The Royal family - are they worth it ?


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On 11/22/2019 at 2:08 AM, Brew said:

As Stuart.C has asked, what do you replace them with?

I agree Brew, when we had our Republic referendum in 1999 it failed because what was put up to replace the Queen as the head of Government was a President elected by the Parliament. Thankfully 55% the Australian population did not trust the pollies and said no.

A constitutional Monarchy may not be perfect but look at the other options. The USA got Trump and not to mention the faux elections that "elect" president in many other countries.

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I like living in a monarchy and think the moaners, groaners and republicans should put up or shut up. All I hear is 'overprivledge', 'undeserving' and other equally vituperative claptrap. Tear do

I did my army service on Salisbury Plains & exercises in Warcop, Thetford, Sennybridge & Otterburn, then I was based in Munster-lager West Germany. & the medals I received = none at all. I

It’s my wedding anniversary today. 48 years. I wouldn’t change a thing. My wife says she doesn’t regret a single day, she regrets them all.

See Charles has been tested although his symptoms are only mild. Not quite what the rest of us are told to do is it.

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Too soon I think. They'll probably infect others so they don't have to stay at home. As for Boris telling everyone to wash their hands and stay at home, it did him a lot of good didn't it? I'm sorry for being so blunt but at least practice what you preach.

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It was always all about money. Things usually are. No doubt the other ‘royals’ have leant on him so as not to have sensationalism spoiling the Queen’s jubilee year. No doubt he will be put out to grass away from the pubic eye for some years until the furore dies down.

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  • Cliff Ton changed the title to Various Royals and what they get up to
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Larry would have been so much more convincing!  Somehow, it seemed to reduce the queen's credibility when she started wearing glasses with the imperial State crown. It just didn't look right, not with all the jewels and ermine.  Mind you, two years ago, I gave the eulogy at the funeral of a dear friend of mine whom we dubbed 'the magpie' due to her great love of anything sparkly.  Most turned up wearing sombre black. Me? I wore sky blue sequins and a tiara...but no glasses. The clergyman must have thought I was nuts. I'm still not sure what he was doing there since my friend was an atheist....although she worshipped cats!

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This royalty farce is all pomp and no circumstance. Bejewelled non-entities with medals never earned. Perverts, womanisers, parading their high military ranks never earned or deserved. A lot of the population fall for this glittering pagent of grossly over privileged, unmerited, confidence tricksters and all of their hangers-on.

Makes me sick to see the pompous hoards of them dressed in their ridiculous outfits smirking on the palace balcony. Time to go! 

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I like living in a monarchy and think the moaners, groaners and republicans should put up or shut up. All I hear is 'overprivledge', 'undeserving' and other equally vituperative claptrap.

Tear down the status quo and replace it with what? a president? "Ooo yes please we can elect one of those", until you can't and finish up with a dictator.

How many around the world have made themselves president for life? Imagine Johnson with no muzzle? Corbyn unleashed?

 

Democracy is a delicate beast and easily done away with, we should we careful what we wish for.

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For those too lazy to look for themselves, I've done it for you:

The Prince of Wales is wearing the following medals (ordered from left to right):

  • Queen’s Service Order (New Zealand)
  • Coronation Medal
  • Silver Jubilee Medal
  • Golden Jubilee Medal
  • Diamond Jubilee Medal
  • Naval Long Service Good Conduct (LSGC) (three additional service bars)
  • Canadian Forces Decoration (three additional service bars)
  • The New Zealand Commemorative Medal
  • New Zealand Armed Forces Award

He also wears the Order of Bath around his neck, the Order of Merit badge, the Order of the Garter sash, the Order of the Garter badge, and the Order of the Thistle star.

Charles also wore the Garter Star, the most prestigious British order of chivalry, which he was awarded in 1958.

He served in both the Navy and Air Force. He also qualified as a helicopter pilot.

 

 

You're welcome.

 

 

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If we must have a monarchy (and an unlikely insurrection will be needed to remove them) then they should bring themselves into the 21st. century and get rid of the fancy dress, the opulence, the hangers on and the bowing and curtseying. They should hold down proper jobs and not sponge off the peasants.

