UK: Do we even need a Royal family?

[rasoforos]

Ask yourself two questions:

1) How much money does having a Royal Family bring in tourist and media revenue?
2) How much of the money that the Queen uses (and that her family uses, for that matter) is her own money?

1. In my country? 0.00 euros

(In the case of the UK the Royals can still create touristic revenue without spending money on them. They ll just need to cut down on having 10 butlers each and will have to eat less cucumber sandwiches)

2. Her own money? Money originating from public property that remained under her control for no good reason you mean?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

What is the point of feeding and pampering one single family in the most extravagant way?

We are facing a recession. People lose their jobs, their houses. People go hungry.

Instead of spending money to make the Queens royal behind fatter we could use the money to save several families.

We kicked our own monarchs out by the way. They weren't even Greek (Germans and they never bothered to marry a local 'native' :P ) anyway and in any case a king in the country that gave birth to democracy is an insult.

The only form of Royal Pampering I approve is the one where you provide a person or royal blood with food,drink and women beyond his wildest dreams for a year and you sacrifice him to your Gods at the end of the year. It brings good luck and ensures a good harvest

Your Royal Family was Danish.

1. In my country? 0.00 euros

(In the case of the UK the Royals can still create touristic revenue without spending money on them. They ll just need to cut down on having 10 butlers each and will have to eat less cucumber sandwiches)

The Royals are actually quite cheep all in all, they have a smaller staff than many presidents and their landed holding mean that they are very rich, which makes them largely self supporting

2. Her own money? Money originating from public property that remained under her control for no good reason you mean?

No, the money and property which she inherrited from her father, unless of course you believe that the state should take everything from you when you die.

[rasoforos]

Your Royal Family was Danish.

Glucksburg is in Germany although indeed they have Danish ancestry


Who cares though...


As His Political Incorectness Prince Phillip would say 'they come from some place somewhere up north where they were still eating each other when Pericles was giving speeches in Pnyka'

(No offence to German or Danish people or northerners in general)

That sums it up really well.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Glucksburg is in Germany although indeed they have Danish ancestry

The House has German and Danish, but their descent is marked largely from Christian III, King of Denmark, to my knowledge.

As His Political Incorectness Prince Phillip would say 'they come from some place somewhere up north where they were still eating each other when Pericles was giving speeches in Pnyka'

You do know that Prince Phillip was the fifth child of Prince Andrew, who was a member of the House of Glücksburg, right?

[Sarmatian]

I think Princes William and Harry garner significant attention. Also, if you will recall the massive attention the Queen got when she visited the USA a couple of years ago, I would say certain classes of people have a fascination with the whole package, including today's Royals. Incidentally, Zara Philips is considered something of a heroine.

My opinion is that tourists do not visit Buckingham Palace for the History. I think they visit it because of the prestige surrounding the current Royal family.

I do not know who Zara Philips is, sorry.

So the queen got the attention when she visited USA once. US president gets the attention anywhere he goes and he is not a monarch, but ok, I agree somewhat with you that royal families get some extra media attention. Problem is, that media attention could also bring potential scandals and hurt the image of the country...

As I've said already, I don't think that being a monarchy brings so much more revenues from tourism, and tourism is my trade, btw... When I visited all those places, I thought of queen Elizabeth, queen Victoria, Henry V, Henry VIII etc... and not about present British monarch. I'm not even sure what her name is. Elizabeth, maybe?

The point of being a monarchy is in symbolism and I'm not sure how good of a symbol that is. Someone holds a high position in a country because he/she was born into it and not because it was earned.

Also, having a head of state that isn't allowed to practice politics, means that those parts have to be done by someone else, which again gives more power to that corrupt government you've been talking about...

Of course, in British case, there are other, more practical benefits, like queen of UK is also a head of state of 16 other countries and head of the commonwealth. In British case, it may be best to keep it until some drastic changes, but doesn't change my general dislike of monarchies and what they symbolize...

[lars573]

Zara Philips is Princess Anne's daughter. The Princess Royal is bottom of the rung of HM the Queen's children. So she, and her kids, get shafted on spiffy titles.


But on the subject of royals here is a pic that always makes my head spin.

EDIT: Removed hotlinked picture. Please host it yourself. BG

George V of Great Britain and Czar Nicholas II of Russia. And they look more alike than my borther and I do.

[Furunculus]

I do not know who Zara Philips is, sorry.

So the queen got the attention when she visited USA once. US president gets the attention anywhere he goes and he is not a monarch, but ok, I agree somewhat with you that royal families get some extra media attention. Problem is, that media attention could also bring potential scandals and hurt the image of the country...

As I've said already, I don't think that being a monarchy brings so much more revenues from tourism, and tourism is my trade, btw... When I visited all those places, I thought of queen Elizabeth, queen Victoria, Henry V, Henry VIII etc... and not about present British monarch. I'm not even sure what her name is. Elizabeth, maybe?

The point of being a monarchy is in symbolism and I'm not sure how good of a symbol that is. Someone holds a high position in a country because he/she was born into it and not because it was earned.

Also, having a head of state that isn't allowed to practice politics, means that those parts have to be done by someone else, which again gives more power to that corrupt government you've been talking about...

Of course, in British case, there are other, more practical benefits, like queen of UK is also a head of state of 16 other countries and head of the commonwealth. In British case, it may be best to keep it until some drastic changes, but doesn't change my general dislike of monarchies and what they symbolize...

the monarchy is also intimately tied in to 600+ years of constitutional arrangements, you cannot just remove her without giving serious thought to how a future form of governance should function, and even then i doubt you will come up with anything better than what already exists. it as after all the product of 600+ years of refinement.

[Mooks]

Yes, disband the Royal Family. Then the UK will be one step closer to being the 52nd state of the United States of America.

Think im joking? Only a matter of time before you start calling the "boot" of the car by its proper name (trunk). Or drive in the right seat.

[rasoforos]

The House has German and Danish, but their descent is marked largely from Christian III, King of Denmark, to my knowledge.



You do know that Prince Phillip was the fifth child of Prince Andrew, who was a member of the House of Glücksburg, right?

Yep. Sad isnt it?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Yep. Sad isnt it?

What? That he married the Queen and sacrificed a glittering naval career?

[rasoforos]

What? That he married the Queen and sacrificed a glittering naval career?

No, I m sure the queen was a fine piece of when she was young

Its just that the man is a walking joke.

I hate it when the media say he is 'Greek'. Not a drop of Greek blood in him whatsoever. German/Danish inbred dude with a whole lot of Altzheimers. Plain and simple.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Yep. Sad isnt it?

No, not at all.