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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Well, I hated the coronation…

1000 replies

TheColourofspring · 07/05/2023 06:02

I can see I am in the minority on here but I found yesterday to be distasteful on a gigantic scale. To watch the most privileged people travel in gold coaches & be decorated with diamonds and gold that is priceless in the face of millions of people struggling to eat/heat their homes just feels so wrong.

Our primary school has just opened a food bank. There are kids & families in crisis- children coming into school hungry & smelly as families can’t afford to wash clothes (I am not joking) - living in Dickensian conditions. Some of the teaching staff use the foodbank.

Yesterday was a display of obscene wealth. The royals didn’t even pay for it- we did. How can we find money for that absolute nonsense yet we can’t find money for large swathes of the population to feed themselves.

While Charles was sitting there in his gold costume holding these priceless items, plenty of families weren’t eating. It made me really angry.

I am tired of all the arguments for a royal family- how somehow these displays are quaint. Yesterday was an obscene display of wealth, inherited privilege and everything that’s wrong with this country. Seems a conversation about the royals is long overdue.

OP posts:
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TheColourofspring · 07/05/2023 08:33

This. I'm getting sick of all these whinging threads. There have always been the very wealthy and the very poor, it's hardly a new thing, nor are the RF the only family with inherited wealth. Like much of life it is the luck of the draw whether you are born into wealth or not, being envious of others is not helpful.

@Aslanplustwo has it occurred to you that the reason there are such gaps in wealth is BECAUSE of the system of inherited wealth and privileges?

OP posts:
Perfect28 · 07/05/2023 08:33

And wanting a fair and equitable society is not 'having a chip on your shoulder' or 'jealousy'. Honestly, I despair at the lack of critical thinking.

IncompleteSenten · 07/05/2023 08:34

Obscene wealth in a world where there are people who have no home, no food, no access to clean water etc is morally wrong.

waterproofed · 07/05/2023 08:34

chopc · 07/05/2023 06:17

Yesterday was a moment in British history. The royal family are a part of British culture. I loved the traditions.

Please stop resenting other's wealth. Even if those individuals have less doesn't automatically mean you will have more . You need to make that happen yourself

Yeah, OP, make more wealth yourself! You know, the way the royal family do… oh wait.

Perfect28 · 07/05/2023 08:35

@Daleksatemyshed no, another stupid argument I'm afraid. Just as you could end up with a terrible prime minister as head of state, so could you end up with a total arsehole for king/queen head of state. If Andrew were first born we would now have a pedo for a king.

TroysMammy · 07/05/2023 08:35

So you watched it. No doubt on a tv using electricity that people can't afford. Hypocrite.

Emotionalsupportviper · 07/05/2023 08:35

ShandaLear · 07/05/2023 08:07

I can only imagine the world is laughing at us right now. We look ridiculous. A load of ostentatious twaddle and a conspicuous display of wealth is in poor taste when so many people are struggling.

The world is not laughing at us.

The world laughed at us he rambled on, when Johnson made that hugely embarrassing public speech to the CBI where he rambled on quoting Greek philosophers and extolling the joys of Peppa Pig World, and meandering all over the shop in front of serious businessmen.

TheColourofspring · 07/05/2023 08:35

@Perfect28 i just despair that people put everything down to jealousy to be honest. It’s a sign of how fucked things are- that we all aspire to obscene wealth

OP posts:
TomPinch · 07/05/2023 08:36

IncompleteSenten · 07/05/2023 08:34

Obscene wealth in a world where there are people who have no home, no food, no access to clean water etc is morally wrong.

Yup, it's very troubling. The average standard of living in the UK, is indeed obscene wealth, compared to most of the world.

grayhairdontcare · 07/05/2023 08:36

@chopc being pushed out of the correct vagina does not mean you made your wealth happen.

AngelinaFibres · 07/05/2023 08:37

barms90 · 07/05/2023 06:49

If we were a republic where would the new president live....generally they live in palaces. They would have to have big security details for safety and travel from places representing the great Britain in first class travel. They would also be given a budget like the royals for clothes ect whilst representing the uk. Not sure how it would save much money. Intact there would probably be some kind of swearing in ceremony happening every 8 years which would long term cost about the same as the coronation which happens once every what 70 years.
At least the royals bring in income via tourism and they do a lot for charity.

This.

Seriouslynotseriously · 07/05/2023 08:37

I take it you never celebrate Christmas OP, or birthdays or anything else because it is obscene for you to do so when there are foodbanks?

All countries and communities throughout history have had celebration days and events, and there have always been poor people when these happened.

Dibblydoodahdah · 07/05/2023 08:37

@TheColourofspring maybe go have a walk down Skid Row in LA and have a look at a country that got rid of the Royal Family and their inherited wealth and see how more equal their society is.

WithLaughter · 07/05/2023 08:37

I know this is a royal bashing thread but can anyone factually explain the actual reasons why people need food banks in the UK?

This doesn't seem to happen in other countries with royal families, e.g. Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Scandi countries so doesn't have anything to do with that.

What are the British polices and systems that mean people don't earn enough of a wage to feed themselves and their families? It just seems awful in this day and age that this is how people live. How did we get here and what can be done about it?

Would Labour in power mean no more food banks?

Theluggage15 · 07/05/2023 08:37

I enjoyed it, it was great fun! Your posts about France and equality are hilarious, you don’t actually know much about France do you?

