWII is justified, but the first world war is a shameful and terrible part of our history for which no apology has ever been forthcoming.

What? The Queen should apologise for something that happened more than 10 years before she was born?

I don't understand your obsession with the Queen. Better to direct your displeasure towards those who really deserve it, like the politicians and other corrupt people. The Queen herself has led a dutiful and blameless life, and I don't for one minute feel envious of her wealth. I wouldn't change places with her for anything - at least I was able to retire!

Quite right. It was all Phil the Greek's fault. They come here, marry our Queen, get top jobs, the best housing the natives can't get, run our Awards schemes, shoot our pheasants, . . . . . .

[Alpha Hooligan]

Feb 7, 2012 0:48:19 GMT chris & the giant peach said:

[So why shouldn't she apologise for the massacre of innocents in WW1?

At a guess, because she isn't responsible for things that happened before she was born...unless you have becoma a devout Catholic and now believe that the sins of the father should be passed to the son and all that jazz.

As for costs...works out at about 86p per year, per adult...worth every penny when you look at the tourism it brings in alone.


AH

[housesparrow]

It would be a hard job to do unless you were born into it.

We could of course do without a civic head of state, but who would open all those buildings and give out awards? Our culture would be the worse for not having royalty I think.

Spare us please from the abominable celebrity cult, which seems to have replaced religion.

[chris & the giant peach]

I misread the word 'cult' there for a moment House...I thought you were being terribly rude about HM for a moment.

Just one point...since when has waving from the back of a carriage been 'hard work'? She's never picked up a mop in her life! And also remember they have six months of free time per year.

As for tourism , if the Royals disappeared tomorrow it wouldn't greatly effect it. People would still come because of our history...why do people visit Ireland do you reckon? It aint just because Trubble is such a wonderful babe...

[everso]

Feb 7, 2012 0:48:19 GMT chris & the giant peach said:

Feb 6, 2012 23:31:49 GMT everso said:

What? The Queen should apologise for something that happened more than 10 years before she was born?

I don't understand your obsession with the Queen. Better to direct your displeasure towards those who really deserve it, like the politicians and other corrupt people. The Queen herself has led a dutiful and blameless life, and I don't for one minute feel envious of her wealth. I wouldn't change places with her for anything - at least I was able to retire!

I am not obsessed everso, nor am I envious of their wealth, which is what you infer. HM represents this country , no? She also represents her family and her predecessors, no? So why shouldn't she apologise for the massacre of innocents in WW1? They were fighting for her family they were told at the time.

The Queen is able to retire btw...she can abdicate anytime she wishes to do so. That is her right.

I think you are a little obsessed with the Queen, Chris. You've started threads before like this (well, one a couple of weeks back, having a go about the proposed ship that you claim is being built for her but is, in fact, being built for this country)

I can think of people who are much more deserving of criticism. As Alpha said, the Royals don't cost the tax payer very much money and they bring more into the country in the form of tourism.

Yes, the Queen could abdicate - if she wished to break her Coronation vows, which is something she wouldn't do because of her sense of duty (something that people today consider old fashioned I suppose).

I consider the Queen as a representative of our country, a figurehead so to speak. I can't think of anybody I'd want to replace her with. I know that whenever there are debates about the Queen, someone always trots out the line about being able to vote in a head of state. Sorry, but you only have to look around you at the politicians today to see how corrupt they are. Do you really think an elected head of state would be lily-white?

[chris & the giant peach]

My dearest Mrs E, no obsession but it may have escaped your attention that yesterday was the first day of the Diamond celebratory year, which is why I began this thread.

Your admission that politicians are mostly corrupt would strongly indicate that the Queen has very little influence in how our country is run, so again, without a monarchy it would not change democracy nor indeed the hallowed halls of Westminster, albeit the House Of Lords would no longer exist, which means lots of elderly people dressed in silly robes would have to find somewhere else to doze off of an afternoon.

