Watching Trooping of the Colour - AIBU to feel proud or is it an anachronistic, expensive waste of money?

[Isdinnerreadyyet]

Been watching Trooping of the Colour. I just love the bands, the precision of the marching, the horses - all of it TBH. We do it better than anyone else IMO. Also good for tourism as many tourists come to the UK for the pageantry, palaces etc.

AIBU to feel proud?

Or is it an anachronistic, expensive waste of money?

I'm not a troll.

2 of my DS have served.

I also live in a city close to a Marine training camp. Many colleagues & friends have husbands & friends who have or are served/ing.

I remember a colleague telling me about a letter that she had from her DH when in the Falklands. His unit had moved beyond the rest of the unit. He was stuck in a bog with snipers & only had 1/2 a mars bar to last him until he was relived, he wrote her what he thought would be a final letter. I can't talk about DS as both served in Special Forces. But I know that they have similar experiences in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan etc.

So do I. And I'm proud of it. Pageantry pulls us together. The rituals remind us of who we are.e

i like it

You don't think the men standing on the balcony of their palace, bedecked in medals, taking the salute because of an accident of birth might be even a tiny bit privileged?

This thread proves that pageantry doesn't bring us together, although it certainly shows us who we are - an anachronistic, ossified, forelock-tugging society.

That's not what that what that poster said. They claimed that of the wider "bands and horses"

Because it’s a neighbouring country with a rich culture, a tradition of national celebration, and a whacking great tourist industry — without a RF?

What a nasty post. Hinting that murdering Royals is a good idea is horrible.

They claimed it about the performers at the event. The toffs on the balcony are absolutely performers in this spectacle and (clue) a random, privileged family.

I enjoy it - it’s not just about dresses and carriages - they’re our serving soldiers and they’re amazing at pageantry and clever formations as well as being good soldiers in the field. We’re so much better at this sort of thing than the French or Russians or anyone else.

Whoever runs our ceremonial stuff is brilliant at it. Watching the White House inauguration was toe curling by comparison. Stunted announcements, fucked up music, people not being sure where to sit.

Nothing wrong with us being good at this!

What a tedious thing to be "the best" at - good organisation.

Is it on now? I think the royal family should be abolished personally, I don’t feel proud of them, I feel embarrassed that we still cling on to such an outdated and ridiculous tradition.

I do like watching Louis though, I like to see him sticking the middle finger up to tradition. Can’t wait to see what antics he gets up to in his teens

I see the Trooping of the Colour more as being a celebration of our armed services and the Royal Family’s recognition of them. People may think it’s just about choreography but it actually shows how well trained and disciplined our Services are. (Good organisation isn’t ‘tedious’)

I felt it was representative of the Royal Family’s awareness that Charles asked for a minute’s silence in recognition of those affected by the plane crash. I bet that put everyone on their metal to accommodate that into the ceremony.

I’m all for the working troops and no doubt at some point in time we will need them to
be armed and ready. It’s an unstable world currently, I admire anyone who is prepared to make that ultimate sacrifice to defend their country.

However, I do think it’s getting to the point where we examine a little more closely exactly what sort of country they are defending? What are British values exactly? I thought they were fairness, justice and freedom of speech? But when inequality is reaching the point that there is no longer justice and fairness and the rich elite, of which the RF are part, are getting away with not paying the same tax as us, I think the pomp starts to lack credibility.

And sorry but when Gyles Brandreth rabbits on about how the rest of the world perceives the UK; does he really think that they look uniquely at pomp and circumstance, or do they also note that they have to wait seven hours for an ambo, or that our train fares are prohibitively expensive or there are lots of people who are homeless? It’s not one or the other is it?

Do you not know that they fight for our country and don't do this for a career all the time.

Apparently not

The French are obsessed with our royal family. If you’ve ever lived there you would know that.

He was very well behaved today.

I enjoy a bit of pomp and circumstance. And in terms of wastes of money it comes pretty far down the list.

This is about the armed forces. If the monarchy were to be abolished, then whoever was the President (or whatever title for Head of State) would take the salute.

I love it, (I love anything Royal!) but you will get a lot of hate for it on here. MN is notoriously anti-Royalist. Although, the poll is saying something slightly different.

I'm not a historian, so it's probably more complicated than this, but when I see them I think they are only there because their ancestors were mean to mine! .... and yours!!

That’s a shame, poor kid is being slowly moulded

🙄

Charlie, Bill and Eddy aren't privileged???

Just regular armed forces who earned all of those medals?????