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.

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

Her sister was a notoriously heavy smoker and boozer.

Her sister the alcoholic who smoked like a lum @IcedPurple
Add alcohol and smoking and those two lifestyle choices decrease life expectancy

@TheMethodicalMeerkat 😁 it gets ridiculous sometimes.

YANBU It's a disgrace that we have a monarchy at all. MPs are welcome to spend their own money how they want (provided it won't be claimed back), however I think it would be a greater gesture, in recognition of how much they have received, if the Queen or her family funded this themselves.

And I agree that a window in London is pointless for the majority of the country.

OP doesn't think people should spend their own money on a Gift , because she can't afford to go and see it.
That really is a laugh.

@SentientAndCognisant

Her sister the alcoholic who smoked like a lum *@IcedPurple* Add alcohol and smoking and those two lifestyle choices decrease life expectancy

Well yes. But she enjoyed the same privileges listed by the poster to whom I was responding. So clearly the queen's longevity isn't solely based on said privileges.

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

I know that. Not spending a few quid on commemorating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee isn't going to change that unfortunately.

It would probably work out at about 47 pence for each poor person. They might be able to buy a tin of beans. Then they'd still be poor.

@WitchesSpelleas

Yes, mark the anniversary by all means, but why with a gift? The Royal Family has many charities within its patronage - why not make a donation to, say, the Prince's Trust?

Because then the money would just disappear without trace. A sculpture, window or other tangible way of commemorating this very rare event will last for centuries.

1. You have missed the point of gift giving I.e it is not a transfer of wealth and therefore how wealthy you are doesn’t matter
2. you have missed entirely the significance of a “gift” from the executive to the Monarch
3. the “gift” will not belong to a person but the establishment to be seen for years to come. As such it is likely to be an object and since the monarch lives in London it will be in London. I am not a royalist, I’m not too bothered about abolition either (but our country is set up as a monarchy and if we can’t do track and trace I can guarantee we’d balls up if we tugged that thread) but I will be happy to celebrate her jubilee! Hopefully with my family. And she has been a stabilising force for this country which has been needed.

Well, it's perhaps a bit rude to say no, I don't want that, get me this instead. She is I would suspect just accepting it graciously.

It would probably work out at about 47 pence for each poor person. They might be able to buy a tin of beans. Then they'd still be poor.

You've obviously never been in the position where you're scrabbling down the sofa and checking all your pockets to scrape together 50p for a tin of something to eat.

Prince Philip is 100 next year ... I wonder if he'll get a telegram from his DW?

Well her mum did, so I can't imagine she'd leave Philip out

Howling at the Swarovski corgi keyring though ...

I'm genuinely interested. What is astonishing about somebody who can't be sacked or forced to retire holding down a job for which they, and their family, are handsomely paid ( to say nothing of the benefits) , being in that job for a long time?

I'm not opposed to her being something nice for her birthday. Her family can buy it.

I really hate the way people are considered somehow superior or to have done it all through their own hard work, just because they've managed to stay alive for a long time.

However well-meaning, it carries with it the clear implication that those who die young are somehow inferior, less worthy or wasters who didn't really bother trying, just because they weren't so lucky to enjoy such good health or were involved in a tragic accident.

By all means congratulate her if you really want to for what great things you may believe she has actually done in the time (and vast privilege) she has had available to her, but please let's not applaud her simply for being able to breathe longer than a lot of people get to do.

You’re being ridiculous OP.

By your logic, there should be no visitor attractions in London because there will be thousands of Brits who have never travelled to London.

Are you one of those people who complain about money spent on parks, sculpture, public art etc??

@WitchesSpelleas

It would probably work out at about 47 pence for each poor person. They might be able to buy a tin of beans. Then they'd still be poor.

You've obviously never been in the position where you're scrabbling down the sofa and checking all your pockets to scrape together 50p for a tin of something to eat.

But if this 'gift' - which is more of a token of commemoration than what most of us understand as a 'gift' - were not to be bought, would that money be distributed to those in need of 47p for a tin of beans instead? I doubt it.

@IcedPurple You do understand that if you do not smoke and area moderate drinker your life expectancy exceeds that of an alcoholic smoker

Margaret lifestyle contributed to her dying before the queen.

We have a Royal Family. That means we celebrate this nonsense, and a gift seems appropriate in that context.

If this is coming from the personal wealth of MPs then I don’t have an issue with it

@mummmy2017

OP doesn't think people should spend their own money on a Gift , because she can't afford to go and see it. That really is a laugh.

You clearly haven't read the OP before commenting. May I recommend you do so?

We don't know what the gift is yet. For all I know (though I seriously doubt it ) it might end up being a statue in my own home town.

That's not the point - the point is that anything of that nature is only going to benefit people in its locality and those who are wealthy enough to go and see it.

If this is coming from the personal wealth of MPs then I don’t have an issue with it

JRM must have a few dozen spare p(h)easants in his store cupboard that he could sling her way.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

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.

Excellent idea

a poor family who have no luxuries at all, then no - the gift would be genuinely appreciated.

Being poor doesn't mean gifts will be genuinely appreciated. I got some of the worst gifts when in my worst financial situation - while some were nice, it felt like others treated us like a rubbish bin because of course we would 'appreciate' whatever. And no, not all charities that claim to help those in poverty do in a significant way, that's why there are so many guides to these thing.

This does feel like they're putting out preliminary feelers, it'll likely shift a lot over time. I doubt she'll refuse anything, she doesn't really have much history of that that I comes to mind, and not sure there is much benefit to it.

You do understand that if you do not smoke and area moderate drinker your life expectancy exceeds that of an alcoholic smoker

I do understand that, thanks.

Given the focus on the planet and conservation I think it should be something in nature. Like replant a whole forest with however many trees in some Tory's back garden, or rename some sort of national landmark the Queen Elizabeth We Love You Please Don't Die Just Yet Lake/Mountain/Gorge

But seriously, that, then it really will last, and mean something in line with modern life.

But if this 'gift' - which is more of a token of commemoration than what most of us understand as a 'gift' - were not to be bought, would that money be distributed to those in need of 47p for a tin of beans instead? I doubt it.

We could try, though. Donate it to a food bank charity. Donate it to Shelter. Let's not just say 'oh, well, we might as well add a further needless adornment to the already beautiful architecture of [wherever] and let people starve because they're going to anyway.'