I’m in awe of the Queen

[Nahhh]

I’m no royalist, I dislike the fawning, particularly towards younger members of the family. Somehow I find myself watching Trooping the Colour and I can’t help but be impressed by the Queen.

She’s 95, very recently widowed following 70 odd years of marriage. She’s just got back from Cornwall and is again on active duty, enjoying this event. I know she’s lived an incredibly pampered life with the best health care, etc. I’m just amazed by her sense of duty and her strength.

She’s an honourable person yes, and also a religious person. I don’t doubt that she believes that the anointing she received at her coronation was God-given, and that she had to take on the responsibility because of her place in the line of succession.

I also totally understand that for many people in the 21st century that must sound quite incomprehensible, and so that leads to people thinking she should just hand things over to Charles, Anne, Meghan or whoever else they feel should be monarch.

I agree we won’t see her like again. Imho the best solution for the future is still a monarchy but a greatly slimmed down structure. I can’t say I’ve been impressed with many of the alternatives I’ve seen in my lifetime. President Blair? President Heath? President Boris Johnson? Yuk.

[quote smilesy]@cyclingmad, I think people are looking beyond her position as Queen and at the fact that she is a remarkable woman in her own right. 95 years old, she has reigned over 13 US presidents and 14 prime ministers and has seen many changes. She still does her job with good humour and does not complain. Many could learn a thing or two from her as a woman, even if you are not a lover of the monarchy, as pp have said.[/quote]
Most old people.csn say they have lived through x many presisents.

She is nothing special her status comes from her birthright.

Its regressive for the society we live in today.

We still have institutional racism and now womens rights are beingeroded, and she just sits by because of silly old rules where she dare not express an opinion. Imagine the impact she could have if she only spoke out against such discrimination. Wasted opportunity in her role.

I agree we won’t see her like again. Imho the best solution for the future is still a monarchy but a greatly slimmed down structure. I can’t say I’ve been impressed with many of the alternatives I’ve seen in my lifetime. President Blair? President Heath? President Boris Johnson? Yuk.

Other countries have very popular presidents elected by the voters. Why would an elected president be worse than Prince Charles? If we didn’t like them, at least we could vote them out.

She swore a solemn oath to serve this country and she has not faltered.

Even when she has just lost her husband.

To see her smile today touched me in so many ways. I can’t describe. She is the same age my nan would have been and has been a constant in my life. (Even if only from afar)

I love her.

Like scifi I swore my life to protect hers. I wouldn’t think twice.

It’s really heartening to read so many positives comments regarding the Queen.

She really is quite something and long may she reign.

She does not express an opinion because that is the nature of our constitution. The monarchy mainly continues as an unelected body because it does not have an expressed political standpoint. I was thinking of her as a remarkable woman in that she has qualities of patience and tolerance and steadfastness that we could all learn from. Being a noisy protestor is not the only way to be a role model. And although many people have lived through many presidents and prime ministers, they have not all had to welcome them and behave in a gracious and welcoming manner whether or not they like the individual concerned.

Interesting.... but wouldn't she be handing over to the next in succession, i.e. Charles?

Like the Spanish Monarch did. King Juan Carlos handed over to his son Felipe. Now King Felipe. Juan Carlos was in his mid 70s at the time, and admittedly there was some right dodgy stuff going on, so his hand might've been forced. However, Felipe and Queen Letizia have revitalised the monarchy over there, not that hard to do given the spanish monarchy's popularity was at an all time low when Juan Carlos went.

Felipe and Letizia are about 8 years older than K&W, with young children. She married in, she's divorced, used to be a TV journalist etc.
So it can be done!

Our Monarchy just seems so outdated and stuffy in comparison.

Like scifi I swore my life to protect hers. I wouldn’t think twice

I am taken aback at this. Really I am.

I find the fawning over the Queen very strange! I am in Ireland so maybe i am missing something? I would have the same amount of respect for her as any other 95 year old - although there are plenty of people her age who have led harder lives and worked hard too, without servants and palaces and lots of jewels and money!

I agree with you. I don’t know how she does it. We will really miss her when the inevitable happens.

Her reign will go down in history, and I don't think we'll ever see a Monarch like her again, certainly not in our lifetimes.

