Rant mode on. Royal Family

[Dystopia]

And that's why I'm a republican (in the literal original meaning of the word).

Why care so much about people who were born wealthy by luck and don't even possess political power/authority/legitimacy?

[Jenny A]

The tourist argument is a bit like saying "well, we could remove the tumour, but the way it fills out your bra is very eye-catching. Also the bald/headscarf look looks so good on you."

These tourists only ever get to see the buildings, the palaces and whatnot. Are they really so shallow that they only show up because someone they themselves would most likely object to having in their country lives inside?

I want to visit London but I am more interested in the fact that many of their museums are free then I am in seeing the royal family.

Yep The British Museum, The National Gallery, The Tate, and many others are free. But the cathedrals and the Westminster Abby cost money to visit. Step onto the the continent and the situation changes: the churches are (mostly) free and the museums cost money.

London is no tourist bargain. Food, lodging, and transport are expensive. But it's so worth it.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

I really hate London. There's lots to do and all, but being from there, I just hate the constant hustle and bustle and ridiculous living costs.

[Elskidor]

I'd care if they were actual people of power and not just another set of Kardashians.

[Jenny A]

Indeed. The loudest proponents of the royal family online I notice tend to be Americans who, lest we forget, live in a country that owes it's existence in part to the rejection of Monarchistic rule. It's almost like they think everyone in the UK is an ardent royalist and those that aren't are just being silly.

Boggles the mind.

When I figure that out I'll let you know. Don't hold your breath though. I'm not much interested in the royals, but I see their pictures in tabloids at the grocery store about once a week. I know of no one who admits to buying those rags, and I've never seen one sold. Yet there they are prominently displayed at the check out counter.

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I really hate London. There's lots to do and all, but being from there, I just hate the constant hustle and bustle and ridiculous living costs.

Lots of places are like that. Nice to visit, horrible to live in.

[Brian37]

I'd care if they were actual people of power and not just another set of Kardashians.

State funded Kardashians.

[vorlon13]

I think the whole royal thing was summed up perfectly when Prince Charles (the future king !) cell phone transmissions were recorded and it was revealed he told Camilla Parker Bowles he wanted to be her sanitary napkin.

[Minimalist]

I'm a republican and disestablishmentarian.

The Royal Family do indeed bring in a lot of money, but what proponents of that argument never mention is the fact that several members of the family utilise their public funding to gain personal profit (eg - Duchy of Cornwall, which has assets stretching the country and beyond and pays little to no tax on any of it). The Duchy does not have to reveal its' accounts and neither does it need to declare how much of our money has gone into its coffers and how much profit Charles is gaining from it. IT operates on a commercial basis but doesn't have to pay any tax, either. http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/...es-charles


There is no moral argument that can be forwarded either which can give legitimacy to an unelected and unaccountable elite which impact rather heavily behind the scenes on realworld legislation here in the UK. EG. Charles and his backdoor lobbying for homoeopathy treatments being made available on the NHS, which they now are. Now my tax money goes to paying for water to treat things it can't ever treat.

Abolish the royal family.

The French got it right!

[Cato]

I agree with FatAndFaithless and FNM's views on this. The hyper-attention given to their visit is based in the pervasive celebrity worship here and the objects of that affection are dictated by the media. Now that they've left, the media will simply switch to the whereabouts and doings of Beyonce, JayZ, Taylor Swift, the Kardashians, etc. al. There's nothing new about this. The 1952 movie Singin' in the Rain was set in the 1920s and incorporated scenes with crazed fans and referenced fan magazines.

I don't fully understand or appreciate the infatuation some have, but I can't be immediately dismissive of the pastime. I love hearing stories from my favorite musical artists regarding motivation behind songs. If a guitarist I enjoy disseminates some advice on technique, I'm all ears. Perhaps some people actually do take fashion tips from trend setters in the same manner. Right now the winter baseball meetings are being held and I'm keeping an ear out for deals. Perhaps movie fans are similar in that regard when they hang on the words of those involved to get a sense of what might be coming.

That said, I cringe when people take celebrity opinion at face value when the celebrity strays from their area of recognized expertise. Celebrity doesn't automatically disqualify someone of having an informed opinion; just that what is said should be corroborated through a reputable source.

[robvalue]

I agree, I find our royal family ludicrous. If the best reason they have is something about tourism... Come on.

On the other hand, I read in the paper one of those young ones standing up about the Ivory trade, and trying to stop all the elephants getting poached to extinction. When they do stuff like this with (hopefully) real impact, they are doing something to earn their keep.

Still retarded though, the whole thing.