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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think the royal family are a bloody embarrassment THREAD 2

957 replies

MyOhMySimon · 19/09/2021 06:47

Carrying on from Thread 1.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4347032-To-think-the-royal-family-are-a-bloody-embarrassment?msgid=110733144#110733144

Haven't seen the OP around, thread 1 is about to run out and someone asked for a new thread.

OP posts:
derxa · 22/09/2021 11:18

What is interesting is that so many posters seem to think it is almost sacrilegious to discuss this issue at all You must be joking. Republican threads have been popping up on MN since dinosaurs roamed the Earth. I miss sparring with BertrandRussell Where is she?

ChurchofLatterDayPaints · 22/09/2021 11:19

Courgettes at this point would be more relevant.

The point of the OP's question is whether or not the RF are "a bloody embarrassment".

Unless you're literally drowning in batshit, you can't argue after 1,524 posts that the RF isn't a total embarrassment from every possible angle.

PC has always been embarrassing, the queen has the run of 27 mansions which is massively embarrassing and she's also great at pretending she's not embarrassed, PE is so irrelevant it's embarrassing, the Communist-style media fixation after PP's death was phenomenally embarrassing, PA has made sure the embarrassment is now global if not galactic, and PW is about to become very embarrassing in his own right.

OP, have a massive YANBU.

So why would we want to keep all this embarrassment?

Blossomtoes · 22/09/2021 11:22

What is interesting is that so many posters seem to think it is almost sacrilegious to discuss this issue at all.

Republicans seem to think it’s sacrilegious for anyone to disagree with them! To the point where some charmer questioned what anyone who had the temerity to disagree with them was doing on this thread. 🙄

I miss Bertrand too @derxa. She and I had many interesting discussions. Always good humoured and respectful too.

JustAnotherPoster00 · 22/09/2021 11:23

@TheKeatingFive

Are you 'Joe Bloggs scraping by on UC'?

No. Is that relevant?

What would all of us disabled and benefit claiming scroungers do if we couldnt have the Queen lecture us about austerity in front of her gold piano? Have some compassion for us, could barely eat and stay warm but there was Queeny feeling our pain in front of her golden piano like a fellow benefit recipient
CathyorClaire · 22/09/2021 11:23

so the RF manage to flip the status of these duchies depending on whats advantageous at the time

They're also able to duck and dive with the status of property pertaining to the Duchies.

The Duchy of Cornwall owns Highgrove. Charles pays rent to the Duchy which then magically gets recycled back into his own pocket as part of the Duchy profits.

He also managed to claim trees grown on Duchy land as his personal property which meant he was able to go on to sell them to the Duchy and trouser the proceeds.

The whole thing is basically a bottomless wallet for him.

HarrisonStickle · 22/09/2021 11:24

Middle-class republicans' weapons of choice for fighting Royalism are classism, ableism, misogyny, and snobbery.

You're the person on this thread whose go to weapon of choice has been classism. You regularly bring it up, both by suggesting other posters are a certain class and by posting links showing that prime ministers and politicians are or have been of a certain class.

Where you've got ableism, misogyny and snobbery from I don't know. Can you enlighten us on that point?

Roussette · 22/09/2021 11:24

I do find it amusing that Edward is barely mentioned on any royal thread. He must be so irrelevant poor bloke.

Never mind! He's got 120 roomed Bagshot Park to console himself with!

Hortibunda · 22/09/2021 11:28

Derxa have you ever thought that those might be republicans' weapons of choice because the majority are legitimate arguments against the monarchy?

And yes this issue has been discussed on here since the start of Mumsnet but these threads are appearing more frequently now for reasons stated below.

Also, don't assume that all the authors of what you would classify as anti-monarchist posts are natural republicans. I've seen so many posters say that they were previously wavering supporters of the RF, or merely indifferent, or happy with the status quo, but that Prince Andrew's tactics have tipped the balance for them.

RainAndGreyClouds · 22/09/2021 11:30

I don't mind them. Could do with dropping Andrew and Harry (and megs) and losing a few unnecessary properties and expensive items, and generally streamlining and reducing the excessive wealth. But they're ok in small doses. Not sure I'd be too happy if we got rid of the monarchy entirely ...

Roussette · 22/09/2021 11:31

@CathyorClaire

Oh yes... it's very clever all this moving money about he manages to do!
The Duchies are cash cows for the RF.
Let alone the Q owning some of the sea bed and PC a Tesco in Milton Keynes or somewhere, the Isles of Scilly and a Waitrose in Cornwall Grin

HarrisonStickle · 22/09/2021 11:31

@Blossomtoes

What is interesting is that so many posters seem to think it is almost sacrilegious to discuss this issue at all.

Republicans seem to think it’s sacrilegious for anyone to disagree with them! To the point where some charmer questioned what anyone who had the temerity to disagree with them was doing on this thread. 🙄

I miss Bertrand too @derxa. She and I had many interesting discussions. Always good humoured and respectful too.

I really enjoy a good discussion, and am always interested in what people with different opinions think, so sweeping generalisations like this I feel are unhelpful. Why not say some republicans? I've not lumped all the people who either support a monarchy or support our RF into one homogeneous mass. I think doing so lessens the quality of the argument being presented tbh, and that goes for those who also do the same with "Monarchists" - everyone has different ideas and cut off points for what they feel is appropriate in a country's head of state.
Blossomtoes · 22/09/2021 11:33

You’re absolutely right. I should have said “some republicans”. Apologies.

Roussette · 22/09/2021 11:33

Also, don't assume that all the authors of what you would classify as anti-monarchist posts are natural republicans. I've seen so many posters say that they were previously wavering supporters of the RF, or merely indifferent, or happy with the status quo, but that Prince Andrew's tactics have tipped the balance for them

This is 100% me. It's been a long time coming for me, but the drip drip of this has taken a while but now I think enough is enough.

I was honestly a Royalist through and through decades ago. Not any more. Diana and the smearing of her, H&M, and PA did it for me.

Hortibunda · 22/09/2021 11:35

Republicans seem to think it’s sacrilegious for anyone to disagree with them! To the point where some charmer questioned what anyone who had the temerity to disagree with them was doing on this thread.🙄

I didn't see that post. I don't think the majority of posters on the republican side have been particularly disrespectful to monarchists at all. (They saved their derision for Prince Andrew!)

I certainly saw the one calling this thread "vile"! Hmm

Blossomtoes · 22/09/2021 11:37

Best you didn’t see it @Hortibunda. It was offensive in the extreme.

ChurchofLatterDayPaints · 22/09/2021 11:42

Asking a poster why s/he insists on churning out the same tired and oft-refuted unsubstantiated arguments in defence of people who lie, steal and abuse teenagers is not in my view "offensive in the extreme", but each to their own.

Evesgarden · 22/09/2021 11:46

Mumsnet usually reflects what people are talking about in RL

Not always, maybe over kids/school/relationships ect.. but not so much in political RL circumstances.

For instance -

MN was convinced we would stay in the EU. Where as in RL I knew a lot of people that wanted to leave. They were mainly working class, the only people that I knew that wanted to stay were people that had business interests or family ties to Europe.

MN was convinced Trump would be laughed out the Presidential elections. Look what happened there.

MN were convinced that Conservatives were going to be booted out in the 2019 elections because of Brexit. They won by a landslide, their biggest victory since 1987. I knew working class families that had always voted Labour vote for them. People that were on benefits voting to conservatives - madness.

MN is mostly pro vaccine for children where as in RL, when I speak to friends, school mum friends ( one who is a GP and one who is a neurosurgeon) are taking a wait and see approach.

On MN the teachers didn't feel school was safe and wanted them closed but in RL the primary teachers I know couldn't wait to get back. ( I am aware the situation between primary schools and secondary are different but I didnt know any secondary teachers to ask!)

On MN most people are embarrassed to be embarrassed to be British and actively dislike England. Where as in my community its celebrated. Members of our PTA have already started to raise the idea of a school party/ fair for the Queens Jubilee and I know my community with be having street parties.

I've been on MN for 8 years and politically - it does not, in my opinion reflect RL. Threads like these draw people in who have a string opinion on the subject, most people who dont care just scroll on past.

HarrisonStickle · 22/09/2021 11:47

Yes, whilst I've always tended towards not wanting a Monarchy, up until recently I "didn't mind" the Queen, and to be honest felt Charles' and his ideas for slimming it down were acceptable. That Andrew was pissed off about this, and about his daughters not getting the privileges he wanted them too, only made it more acceptable.

Yes, there was the tax scandal of the early nineties, but that was fixed through her starting to pay tax, there have been other scandals that they've weathered over the years, too. Not too many and none so serious that a bit of PR and a bit of compromise on the Queen's part didn't fix.

