to think the Queen should refuse this gift?

[WitchesSpelleas]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54915124

"A committee of MPs and peers has been set up to choose a gift "fit" for the Queen to mark the 70th anniversary of her accession, in 2022.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said it would be a "token of our respect". For her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the Queen had a stained-glass window created for her in Westminster Hall."

The Queen has everything she could possibly need, and the money to buy anything she could want.

This gift will be funded by donations from MPs - of course, it's up to them how they want to spend their money - but at a time when so many of her subjects are struggling financially due to the impact of Covid19, I think it would be appropriate for the Queen to ask the MPs to make a donation to a UK charity instead of spending the money on a Platinum Jubilee gift.

Move to London instead. It’s lovely.

What? You really would tell people how to spend their own money?

In this case we are talking about elected representatives whose salaries are paid from the public purse, who are debating this gift as a committee in the house - 'in work time' if you like - so I'm perfectly entitled to have an opinion.

This isn't Boris having a few MP pals round to dinner and while passing the port saying 'How about we chip in for a gift for old Queenie?'. This is MPs setting up a committee to buy the gift officially.

Can we not just be happy that this remarkable lady had lived and reigned to such a great age? She is our Queen, our Monarch and has given her whole live in service to her country. The least we can do is acknowledge this and have a fantastic celebration for her Platinum Jubilee. Who knows, you might actually have fun, heaven forbid.

The Queen has everything she could possibly need, and the money to buy anything she could want.

It's not like they're going to buy her a bottle of Chanel Number 5 or a nice bottle of champagne, is it?

The 'gift' will be of symbolic value, like the stained glass window. The money spent on it will be piddling in the scheme of things and a Platinum Jubilee is of historical significance, so I think YABU.

Also. You know, there are cheaper tickets🙄

Yes, if you live in Berkshire perhaps. Or if you don't have to work and can travel at some obscure time when no one else wants to. If you live hundreds of miles away and have to go at the weekend because you're working during the week, you're not going to find a cheap ticket.

@Andante57

of course, it's up to them how they want to spend their money

This.

Really? It'll be a whip round out of their wages, will it? Or are they spending the public purse, in other words, our money from taxes? When people live in poverty, thousands are losing their jobs, millions around the world won't be able to afford the vaccine, we are spending our money on a gift for a privileged old lady who has everything she could want and more? I'd think a lot more of her if she were to suggest that the money be used to help the less privileged.

I think a stained glass window was a lovely gift. Everyone who wants to enjoy it can.

So something similar would be nice

A nice sculpture in a park or a new public garden.

As an avowed republican I care not for the royal family,not Betty and not her dysfunctional brood
But you can bet even if they gift the window that Andrew won’t be alllowed out at a public event(with media present) ever

@MagicSummer

Can we not just be happy that this remarkable lady had lived and reigned to such a great age? She is our Queen, our Monarch and has given her whole live in service to her country. The least we can do is acknowledge this and have a fantastic celebration for her Platinum Jubilee. Who knows, you might actually have fun, heaven forbid.

I'm glad she's lived a long life - I certainly don't wish her dead - but I can't be glad she has reigned for a long time because I think the monarchy should be abolished.

That aside, I haven't said don't mark the Jubilee at all. What I have said is why are MPs giving a gift to a woman who has everything when people in the UK are starving and homeless?

@MagicSummer

Can we not just be happy that this remarkable lady had lived and reigned to such a great age? She is our Queen, our Monarch and has given her whole live in service to her country. The least we can do is acknowledge this and have a fantastic celebration for her Platinum Jubilee. Who knows, you might actually have fun, heaven forbid.

We should get her to jump out of a helicopter again. Or something similar.

Call me sad, but it gave me great joy to see her participate in the Olympics opening ceremony like that. yes I know she didn't actually jump out of a helicopter but she did say Good Evening Mr Bond and make him wait because she is The Queen.

I think a stained glass window was a lovely gift. Everyone who wants to enjoy it can.

Everyone ... who lives in London, yes. Great. It must be fantastic for them.

She is our Queen, our Monarch
She’s not mine,I don’t feel an affinity for her or the moribund monarchy

^So something similar would be nice

A nice sculpture in a park or a new public garden^

Yes. It's not about making a rich old lady even richer. It's about doing something nice for the nation.

As for the person who thinks that there should be nothing nice in London because it can cost some of us a lot of money to get there, that's no reason not to have those things, or you could use holiday allowance to go at cheaper times, or go to Edinburgh instead to see Holyrood, or all manner of other options.

I’m not a Royalist and would do away with the monarchy in a heartbeat but I wouldn’t begrudge her this gift. It is a pretty amazing achievement.

I'd rather have the cash thanks.

Are you refusing all birthday gifts this year OP? Donating the money?

I don't agree with it because I'm certain that the MPs will be able to claim back their 'donations' as an expense of the job.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

I keep forgetting that uk is so destitute there is actually an argument that a memorable addition to architecture is wrong because not everyone can afford to go to London...

MN is sometimes like ad for "Don't visit England". Pitch that to Home Office👍 Visit to here will drop immigrantion faster than whatever that little devil is planning.

So true @SchrodingersImmigrant and something that regularly occurs to me when I read threads on MN. Anyone not familiar with the UK could be forgiven for thinking it’s an absolute shit hole based on this site. Oh and I’m not “sticking up” for the UK nor am I living in a “MC bubble” - I’m working class Irish!

Oh come on! why shouldn't the queen get something nice for her birthday?

It is a pretty amazing achievement. No it’s not it’s indicative of her Living standards,wealth and immediate access to high quality health and support if reqd

Really, its going to take a lot more money than the price of a gift to the queen to fix the shit going on in this country, so for that alone YABU.

They should make 49 rings.
1 for each county to pass from hime to home so everyone can enjoy it and 1 to rule them all for Her Majesty.

There. Now everyone can enjoy.

Oh come on! why shouldn't the queen get something nice for her birthday?
Because she’s an adult woman with wealth,privilege and unearned status she doesn’t need or require an expensive token

@SentientAndCognisant

It is a pretty amazing achievement. No it’s not it’s indicative of her Living standards,wealth and immediate access to high quality health and support if reqd

Her sister, who also enoyed all of the above, died at 71.

As for the person who thinks that there should be nothing nice in London because it can cost some of us a lot of money to get there, that's no reason not to have those things, or you could use holiday allowance to go at cheaper times, or go to Edinburgh instead to see Holyrood, or all manner of other options.

Well, that isn't what I said. What I said was that the gift of a stained glass window in London cannot be said to benefit the whole nation.

As for going at cheaper times, or going to Edinburgh instead etc - I don't think you quite understand. Fortunately, I am not in this position but there are plenty of people who can't even afford the bus fare into town, let alone a leisure trip to their nearest city.

As Covid continues, there will be more and more people driven to destitution. The money could be better used helping them.