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The royal family
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If you were as fearful for your family's safety as Harry is....

999 replies

PostingForTheFirstTime · 16/01/2022 11:49

...why would you want to have them participate in a really high-profile public bash?

Particularly one to celebrate an institution you have walked away from.

Genuinely puzzled.

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dontsaythj · 17/01/2022 21:55

@nottodaybatman

I am Republican because I think RF are self interested and greedy. And I think the last 5 years have shown a general poisoning of social discourse on race, mental health and sexual abuse all to prop up the RF, aided and abetted by the ever chatty royal sources. I see and saw the racism. Just like Kpop, other people disagreeing is fine, that is my opinion and others are entitled to theirs.

I want a politician I can vote in and out.

I don't want to tell any child of mine that one family is inherently better that us irrespective of what they do.

I don't agree with you apart from on the issue of birthright.

Ironically, this was my problem with the Sussexes attempting to pay for use of the police.

Ultimately, the notion of hereditary monarchs is an anachronism. However, I don't see what the solution is. There's certainly no way to eliminate self-interest nor greed.

Can you imagine the campaign for inaugural president? One side of the media would whip up all kinds of division along the lines of identity politics, the other would rally against perceived wokeism and anti-Britishness, and of course anything else that happened to be trending would be in the mix. It would be another bitter battle reminiscent of brexit. I can't think of a possible unifying figure along the lines of a Michael Higgins.

Whoever won would be incredibly divisive with probably a long political record to bash them with. At one time, we may have ended up with a President Blair.

The more streamlined and unobtrusive the RF are, the better.

nottodaybatman · 17/01/2022 21:57

Yeah I like democracy better than luck of birthright. I like to have a say on things that I pay for where possible.

derxa · 17/01/2022 22:00

I want a politician I can vote in and out. I don't. Look at how they behave. Utterly shameful. Even republicans like McGuire of the Mirror cite the example of the Queen isolating at the funeral of her husband as an example to the nation

nottodaybatman · 17/01/2022 22:07

Fair enough derxa.
But I think the racism and victim blaming of the last 5 years to prop the RF is not a price worth paying.
I want the right to say no and to have vote in someone different.

AllThePogs · 17/01/2022 22:13

I agree they will be in trouble once the Queen dies. I think lots of Commonwealth countries will drop the Royal Family.
I think it is striking that nearly every article about William and Kate in the press, also mentions Harry and Meghan. Even ones about Kate's 40th birthday do this. Is this because the press knows that no one will be interested in the article only talks about Kate and William?
It is striking that the Earth shot TV series got low ratings after the first programme and was moved to another time slot. And Kate's Early Years Centre is nowhere to be seen.
William and Kate are popular members of the Royal Family in the UK, but they don't seem to command attention from the public in the media.
I wonder if supporters here read the foreign press because the coverage is not good.
Charles and Camilla are very unpopular and they will be King and Queen. They will have an uphill battle.
And they will either be Queen and King when Andrew is on trial or soon after the trial, has finished. It will be a challenging background and will affect their popularity.

dontsaythj · 17/01/2022 22:15

@nottodaybatman

I don't see them as having to be propped up. The best model for the RF going forward is the Queen's steadfast, apolitical neutrality, inscrutability, and "never complain, never explain" ethos.

For that reason, I think that a paired-down, and unobtrusive monarchy is a good thing. They shouldn't be at the forefront of public consciousness. Boring is good. They should simply be there in the background performing a function. That's all I expect of them.

AllThePogs · 17/01/2022 22:17

I think that worked for the Queen, I don't think it will work for Charles and Camilla.

nottodaybatman · 17/01/2022 22:19

@AllThePogs

Good point about timing for Charles. Tough gig.

At the moment the claim to fame for the last few years for the RF is Andrew and bashing the Sussexes. It has drowned out everything else. It is relentlessly negative and the attempt to direct the narrative is so clunky it is noticeable to everyone.

And social media makes it worse. It is preserved forever.

nottodaybatman · 17/01/2022 22:22

It is also the opposite of unobtrusive.

Multiple articles on the same dull events. Sponsored tweets, breathless royal reports, endless royal sources explaining and complaining. It is boring and obvious. No one is clamouring for this, it feels desperate

AllThePogs · 17/01/2022 22:24

Bashing Harry and Meghan works while you have the Queen.
Her popularity is assured. She is seen as hard-working and committed to duty. Those that say being unobtrusive is the key don't seem to understand that her commitment to work and duty is what makes her popular. She can be unobtrusive in terms of not appearing at large popular events, but not unobtrusive in terms of sitting at home for the last 40 years.

But bashing Harry and Meghan encourages the public to criticise Royal Family members who are judged as lacking. That culture has been encouraged. And it could very easily be transferred to Charles and Camilla.

Remember as well we have the next series of the Crown this year which deals with Diana and Charles and Camilla. That exposes younger adults to things for the first time such as tampaxgate, and reminds older adults about it.

