The Royals jumping ship...

[Wolfgirrl]

A virus pandemic breaks out in the UK. Everyone is essentially on house arrest bar a few essential occasions. Businesses and workers facing going bust. People dying every day. Hospitals overwhelmed. Surely this would be a great moment for a morale boosting message from our beloved royals, who we pay to keep in the lap of luxury? Oh wait, a little recorded message has been deemed a health risk to the Queen (allegedly).

Oh well, they can always volunteer Buckingham Palace as a makeshift hospital or hub for supplies, etc, as I'm sure they want to do what they can for their beloved citizens, especially now theyve legged it out of London. Oh wait.

Seriously what are these people for and why do we pay for them again?

"Do you think a non-political president as Head of State would be cheaper," Why have one at all? It's not the main thing on my mind right now, but I'm always puzzled by the idea that the Queen who does nothing at all would have to be replaced.

If we wanted a figurehead we could pick a new monarch each week at random, or perhaps like jury service.

A speech does not need a full film and sound crew. It could be done by a staff member she is already in contact with on a basic camera with foreword saying this is to protect her. Everyone would understand quality issues.

What, apart from her speaking French as if it were her own language, her encyclopaedic knowledge of current affairs, her understanding of politics, her knowledge of the animal kingdom. And training as a mechanic in WWII.

Perhaps they're helping and feel no need to advertise the fact.
There is a need to advertise the fact, to show the people who tolerate them that they do serve a purpose. They are not private individuals. They want to be Royals, they need us to know that they are doing something in return for us letting them do it.

Is there an announcement for donating a hefty sum to cover NHS staff with hospital parking fines just incurred? Or a nice big cheque to buy in some much needed respirators? Bragging about what you do for charity is in poor taste, they might donate loads or nothing but they don't need to tell us.

@Noodlenosefraggle yes exactly!

It's like a weird double bluff, they want you to think they're doing this stuff behind the scenes by not publicising it when the most likely explanation is they havent done much.

Agree and this pandemic highlights it. Not needed or particularly wanted anymore.

Do you think a non-political president as Head of State would be cheaper
It would be cheaper because we wouldn't be paying for 20 Royal residences, just an official and maybe a country residence, we wouldn't have to hear about their cousins, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces nephews etc for the entirety of their lives.

@1forsorrow but leggings it to isolate in a palace while your subjects suffer and you refuse to donate any of your millions, isnt in poor taste?

Ooooookat then

They need to do their job which is addressing the nation. That is what they are paid to do for times of crisis.

So do you the queen has died then and that is why she has not been filmed? Instead just a written statement? Because it does not seem like her to be so absent.

When ww2 started in 1939 she was 13. She did very little! Just a token membership of the ATS when she was 18 in 1945. To be fair, they did stay in London or Windsor. They didn’t rush off to Norfolk, Scotland and Canada when the going got tough and the bombs fell!

Bragging about what you do for charity is in poor taste, they might donate loads or nothing but they don't need to tell us.

Their PR gurus can word it tastefully but the public does need to know they are doing more than nothing.

I doubt she’s died probably aware that their situation highlights how bad it is for everyone else.

If they are not going to do their job, what is the point of them?

"Do you think a non-political president as Head of State would be cheaper,

Well yes actually, Ireland’s presidency is two and a half times cheaper.....(no surprise when you consider they don’t come with a huge extended family of hangers on) .with the added bonus of being able to vote them out ever 4 years.

For God’s sake, what do you want? A miracle? A magic wand to wave it all away? No amount of money can sort this. We need supplies of PPE and ventilators that don’t exist, there’s a global shortage. And you’re blaming the royal family? MN is a brainless place sometimes.

@MarshaBradyo Why would it do that? Seriously I don't see that at all. No one thinks she is self isolating in a council flat after all.

I think the only explanation is she has died, or she is blind to what her role is. I would be surprised if it is the latter.

@alsohuman, no one is blaming the royals. Many of us just think they are should be doing more, if not in person, than with their wealth and connections.

Rich Americans donate 10x the amount rich Brits do. Americans talk about it and they have a culture of giving. We don’t. Nothing much is said because giving here is small fry, except a few well known families who are known about. Very many rich people give very little in the uk. Tim Martin isn’t even sure he will Re-engage his workers. Many rich people here also come across as mean.

but leggings it to isolate in a palace while your subjects suffer and you refuse to donate any of your millions, isnt in poor taste? At 90 something I think legging it to isolate is a very good idea. I'm over 20 years younger than her and I'm isolating because it is what we have been told to do. I am more concerned by Jeremy Corbyn is setting a bad example to other over 70s by attending parliament.

@Wolfgirrl I'm not having a go at you for having a different opinion so how about you do the same

I think one of the reasons, I've given several, they may have gone is to keep people away. It'll also be easier to keep news of deaths quiet if they happen in Balmoral or Windsor/Sandringham (not sure which the Queen is in)

Travelling when everyone has been told not to do so is fucking stupid. Especially to somewhere like Balmoral that is miles from medical facilities, and whose closest medical facilities already likely to be massively stretched by covering places like Shetland (who have the
worst level of confirmed cases per head apparently).

It also makes zero sense to have gone 12 days after being in close, prolonged contact with someone who was confirmed to have it despite being in a high risk age group.

I find it hard to believe that with all of the people they have around them that the decision was made anything other than deliberately so yes, I do think they've gone because he is ill and I'm trying to think of reasons for that.

93 year old woman doesn't do precisely what you want at the time you want it. Face it, whatever she did and when, you would probably be criticising.

Time she stepped down then. Not up to the job.

@didofido and we have just sorted our next head of state, the Kardashians, who care more about the public. They have a choice of 5 heirs. Although Prince Saint might be a bit much.

@Alsohuman sorry I missed the bit where we asked for a miracle? The money could go elsewhere not just ventilators

The RF has form for not reading the mood of the people correctly. Buggering off to second homes does not set a great example. I think they should make a public statement offering whatever resources they have at their disposal.

Honestly All they are the last people I want to hear from.

I don’t blame them. But they are redundant. And this highlights it.