To find the Queen's new coach utterly ridiculous

[MonterayJack]

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/04/queen-travel-state-opening-parliament-new-coach

Not to mention archaic, disturbing (has fragments of the Mary Rose and Sir Issac Newton's apple tree built into it?!) and a giant waste of money. I looked at it and just thought "Why?"

Anyone else feel slightly annoyed and disturbed at the thought of an adult thinking it's a good idea to ride around in such a contraption?

I think it's amazing that we still have craftsmen (and women) capable of this.

In fact, I think there should be more ludicrous commissions that we can become curiosities in years to come.

I know that if I ever had the chance to peek inside that carriage id spend ages reading all the labels for the different wood inlays from historical artifacts.

Worra I've not been lucky enough to try out a NE sarnie, but have experienced their loos. There was a lot of British history in there I should think judging by the state of it.

I'm sure I heard something on the radio about the man who made it remortgaging his house to do so.

I don't think the queen has enough coaches. I think she needs another one.

DooDooDoDooDoDo DaaDaaDaDaaDaDa DaDaaDaDaa DeeDeeDeeDee
Send her victorious happy and glorious long to live over us Go od saaave the Queen.

Tricky, typing whilst standing at attention.

and who will pay for the maintenance, stabling etc?
If you heard about a country where the unelected head of state was carted (pun intended) around in a diamond and gold encrusted coach whilst a million of her subjects were using foodbanks and another million16-24 year olds were uunemployed you'd think it was a tinpot dictatorship, not twenty first century Britain.

As for bringing in tourists? I suppose people don't go to see the place of Versailles then?

Argh I keep misreading thread titles lately.... Thought you said queens new coat and couldn't work out how they used bits of the Mary rose...

If you heard about a country ^^ blah blah blah

That just about describes every country from Tin Pot Dictators to elected republican governments taking perks !!

""suppose people don't go to see the place of Versailles then?""

Not since Kim K tried to get married in it.

The real value for me is that it keeps alive the skills needed to make genuinely one-off items like that

I'm keeping an open mind about the "no cost to the taxpayer" claim, though; after all, it wouldn't be the first time something like that had been "spun"

Another yabvvu it's cool, I would have loved to have gone to my wedding in one

No usual, one crams the homeless into an old ship container.... luxury, bloody luxury

Grotesque.

I think its quite nicely designed and intriguing with the history that is apart of its design.

So no one is to spend any money on anything beautiful or decorative or expensive until we have eradicated poverty and foodbanks?

No but we should think very long and hard about spending money on things for the exclusive use of an unelected, unaccountable monarch who serves no practical purpose. Should she want any number of beautiful decorative items she can pay for them herself out of her extensive private funds.

lyndie we need beautiful and decorative things but in this instance it just seems a bit "Let them eat cake" to me.

I don't have a strong opinion either way btw I just wondered what people thought!

So a free coach is tipping the scales a bit - what about spending in the Arts? Sport? Events like Commonwealth Games?

Just where did this 'private wealth' come from again ?