I don’t often feel sorry for the King…

[CurlewKate]

…but bloody hell, I hope he’s got a crack writer’s room for this year’s Christmas Message! I wonder who might be up for it?

Fair enough-yes, you’re obviously right. I suppose I’m thinking of the visit to Rome as a Constitutional matter too. Wearing my atheist Republican history buff hat….

I am making the same point because some people don't seem to understand what this Christmas message is about, that's all. We're having a discussion about it, there's really no need to make it personal! 😊

@BeeWitchyIt displays an interesting attitude to the British population.

I agree with you. I think that it was a very significant event and I know what you mean about the constitutional impact.
Good points.
It's a good example of what a HoS would include in a speech; it's an achievement, it's ground breaking, it's about progression (perhaps!).
I think you've made some interesting points about the King's Speech, so thank you for starting the thread. I'm fascinated by history and politics and all things constitutional, and am always interested to see how things evolve.
We shall see, Curlew Kate - I may be proved wrong! 😉

Yes, I looked it up - apparently it was at the Guildhall to mark the 40th year of her accession in 1992.

We haven't really watched it since QE2 died
It was a family tradition to run a book and bet on what colour the Queen would be wearing
Quite successful I was at winning !
Then BBC spoilt it all by releasing a pic in advance!

Yes I think this is the angle to go down. Don't give him airspace but reinforce support and belief in survivors of abuse.

Oh yes, I remember those bets on what colour QEII would wear! That was a good earner for you 😂!

I'm glad you said 'less royalist', which acknowledges a wide spectrum of opinion. It's a tedious trope on here that if you're not a republican, you must be regularly camping out on The Mall with your thermos and your flags.

I think (despite all that's happened this year) our constitutional monarchy is the least worst system in the world. It's largely served us well, bad apples get weeded out, it's a force for good, I don't give a damn about their perceived privilege or the fiver I contribute each year and it gives me a lot of entertainment value as well as being a good diplomatic tool.

And I'm always conscious of the human beings behind the roles. For all his faults, KC has cancer (as has his DIL), he's waited for decades to be king and to do good by his own light and his reign up to now has been one crisis after another. But eventually I'd like to see things scaled down and made less stressful for everyone involved.

You can guess the tie now! Also-gold piano or not gold piano….

Hey-thanks for the acknowledgement that the “playground insults” didn’t come from me. Oh sorry, you didn’t acknowledge that at all. Hey ho.

I wonder whether the writers of Yes Minister are still available.

Can I put a bet on "no gold grand piano , but KC standing next to a tree"?

I wish. I loved that series.

At one of the 80th anniversaries George met some of the veterans iirc. I wouldn't be surprised if a little bit of that footage were shown. I use the subjunctive because it's not definite.

Good call. I thought that was a really nice event. Quite probably something for inclusion 👍

It's staggering how Yes Minister sketches are still relevant today. It's as if nothing has changed.

You're so right. I recently watched one where Bernard and the Minister had an exchange about the Arab - Israeli situation (as it was then known). Absolutely relevant to today!

My favourite sketch remains Who reads which newspaper.

Or the one about the appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury!

Great post, you have summed up my feelings, I think my fiver is excellent value in pure entertainment value alone!

There was no gold piano last year, the speech was held at the Fitzrovia Chapel, formerly the chapel of the Middlesex hospital.

I come over all unnecessary when I see a subjunctive….

I was a Bernard once, many years ago…..

It was a brilliant series and superbly cast. I think it’s still relevant because it uses the old joke about the servant who’s cleverer than his master, and I suppose that politicians come and go but the problems they have to grapple with are the same old, same old. Not enough money, too many demands on it, keeping the electorate from open revolution!😲

And let’s face it - theoreticallyanyone can become an MP and possibly a minister, but those top civil servants - the Permanent Secretaries - they are terrifyingly clever and the clash of intellects must cause some embarrassing situations.