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Original poster

To think the royal family are a bloody embarrassment

999 replies

MariaAngustias · 12/09/2021 09:53

Just that - why are we paying for this bunch when we could be spending the money on essential services? Let the Queen continue then after her just get rid of the whole bloody lot of them. We have and alleged paedo, a whinging multi millionaire in his 30's moaning constantly, an allegedly corrupt heir to the throne meeting dodgy russians for money....... just go, enough. Seriously - this is all Jeremy Kyle for poshos.

OP posts:
TheKeatingFive · 13/09/2021 13:57

I'm not sure about Andrew being like the Queen. The pop psychology explanation seems to be about the big gap between him and his two older siblings and the degree to which she'd relaxed into her role and made more mental energy for her children in that time period.

What's notable to me is that there have been many times in her life where she's put what's good for 'the crown' above the immediate interests of her family. Philip/Margaret/Charles/Diana/Harry/etc. all seem to have been thrown under the bus at various points for the greater good of the monarchy. Yet Andrew, the least deserving of them all, isn't getting this treatment. I think she'll live to regret that.

PeriWrinkles · 13/09/2021 14:00

@herecomesthsun You nailed it with those three little words "everything we know".

We are just starting to know.

LittleMysSister · 13/09/2021 14:00

I don't think they all are, but I do think their historic approach of closing ranks and not responding to certain questions/allegations no longer flies in this day and age.

They are not the untouchables they used to be and they need to take this on board and change the way they handle things. The Queen should absolutely be making Andrew cooperate with the Americans over these allegations.

DeborahAnnabel · 13/09/2021 14:01

Think they generate a bit of tourist revenue. Possibly net net they don’t cost us anything. Could be talking shite though.
I quite like the royals, but as a concept it’s a bit weird.

PeriWrinkles · 13/09/2021 14:09

@TheKeatingFive I am. Both devious, very good at working behind the scenes, putting on a veneer of respectability and getting exactly what they want out of people. PA, also being an arrogant twat, has frequently let the mask slip, while hers is superglued.

When I've finished work I'll dig out that list of ceremonies and duties Liz manufactured in order to cement her role.

Sylvvie · 13/09/2021 14:14

@PeriWrinkles

...Views hidden in a totally obvious kind of way, you mean? By blatantly encouraging law evasion?

And showing such twisted preference for the wayward child of the family: is he the favourite because he's the most like her? That's often how it works.

This is why it bothers me so much. Yes keep your opinion to yourself but to completely ignore the fact your son is being accused of being a paedo, not just that but tied to one extremely high profile case, it's incredibly insulting to the public.
Hogwarts4Christmas · 13/09/2021 14:15

@CoronaPeroni, oops, yup, thought he was dead, then wobbled and went back and added him. .... I've been really poorly with covid, as well as Fibromyalgia so all I can say is my brain is really scrambled atm, lol.

I do get that their assets aren't all privately owned...and I don't think any should be privately owned.

The state doesn't get all the money bc around 25% of profits are given to the Queen (£70million +). I think all the money should go to the state, with nothing going to the monarchy.

Farfalle88 · 13/09/2021 14:16

@TheKeatingFive

I'm not sure about Andrew being like the Queen. The pop psychology explanation seems to be about the big gap between him and his two older siblings and the degree to which she'd relaxed into her role and made more mental energy for her children in that time period.

What's notable to me is that there have been many times in her life where she's put what's good for 'the crown' above the immediate interests of her family. Philip/Margaret/Charles/Diana/Harry/etc. all seem to have been thrown under the bus at various points for the greater good of the monarchy. Yet Andrew, the least deserving of them all, isn't getting this treatment. I think she'll live to regret that.

Of course HM may be trying her hardest to make him co operate and own up to what he’s done, but he’s not prepared to. I suppose she can’t force him. I do think the fact that his ex wife has been invited to Balmoral this year says volumes though. It really should be Charles putting the screws on. He doesn’t seem to be doing so either, quite the reverse. They all think they’re special people, above the law.
Farfalle88 · 13/09/2021 14:18

@Puzzledandpissedoff

People love the queen for some reason but she is just like the rest of them. She just has the good sense to keep her nose clean and stay out of the public view as much as possible

Ironically this is one of the very few things I admire her for - also why her very public support for Andrew was such a disaster

The whole family just about get away with it when they stick to cutting ribbons and encouraging charities; it's when they try to appear like normal people or imagine their views are relevant or worth attention that it all goes pear shaped

Yes
TheKeatingFive · 13/09/2021 14:51

Of course HM may be trying her hardest to make him co operate and own up to what he’s done, but he’s not prepared to.