There is still very little evidence coming my way that we would be 'worse off' without a Royal family...certainly the wildlife would be hugely relieved in and around Balmoral.

...and why are some people perfectly happy tipping up 82p per week for two spoiled little tarts like Beatrice and Eugenie to live a life of luxury and attend non-stop parties, and yet bemoan having to fork out for the worse off in society?

Very odd that.

[chris & the giant peach]

...and that ship? It belongs to all of us does it? Then I want a go on it!

I'll have to look back...I can't remember that one at all.

[chris & the giant peach]

I concede Everso...I appear to have had four pops at HM this year!

My apologies ma'am. ( Chris bows and touches his forelock)

I apologise to the Queen too.

[sesley]

our Queen commands more respect world wide than our brainless,self serving polititians ever will. The past.well what can she apologise for . She has hopefully mended the Irish/English bridge with her visit to Ireland last year. She is the person who is toasted and honoured by armed personnel on ships,in aircraft hangers and in Afghanistan now. It was her they fought for in the Falklands not Maggie. Yes they live a sumptious and priviliedge life,but at her old age and Prince Phillip too,they should be well retired instead,she will die as a Queen. She represents all that is good about the UK.

[bonbonlarue]

Robert Mugabe... ??
Ayatollah Komeini ...
Saddam Hussein...??
Colonel Gaddafi...??
Papa Doc...



British Monarchy ............costs us a bit.

[everso]

Feb 7, 2012 19:44:46 GMT sesley said:

our Queen commands more respect world wide than our brainless,self serving polititians ever will. The past.well what can she apologise for . She has hopefully mended the Irish/English bridge with her visit to Ireland last year. She is the person who is toasted and honoured by armed personnel on ships,in aircraft hangers and in Afghanistan now. It was her they fought for in the Falklands not Maggie. Yes they live a sumptious and priviliedge life,but at her old age and Prince Phillip too,they should be well retired instead,she will die as a Queen. She represents all that is good about the UK.

Exactly. And the fact that so many people in this country recognise that, speaks volumes.

Of course she can't influence, to any great extent, how this country is run, but she is a figurehead and is greatly respected. I don't understand how anybody could resent her.

[chris & the giant peach]

Represents 'everything' that is good? Many said the same about Queen Victoria. Didn't her ancestors torture, murder, pillage, rape?

But of course these people aren't English they have German blood.

It's interesting but past generations of this fabulously wealthy family have overseen some of the worst poverty in Europe...in the case of Queen Victoria for example, Dickens novels were crammed with the injustices meted out on the poor...the workhouses, the inhuman prisons, (people were sent to prison for being in debt), mass homelessness, deprivation on a major scale...and that 'family' became richer and more powerful.

Don't have the time to write more...other than the next time you see a deer ask it if it believes the Royals are a power for good! You may be surprised by its reply.

[everso]

Feb 8, 2012 12:21:25 GMT chris & the giant peach said:

Many said the same about Queen Victoria. Didn't her ancestors torture, murder, pillage, rape?

Did they? Which ancestors?

But of course these people aren't English they have German blood.

Now, are you talking about the Queen or Prince Phillip? The Queen's four grandparents were all British (she's British, Chris, not English). She has some German ancestry further back - Prince Albert for instance - but she is a direct descendant of Mary, Queen of Scots.

I have two great-great grandfathers who were Irish. Does that make me Irish, having been born in the UK? Mr. E.'s great-great-great-great grandfather was French, another was German and another was a Russian Jew. Christ, what does that make him?

Have you done your own family history research?

[aubrey]

My lot never seem to have left Yorkshire.


Edit Sorry. Seem never to have left Yorkshire that should be. I think.

[Weyland]

Feb 9, 2012 0:39:43 GMT everso said:

Mr. E.'s great-great-great-great grandfather was French, another was German and another was a Russian Jew. Christ, what does that make him?

Barking?