I feel quite sad when people need to be rude about her.

Don’t feel you have to be taken aback on my account roussette

I would do it for any member of society but my oath runs to my core.

Well..... is it 70 or 80 years she's been on the throne? No, we won't see similar again.

I wouldn't be rude, she's a 95 year old woman who has dedicated herself to the job.
I still think she should've passed it on to Charles 20 years ago. It would mean that he could then have done 20 years, and he could perhaps be passing it on to William when the Queen dies.

Just random musings from me.

Yes as an Irish person living in a Republic I don't get royalty. The idea of being born into such protected privileged lives is strange. So does bowing and curtesying to a person because they are members of the Royal family. I do get the idea of bowing and curtesying to the Queen as she represents a particular role. As for doing that to other members of the Royal family - nope, not something I think is meritted. Mind you that privilege and status has worked well for Andrew!

I get the admiration for her dignity and her personality - I like Mícheál D. Higgins the Irish President but he's an older person . I voted for him last time but won't again as I believe he would be too old if he did run again for President.

I feel quite sad when people need to be rude about her.

Me too. It's hardly her fault she was born into the royal family and her father passed the reigns onto her when she was so young. As charmed as it might have been at times I don't know anyone who would wish to swap their life for hers.

OK Sheldon can you explain to me. I am showing complete ignorance here.
When you say your oath.... is this to Queen and country? I apologise, I don't want to offend by saying the wrong thing.
When you say any member of society... what does that mean?

I honestly don’t know what would’ve been best roussette

For sure we won’t see her like again.

I do think she made her oath to serve. As I did.

I reckon she really meant it. I did too.

Different days I suppose

Agree. And we only know what we have so it is a case of 'what might have been'.

I just feel a bit sorry for Charles. He's 72 years old and could be nearing 80 before he takes over. He's a country person at heart and then is properly starting work at 80 years old, just when he wants to potter in his garden at Highgrove.

He's already said he isn't moving into BP, I think K&W might I read somewhere. When in London he will be in Clarence House. So big changes I think.

Queen and country. Absolutely flower.

If I saw any member of society in need of protecting - I’d wire in. And I have. A few times now. Although to be fair and honest, only in an unfair situation where someone was in a vulnerable position or in danger of great harm.

And been battered for my trouble. But I’d do it again.

So maybe not everyone… but hopefully you get the gist.

Not ignorant at all roussette by the way.

My service meant the world to me for reasons I’ll never go into on here.

“ Other countries have very popular presidents elected by the voters. Why would an elected president be worse than Prince Charles? If we didn’t like them, at least we could vote them out.”
Yes I can see that must be the attraction of a republic. And maybe other countries do like their presidents (although most of them seem mediocre or downright atrocious). But looking at the voting record of the British public in my lifetime I am very doubtful that we’d vote in anyone that was any good as President. Just look at the Prime Ministers. War mongers (Churchill, Blair), incompetent bastions of the status quo (Macmillan, Home), social engineers who have literally caused the early deaths of people living in poverty (Thatcher, Cameron/Clegg), liars (Johnson) incompetents again (Brown, Callaghan, Eden). The only Prime Minister of the last 70 years who was remotely presidential was Wilson.
I’d rather stick with Charles III.

She’s got balls. I am entirely convinced that at 95 years old, she would rather be watching the racing, playing with her dogs, seeing her children and wider family and doing ANYTHING other than being nice to Biden or TRUMP (wow, what a thing to have to bloody do: sit next to Trump all evening at dinner), stand up for hours in the pouring rain on the Thames etc etc.

Some people may think that if she doesn’t want to break a promise she made to the nation, she must be pedantic and narrow minded but I don’t feel like that and I think a lot of people think she, as a female head of state has committed herself genuinely and since conducted herself very well. Princess Anne is in the same mould. It remains to be seen with the others but I think HMQ has done as good a job as anyone possibly could have.

OK. Fair enough Sheldon I get your drift.

I think the Queen is genuinely religious in a way that is much less widespread now, and as far as she's concerned the promise she made is for life. If she had abdicated/retired to make way for Charles she'd have felt she was breaking a vow, a bit like divorcing, I guess.