Anotherusernameagainitseems · 07/05/2023 08:38

TheColourofspring · 07/05/2023 08:33

This. I'm getting sick of all these whinging threads. There have always been the very wealthy and the very poor, it's hardly a new thing, nor are the RF the only family with inherited wealth. Like much of life it is the luck of the draw whether you are born into wealth or not, being envious of others is not helpful.

@Aslanplustwo has it occurred to you that the reason there are such gaps in wealth is BECAUSE of the system of inherited wealth and privileges?

United States has a huge amount of inequality and inherited privilege (the presidency of George Bush II was where the rot set in) without a royal family. Various European countries still have royals

ginsterloo · 07/05/2023 08:38

TheColourofspring · 07/05/2023 08:28

@Spirographcity yes I have as it goes. Why does it have to be one or the other though? I am writing about the royals as it happened yesterday. I also write about hating tories too 🤷🏻‍♀️

You are Welsh and live in Wales, a lot of the problems there are caused by Labour! NHS, transport etc

Alondra · 07/05/2023 08:39

I didn't watch the Coronation but, shame on me, I looked for an DM article about what the European royals were wearing.

😌

Tinkerbyebye · 07/05/2023 08:39

those People with ‘ obscene wealth ‘ bring a lot of money into the economy. No RF, no money in, less income in the tourist industry, so more people currently working on the dole. The coronation brought billlions in

i suggest you do some real research on what the RF bring to this country money wise

TomPinch · 07/05/2023 08:39

WithLaughter · 07/05/2023 08:37

I know this is a royal bashing thread but can anyone factually explain the actual reasons why people need food banks in the UK?

This doesn't seem to happen in other countries with royal families, e.g. Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Scandi countries so doesn't have anything to do with that.

What are the British polices and systems that mean people don't earn enough of a wage to feed themselves and their families? It just seems awful in this day and age that this is how people live. How did we get here and what can be done about it?

Would Labour in power mean no more food banks?

I suspect it's the ridiculous cost of housing. Food in the UK is cheaper than those other places, but if you're faced with eviction, you'll choose hunger.

Oopsydaisynotagain · 07/05/2023 08:40

Totally with you OP.

To those saying that resenting other’s wealth won’t make anyone richer… we payed for it and that money could be far better spent elsewhere.

Roussette · 07/05/2023 08:40

The coronation brought billlions in

You do not know that. It is what is spun out endlessly on here. Given there is never a figure put on security (it is kept secret for security reasons... ho hum) you cannot make a sweeping statement like that.

It is a myth that they bring in 'billions'. And yes I have done my research

MysteriesOfTheOrganism · 07/05/2023 08:41

waterproofed · 07/05/2023 08:34

Yeah, OP, make more wealth yourself! You know, the way the royal family do… oh wait.

The estimate is that monarchy brings in around £1.7 billion pounds a year. They cost about £86 million. I reckon that's a pretty good deal for the country.

Anotherusernameagainitseems · 07/05/2023 08:41

ginsterloo · 07/05/2023 08:38

You are Welsh and live in Wales, a lot of the problems there are caused by Labour! NHS, transport etc

Most of the problems in Wales are caused by deindustrialization without any replacement and cuts in welfare and services and right to buy without replacing social housing all from central government in London

TeenagersAngst · 07/05/2023 08:41

Emotionalsupportviper · 07/05/2023 07:33

They bring more money into the country than they bring out (it it estimated that the coronation cost about £250mill, but has brought in £8 BILLION in trade), and to have a head of state who isn't politically aligned is best for any country - not just ours. They have no axe to grind. Personally they do a lot for charity etc that doesn't hit the headlines.

Yes - they are enormously privileged, but I wouldn't like their life in the goldfish bowl.

What would you prefer? A republic with (say) that wonderful man of the people Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson living in Buckingham Palace (because that is what would happen to all of their residences - they are already properties of the state, but would would become the homes of whichever "elected" leader we had at the time).

Would you like a Johnson or a Blair, or a Rees-Mogg or whoever lording it in there? The Royal family have at least been brought up with a sense of service and largely know how to conduct themselves so that they don't embarrass either themselves or our country on the world stage (The "Dumb Prince of Canada" and his uncle are exceptions that prove the rule). Johnson can't even comb his hair properly and acts like an idiot more than half the time. At the coronation yesterday he looked as though he'd slept in his clothes.

What about the enormous wealth and privilege of most of our members of Parliament? And the corruption and public flaunting of their contempt for the electorate? Is that preferable? The Royal Family benefit this country not only in the trade they bring in but the charitable institutions they support (charities fight to get patronage/ visits etc, because they know they raise the profile enormously), but because of the example of service that they give. You will get bad apple in every barrel, but I'd rather have the King than some grifting shyster of a politician as our public profile head of state.

If the country became a republic the RF would take their personal wealth and property (which is indeed enormous) and we, the nation would still be left with the upkeep of all of the residences, but with none of the benefits the RF brings.

Is the RF perfect? No, of course not - they are people like the rest of us, flawed and human - but it is by far the best of the available alternatives.

Not disagreeing with your post in general but the figure of £250 million is way over the top.

No one actually knows the cost as of yet but most sources are estimating between 50 and 100 million.

The Queen's coronation cost 50 million in today's money and was way more extravagant- 8000 guests vs 2000, everything made new (robes, thrones etc) whereas Charles has used stuff that already existed.

Loads of those people you saw on TV yesterday are already employed in some way, and the overtime they earned will go back into the economy.

A republic with all the associated trappings would cost a fortune and we'd have to go through the rigmarole of elections etc every few years.

But this thread is never going to be resolved because ultimately republicans hate the whole thing and it's a pointless argument!

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