Those crazy royals...

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Originally Posted by InsaneApache

Look at it this way. Who would you rather have as your head of state?

Her Britannic Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

or

George Winthrope Bush.

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But what if the choice is Bush or Charles?

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Off-topic:

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Originally Posted by lars573

I think that's the guy. :bow: So he was/is in the French Senate then?

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No, he lost miserably and ran with his tail between his legs back to Corsica. :laugh4:

It was for the national assembly BTW. The Senate is not directly elected.

There is no nobility anymore in France, but there are still noble titles. Confusing as that may sound, they are, if I understand their legal status correctly, part of your name. Luckily enough, titles are not protected - I could call myself Louis, marquis de Fat. Titles don't give you any priviliges anymore - not directly they don't. Indirectly, few people fail to be impressed by the glamour of a hereditary title. :wall:
De Gaulle, VGE, Mitterand are all descendants of nobility in some way or the other, Sarkozy is of Hungarian nobility. Only Chirac wasn't. Socially, presenting yourself as 'Charles Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Fatesquieu' simply makes for a more impressive introduction than 'Louis le Gros'.
Also, for wont of an indigenous royal family, there is an excessive fixation on foreign monarchies, especially the British.

We once almost became a monarchy. Had the crown made and all. But then Germany lost World War One, the matter was quietly buried in a ditch, and the Prince of Hessen could legitimately quit trying to learn a nasty northern pagan language. (The current heir of the line is incidentally a fashion photographer in New York, and when he was once invited over barely agreed to stand in the same picture with the crown. Absolutely refused to touch it though; can't blame the man, the thing's ugly and kitschy.)

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Originally Posted by Watchman

We once almost became a monarchy. Had the crown made and all. But then Germany lost World War One, the matter was quietly buried in a ditch, and the Prince of Hessen could legitimately quit trying to learn a nasty northern pagan language. (The current heir of the line is incidentally a fashion photographer in New York, and when he was once invited over barely agreed to stand in the same picture with the crown. Absolutely refused to touch it though; can't blame the man, the thing's ugly and kitschy.)

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Yeah, but Finnish women are hot. And in the words of the immortal Mel Brooks, "It's good to be the King".

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Originally Posted by Don Corleone

Yeah, but Finnish women are hot.

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That's news to me.

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Originally Posted by Watchman

That's news to me.

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Well they are where I spend most of my time in Finland, Oulu and Turku. Can't vouch for Helsinki (and I've only spent a little bit of time in Espoo).

Strange. Perhaps it is then as Martin Kellerman observed in Rocky - Scandinavians are so used to pretty women their standards are skewed.

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Originally Posted by Watchman

Strange. Perhaps it is then as Martin Kellerman observed in Rocky - Scandinavians are so used to pretty women their standards are skewed.

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Not just Scandanavian. I find Finnish women to be much more attractive than Swedish/Norwegian women. Finnish women have a much softer look about them. Yes, Swedish/Norwegian women are much more striking, but they have a very hard look about them. Not attractive to me at all.

Also, I've got a thing for exotic. Not many other women in the world look like Finns.

...do you have a thing for beer bellies or something ? :inquisitive: 'Cause I'm starting to have a hard time matching your description up to daily empirical evidence from Eyeball Mk.I...

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Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

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Off-topic:
No, he lost miserably and ran with his tail between his legs back to Corsica. :laugh4:

It was for the national assembly BTW. The Senate is not directly elected.

There is no nobility anymore in France, but there are still noble titles. Confusing as that may sound, they are, if I understand their legal status correctly, part of your name. Luckily enough, titles are not protected - I could call myself Louis, marquis de Fat. Titles don't give you any priviliges anymore - not directly they don't. Indirectly, few people fail to be impressed by the glamour of a hereditary title. :wall:
De Gaulle, VGE, Mitterand are all descendants of nobility in some way or the other, Sarkozy is of Hungarian nobility. Only Chirac wasn't. Socially, presenting yourself as 'Charles Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Fatesquieu' simply makes for a more impressive introduction than 'Louis le Gros'.
Also, for wont of an indigenous royal family, there is an excessive fixation on foreign monarchies, especially the British.

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But they still can use them. IIRC the early Weimar republic stripped all the German nobility of their titles. Then gave them back. And Sweden also stripped all the nobles of their titles. So while you could find some extinct Baron/Count's title and start using it for yourself, you could use it.

Norway also stripped her nobility of their titles.

Bit unfair really, rather like confiscating the family silver.:thumbsdown:

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Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

Norway also stripped her nobility of their titles.

Bit unfair really, rather like confiscating the family silver.:thumbsdown:

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Nah, the Danes stripped them from us. That's a little bit different :laugh4:

Långe leve nordiske samarbetet ? :laugh4: