Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If 'commoners' can marry into the royal family - why have a 'royal' family -

419 replies

HacketteofHacks · 21/03/2022 12:03

I totally respect the Queen and think she's been largely a force for good...
But at work we were talking about the tour that's on now.. my boss pointed out the the definition of a royal family was that its lineage is 'predetermined by God'.
Well that is archaic in itself - my boss (who is no royalist) the. pointed out that once members of a royal family marry commoners they lose this 'untouchable special-Ness'.
I think he had a good point...
He's from Jamaica so hence we were all having the conversation .

OP posts:
PenStation · 21/03/2022 20:46

@GriddleScone

It's one thing to get rid of the monarchy, but what do we do about the more anonymous nobles who own vast texts of land and incredible properties that generate huge incomes while they dodge taxes. At least the high profile royals provide some kind of service.
They are next in line for being removed and having their assets seized
CathyorClaire · 21/03/2022 20:54

I have the greatest admiration for this wonderful lady who has served her country for nearly all her adult life

She's served herself and most particularly the institution that supports her endlessly grifting family.

Liitle to admire there.

crepesncream · 21/03/2022 21:00

How has she served her country well? We've served her well more like.

IKnowYouDontTurnTheLightOn · 21/03/2022 21:29

@user1471505494 and again still no explanation. “Served us well” how? What has she actually DONE?! I don’t see it.

IKnowYouDontTurnTheLightOn · 21/03/2022 21:30

@Brefugee I think you’re absolutely right - I think she ruthlessly played the game to bag her man which is why I can’t waste an ounce of sympathy on her 🤷‍♀️.

DillDanding · 21/03/2022 21:33

It makes me laugh we’re expected to be thankful for her ‘service’. I have no idea how any of them have served. They’re all just spongers.

Sloth66 · 21/03/2022 21:34

The current tour belongs to the 1950s. Their privilege is unearned, they are unelected and unaccountable. What’s the point of them, and their obscene luxurious lifestyles. How many huge estates, castles and stately homes do they need?

StoneofDestiny · 21/03/2022 21:35

It's embarrassing to think people actually believe there should be a 'royal family', unelected to 'rule over us' and that the rest of us should defer to their positions, bow and scrape to them and hand over our hard earned taxes to keep them all in unbelievable luxury. Utterly cringeworthy and baffling to anybody with a modicum of intelligence.

They are a completely unnecessary expense to us all. If they all dropped dead tomorrow absolutely nothing would change - they are superfluous..
Diana died - nothing changed.
Philip died - nothing changed
Andrew has been 'dropped' - nothing changed
Harry 'dropped out' - nothing changed

Charles and William serving an apprenticeship for the same job - one is over 70 and one is nearly 40! Utterly ridiculous the lifestyle they have as unemployed men. Kate - a decorative unemployed woman - whose sole contribution to the fiasco is what style of dress she is wearing! U

Hrpuffnstuff1 · 21/03/2022 21:38

[quote IKnowYouDontTurnTheLightOn]@Georgeskitchen they ARE all chinless wonders! Grin[/quote]
Good job really most commoners have 6 chins these days.🤣🤣

On another note, just look at how much history the Royal family has. Windsor castle is wonderful.
You cannot just destroy history because of some jealous notion of privilege.
These arguments really piss me off, life wouldn't suddenly be full of equity because the monarch dissolved.
She's just a target for moaning bastards.

CathyorClaire · 21/03/2022 21:43

On another note, just look at how much history the Royal family has

Yep.

Lets's all get on board with centuries old and ongoing robbing from the peasants. Cap doffing optional.

Blossomtoes · 21/03/2022 21:48

[quote Aposterhasnoname]Well the Queen herself was technically a commoner when she married, but Prince Philip, having been created a duke the day before the wedding, was a peer, therefore not a commoner, so it’s a bit more complicated than people think.

europeanroyalhistory.wordpress.com/2013/08/15/is-it-possible-for-a-royal-to-be-a-commoner/[/quote]
Wtf? She’s a great, great granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Philip was her great, great grandson. Neither of them were ever commoners.

Myee · 21/03/2022 21:50

The history of this odious family will not be erased if they slink off into the sunset.

All the trappings of their wealth (where did that come from FGS?) will still be there, well the bricks and mortar will, not so sure about the liquid assets though!

