To think the royal family should end at the queen

[Letshaveablackcelebration]

I have respect for the Queen’s sense of duty but I do genuinely believe that it’s time for a conversation about the royal family. Honestly, who cares about the coming King Charles- is that really right? People mostly respect the queen but not the rest of them.

I read this article and I was one of those who thought their interview showed up some horrible stuff- there are clearly issues with the royals

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/may/13/prince-harry-royal-family-like-being-in-the-truman-show

Apart from all of the drama, I don’t think that we should be funding a royal family with tax payers money when the country is in such a state & the queen is literally one of the richest women in the world. I know royals in other countries are funded differently. The fact that the tories are mooting the idea of spending millions of public money on a ne boat to remember Prince Philip is a classic example.

Aibu?

How many millions in underpaid public service jobs are near dead on their feet at the end of every day? How many actually risk their lives every day - prison officers, police officers.
How many risked their lives on Covid Wards or as Paramedics attending the sufferers?
These are not roles that give luxury lifestyles to those who serve them. They are tough, underpaid jobs where those who do them keep us all safe.
Hard to stomach the Royals lecturing us all on 'lives of service'. None of them would do those jobs at any price, let alone the wages offered currently.

The Queen hasn't worn the crown for several years now. It is too heavy for her.

I think the lack of ceremony at the state opening of parliament had something to do with reduced attendance due to covid

Yes

It sends a terrible message that our head of state is there by virtue of birth and that women are basically incubators. The UK was ahead of the game on equality legislation. Our political structures should respect this.

In economic terms Versailles is the most popular tourist attraction in the world. We don't need an actual royal family to attract tourists.

On top of that it is pretty inhumane and restrictive for the poor sods born into it. Let them go off and do their thing.

And we are supposed to be a constitutional monarchy but Charles can't help but meddle in politics by writing to ministers about issues he is concerned about. The queen is good at her job but I fear he won't be able to help himself. He clearly cares about stuff. Let him go off and be an activiist/lobbyist.

So we have a queen whose husbands sole 'job' in life was to support the Queen, whose sons' sole 'job' is to understudy the Queen as an apprentice supported by his wife, whose sons'-sole job is to understudy his father who is understudying the Queen, while supported by his wife as her only 'job' after having a child whose only job will be to understudy his father...........

Meanwhile endless relatives breeding more offspring who get titles and to live in luxury who will spent a whole lifetime waving and parading their wealth to the poor saps like us paying their bills for them.

And we pay them £millions in taxpayer money to live out this total pantomime

So, do you think a Republic with a President would truly work out cheaper? Erm, no it wouldn't.

I'm not pro-Royal but the best thing is to nod along. The drama of the Royal Family is part of its allure, people lap it up. Harry wasn't wrong about that.

Having a Republic wouldn't turn out any better for the UK.

Get rid of them. Should be a republic. That said, the monarch is just a puppet now, what she says is scripted and controlled by parliament. She has no real power, so the PM/cabinet does de facto run/rule the country. What irritates me mostly is the extended family and the media attempts to convince people these parasites are relevant.

For the poster who asked way down the thread which of the European royals had a pt job:

www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/17/dutch-king-willem-alexander-admits-to-working-part-time-as-an-airline-pilot

It was only once a fortnight, but he did it for 21 years and is now retraining to fly a different aircraft.

People have said the queen has made sacrifices- what sacrifices exactly?
She married who she wanted, had the DC's she wanted, lived where she wanted, she has a lot of control over how she does her job. No sacrifices I can see.

felulageller I think it's well documented that she didn't want to be Queen, especially as she never expected to inherit the crown.

She wanted to be a farmer's wife and breed race horses.

As Queen I imagine your life isn't your own. You have no privacy. Daily correspondence boxes. Fixed duties throughout the year. Other duties in between. Constant tours, state dinners, travel. Always ready to be called upon in a crisis. Yes she has lovely homes and lands and never has to do any housework , gardening, or worrying about the commute, or clothes shopping, or cooking, but I imagine the job is akin to being in the army in that, even as Queen you serve rather than decide what you want to do, as it's all decided for you. Her diary used to be booked up five years hence. She may have some control over the details but rarely whether she gets to do the thing or not as that I imagine is dictated by national and global events and the RF often go where the FO needs some soft diplomacy. And as we have seen, the role plays havoc with your family life!

It's sacrilegious to say it, but I'm not a huge fan, as I find her rather cold. And I think she has been far too passive, not modernising enough. But you can't deny she's been very stalwart in doing her ceremonial duties.

Being in the army with of course much more glamorous trappings.