Hmm, everything she’s signalling is supportive of him. Even if she had kept her distance for a while and not been seen with him, that would have said something. But she didn’t.

She is also very old now. I can understand more of a fuck it attitude creeping in. But Charles isn’t doing much either, as you point out.

ponyexpress22 · 13/09/2021 15:05

Think they generate a bit of tourist revenue

I actually think we'd get even more tourists without them. As in France.

HarrisonStickle · 13/09/2021 15:16

I used to not mind the Queen, but various things have come out fairly recently which has enlightened me as to her real nature. Lobbying for exemption from new environmental legislation in Scotland for instance - only giving her consent when an amendment was secured. And it seems that wasn't the first time. So much for not interfering in politics.

She's a grifter like the others.

ponyexpress22 · 13/09/2021 15:17

I think the queen will be very far removed from the image that is presented to us.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 13/09/2021 15:18

They are not the untouchables they used to be and they need to take this on board and change the way they handle things

I agree completely, but it won't happen even though they might pretend it is doing ... the Queen because she's probably too old to change tack, and Charles because I doubt he can afford more transparency

As said, all they can really do is keep their heads down apart from a few "appearances", keep up the spin for the dwindling crowd who suck it up and hope to god nobody else goes too far off piste

They have a certain passing entertainment value though, I'll give them that ...

HarrisonStickle · 13/09/2021 15:23

@DeborahAnnabel

Think they generate a bit of tourist revenue. Possibly net net they don’t cost us anything. Could be talking shite though. I quite like the royals, but as a concept it’s a bit weird.
The Palace of Versaille attracts around 7.5 million visitors and is one of the most visited places in the world.

Think of the revenue if the Windsors were chucked out of Buck House.

Blossomtoes · 13/09/2021 15:27

Because they’re an outdated and undemocratic form of government.

They’re not a form of government. The Queen is a figurehead. Let’s just modernise like all the European monarchies and save the enormous cost and complication involved in abolition.

Sloth66 · 13/09/2021 15:53

The RF are simply out for themselves, to secure their wealth and power by various means.
From selling access, lobbying for climate exemptions in Scotland to keeping their financial affairs private.
We can project onto them what we want to see, the Queen is a kindly benevolent figure etc. But her actions and support of her second son tell us otherwise.
Simply, they appear to believe they are above the law, and are enabled to be so.

The website Republic and the book What Do You Do? Provide very few interesting , yet disturbing information and facts.

Blossomtoes · 13/09/2021 16:00

We’re all out for ourselves at the end of the day. Why would we expect the RF to be any different?

ChurchofLatterDayPaints · 13/09/2021 16:06

@Blossomtoes

We’re all out for ourselves at the end of the day. Why would we expect the RF to be any different?
Exactly. They are just the same as us. But they expect to be treated differently.
TheKeatingFive · 13/09/2021 16:08

We’re all out for ourselves at the end of the day. Why would we expect the RF to be any different?

Personally I don’t. But why tip such wealth and power unquestioningly into their laps if all we expect them to do is enrich themselves?

CrackerJack2021 · 13/09/2021 16:14

@EishetChayil

Mass media and social media have been the start of the downfall of the monarchy.

Before, they could just go about their greedy, noncey business and the general public were none the wiser.

THIS 100%
TatianaBis · 13/09/2021 16:18

@Blossomtoes

We’re all out for ourselves at the end of the day. Why would we expect the RF to be any different?
Are we? Speak for yourself. Some people are but not others. It depends on your ethos.

The idea of the royal family is that they are public servants who act in the best interests of the country not themselves.

If they're all just out for what they can get we may as well call the whole thing off.

CathyorClaire · 13/09/2021 16:23

Think they generate a bit of tourist revenue. Possibly net net they don’t cost us anything

This point appears regularly on these threads yet no-one has ever provided a link to figures.

As far as I can see it stems from the 2017 Monarchy report from Brand Finance who are a brand evaluation business. No details as to who commissioned it or why. It just appeared and the press picked it up and ran with it.

Interestingly the report launch took place ten days after Brand Finance was awarded a royal coat of arms. The speakers at the event included Clive Cheesman of the College of Arms and Ben Marson, director or partnerships at the Prince's Trust.

Blossomtoes · 13/09/2021 16:27

The idea of the royal family is that they are public servants who act in the best interests of the country not themselves

That’s never been “the idea” in my lifetime. We don’t hold genuine public servants to those standards - after all we elected the current government - so why would we expect it of any other institution?

ponyexpress22 · 13/09/2021 16:34

Think they generate a bit of tourist revenue. Possibly net net they don’t cost us anything

No proof of that whatsoever, but even if they did it's a weak argument for having them.