Regarding gueens birthday

[seagaze]

I'm seeing more amd more ridiculous "God save the queen" type posts on Facebook. Aibu to be sick and tired of it all. She's 90, big deal, lots didn't get to that age because of a lifetimes poverty and hard work. I mean real work not signing a few papers and getting chauffeured about.

C'mon Wales!

I'm just thinking about all her servants, wonder if they'll get a pay rise in honour of her birthday. Bring them up above nat min wage would be nice.

President of Ireland gets €250,000.
President of France gets €240,000.
President of Russia gets €78,000.
President of Germany gets €213,000.

Now, that doesn't include residences or guard costs, pensions etc but it is ridiculous to say you wouldn't get a head of state for less.

I like the Queen (as long as she's never foisted back on my country), she seems like a lovely woman and works hard. Not as keen on the rest of them. But surely 90 is always worth celebrating.

The royal family cost the country £265 million when everything's taken into account. Could have an elected president and still have loads left over for something useful. Of course being 90 is worth celebrating, why the hell should the whole country. She doesn't work hard, she keeps occupied. The work is done by her servants.

just arrange a long weekend to Wales. Or Scotland. Or Ireland.

Why Ireland??

I quite like the Queen, ever since she appeared to me as a miraculous image on the back of a ten pound note, after one particularly late night down the pub.

I bet all her 'servants' are the most hard working people ever. Oh wait.

Celtic solidarity

I wonder how many people would be out of a job if the Royal family were axed (metaphorically speaking)

there was a picture of her recently horse riding - full straddle. Not bad for 90.

I love the Queen but worry about Wills and Kate - they just aren't dedicated enough.

Considering plenty of people visit Versailles, whose occupants quite literally got the chop, I think the UK tourist economy would be alright.

ROI would certainly have no truck with street parties for the Queen, I reckon mitty Especially not this year with the Easter Rising centenary!

After watching the antics of English football fans in France, I think it's nice to see English people celebrating a birthday in a nice, non-violent way.

I'm Irish. I've had family members suffer at the hands of English soldiers during the height of the Troubles, and I like your queen!

Doesn't the monarchy rake in a shit load of money in tourism anyway??

Rua of course not!

I wondered at the inclusion of it for that very reason, really! The other two are part of GB. We most certainly aren't!

Ah yeah mitty, but there is always NI - that could be what they meant. Certainly parts of that will be flag waving for the birthday, others not quite so into it I imagine!

Down here in Dublin it definitely is barely registering on our radar.

I don't wish the Queen any ill-will, just like I wouldn't wish anyone else any ill-will. I genuinely don't understand though why people get so involved and actually celebrate the birthdays, weddings and new babies of a family who they will never meet, and who would get the police to shove you aside if you ever did meet them and try to get too close. The Queen doesn't know who I am, I've never met her, and she doesn't wish me a happy birthday because we don't know each other. Therefore, why should she expect us all to make a fuss for her birthday? She's a human being, no better or worse than the rest of us.

She's spent her whole life serving us, can you say you have?

Well yes I can actually, I have been working and paying tax ever since I left school.

And anyway, speak for yourself. She's certainly not 'serving' me

And I am not remotely surprised that she's got to 90 in very good health. Most people would if they were pampered and waited on 24 hours a day.

soupdragon giving employment to people (mostly national minimum wage) is no argument for keeping a royal family. If that were the case why not give them hundreds more servants. The money saved by scrapping the royals would actually increase employment if it was done right. A few hundred nurses on the wards or police officers on the beat are just two examples. People serving the community as a whole, rather than a bunch of people waiting on one spoiled and pampered family. I know which I'd rather have.

Look at the celebs on the age 27 list or the recent deaths of celebs with plenty of money.

Money can't buy cures.

Living to 90 with little or no Heath problems is down to pure luck. I don't see it as an achievement.

However if it's makes people happy that the queen is now 90 I really don't see an issue.

I like seeing people happy.

Doesn't the monarchy rake in a shit load of money in tourism anyway??
No, that's one of the myths that's never been proved. Tourists would still come, probably more if the palaces were thrown open.
Shes spent her whole life serving us, can you say you have
She's never served me at all, but for arguments sake if the government wanted to give me umpteen palaces, millions of pounds, an army of servants, my own private doctors and allow me to have become one of the wealthiest women in the world I think I'd have a go.

Living to 90 with little or no Heath problems is down to pure luck. I don't see it as an achievement.
Exactly, people make out she should be admired for her heartiness. There's a lot of luck but when you have a lifetime of privilege with the best of medical care you're probably going to fare far better in old age as the average 90 year old who's had to struggle throughout their life. The queens good health is testament to her having the best of everything and never having to struggle.

Yawn yawn yawn. I thought I'd left this sort of debate in the Student Union bar.

Nobody is forcing people to watch Trooping the Colour, football or anything else. Turn over or turn off.

I personally think the Queen does a great job and hope she's enjoying her official birthday.