If you’re struggling to make ends meet (yet another Jubilee thread- sorry).

[MerryLeg]

Full disclosure- I’m not British and don’t live in the UK so wasn’t interested in seeking out a way to watch the full Jubilee celebrations, but I did catch some clips online, read about it in online papers, and saw some coverage on the news.

Overall, I don’t have particularly strong feelings towards the British royal family (as an institution, some individuals such as Andrew are a different story). The concept of a monarchy is foreign to me, so I don’t take too much notice of the gossip or drama.

I saw some clips from the concert and the drone show was really cool. The bit I saw showed a corgi in a crown. Very cute, but I can only imagine the cost. I also read on here about children being given a commemorative book (think one thread mentioned that coating £12m?). Add everything in, and the government has spent a huge amount of money.

There'll be arguments for and against. People will say that the monarchy brings in a lot of tourist income- I’ve been to London plenty of times and have gone to Buckingham Palace etc, but then again, I’ve also been to Versailles and Schönbrunn and neither France nor Austria have a monarchy now, but still benefit from the tourism aspect.

What really hit me during the clips I was watching was the sheer amount being spent. When I was watching the drone corgi, I was enamored with it, but then thought about how I’d feel if I was watching in a cold house while struggling to pay my gas or electric bill, relying on food banks to feed my children, or stuck in a B&B while waiting on housing.

Or does an event like this lift the mood so much, that people see it as a mental/wellbeing boost?

I'm not saying that people who are struggling financially are some form of Pando hive-mind, but wanted to ask-

If you’re struggling to make ends meet, were you happy to see so much spent on the Jubilee celebrations?

What about the money the Jubilee contributed to the economy? Crowds of people buy stuff, which has VAT levied on it, which helps businesses who pay tax, and who pay employees who also have tax. Visitors book hotels, eat in restaurants, pay for transport, buy souvenirs, buy drinks in pubs……

@Blossomtoes Ha, I'm with you!! I work in music and the interesting thing is the severely loaded are often the ones who have come from middle class backgrounds , are quite modest, socially minded and all for equality- those from poorer backgrounds are far more often flashy and less generous about others not as fortunate. Life isn't fair, the idea of fairness and equality is great but I'm afraid that's not how a great many minds in the UK work- or they wouldn't be taken in by the current government. There are plenty of 'what's yours is mine and what's mine is mine' mentalities out there

Of course it is your personal opinion as to what they represent.

I know “stolen wealth” happened before 1707, I wasn’t saying it did not. Although I disagree that the Duchy of Cornwall is stolen wealth as in 1337 Edward III owned all of it when he portioned it off for his heir. He didn’t steal it from someone else to give to his eldest son. I suppose you could argue all of Britain was “stolen” by the Normans in the aftermath of 1066 but that’s a bit extreme given it was a thousand years ago and the laws at the time recognised the right of conquest. For example, in the centuries that followed, 9/10ths of the lands which make up modern day France were “stolen” from England.

And to me, 1707 is a watershed. The worst excesses of colonialism that our country did happened under the rule of a somewhat democratically elected Parliament (I say somewhat as only the upper classes had a vote until the 20th century). That is a fact. Not an opinion. And to say only the RF represents it when they have not been part of it since 1707 while completely ignoring the sovereign role Parliament played in more recent centuries is disingenuous to say the least. It’s scapegoating one family for three hundred years of the excesses of the entire upper classes. Some of whom are far far richer than the RF and no one is talking such hate towards them or how they got their money and wealth.

I think it was money well spent.
It brought out the whole community old and young and the local community centre did a free afternoon tea with free activities.
This is a deprived area and it was because of this that people were able to celebrate something historic and memorable even when times are hard.

Some of whom are far far richer than the RF and no one is talking such hate towards them or how they got their money and wealth.

No of course not, because this thread is about the RF, which is just one of the many things that needs changing about the UK's current shambolic condition. Plenty of other threads on corporate/political disgraces to have a go at.

