What do you think of the Royal family ??

+1

Why should we pay for the upkeep of the descendents of someone who had a bigger sword than the rest several hundred years ago? How else did they get to be a "Royal" family?

steve

My prediction is that Charles will never be king. 

Why?

I think he has been brought up with no other aim or purpose. He might have been a better man if he had....but that is another matter.

Bruce

He will make way for William for the good of the country. He knows it will be hugely popular. I think he was allowed to have Camilla instead of the throne. If the queen lives as long as her mother Charles will already be an old man and William will be in his prime. I believe Charles is a better man that people give him credit for and he will do what is best for the country. 

The only way Chas will never be king is if he dies before his mummy. 

We shall see

Whilst i am in grumpy mode can anyone tell me why we cannot THIN OUT The House Of Snooze,sorry i mean the House Of Lords.

These old greytops turn up as and when they feel like it,pick up a nice wedge each time and do sweet F A.   A while back it was reported in a Red Top newspaper that someone had stuck a post-it on one Lords forehead that said....WAKE ME UP WHEN ITS TIME FOR LUNCH.

Mista H

Sorry for being a pedant Dave but that's not the case. The Armed Forces are accountable to and directed by the elected government.

It used to be God, Queen, and Country [in that order]. Has this changed?

ATB from George

OMG is that true -- 

Yes and so it should be. I'm as supportive of the Monarchy as anyone but an elected government is just that. Do you really want to back to Henry the VIII and co when they basically made the rules up as they went along.

I'm certainly no expert and you may be right in practice. However I think the monarchy can provide invaluable checks and balances. I found this from a document titled Values and Standards of the British Army...

The British Army is structured and trained for operations,

not for the convenience of administration in barracks. On joining

the Army soldiers accept a commitment to serve whenever and

wherever they are needed, whatever the difficulties or dangers

may be. Such commitment imposes certain limitations on individual

freedom, and requires a degree of self-sacrifice. Ultimately it may

require soldiers to lay down their lives. Implicitly it requires those in

positions of authority to discharge in full their moral responsibilities

to subordinates. Selfless commitment is reflected in the wording

of the Oath of Allegiance which is taken on attestation.

In it, soldiers agree to subordinate their own interests to those

of the unit, Army and Nation, as represented by the Crown:

" I swear by almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true

allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and

successors and that I will as in duty bound honestly and faithfully

defend her Majesty, her heirs and successors in person, crown

and dignity against all enemies and will observe and obey all orders

of her Majesty, her heirs and successors and of the generals

and officers set over me."

However, as a teenager (I was 17 when I joined the RAF) how many people have sorted their minds when it comes to self-sacrifice, political beliefs etc.

Tony

Personally I wouldn't go a far as the Russians did in 1917, but they are an anachronism that needs removing.

What the Queen has done this year? Walk around a lot and wave.

What she has done to some of the other members of her family in the name of the monarchy has been appalling, she destroyed her sister by banning her from marrying the man she loved on the grounds of his Catholicism, and in doing so turned her into a sad alcoholic.

Rumours abound that her treatment of Diana was no better.

I have no problem with Charles, although he obviously married for political reasons, rather than true and honest reasons the first time.

Anne has done some superb charity work and deserves praise for that.

Most of the others are just a poor soap opera for the tabloid press.

I have been accused of being unpatriotic here for refusing to stand for the national anthem, but that is not the case, I love this country, and I love a great deal of its 'formal' music, but I will not stand for lyrics calling for health of someone who's position I find unacceptable, and which makes little mention of the country itself. It is also a dreary dirge, which has so many better alternatives.

I good job the test cricket team use 'Jerusalem' for their entry to represent our nation.

Beyond all that, I find it disgusting that in terms of the law we are not citizens but subjects, our freedoms are granted by someone who's position is hereditary, and not earned. Thankfully now we are signed to the European Charter on Human Rights, so there is something more respectable and formal which can be challenged to give us the rights that many other nation's citizens enjoy.

As for who the military swear their allegiance to, it doesn't seem to have caused any problem for other nations. It is an oath, and is down to the honour of the person who swears it, and their loyalty is as much to their fellows in arms as any old woman they will never meet.

