AIBU to think the current Queen has been a mediocre to poor Monarch?

[ComposHat]

Anyone else think all the praise lavished on her is undue? We are all told that she has done a 'good job' but has she really? The servile media, including the supposedly balanced BBC won't broker any attempts to criticise her in any way. We are simply told that she has been 'beyond reproach.'

I'd argue that she's been a dull and unimaginative Monarch, clinging to hidebound tradition and fighting to preserve arcane privileges like a Royal Yacht (actually a mini cruise liner) and resisting paying tax on her income. At crucial moments in her reign she's dallied and shown weak leadership.

On her watch the monarchy has at best stagnated and at worst slipped into an inexorable decline and has begun to feel like an anachronism.

I'll venture that history will not judge her as kindly as all these fawning contemporary commentators do. Her reign will be seen as the point at which the rot set in.

if they had gone to canada during the war, they probably would not have been accepted back here afterwards. they would have been seen as cowards, but they did decamp from the city every evening. i don't think the head of the armed services/king would have been on a petrol ration like the ordinary people.

they will and do go anywhere to keep power/privilege to themselves

To be honest Creighton I see Cameron and his pals doing more to achieve that than the royals.

I think there is one big word in there could, doesn't say definitely. And the losses of income from the Duchy's is again a bit like saying how long is an unidentified piece of string. They are worth more in the hands of the royals than in the hands of a republic, it would be significantly devalued as an income.

They are completely and utterly out for themselves. I am not fooled by all this devotion to duty lark.

headfairy, that's because the royal family are more established and more discreet in their actions than cameron and his pals.

Besides which I dont see why they should just hand over anything.

In proud of our queen.

So come on Mary provide examples to prove how they are "completely and utterly out for themselves"

By saying they aren't English when they can trace their family back to the George III (oh yes he was born in 1738) is actually beyond belief. If you said that about someone who was second generation from any other country you would be classed as a racist and a number of other terms too.

Most Royal Famillies are related to each other as this was how we kept out of war, by marrying our royals to each other we made treaties and alliances that would keep the country safe.

But actually of course they are german

Joan, I do "understand" thank you, I'm offering an alternative viewpoint. Read the link - it makes for interesting reading.

whatname, it's not theirs to hand over or not hand over - it's ours

when did marrying into other royal families stop war? it didn't stop crimea or ww1

Pooh, the idea that inter-marriage between Royals kept our country safe from war is truly hilarious .

I don't think that some people are too hot on history!

I am not talking about recently, the idea was always there but many countries didn't really give a shit about their youngest/middle/ugliest etc.

It doesn't make our Queen shit. And it doesn't make it any less racist to say they don't count as they are German.

And no it isn't theirs but it isn't ours either it is actually in a trust and get rid of the royal family and don't think you will see any of the income from it.

YANBU. She's been dull and safe at best. I really think we need to be shot of the lot of them. I don't understand why people feel any affection at all for that bunch of dim, entitled, free-loading amateurs. I think Charles will be worse. He seems to labour under a delusion that his opinions are important in some way.

It's theirs now. Are we going to force all the people/countries/business that benefitted from the Holocaust to hand things back - and that's much more traceable.

I was coming back to question if I'm British as my mother is European - but I see I've been beaten to it.

exotic is that a veiled reference at me or other posters?

The posts about the Royal family and the war have reminded me of one of my favourite lesser known facts about HMQ - which is that she can strip down and rebuild the engine of a 4 tonne truck.

I do not approve of the concept of royalty. They are in it for the wealth and priviledge being royal brings. Take away that and they have nothing left. Look at Beatrice and Eugenie. They can't wait to climb aboard the royal gravy train. All in the line of sacrifice and doing their royal duty. Of course. Selfish pampered ghastly people. Sorry but it's the way I feel.

Get rid of the royal family and the govt will sell the lot off to the highest bidder - prob out of the country.

I was thinking the Duchys btw.

So your willing to just ignore the charity work they all do then Mary? Or the fact that the likes of William and Harry work?

Yes indeed Haberdashery. Couldn't have put it better.

A lot of people do charity work and have jobs. Not just William and Harry.

Nobody has denied that, but your previous points seem to be forgetting that in your rush to slag them off.

another little known fact is that the royal family and all the aristocracy were appeasers in the 1930s they would have let hitler do what he wanted to avoid war.