Mrs Mop Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 Can I ask: what is the appeal of having a royal family? I mean they cost alot, cause scandals left right and centre and aren't really good for anything? Or are they? I would like to know your views on that? Like the American Presidents Without them we would need a president, or so we are told, that will mean money spending on the elections which could cost us a lot more than the royal family. A president would want more powers than they have, they have very little powers and are mainly just figure heads. The big ceromonal displays bring in a lot more money that we spend out and we are very good at organising pomp and ceremony. If we didn't have them who could we take apart when they step out of line? Who could we moan about, somehow a president just won't have the same appeal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDFan Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 I think we're talking about different individual values, but I wholeheartedly agree that the Queen could do with learning some respect. Respect for her family's choices, and for the people that join that family. Respect for the views of other people. Respect for the people that pay her to sit and get painted (cos that's all she does really *yes that's tongue in cheek*). She needs to learn respect for her people, which include people of different cultures and origins, and to do that she also needs to keep her husband under control. Link to controversial quotes. Nope, can't see a thing that's good about having a monarchy that's about 60-80 years behind the rest of us. I respect people who earn it. *lol* Absolutely agree Kathy If we didn't have them who could we take apart when they step out of line? Who could we moan about, somehow a president just won't have the same appeal. Oh I think they do and would, I can think of many American Presidents who have served that purpose very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amanda72 Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 Isn't the queen from a German decent? Prince Philip from Greece, so really neither of them are even British???? :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yena Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 Isn't the queen from a German decent?Prince Philip from Greece, so really neither of them are even British???? Are any of us British? We're all a mix of different nationalities, Viking, Saxon, Irish, Germany, Scottish to name just a few. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingu Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 Duke of eddy is ace.. lets face it he only really says what all the politicians want to but dont have the balls to. on the whole I think they are worth it now the civil list is pretty much gone and they more or less pay for themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abigailj Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 I'm not really bothered about the Royal Family. I guess they attract alot of tourists, which is good for us but other than that I don't see the point. Think of all the homeless people you could fit in Buckingham Palace. I have an old school friend whose girlfriend works for Prince Charles. I think she looks after his website. How many people look at that I wonder? I'm rushing off now to see it not By the way my friend was completely freaked out in a branch of Starbucks the other day. She couldn't understand why Papparazii's were snapping photos of her whist she waited to be served. Turned out she was standing next to Kate Middleton (Prince William's girlfriend). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 I'm not really bothered about the Royal Family. I guess they attract alot of tourists, which is good for us but other than that I don't see the point. Think of all the homeless people you could fit in Buckingham Palace. Well yes, but you could also get a lot of homeless people in the British Museum - or indeed, many other much more modern and comfortable publicly owned buildings! If they abolished the monarchy I am very nearly certain that Buckingham Palace would not be turned into a hostel. Either it would be a Presidential seat, or a museum. Either way, taxpayers would still have to pay for its enormous maintenance costs (I believe that building maintenance is what the majority of the 62p goes on). I suppose we could sell it to the Americans brick by brick and make them pay postage. That would be very economical. I don't like the idea though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abigailj Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 If they abolished the monarchy I am very nearly certain that Buckingham Palace would not be turned into a hostel. Really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 *puts on tin hat* I quite like Camilla. She's got more dignity than some members of the Royal family. She's always been supportive of Charles, she kept quiet while Charles, Di and all her boyfriends made a show of themselves on tv/in the papers/books etc, doesn't court the media in any way whatsoever and now quietly gets on with the task of being the Duchess of Cornwall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 Really? Well you never know... Ever since Ken Livingstone was elected Mayor of London, I've given up saying 'never' about politics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 Well you never know... Ever since Ken Livingstone was elected Mayor of London, I've given up saying 'never' about politics! Once upon a time I'd have said it could get no worse then Boris Johnson said he was standing I'm no longer so sure what I think On The Royals however I think the Queen has done a wonderful job for the country, in many ways. Prince Charles founded The Princes Trust - may not be perfect but the Charity does a lot of good work, some of the other kids I don't think have done the family any credit at all. Hopefully William & Harry may change things again. I cant see Camilla going to Diana's memorial as appropriate at all. Overall I'd still retain the Monarchy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trallwm farm Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 [quote name='cycas' I suppose we could sell it to the Americans brick by brick and make them pay postage. That would be very economical. I don't like the idea though. We could Ebay it. No doubt there would be gentleman from Nigeria offering over the asking price. I know someone who lives in North London in a rented house who would be keen to be seen buying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilRed Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 The Monarchy don't really bother me one way of another, I neither hate them or feel excited about them. I do feel sorry for them, they don't have a choice about being born who they are and they can never stop being who they are. While there are a lot of nice things that go with it, having the amount of intrusion into their lives that they do must be truly vile. They are kind of like national pets really. Looked at from that point of view, I wonder how well we really treat them. They do fulfill a ceremonial function which someone has to do, the Prime Minister is too busy running the country to be able to meet and greet every visiting dignitary. It's not appropriate to leave the King and Queen of Japan to make their own way to the nearest Holiday Inn. Important links with other countries are forged this way. The royal family are trained from the earliest age in etiquette, diplomacy and the art of eating disgusting food with a smile on their faces. I do hope they genuinely enjoy tribal dancing too because they have to sit through hours and hours of it. Again, I don't know how they cope it would bore me shitless. I think some of them are all right, some I don't like especially, I guess that's normal. It must take Prince Charles a lot of guts to speak out on some of the things he does knowing the press are going to rip him to shreds and similarly how the Queen manages to bite her tongue at times I can't imagine, especially when she sees her children in the firing line whether they have deserved it or not. I don't think opening Buckingham Palace to the homeless would solve the homeless problem, it is about more than just not having anywhere to live on the whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazydaisy Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 They are an in-bred bunch of takers (ie of our money). They should be made to earn thier own living and stop wasting taxpayers money. The French had the right idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemimap Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Not bothered, would sooner have a Scandinavian type Royal family if we are to have one at all, but having said that I recall how very useful it was to have a competent Queen in the days of M Thatcher. At least there was one woman in the country who outranked MT and couldn't get voted out. I used to be very anti royal. Then i learned a bit more about it, and i agree whole heartedly with the above. She is one extra protection in keeping us free and although its unlikely she would, she can stop the prime minister doing things eg he would have to get her pemission to go to war. Not sure if i've explained it very well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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