The Royal Wedding and the Recession

[Celibin]

Why do millions of people struggling to pay their biils turn up to watch a very priviledged couple plus their rich entourage celebrate a marriage ?

The money brought into the economy will go to all players in the economy and yes some of that will be transnational corporations and some will go small and medium sized businesses.

You are right. Anyway, not everything has to be about money, does it (in spite of what I wrote above)! I was just trying to justify having enjoyed it so much ...

"I did not mean the cost of the security....."

Escapism is one reason. Same reason why 'lifestyles of the rich and famous' magazines are so popular still. During the Depression of the 1930's cinema output was at its most lavish and glamorous. When Princess Elizabeth got married in the bleak post-war year of 1947, it was a deliberate diversion. Sometimes the public appreciate a straightforward cheering up exercise. I also think there was a genuine feeling yesterday to wish Prince William well. A lot of pople remember him and his brother trudging behind their mother's hearse in 1997 and were keen to express support. What is totally absent from these occasions now is any sense of forelock tugging and OTT deference.

To answer OP: because they're serfs. Simple as. We are now back in a serf like, feudal society where the obscenely rich overlords no longer haveto hide their pleasure in rubbing our (brown) noses in it. Viva Morrissey!!

I'm with the op all the way.

My only comment to add is that I know Major was invited as he was appointed guardian of the princes after Diana's death as serving PM at that time.. Don't know why they needed one if Charles is still alive, btu there you go.

Actually such a successful security operation, for an event the whole world is aware of, has to be a good thing ahead of the Olympics (counterbalancing the 7/7 negative effect).

Though saying that might just get me starting on the Olympics being a massive waste of money too - with the profits going to globalised brands, not back to London council tax payers (who should IMO all get their compulsory surcharge back as first call on any profits).

Bread and circuses

There is no way it cost just a couple of hundred thousand

Some v good replies here. I think the whole thing, the pomp , the tradition, British music/composers is just, well, British. The role of the monarchy is to ignite its people and it is a welcome distraction from the daily drudge. Also we have a lot of people in the UK who feel the Monarchy is part of their national heritage. And we do it all so well. So well foreigners flock here all year round to see our heritage.Thinking about it again, why are all the foreign mazagines so keen on the every detail of our monarchy? Perhaps because they do not have it themselves? I have met Germans who lived and breathed Diana. Money, glamour, class .....

Just look at the Britain that was on display today: the prim and proper ranks of the heredetarily powerful, the tax-avoiders, the war-mongers, the capitalist oppressors, all disciplined in the finest British tradition of "good manners", protocol, and knowing their places. And the milling crowds of hundreds of thousands of brainwashed dolts, cheering their overlords to victory!

The hereditarily powerful like David Beckham? Tax avoiders like Ryan Naylor the Bucklebury postie? War-mongers like the Archbishop of Canterbury? Capitalist oppressors like Elton John? What would get you on your feet and cheering newwave?... (no schmaltzily sentimental responses like 'a march of the workers of Britain behind their trade union banner celebrating the overthow of capitalism' please')

Cor - some people are just so miserable! I am in Belgium and even here one of the channels had devoted coverage. People at work were talking about it, and discussing that they should go to London - they think the shops are fabulous. More tourists, more money, more jobs.

Chil - I suspect Newwave is saving herself for Ed and Justine's nuptials . No doubt they will be perfectly PC and egalitarian. Wonder if they'll televise it?

I'm confused about those who say Major was made guardian of the princes - Blair was elected PM in May 1997, Di died in August '97 so Blair was PM (hence the People's Princess speech).

How about a bunch of blood soaked tyrants from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahraini ambassador ( Bahrain?s Crown Prince Brunei turned the invite down) Qatar, Bhutan, Swaziland, Lesotho, and Kuwait as guests to your wedding.

No point in naming a few decent people when the majority were members establishment elite and their hangers on and sycophants.

That is apart from the Bullingdon boys I am surprised they did not have a food fight or total the reception :o

What would get me cheering ? a Muse concert or a great football match.

I am advised that the security costs were £20m to the taxpayer (correct me if I am wrong) and I did not even get a Salmon sarnie, still we can always shut a few care homes or youth centres to pay for it.

I had a "fuck the wedding barbeque" where we all put up my new summer house at the end of my garden, a lot of alcohol was drunk and I am amazed it has not yet fallen down :o

Jack, how many more times, I am neither a socialist nor a Labour Party voter.

I am an egalitarian. :)

Knitting - I thought that too! But it looks like Major was appointed guardian (don't know why). He also qualified for an invite as he's a 'knight'. Blair and Brown aren't knights yet.

He may have been appointed as guardian jack, but he definitely wasn't PM!

All the order of the garter stuff is a load of rubbish, it was a very silly thing to do to invite the two surviving tory ex-PMs and not the Labour ones. I'm always being told that the royals are above party politics - clearly not!

Ahem, two Tory PM's were enough, no need for a third by inviting Bliar :)

I imagine Ed and Justine's will be full of serious, lentil munching intellecchewals with zero sense of humour, waiting to pounce on anyone who makes a non PC joke . The bride will look frumpy, plain and oh so very earnest. The groom will hopefully have had his adenoids done so he doesn't have to nasally assault our ears.

Give me a bunch of glittery, overprivileged and beautiful people a million times over!

AF then again they may just pay for ALL of it themselves and not ponce from the taxpayer.

Yes, because Ed and Jussy bring in millions of pounds of income form tourism, merchandise and from their huge swathes of land that they pay income to the treasury from.

Oh, they don't.

Is it true that all you could hear from the wedding was:

Purrrring noises from fat cats

Oink oink noises from greedy pigs

and baaaaying from a bunch of sheep.

Like It was a grown up version of Ole Macdonald had a farm ei ei o.

All I can hear from you newwave is a whiny little Jane Horrocks voice bleating, " But I am poli'ical" whilst wiping snot across the back of your hand .

and from their huge swathes of land that they pay income to the treasury from.

What! do you object to them paying taxes as well.

As for the tourist thing that is bullshit, If I go the the coliseum in Rome I do not expect the Roman Emperor to hand me a drink same as any French building or monument with royal connections that I visit.

I went to St Peter,s square and blow me down the pope did not hand me a beer, I wont be going there again.

Far better to evict Liz and the squatters from Buck House and Windsor and open ALL the buildings to tourists far more would visit then.