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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that the planned Diamond Jubilee celebrations are ridiculously extravagent and a kick in the teeth for those of us facing difficult times?

119 replies

LifeHope11 · 15/12/2011 21:21

I am not saying that we shouldn't mark the occasion but seriously:

A decorated barge plus flotilla of 1000 boats?
500 horses to be shipped into the UK from around the world?
A 'Jubilee' concert and a thanksgiving service?
A vast jolly of free holidays - sorry, 'official visits to the four corners of the globe' of dozens of 'royals' with their attendand flunkeys?

I don't know how even the most dedicated royalist can justify all this ridiculous extravagenceat a time of looming recession, austerity measures and squeezed households, cuts on the vulnerable and disabled etc, rising unemployment, homelessness and poverty. I think this could backfire on them very badly indeed as they are showing themselves up as being completely out of sympathy with people's concerns and fears

OP posts:
troisgarcons · 15/12/2011 22:26

Charles won't ever be king.

Not because of any public thoughts or movement - but because he will pre-decease the Queen

SlackSally · 15/12/2011 22:26

Oh good grief. Now you know when people are going to die?

Really?

troisgarcons · 15/12/2011 22:28

Longevity isn't in his male line.

Just my thought on the matter.

Driftwood999 · 15/12/2011 22:31

YABU, because the planned celebrations will not cost the taxpayer anything and it is a myth to suppose that the Royal Family is funded by the tax payer. They are a sustainable entity because: (could not link)

The Crown Estate as a whole dates back from the time of the Norman Conquest. In 1760, George III reached an agreement with the Government over the Estate. The Crown Lands would be managed on behalf of the Government and the surplus revenue would go to the Treasury. In return, the King would receive a fixed annual payment, which we call today the Civil List.

The Crown Estate is not the personal property of the Monarch. It cannot be sold by the Monarch, nor do any profits from it go to the Sovereign.

The Crown Estate is managed by an independent organisation, headed by a Board, and any profits from the Estate is paid every year to the Treasury for the benefit of all UK taxpayers. The Treasury is effectively the principle Government stakeholder and is kept informed of the estate?s overall business plans and strategies.

The Estates portfolio has a value of over £7.3 billion, from beef farms in the north of Scotland to Portland stone mining in Dorset. Windsor Great Park is the only Royal Park managed by the Crown Estate. All other parks are administered by the Royal Parks Agency.

For more information visit the Crown Estate's website.

LydiaWickham · 15/12/2011 22:33

LifeHope11 - time of austerity for many, true. But then again, a lot of industries did their redundancies back in 2008 - they are now back at hiring and their staff aren't in austerity measures and austerity fears anymore.

A lot of people aren't having a shit time. A lot of people are earning exactly the same as they were (or more) than 4 years ago, are in stable jobs and aren't scared anymore. Yes, it could be the double dip might be about to bite us on the arse, but it might not. For those who are on the 'other side' of it, it seems odd to hear about the 'hard times now' when they didn't get that general feeling 3 years ago when the were facing redundancy (and kept their jobs) and don't get it.

For these people, there's a limit of how many years they are prepared to not have fun because someone else is having a shitty time. Harsh, unfair, possiblity. But this government is to represent them too.

marmiteandjam · 15/12/2011 22:34

I think the royals should pay for it themselves or at least a big chunk of it. They're a right load of scroungers if you ask me.

Original poster
LifeHope11 · 15/12/2011 22:35

No I think that 'Prince' Charles is a deeply uninspiring figure as is his wife....personally I think the whole thing should be wound up after the Queen. However as she is respected by many, by all means have the Jubilee celebration just not an ostentatiously extravagant one which will offend many regardless of whether you personally agree they should be offended.

OP posts:
LydiaWickham · 15/12/2011 22:35

troisgarcons - agree, she'll go on forever. I see her outliving all her DCs and several of her DGC. Charles is a worrier, they tend to die young....

LydiaWickham · 15/12/2011 22:36

Someone will always be offended by other people having fun. This is no reason to cancel fun.

SlackSally · 15/12/2011 22:37

Well I'm glad we're all sticking to the facts and not weird unscientific predictions of the future.

WinterWonderlandIsComing · 15/12/2011 22:38

7.3 billion, oh dear, such a pittance these days with interest rates being so low and all Hmm

Interesting about Charles. It's widely accepted that he will never get the top job but I didn't know he was at risk of dying before the queen. His Dad is alive so is the longevity risk from her side of the family?

usualsuspect · 15/12/2011 22:41

I'm all for having fun ,as long as it doesn't involve the royal family

Driftwood999 · 15/12/2011 22:41

WinterWonderlandIsComing - what would you do with 7.3 billion, spend it?

troisgarcons · 15/12/2011 22:43

Historically - the Prince of Wales title is an unlucky one - high mortality rate with that title and its been around since the 1200's - mind you most of them died in battle and a younger son or grandson inherited - and in 3 cases - were never invested at all.

RustyBear · 15/12/2011 22:43

Ranommoment- yes, there is an extra bank holiday - the late May BH is moving to Monday 4th June, and Tuesday 4th is also a BH. But because this extra day is during half term, schools will also be closed on another day during the academic year - ie the school year will only be 189 days for pupils and 194 for teachers instead of the normal 190 and 195 days.

MenopausalHaze · 15/12/2011 22:46

Actually I completely agree with Gwendoline. Your hard time, or anyone else's (mine included) have no bearing on the Jubilee celebrations and nor should they have. I'm not offended by 'conspicuous consumption' and if you are you need to get out and find something, you know, real to be offended by. Jaysus - do you want us all to drown in a sea of depression and misery? I expect you want Christmas banned too do you OP?

penguinpenguin · 15/12/2011 22:47

YANBU - absolutely love that people are happy to have a day off for this, but not for public sector workers striking..... Xmas Hmm

WinterWonderlandIsComing · 15/12/2011 22:47

Driftwood I'd give at least seven billion to charity and live on the rest assuming that I had no political power to influence things. I suppose that is foolish.

usualsuspect · 15/12/2011 22:48

My Dp will lose a days pay then ,but lets not spoil the fun

winterfox · 15/12/2011 22:51

it makes me boil with rage when i see the real life legacy of these fucking games

troisgarcons · 15/12/2011 22:53

TBH I was bit miffed wit he flypast @ the Royal Wedding - I do love a bit of pomp and cermony - but I suppose we've mothballed all our military hardware - really that flypast should have had most of the planes we had left up in the air - it was a bit poor by celebration standards.

People also forget - she is just our Queen, she is still Queen to a large proportion of the world. The commonwealth is vast. They want to celebrate their Queen too.

troisgarcons · 15/12/2011 22:54

she is not* just our queen

Typo

Driftwood999 · 15/12/2011 22:56

The point is that assets generate wealth in perpetuity. The crown estates are a good model of this, whilst providing employment for many. I shudder to think of the alternatives.

FreudianSlipper · 15/12/2011 22:57

the sooner we become a republic the better they cost this country far too much money (and no we do not get it back with our amazing history we would still have the tourists)

i cringe at people going all silly over a bunch of people who jsut happen to have been born or married into a very very wealthy spoilt greedy family

i like charles though and harry but still would rather have no royal family (especially the ponpous horribe prick prince phillip)

WinterWonderlandIsComing · 15/12/2011 22:58

I have to android that I don't know what a billion actually is. Is it ten million or one hundred million? Who fucking cares? It is an obscene amount of money for one family to have.