On top of that it is pretty inhumane and restrictive for the poor sods born into it. Let them go off and do their thing

Best thing I've read on here! I mean ... really.... to have that family for all it's wealth and privilege, locked in that gilded cage, is really some sort of torture. If Kate wasn't happy, what could she do? Absolutely nothing. She's got the weight of the RF on her shoulders apparently. And bringing children into this cycle.... because that's the only reason she's there, to produce children to carry on the line.

It's sacrilegious to say it, but I'm not a huge fan, as I find her rather cold. And I think she has been far too passive, not modernising enough. But you can't deny she's been very stalwart in doing her ceremonial duties

I agree.
I used to be quite the royalist decades ago (I'm old) but my god my views have changed enormously. There was a definiing moment for me, and it was all to do with the Queen purposely taking Andrew to church with her 12 hours after the Maitlis interview aired.
I thought.. that's it, I'm done with them.

And I really really think the Queen should've abdicated years ago and let Charles take over. His job will be so much harder because she hasn't done this.

I feel very differently now.
I think the Monarchy will eventually peter out, but not in my lifetime or even maybe my DCs. But for now, I want change, and I want a massive slimming down.
It's been proven that charities don't particularly benefit from royal patronage, so drop a lot of them, and there should just be Charles and Camilla when the Queen goes, with W&K in the background doing what they have to do, and perhaps the press could stop selling us the idea of them.
We are sold this ridiculous reality show by the papers, it needs to change.

@Smashingorbs
I asked about working european Royals, thanks for the link!

.. to have that family for all it's wealth and privilege, locked in that gilded cage, is really some sort of torture. If Kate wasn't happy, what could she do? Absolutely nothing

She chose to marry William - waited long enough to do so. She got exactly what she wanted.

Her life is, and always will be, freer than the average person who has to work for someone just to pay bills, long days, often anti social hours and night shifts. Many don't have a job they love and if they won the lottery would give it up in a heartbeat. Most have no real choice where they live and have to live within a tight budget. They have no unlimited choice of school places for their children, no 'skipping' of waiting lists at hospitals and very little time to pursue their hobbies. For most, travel is limited. Most people have to do their own cleaning, childcare, cooking, shopping and don't have nannies, valets, gardeners, servants, chauffeurs, makeup artists, dressers, secretaries or a host of people tending their every need, wish and command. Most of us do not have multiple homes or billions in the bank. Yet, the a royals expect us to bow to them - seriously.

I fail to see how the royal life is 'some sort of torture'. They are an indulged and pampered family who do exactly what they want. They are freer than anybody else I know to 'walk away' and live in abject luxury for the rest of their lives.

The key thing is that when any of them step away from the royal life, nothing changes at all. Nothing they do is so vital it's even missed.

Andrew has vanished into one of their many mansions - nothing has been lost, no job undone
Philip retired then died, nothing changed, no job undone
Harry and Meghan left, nothing changed, no job undone
Diana died, nothing changed, no job undone
Charles and William both spending their lives being apprentices for a job that's not even a vacancy yet - ridiculous. Two idle men doing occasional 'appearances' for appearances sake
And a whole battery of vacuous women 'supporting their husbands'. Kate and Fergie - just royal child breeders not expected to do a proper job, have an opinion that counts or to demonstrate a skill beyond dressing well and smiling graciously.
How this fits with 21 Century living is beyond me. It makes mugs of us all.

Stone Maybe I was just being dramatic with my 'some sort of torture'. Just ignore it, it was only a figure of speech I promise.

I wholeheartedly agree with all you have said.

The key thing is that when any of them step away from the royal life, nothing changes at all. Nothing they do is so vital it's even missed

And I think covid has highlighted this in spades. Have we missed them during 2020? No. Not at all. It shows that really they are somewhat of an irrelevance. they show up at their charities in normal times, which stops the real work happening whilst the charity prepares for their visit.

So during covid a few zoom calls, and the odd photo of K&W taking their children to the pantomime and that's it really!

@StoneofDestiny Hear hear!

Great post, Stone. All of them are irrelevant, their duties mostly made up to make them look important and they all live overall much better lives than most of the public. There are some difficulties coming with it that can certainly affect their mental health - the whole family dynamics seems very unhealthy - but overall they have many more resources and influence at their disposal to create and live the lives they want for themselves than the vast majority of people.

@StoneofDestiny great post.

@Smashingorbs

felulageller I think it's well documented that she didn't want to be Queen, especially as she never expected to inherit the crown.

She wanted to be a farmer's wife and breed race horses.

As Queen I imagine your life isn't your own. You have no privacy. Daily correspondence boxes. Fixed duties throughout the year. Other duties in between. Constant tours, state dinners, travel. Always ready to be called upon in a crisis. Yes she has lovely homes and lands and never has to do any housework , gardening, or worrying about the commute, or clothes shopping, or cooking, but I imagine the job is akin to being in the army in that, even as Queen you serve rather than decide what you want to do, as it's all decided for you. Her diary used to be booked up five years hence. She may have some control over the details but rarely whether she gets to do the thing or not as that I imagine is dictated by national and global events and the RF often go where the FO needs some soft diplomacy. And as we have seen, the role plays havoc with your family life!