Anyway they have it sewn up constitutionally and onwards they go along with their sycophants in the Firm too. There are probably too many skeletons in yon cupboard for the monarchy ever to be disbanded anyway.

The question I repeat is.... where does their vast wealth originate from? OK they may have inherited a bit, but that inheritance came from where (or whom)? Yep, the peasants back in the day I reckon.

Fine to be wealthy if you have worked hard for it, or innovated, or found a cure for disease etc., but to be so vastly wealthy on the backs of citizens and just because you are born is just ridiculous. And they always want more. Like poor little Oliver.

crepesncream · 21/03/2022 21:50

On another note, just look at how much history the Royal family has
Not a history to be very proud of though is it. Not when you go back to how they acquired all that land and huge wealth.

IKnowYouDontTurnTheLightOn · 21/03/2022 22:11

@Hrpuffnstuff1 what are you on about? No one can “destroy history”! Where has anyone said we want WC destroyed?? Open them all as museums or homes.

It’s not a jealous notion of privilege Hmm it’s an understanding of an anachronistic un democratic nonsense that has no place in the 21st century.

Of course “life wouldn’t suddenly be filled with equity”. Hmm What an odd statement. So arguing with the nonsense of this corrupt old institution is being a “moaning bastard”. The RF love people like you - you certainly know your place.

Hrpuffnstuff1 · 21/03/2022 22:13

[quote IKnowYouDontTurnTheLightOn]@Hrpuffnstuff1 what are you on about? No one can “destroy history”! Where has anyone said we want WC destroyed?? Open them all as museums or homes.

It’s not a jealous notion of privilege Hmm it’s an understanding of an anachronistic un democratic nonsense that has no place in the 21st century.

Of course “life wouldn’t suddenly be filled with equity”. Hmm What an odd statement. So arguing with the nonsense of this corrupt old institution is being a “moaning bastard”. The RF love people like you - you certainly know your place.[/quote]
Yes I do, it's above people like yourself.
Stop complaining.

IKnowYouDontTurnTheLightOn · 21/03/2022 22:22

Above people like me?! Wtf are you talking about?!

I’m not “complaining” I’m discussing the ludicrous notion that we look up to people like this. You are clearly not possessed of great debating skills. It’s fine. You go and enjoy waving your flag to the royals - they thrive from the sycophancy.

RobotValkyrie · 21/03/2022 22:27

Sometimes I feel like the royal family is the single most outdated and anachronistic thing about the UK.

And then I remember about:

  • fucking royalists
  • the House of Lords
  • feudal concepts like leaseholds and restrictive covenants
  • quarts and furlongs
  • etc.
crepesncream · 21/03/2022 22:48

So you're a "moaning bastard" to disagree with the whole notion of having one unelected family reigning over us.

All I can say is, thank God for "moaning bastards" otherwise we'd probably still be denying women the right to vote, still have children working down coal mines, still be hanging people for stealing a loaf of bread etc etc. I bet the royal would do plenty of moaning if they had all their many privileges took away.

crepesncream · 21/03/2022 22:49

That should have been royal family.

MiniDaffodils · 21/03/2022 22:53

Because they bring in shed loads of money (tourism and business) so without them we would all have to pay loads more tax.

TheKeatingFive · 21/03/2022 22:55

Because they bring in shed loads of money (tourism and business) so without them we would all have to pay loads more tax.

The PR people must absolutely love the likes of you. 😂

IKnowYouDontTurnTheLightOn · 21/03/2022 22:57

@MiniDaffodils there isn’t one ounce of truth in that. There has never been any link proved between tourism and the royals (see link above) and I find it a HIGHLY questionable assertion that we’d have to pay more tax Hmm. If anything the opposite is true as an elected president would be significantly cheaper.

Blossomtoes · 21/03/2022 22:57

Someone’s going to mention Versailles in a minute. 😂

Porcupineintherough · 21/03/2022 23:02

[quote IKnowYouDontTurnTheLightOn]@user1471505494 and again still no explanation. “Served us well” how? What has she actually DONE?! I don’t see it.[/quote]
Well she's quite good at Queening tbf. Quite good at making people admire the institution of monarchy and agree to keep on paying for it.

crepesncream · 21/03/2022 23:21

@Blossomtoes

Someone’s going to mention Versailles in a minute. 😂
I mentioned that up thread. It's true though. Tourists wouldn't stop coming, we'd probably get more. All those big empty palaces and castles. More intriguing I'd have thought.