Indifference to PoW?

[FaiIureToLunch]

I find it strange that there’s no real interest or concern from the public about POW being in hospital. Nobody seems to be that bothered. If you compare it to the circus if Diana had been in the same situation….. I just find it odd. I always thought she was relatively popular because we’re constantly told she is but actually…. Tumbleweed.

I know it’s her own business etc but it just feels quite odd that somebody can disappear and there is no interest in why. I don’t really know or care what’s happened or why, but the silence is really intriguing. It reminds me of when the brexit referendum happened and I had no idea that there was such strong feeling about the EU…. I had no idea that there was such apathy about the PoW until now. It’s been a real eye opener for me.

I reckon the next generation or two, the monarchy will be gone.

Your second paragraph is where I have to disagree. We are supposed to have a system of checks and balances, but when it comes to the Royal family, that all goes out of the window. They are allowed to get away with laws being made solely for their benefit, in relation to their extremely murky who owns what and who pays for what, they have advanced notice of all legislation and, instead of scrutinising it for the benefit of the nation, scrutinise it in order to get exemptions written in for themselves, that are not debated in Parliament and have to be revealed through FOI requests. They can keep their wills secret, they even have someone wanted by the FBI being able to hide away on a Royal estate to avoid being questioned ( not arrested, just questioned). The press do deals with them to keep things out of the papers who do not scrutinise them in the slightest, unless its someone they are allowed to have open season on because they have caused enough damage themselves like Harry and incredibly, to a lesser extent, Andrew. And that is without the degradation of the courts by the current government, a House of Lords filled with charlatans and cronies and an electoral system only used by us and Belarus in Europe that means that for many people, voting is utterly pointless.

Personally I thought the sight of Charles and Camilla wobbling around with those fugly closed crowns (stuffed with blood diamonds but shush about that !) was an embarrassment

Agreed but I have to say they were pipped at the wtf-are-these-weird-outfits/ embarrassment post by Kate Middleton and Sophie Wessex, imo.

The UK is a royal republic, that's how it has been described since the late 18th century (the 1689 bill of rights which solidified the pre-eminence of Parliament set that in motion). The monarch has the right to "be consulted and advise", in other words a figurehead with no power who can offer opinions (although for over two centuries they have rarely interfered, exception being Victoria who tried to stick her oar in with PMs she didnt like). It is a republic in all but name.

Regards PoW, no question the public interest in the royals isn't what it was. We have far more distractions now.

MM's 'warmth' is utterly fake and put on. She's an actor, isn't she?!

Nah Prince Andrew outdid them all. A medal thing the size of a dinner plate on his chest, massive tassels and god knows what on his shoulders... and this is a disgraced member of the RF. You couldn't make it up!

Ahhhh OK. Didn't realise all actors are fake and put on warmth. Thx for the heads up!

The American media have shown photos of William and all three children leaving the hospital after visiting Kate.

I'm also around Diana's age and by the time she died the public were very much over her shenanigans. Her death, for some reason I will never understand, conferred retroactive sainthood.

Would you do your job (if you have one) on a voluntary basis?!

@LifeExperience Can you provide a link? I am in the US and have not seen this. Thanks.

Would you do your job (if you have one) on a voluntary basis?!

Pretty sure you are seeing that in action right here on RFF!
🤣

I want to keep the RF because I love all the pageantry, and the historical significance. I don't know why their existence seems to stick in so many craws. It's not like they are making any impact on your daily lives!

Give me the Royal Family over the likes of the Kardashians any day!

No need to be so disingenuous.

You knew exactly what I meant... if you didn't...😩

UK is a royal republic

It's usually described as a constitutional monarchy.

Of the countries that score higher than us on democratic indicators - which there are quite a few though USA is not one - many - though not all - are constitutional monarchies.

Norway often top list - constitutional monarchy.
New Zealand - listed as conditional monarchy though they share our.
Iceland - parliamentary representative democratic republic with president is the head of state.
Sweden - constitutional monarchy.
Finland is a parliamentary Republic
Denmark - Denmark has a constitutional monarchy
Switzerland is a federal state with direct democracy

I do think there should/could be more scrutiny on what our Royals are up to legally behind the scenes.