I had already checked on Charles’s meaningless gongs.

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Meaningless? I rather doubt those ordinary squaddies who earned the right to wear the same medals would agree. Like my relative's European, Pacific, Burma, and other service medals they were given to evidence the fact that the wearer has 'done their bit'. Maybe you'd like to go to the memorial service on Nov 11th and explain to those there that the bits of metal on their chest are scrap and not worth the emotion and crocodile tears...

 

To me personally they are mementos in a box in a drawer, to my grandfather, uncle and parents they were items of enormous pride.

 

The dress, the ceremonies and pageantry add a gravitas and meaning to state occasions that Johnson et al. could never achieve.

 

Sponging of the peasantry? For someone who claims to be au fait with cost benefit analysis that's a bit of a suprise.

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My husband served 22 years in the Army for Queen and country (and other peoples countries at times) he has 4 medals nicely presented in a box and we are all very proud of them and him. At least we're not like the Yanks who seem to give medals out for just flying over a war zone. The monarchy actually bring a lot of money into this country through tourism and are patrons of some really worthwhile charities. No one in the world does pomp and ceremony like we do and some of the uniforms have some real history.

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As a republican we are unable to shut up! It must be obvious to most that we are not in a true democracy. The monarchial family are so ingrained within the culture of our nation, by their guile, that the republicans amongst us are unable to remove them. Unless by the ballot box. We could, given sufficient support by a majority of government ministers, if they are strong enough in temperament, they could be removed by an Act of Parliament. This is democracy!

Pomp and ceremony may be said to be an aid to soften and tranquilise the criticism of the wanton indulgence enjoyed, as a life long priviledge of a very minor few. Nice to watch but of no practical benefit. Especially to those lesser mortals who would welcome even the basic moral and economic support .  

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We did get rid of them, once. It was called The English Civil War(s) or, as some would term it, the English Revolution!  Then we had The Commonwealth. There's a misnomer if ever there was one!  By 1660 the monarch was back. Charles II was a pretty reprehensible creature. Far worse than Charles I who wasn't a bad chap if only he'd had the sense not to marry a Roman Catholic. In the interim, we'd suffered the Diggers, the Levellers, all kinds of loony religious sects and Oliver Cromwell who must have wished he'd stuck with his original decision to set sail for the new world as opposed to getting involved with trying to sort out England.

 

No one will ever be satisfied. It's not in our DNA.

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1 hour ago, Alpha said:

As a republican we are unable to shut up! It must be obvious to most that we are not in a true democracy.

I quite agree, although I'm not sure how removing the monarchy would make things any better.  Norway (a monarchy), has the highest rating in the world for democracy.

We are well down the list, one below Uruguay and only just above Chile. Of all the countries that rate above us, only Germany has a bigger economy, and of the fifteen rated higher, seven have a monarch.

 

This really should be discussed elsewhere.

 

I've asked many republicans why they want out,  without exception they trot the same old reasons mentioned here. Wealth, privilege, pomp, taxpayer's money etc. Not one mention the form of government they want, the advantages it will bring, the societal improvement or how we will all benefit. They seem to have an unformed and often ill-informed, hatred without any actual evidence they can make things better.

Only when people behave as Hythloday describes will Utopia be possible.

 

The support you mention, the yawning, and growing division in our society is wrong, no argument, but how will putting Charles and his missus at the top of Mandela House make it better?

 

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I don't care what you say....you can't beat a bit of ''POMP'' even ''Circumstance''.......go for it 'Charles'..........

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We do not need to "remove" the monarchy as such.

Let The Windsors do what they do as a wealthy family but  we should decouple them from our nation's decision making;  unless of course any of them choose to stand in our (so called) democratic elections. They and their kind should be consigned to our history and that can be acknowledged appropriately without spending public monies raised from taxation.

The administration of the nation should concentrate on providing a healthy and safe place in which we can live with our neighbours.

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  • Cliff Ton changed the title to The Royal family - are they worth it ?

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