A thread for cheese , recipes, humour and general chat about the royal family.

[jeffgoldblum]

Hello 👋, I thought it might be nice to have a thread we can discuss our cheesy feelings, food delights and general discourse about the royal family.

That chocolate cheese is a flat no from me.

I’m reverting to my 4 year old self clearly as I’m no-ing away without trying it.

I feel the same about aubergine.

Milka or Philly on their own though? Sold.

I tried the Cadbury Philly too!
Was just as crap sadly!!
Somethings just shouldn't be put together!

Sorry maybe should have added a ⚠️Trigger Warning ⚠️ as its an uncomfortable watch.

The article links to a series of question to give you a score for narcissism (making clear it wasn't a psychological diagnosis!), which I found quite interesting.

My impression is that cultural factors would have quite an influence on how people answered those questions e.g. (a big generalisation!) if you live in the UK you are more likely to describe yourself as modest than if you live in the USA, because that is a more valued trait here. So if you have a high opinion of yourself you might be more likely to say your are modest in the UK, rather than genuinely being more modest.

That's a bit of a jumbled way of putting it - basically characteristics have different values in different societies! Some societies value individualism, some put more value on the collective good. That presumably influences peoples answers - does that mean some societies promote narcissism?

More importantly, I had the herb Philly on crackers yesterday...

I’ve got posters regret!
I’m going to ask MNHQ to remove my MB post with video link as it’s not in keeping with the general lighthearted (and cheesy) vibe that we’ve got going on.

‘As you were’ fellow cheesemeisters😊

@StormzyinaTCup I think he may have said something threatening to her too in a longer clip, but looks like his wife said it was nothing, so who knows.

Anyway, the serenade was fucking cringe. I can't believe he included Charles' illness in the stupid lyrics, what a prat.

I think your assessment would be fair, that there would be cultural discrepancies. My dad’s from America, so growing go with that influence, I agree wholeheartedly with you that there’s a difference in how Brits and Americans value certain traits. The book Narcissism Epidemic (which it briefly reviews in the article) I remember being more USA focused (I think the academics are American), but from what I recall I think their argument was in regard to western culture in general as well (I think!). I read it ages ago and I vaguely remember other Brits making the point then the book describes American culture more so than British. I’d argue, that as time has progressed, and with the more ready acceptance of certain features of American culture here across the pond, it’s fairly applicable to us here too!

Not entirely sure I read it in that book or elsewhere, but there had also been a study into attitudes during war time contrasted with now, and how people wrote about themselves. With modern times seeing more prevalence of ‘I’ statements, whilst previously, views where seen/held more from a ‘we/us’ perspective. They then looked at how that correlated with collective societal wins, such as banding together to win the war, making sacrifices for the greater good, unifying to make healthcare accessible to everyone etc. And the contrast with today’s individualism, and how we got there and what subsequent impact it’s had in our society as a whole.

Maybe it would work as a short cut to a chocolate cheesecake though 🤷‍♀️😋😆

It doesn’t bother me so don’t feel bad x

Ive never liked MB - he’s cringe and creepy as hell anyway.

I’ve clicked briefly on the speech pattern video and it seems to have a similar theme regarding I and We to the brief example above - so interesting!

Without being too nosey, is it fair to say that people who find this topic interesting, and pick up on certain things regarding a certain couple, it’s because we have experience of these types irl? Because I certainly do! Unfortunately!

I’d like to announce that I will offer myself up as a PR distraction for the RF.Just send me to St Barts and I’ll frolic. I’ll dine out. I happily stay in posh locales and wear fabulous clothes. I can’t say how I’ll look doing it, but I’m willing to take one for the team if that’s what it requires so that they can get some peace and rest. Anyone else in? It’s a dodgy mission but it would be an act of kindness. There will be cheese, I’m sure.

I’m there AliceOlive

In a wafty kaftan rather than a bikini.

It is the cheese see?

It has, for want of a better term, settled in places bikinis do not cover.

Cheesers Assemble! 🫡

Agreed, my friend. Plus I’m of a certain age now. Despite the aged supermodels posing in bikinis constantly, I enjoy a bit of modesty.

.

Am I the only royalist?

By which I mean that I believe the system of constitutional monarchy offers the most stability and that most modern monarchs are well meaning and do a reasonable job.

I appreciate the job that Charles and Camilla, William and Catherine do, as well as the less senior working members. I feel that they are often used as cover for other insanely wealthy people who don't give anything back to society.

@MrsLeonFarrell I'm with you. I have a degree in politics and history so obviously have done a lot of reading in this subject and I'm a firm believer in it.

I don't think there is a blueprint as such for a stable society. That's why trying to export any particular structure of government tends to fail.

When a society has negotiated its way to an enduring balance of conflict and cohesion (conflict to allow a degree of change over time, cohesion to prevent complete breakdown), the institutions, the 'way we do things' become ingrained and this is what creates stability.

This took place over many centuries of quite violent upheavals in what are today's stable democracies, whether they have monarchies or elected Heads of State. Which is why I am not a republican, as someone living in the UK. I don't advocate a monarchy where the tradition does not already exist. But I don't see any pattern in countries e.g. in Western Europe for measures such as inequality and social mobility between countries that have a monarch and those with an elected HoS.

So I don't see any evidence that getting rid of the monarchy in the UK will magically make the UK more equal. The electorate already has that power. I deplore the way inherited wealth is protected, but that is a government decision, and government decisions are the responsibility of elected representatives when it comes down to it.

Interesting posts, lots of food for thought! I enjoyed reading.

I’m now trying to think of a country that is relatively stable, but has also imported other modes of government. Only one jumping to mind, Czech Republic. My history of it isn’t the best so I could be totally wrong even mentioning it. But I think it’s rather uniquely had a monarchy, hostile takeovers, communist regime, and now a president (I think). (Not trying to suggest that the invasions and communist regime weren’t bloody but not as brutal as France for example - I think I’m thinking out loud really as I’m not really sure of the point I’m making 😆)

*I think the velvet revolution was fairly unique?

The Czech Republic was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, then a democracy, then under Nazi occupation, then a democracy very quickly taken over by the USSR as Communist. However, in the inter-war years it was one of the more stable (educated, industrialised) democracies, and the Communists had to murder some very prominent politicians post war. Then there was the Prague Spring.

I think political systems are intertwined with other factors, socio-economic, levels of education etc

Czechoslovakia, and now the Czech Republic, had various factors that made democracy more viable - economic development, education levels etc and a history of having a specific cultural heritage within the Habsburg Empire. Prague was always a cultural centre, and there was a (short!) period where it was the centre of the Holy Roman Empire.

I don't know how the HoS is elected, or the balance of powers between HoS and Parliament (or equivalent).

I'd like to do some frolicking. Then the S&B gang could start a thread saying how awful I look on the beach.

I agree that exporting systems to other countries doesn't really work. The monarchy works here as far as I'm concerned but I wouldn't suggest importing it to the US, although the status they give certain political families has a touch of monarchy lite about it!

I agree! There is a HUGE amount of inherited privilege in the USA, under the veneer of 'equality'

Wrong. It tastes wrong.