It's sacrilegious to say it, but I'm not a huge fan, as I find her rather cold. And I think she has been far too passive, not modernising enough. But you can't deny she's been very stalwart in doing her ceremonial duties.

She knew from when she was 10, when her uncle abdicated.

Apparently it happened like this -

Edward followed his heart, and on December 10 he announced his abdication of the throne. He had ruled for just 325 days. A footman informed Elizabeth and Margaret of the news. Margaret asked her 10-year-old sister,

“Does that mean you will have to be the next queen?”

“Yes, someday,” Elizabeth replied.

“Poor you,” said Margaret.

StoneofDestiny I totally agree that Covid has shown up the royals and most celebrities to be pretty irrelevant. Maybe as a country when this is all over we'd like the Head of State to attend a memorial service at Westminster Abbey to acknowledge all the losses and suffering people have been through. And I imagine the RF will be kept pretty busy meeting key workers for the next couple of years. Also I think Prince Philip did a lot of good with the DofE awards and likewise Prince C with the Prince's Trust and they also carry out some useful soft diplomacy. But for the rest, I agree, it's all pretty much pleasantries.

There is absolutely no doubt it is the care home workers, nurses, doctors, , hospital cleaners, paramedics, ambulance drivers, fire men and women, ditto police, supermarket workers, coast guards, RNLI, army, lorry drivers, warehouse workers, bus and train drivers, delivery drivers, farmers and food producers, , teachers and nursery workers, carers, and anyone else involved in delivering and maintaining essential goods and services like oxygen, petrol, heat, light, electricity and water, medical supplies, waste management, funeral home workers and civil servants , who have kept us all going during this crisis, and continue to do so, and it is to all of them to whom I am immensely grateful.

flowers][flowers

I think it would be a fine gesture if the RF were to forego their annual allowances this year and distributed them among the above Or more seriously, why not open up the grounds of all the royal parks and estates to them free of charge this summer or take some for a jaunt in the royal train or invite them to wander around Balmoral or something ..j.oking apart that could be really helpful to a traumatised A&E nurse.

She wanted to be a farmer's wife and breed race horses.

Well, when you say ‘farmer’ you mean immensely wealthy landowning aristocrat.

As Queen I imagine your life isn't your own. You have no privacy. Daily correspondence boxes. Fixed duties throughout the year. Other duties in between. Constant tours, state dinners, travel. Always ready to be called upon in a crisis. Yes she has lovely homes and lands and never has to do any housework , gardening, or worrying about the commute, or clothes shopping, or cooking, but I imagine the job is akin to being in the army in that, even as Queen you serve rather than decide what you want to do, as it's all decided for you. Her diary used to be booked up five years hence. She may have some control over the details but rarely whether she gets to do the thing or not as that I imagine is dictated by national and global events and the RF often go where the FO needs some soft diplomacy. And as we have seen, the role plays havoc with your family life!

On the other hand she gets the best possible care and will do so until the last second of her life. Not for royals the fear of lonely and neglected old age.

Smashingorbs

So agree with your post. Given that the RF have 26 yes TWENTY SIX royal residences, why can't they open a few up for the people you have talked about. Some sort of initiative spearheaded by William to give back to the people. There's a map of them I posted at 12.55 yesterday.
Massive palaces and huge swathes of land mostly all empty all the time.

That should read 'mostly all empty most of the time'

Saw this online to share in certain quarters from a friend of a friend of a friend etc etc which makes for interesting and amusing reading:

It's lighthearted but is it accurate?

"Lecture 101 - 1.0 how to royal and rule for dummies:

"Job" description includes but not exclusive to:

• live an unspeakably privileged holly god idol celeb lifestyle
• get it on all inclusive benefits paid for by others particularly as after all, one is crown and owner of all things complete with one's dedicated propaganda song and bank notes
• do a few inconvenient off site visits and pretend to relate to commoners to thank them for their hard work, expertise and real sacrifice. Ensure the red carpet is sparkling and those peasants are vetted and know the preferred greeting drill
• tell others to go green and live within means while personally using up as much carbon as possible as one rule for rulers/dictators and all that obviously!
• be open to blended family arrangements and use law suits when appropriate to censor or hide behind the royal shield when "allegedly" caught with minors with criminal offences for those only within the law and not rulers above the law
• mix with the money crowd as charity begins in one's palaces so it does not matter if they are rulers with human rights abuses as long as they are investors and procure our weapons of mass destruction and support horse racing etc.”

Don’t shoot the messenger especially as it may not be quite like that - possibly?! Hard work looking after all those jewels and ruling the colonies.