I am not suggesting that all republics are perfect, or even that the best known do not have anachronisms (The US gun laws come to mind), but the thread asks what do we think of the monarchy, and as a determined republican, you have my view.

Jamie

I'm old, but not that old that I can remember 'Enry.

I wasn't even around for Victoria. 

Let's see if Mr Cameroon can parachute in to the Olympics. 

+1

The royals are perverted remnants of the past, get rid of them and nationalise their wealth and property. It's ironic how especially common folks adore royal families across Europe and the world, when their wealth was built on the blood, sweat and tears of the ordinary people, who were subjugated to death to finance the luxurious extravagances of the aristocracy. In this day and age they are the true parasites of society, serving no purpose but to feed the poorest in society and blind mammoths of days past, with some sense of grandeur, believing that Britain or whatever other country still represents something special in this world. The Empire is long gone and good thing it is. Same for any other blinded vision. Nationalism is the downfall of humanity, the sooner we rid ourselves from it the better for everyone. 

It's amazing how easily people are lured to say the most ill-conceived things on public fora. Forever preserved in some dark corner on google.

Dear EJ,

I have a sort of clear outer limit on things that I owuld ever put into the net, either a Forum or the email machine!

Some things must be said face to face.

ATB from George

I once put a ball into the net ... unfortunately I was playing tennis rather than football 

Dear Guy,

I am good at putting tennis balls into the net! Never managed that trick in football though! I found playing football probably the closest thing to hell on earth that I have yet experienced, and fortunately unlike the hell of biblical report at least football always ended after a while.

I grew a lifelong detestation of the sport as a youngster of only ten. Fortunately the people at school were kind, and I spent my sports time in winter cutting firewood with a cross cut and axes after my first winter there! I became very proficient at this, and can still swing an axe with the best of them.

Perhaps we could have an Olympic Sport of wood cutting?

ATB from George

Dear George

I think it is a shame that you don't enjoy sport. I loved playing sport even though I wasn't very good at it - tennis was probably my best sport and I deluded myself for a while as I was the best player at my school: what I didn't realise was my school was totally useless and when I played in an inter-schools tournament I was soundly thrashed. 

I did once apply for the job as England football manager as I had my FA badges and had successfully managed a girls football team to a local league title, which I still think qualified me for the England job, but alas they went from Graham Taylor instead. They didn't even acknowledge my application. 

Now I watch sport and to me it has much in common with listening to music. I cannot play as well as either a sports person or a musician, but can enjoy what sports people and musicians do.  

I actually find the day-to-day work I do quite dull and have little or no interest in world affairs ... I detested history at school and still turn off anything to do with history, wars and so on. Im quite good at pub quizzes with the exception of anything to do with history: my knowledge of the second world war coming entirely from watch episodes of Dad's Army.  

I believe we could and should settle international differences with a game of croquet and shake hands at the end and go for a drink - seems much more civilised that having wars. However, all countries seem to waste vast quantities of money of wars - if only they invested in sport and music instead. 

I do agree footballers are overpaid especially the ones I watch at Ipswich Town. 

If any big event comes to the UK then I am enthusiastic about it and to me the Olympics is the tops. I doubt I'll every see anything as exciting again and then return to ennui of everyday life. 

And I can see any need to get rid of our Royal family wjo have gone up in my estimation this year owing to the jubilee and the Olympics. 

We seem to be second best to Australia in the Hockey at the moment, but I still think we can make a comeback. 

All the best, Guy 

> We seem to be second best to Australia in the Hockey at the moment, but I still think we can make a comeback. 

And I was right, for once, from 3-0 to 3-3 - a royal performance. 

Dear Guy,

I enjoy "plating" tennis, if that is quite the word for my efforts! 

I also love to follow the Test Series when Englnd is doing well at Cricket.

Sometimes - in the past at least - the England team do seem to play like Lemmings though. Then my interest does wane a bit! But it is a good excuse to have something other than "Pop" radio on at work, with the commentary on as something different. Fortunately I am not the only Cricket fan at work!

ATB from George

It's amazing how easily people are lured to say the most ill-conceived things on public fora

We live in a free country and we have free speech. We can offer opinions others may find ill-concieved or that offend their sensitivities.

You can reply by putting forward an alternative opinion or a reasoned rebuttal. The free exchange of views - thats how democracy works. 

Try it.