I think there is a perfect storm coming of the Queen dying, the unpopular Charles and Camilla being King and Queen, Netflix, and the trial of Prince Andrew.

nottodaybatman · 17/01/2022 22:24

The complaints about the funeral, the poor ratings on earth shot and the weirdness over kates birthday

It is so OTT and the energy doesn't match the reception it gets

dontsaythj · 17/01/2022 22:28

@nottodaybatman

Yes I agree about the coverage of William and Kate. Unnecessary and it is boring. Then again, I rarely read articles on them and didn't tune into William's show. I simply have no interest in the monarchy beyond their limited official capacities.

I want them to do a job and do it quietly. I don't want to see them looking for engagement on Instagram. Charles' idea seems to be to slim the whole thing down - they've made a good start cutting Andrew loose.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 17/01/2022 22:29

I agree they will be in trouble once the Queen dies. I think lots of Commonwealth countries will drop the Royal Family

Also agree with this, especially with the Commonwealth who'd dragged their feet in naming Charles as the next Head until the Queen intervened - and what good will that do him if he rarely visits, or worse still has to go alone since Camilla's said to hate flying and has a track record of bunking off tours?

Even if they sent someone else there's the issue of Charles pouting because they're getting the attention, and god forbid W&K go because that would invite the comment "We should have had them as king and queen anyway"

As so many have suggested, a mess waiting to happen ...

Roussette · 17/01/2022 22:29

I wonder if supporters here read the foreign press because the coverage is not good

Exactly. It's no puff pieces on W&K, that's for sure.

The best model for the RF going forward is the Queen's steadfast, apolitical neutrality, inscrutability, and "never complain, never explain" ethos

That was then. This is now.
That does just not work anymore.
People want explanation, and I want less opacity on royal finances, I want to know more.

However, Charles has an uphill struggle. I personally don't think his heart's in it. He's already said he isn't going to bother with BPalace, and wants to be based at Highgrove when he can. Camilla spends a lot of time in Wiltshire. I think this is going to be very difficult.

I agree totally with your second para though dontsay.
Less of the puff pieces and who's wearing what and silly nonsense.

AllThePogs · 17/01/2022 22:32

William and Kate were found to be buying likes on social media and were widely locked. People now are more media literate, they have to keep up.
But I don't think William and Kate will cause issues. It will be Charles and Camilla that will attract negativity. But William and Kate won't be stars to counteract it.
Also agree with the point that Sophie with a young baby can't do long tours when William and Kate are not because of their kids.

nottodaybatman · 17/01/2022 22:33

I don't click on the articles either. But I can see the number of headlines... like when an artist has a new album to plug except this album is never released

AllThePogs · 17/01/2022 22:35

And if Andrew is found liable in the court case, there will be pressure on the Royal Family to condemn him publicly. Especially if the Queen is no longer with us.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 17/01/2022 22:36

Remember as well we have the next series of the Crown this year which deals with Diana and Charles and Camilla

Oh gawd Hmm I've never watched it (don't have Netflix) but while of course it's a drama I imagine that'll upset a few applecarts

Rogue thought I know, but could they get yet another injunction, this time to stop it being screened?

StarbucksSmarterSister · 17/01/2022 22:36

Sophie with a young baby

He's 14!

smilesy · 17/01/2022 22:37

Also agree with the point that Sophie with a young baby can't do long tours when William and Kate are not because of their kids.

You don’t mean Sophie, do you? That the countess of Wessex, Edwards wife. Do you mean one of Andrew’s daughters? They both have young babies. Why would they be doing tours?

AllThePogs · 17/01/2022 22:38

@StarbucksSmarterSister

Sophie with a young baby

He's 14!

I had no idea he was that old! Okay I am wrong about that.
nottodaybatman · 17/01/2022 22:38

Yes but if Kate wants to stay home until her youngest is out of school, it seems unfair to put Sophie on the road especially since she is already pulling her weight

RoseAndRose · 17/01/2022 22:39

@nottodaybatman

Sophie has a young son, she cannot be set on the road while Kate and will get to stay home. And as you say, while she and Anne are diligent they are not interesting to the masses.

The RF needs stars to justify their cost, patronages and position. They are going to have issues

He's 14, so I think can safely be left with family/friends/staff!

And she is 'on the road' - and all the tours are a matter of public record. But I suppose here just isn't the same level of press engagement in subjects such as VAWG, PSVI, UN Commission on Status of Women. Visit places such as Kosova and South Sudan and talking to survivors.

Also talking about the menopause and older women in the workplace.

Roussette · 17/01/2022 22:40

Of course Kate can't stay home until Louis is out of school... we're talking 14 years or whatever,, that's ridiculous!

derxa · 17/01/2022 22:43

@nottodaybatman

Fair enough derxa. But I think the racism and victim blaming of the last 5 years to prop the RF is not a price worth paying. I want the right to say no and to have vote in someone different.
There is no racism
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