However, over recent years that's changed. It wasn't even Andrew that changed it. I remember the photo of the Queen in front of a gold piano, I think it was her Christmas message two or three years ago, and I felt physically sick at the ostentatious nature of it, how on earth did she feel it was appropriate? It didn't feel Christian at all, and she purports to have great faith in her god, and I think has mentioned Jesus, too, in messages to the nation. That really struck a sour note.

I suppose a lot of small things have culminated in a decisive mindset from me, and having a Monarch at all has become anathema.

derxa · 22/09/2021 11:49

@HarrisonStickle

Middle-class republicans' weapons of choice for fighting Royalism are classism, ableism, misogyny, and snobbery.

You're the person on this thread whose go to weapon of choice has been classism. You regularly bring it up, both by suggesting other posters are a certain class and by posting links showing that prime ministers and politicians are or have been of a certain class.

Where you've got ableism, misogyny and snobbery from I don't know. Can you enlighten us on that point?

Mysogyny often rears its head in the form of attacks on female members of the royal family. Their looks, fashion choices, how they bring up their children, education levels etc etc. Also wild speculation about their private lives. Ableism often directed at Prince Harry. People often calling individual members stupid, thick etc. Snobbery is quite subtle. The royals are nasty brutish people who only enjoy cruel sports and have no inner intellectual life at all. Members of the royal family have never earned the right to enter any educational establishment. Classicism Just above What would all of us disabled and benefit claiming scroungers do if we couldnt have the Queen lecture us about austerity in front of her gold piano? Have some compassion for us, could barely eat and stay warm but there was Queeny feeling our pain in front of her golden piano like a fellow benefit recipient An exact example. The Queen is a benefit scrounger just like everyone else who is reliant on the State to live. That paragraph is implying that the Royal family is no better than recipients of benefits. Implying that both groups are lesser.
HarrisonStickle · 22/09/2021 11:58

Threads like these draw people in who have a strong opinion on the subject

I would agree with this, and that's fine. I don't think anyone should really be taking what might be seem like a popular stance on an internet forum and assuming a similar take exists in "real life".

I also like the challenge of the possibility that I might change my opinion! Grin

Evesgarden · 22/09/2021 12:01

@HarrisonStickle

Threads like these draw people in who have a strong opinion on the subject

I would agree with this, and that's fine. I don't think anyone should really be taking what might be seem like a popular stance on an internet forum and assuming a similar take exists in "real life".

I also like the challenge of the possibility that I might change my opinion! Grin

I have had my opinion changed on a thread or too Grin
Roussette · 22/09/2021 12:02

Ableism often directed at Prince Harry. People often calling individual members stupid, thick etc

Well..... the endless insults at Harry questioning his intelligence in every single way imaginable has been so prolific. Hateful. I won't call any one of the RF thick or stupid. But all these insults were by posters who totally revere every single other member of the RF (except PA) like they are demi gods.

Since M&H left it's been like the RF fan club on here. How wonderful Anne is, how frugal and hardworking. Oh and look at the Queen and her cornflakes in a tupperware! Sophie has become saint Sophie, and no one can say a word against W&K without getting their arse handed to them on a plate.
I have never seen such lurrve for the RF before in the many years I've been here, it's almost like posters have felt threatened by M&H leaving and telling it like it was....

derxa · 22/09/2021 12:03

However, over recent years that's changed. It wasn't even Andrew that changed it. I remember the photo of the Queen in front of a gold piano, I think it was her Christmas message two or three years ago, and I felt physically sick at the ostentatious nature of it, how on earth did she feel it was appropriate? It didn't feel Christian at all, and she purports to have great faith in her god, and I think has mentioned Jesus, too, in messages to the nation. That really struck a sour note.
You changed your mind because of a piece of furniture?

ChurchofLatterDayPaints · 22/09/2021 12:03

Disagree. Misogyny: Most of the comments on here directed at Kate are because she's a freeloader, not criticising how she (or the taxpayer-funded nanny squad) brings up her kids. Saying we don't want lectures from someone like that ... How is that misogyny?

As for classism etc, the RF are like benefits CHEATS, not benefits recipients. Big difference.

derxa · 22/09/2021 12:11

Disagree. Misogyny: Most of the comments on here directed at Kate are because she's a freeloader, not criticising how she (or the taxpayer-funded nanny squad) brings up her kids. Saying we don't want lectures from someone like that ... How is that misogyny? You singled out Kate but all the royal women are attacked for their choices in every aspect of their lives.

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