Isn't literally everything invented at some point in time?

At least pomp has a historical significance!

WTF do you mean by that?!!

I've got O levels. Quite a lot of them, as it happens. They were the qualification taken by 16 year olds before GCSEs, first sat in 1988, by which time I'd already been a graduate for several years!!

Roussette
I think Harry and Meghan both show warmth when greeting others, and it shows.

Of course - greeting people and receiving their 'homage', yes*. But would they bother for very long if there was no camera to record it? That's what I have my suspicions about with them, and if anyone on this thread can provide evidence to the contrary (eg, have met H & M and found that they were prepared to do what PA did when I met her, I'd be very interested to hear. She spent ages - a over an hour - talking in depth to us all and showed a detailed knowledge and a real interest in what we were doing with absolutely no cameras or reporting present. The only publicity would have been in our teeny tiny charity newsletter (circulation minuscule), Very small, unglam charity, too, out in the sticks.

*Actually, I wouldn't mind that myself, come to think!!! 😀

@Playingintheshadow
"MM's 'warmth' is utterly fake and put on. She's an actor, isn't she?!"

As opposed to the absolutely genuine warmth shown by who? It's ALL put on-it's a job!

The thing is @CoffeeCantata we will never know will we? You had an experience with Anne that was positive. There are no doubt many people out there who had experiences with H&M that were positive too. I don't think Harry, for instance, could fake it at the Invictus Games. And I remember the school that Meghan went to, where they loved her. She went into different Societies, Debating, Poetry etc... chatted to teachers pupils, went to Assemblies, she was there hours, yet we only saw a couple of minutes...

Of course, if you have it in your head that they only perform for the cameras, there's nothing I can say apart from to me they come across as warm and engaged as far as I can tell.

i doubt very much if generation rent are impressed by the rf. I know my 30 something dc are not fans. so I doubt if they are worried about a random person being in a private hospital, and that her dh has to take time off (wonder what he is doing)
I like the rf. but I think in this day and age the idea of bowing down to them is weird. they are a very rich dysfunctional family. hiding a sex pest in their mist.

@Playingintheshadow

If , like the ‘royals’ , my job added up to a few weeks a year of full time work - spread out and padded up to dress it up as a ‘job’ - I’d be happy to.
Many ordinary people do more than that in terms of voluntary work .

My point is , the ‘royals’ spin a tale of how they are burdened by ‘duty’ and ‘work hard’
They don’t
And their so called sense of ‘duty’ wasn’t even strong enough to provide leadership over Andrew and his public pledge to help the FBI . Nevermind the unanswered questions surrounding the other cover ups

She has had an operation that 1000s of ordinary women have every year. She isn't exceptional in that respect. It isn't even news really. Am glad she is out and hopefully that will be the end of it.

No @Playingintheshadow

The pomp was invented/ dreamed up mainly in the 19th century as a way to drum up interest in the ‘royals ‘

It is not some ancient direct line much as the ‘royals ‘ like to play on that .
Don’t you ask yourself why they have decided on the height of slavery / empire era as the ‘look’ ?

But the ‘pomp’ is the least of it . Some may find it entertaining - I don’t see it myself .

The objections to the Windsors are much more serious than the Disney waste of money that is the coronation
The UK is tolerating a Windsor being set above the law . It does not apply .
The country is ‘given ‘ to him.
And as for being head of a church . Well words fail me .
No other European country has a coronation .
They wouldn’t dare .

Which operation is that ? Have I missed a statement?

Mylovelygreendress there are remarkably few options and all of the limited options would justify a wish not to go public about exactly what the issue has been.

Well good for you, but I wouldn't. Every single thing is constantly scrutinised - Kate's hair, her weight, is she anorexic/bullimic/what does she eat, is she pregnant.... having to get dressed up and rolled out even if she CBA to meet people most of whom she must have no interest in - not for me. Always in the spotlight, everywhere you go. No thanks!

I don't think they "spin a tale". I think most of them do feel a sense of duty. The late Queen absolutely did - working at 96 still fecking 2 days before she died! - and I think that's something that's bred into them! At the ages of the likes of Charles and Anne too, most of the rest of us would be well retired.

I don't know what the true situation is with Andrew - and neither do you.