No parties where I live and under 20 roads in the area asked for road closures for parties. Dont think that there were as many celebrations generally as the media portrayed.
It's criminal how much was spent. It was just a distraction from everything else that's going on. Glad its over tbh.

Plenty of other threads on corporate/political disgraces to have a go at

She wasn’t referencing corporate or political disgraces. She was talking about the many aristocratic families who gained their centuries old wealth in the same way as the RF yet seem to escape your opprobrium.

Totally agree.

Well I'm completely convinced by your cogent argument😄You must have been quite the star turn at your debating society.

I've just had a look on google, and couldn't find a reliable looking source

• what did the various elements each cost?
• what was the total of any identified additional policing costs?
• how much of the costs came from the public purse (both central and local government)?
• who else contributed?
• did participants get paid, or were they bearing their own costs?
• what was the value of additional retail spending (for eg parties/celebrations, decorations, souvenirs etc)?

I'm just wondering what the figures actually are!

Wonder how many tonnes of plastic rubbish was sold that will not be good for the environment. Yes, businesses will have sold stuff but all this stuff costs environmentally for decades. I didn't care about the jubilee but was very glad that not more streets wanted closure for parties, as a care worker we need to be able to get to the people that we support daily - along with all the emergency services, district nurses etc. that are essential and don't get bank holidays anyway. I was a child at the silver jubilee and only remember eating sandwiches in the street. It didn't really make an impression tbh. Also people can have a get together whenever they want to. There doesn't need to be a reason!

Also people can have a get together whenever they want to. There doesn't need to be a reason!

There does for it to be on a national scale.

OP, there may be some money still left in the pot after the wonderful Jubilee celebrations to educate a minor group of maladapted individuals that have the cheek to go into a foreign forum to agitate and instill divisiveness

We could certainly do without the aggro, rudeness and constant meddling from these types

Opprobrium coming right up, on the next available thread about such families who don't still get sovereign grants and weird anthems sung about them but never mind

The irony of saying foreigners are instilling divisiveness by posting on a public internet forum. The British (royals) are quite capable of doing that themselves.

Who don’t pay anything like their fair share of tax. Is the national anthem all you’ve got left? Seriously?

There are two alternative views and they're so polarising they'll never come together.

• absolute complete waste of money that could have been much better spent elsewhere

• A fitting tribute, if you're going to do it , do it well and much of the way the money was spent did create employment/ income for ordinary people and support the economy

From our batshit fascinating discussions on here over the past year, you should know perfectly well that the anthem is only number 5,235 on my list of excellent reasons to cart them all off to the Tower. However, as the MN Monarchist Alliance list of reasons for keeping the monarchy is limited to two: 1 bling-worship and 2 having medieval throwback syndrome, I feel the debate is now a little one-sided so pls excuse me for Big Scrollpasts and not engaging with you further.

pls excuse me for Big Scrollpasts and not engaging with you further.

Alleluia! There is a god after all.

Who don’t pay anything like their fair share of tax.

So exactly like the freeloading royals then who not only have never worked a real day in their lives (I'm excluding serving in the forces though I believe even William, Harry, Andrew, Edward, Philip etc would have had security and not been like actual soldiers) or paid tax.

Yes, exactly like them but nobody seems to have an issue with them. 🤷‍♀️

Except we're not paying for other rich people, their homes, staff, salaries, etc. We are for the Royal family. Their lifestyle is fully funded by the public. At least other rich people have a job and fund their own lives, even if they don't pay enough tax.

Of course it was a ridiculous amount of money to spend just now, but asking middle class mumsnet if they are struggling is a bit daft really. On here you are struggling if you've had to go down to one car, let the cleaner go or brave the horrors of Aldi. I imagine watching the jubilee in a bedsit with your kids eating out of tins wasn't much fun and you'd be wondering wtf is going on in the UK, if you weren't already.

At least other rich people have a job and fund their own lives, even if they don't pay enough tax.

The old aristocratic families don’t have jobs and gained their wealth in the same unsavoury ways as the RF that @FoiledByTheInsect so objects to. If people don’t pay their tax, we’re funding their lifestyle.