The Royal Family

[Tommy]

2 minutes ago, nudge said:

It's not solely Great Britain to be fair, it's just that the recent events there reminded me of how odd it is. The first time I experienced something like that was in the Netherlands, when a non-Dutch friend of mine found out that the Queen Beatrix was visiting our university, and tried to drag me there to see her get out of the car, smile and wave to the masses, and then disappear into the building while the crowds were cheering her, and couldn't understand why I would reject the offer. In fact, she even got really pissed at me for daring to suggest that a Queen is just a simple human being like everyone else, who just happened to be born into royalty, and that I can think of at least a dozen better ways to spend my afternoon 

Yea, Prince Harry was in Düsseldorf recently, and many people were there with British flags etc. Greeting them and cheering. Seemed odd to me as well. 

Also I know quite a bit about the Royal Family, because of the news etc. And it feels like very unnecessary knowledge. 

[Spike]

11 minutes ago, nudge said:

It's not solely Great Britain to be fair, it's just that the recent events there reminded me of how odd it is. The first time I experienced something like that was in the Netherlands, when a non-Dutch friend of mine found out that the Queen Beatrix was visiting our university, and tried to drag me there to see her get out of the car, smile and wave to the masses, and then disappear into the building while the crowds were cheering her, and couldn't understand why I would reject the offer. In fact, she even got really pissed at me for daring to suggest that a Queen is just a simple human being like everyone else, who just happened to be born into royalty

 

7 minutes ago, Tommy said:

Yea, Prince Harry was in Düsseldorf recently, and many people were there with British flags etc. Greeting them and cheering. Seemed odd to me as well. 

Also I know quite a bit about the Royal Family, because of the news etc. And it feels like very unnecessary knowledge. 

It’s a human zoo where you can ogle the endangered species of the past

[RandoEFC+]

It is very bizarre, but other people look at those of us who just aren't bothered at all by it and think we're bizarre for watching 22 blokes trying to kick a round thing between two sticks with millions of pounds riding on it, or watching 20 cars driving around in circles one after the other for an hour and a half every Sunday. 

[Azeem]

The main idea of preserving monarchy/supreme leader in this age is to have some institution above politics, that can conduce unity between different segments. Like brothers who are not at good terms with each other but put everything behind for their dying old man.

[Machado]

8 hours ago, Honey Honey said:

Your Presidents are insignificant, just like King Charles Spaniel III will be 

The Queen on the other hand by virtue of time and performance is one of if not the greatest celebrity figures of life. A PR genius. Formidable. 

In the last few days I've pondered whether a man could have been as successful as the Queen. My conclusion is that though not impossible it would be significantly less likely. The traits of the Queen, some personal some gender, have been spot on for what was needed.

The Monarchy is Manchester United. The next few appointments never to live up to it.

Kings historically have a worse reputation and 2022 doesn't like white men in privileged positions.

Must be tough to be a King these days 

[Honey Honey]

5 hours ago, Stan said:

I found it amusing. Comical even. It's something petty but all he did was attempt to subtly tell someone to get the pens out the way . Why was it jaw-dropping?!

73 years of being trained not to show ugly entitlement in public. Fails on day 1.

William on the other hand had the decency to pick the pens up and meet the staff half way. 

Shows the nature of their characters.

 

[CaaC (John)+]

3 hours ago, RandoEFC said:

It is very bizarre, but other people look at those of us who just aren't bothered at all by it and think we're bizarre for watching 22 blokes trying to kick a round thing between two sticks with millions of pounds riding on it, or watching 20 cars driving around in circles one after the other for an hour and a half every Sunday. 

Or two people in a table tennis match hitting a small white ball on a square table with a mini net, tv cameras whirring away and people in the stand's heads going left, right, left, right, left, right in unison...   

[CaaC (John)+]

And, Japan which has kings, also pass the time away watching...

[Honey Honey]

42 minutes ago, CaaC (John) said:

And, Japan which has kings, also pass the time away watching...

Looks like a stag do in Cardiff

[CaaC (John)+]

47 minutes ago, CaaC (John) said:

And, Japan which has kings, also pass the time away watching...

 

6 minutes ago, Honey Honey said:

Looks like a stag do in Cardiff

And that's @Bluebird Hewitt on the left 

[nudge]

4 hours ago, RandoEFC said:

It is very bizarre, but other people look at those of us who just aren't bothered at all by it and think we're bizarre for watching 22 blokes trying to kick a round thing between two sticks with millions of pounds riding on it, or watching 20 cars driving around in circles one after the other for an hour and a half every Sunday. 

I get what you're saying, but it's not exactly the point I was trying to make. I don't think people are bizarre for going to see the royals or following the news about them and their lives; after all, it's just a slightly different version of celebrity cult and probably someone's prefered form of entertainment, just like football and motorsports are to some of us. What I do think is bizarre is the mentality which still allows monarchies and the concept of royalty to be a thing at this point in human history - because essentially, it still supports the archaic notion that members of a certain family are superior to the rest of the population and have the right to positions of power and influence to rule and lead the nation simply by virtue of birth. The way I see it, those in the crowds bowing and crying and cheering in support of kings and queens are pretty much bending over and willingly accepting the superiority of their self-appointed overlords This is what I find absurd.

[Waylander]

Perhaps if you could see the Punch and Judy politics at Westminster you might realise sometimes the idea of monarchy is not so bad.

Saying that I am not a monarchist yet do wonder if they were to go, what or who would replace them?

[nudge]

 

 

[Toinho]

8 hours ago, Tommy said:

Yea, Prince Harry was in Düsseldorf recently, and many people were there with British flags etc. Greeting them and cheering. Seemed odd to me as well. 

Also I know quite a bit about the Royal Family, because of the news etc. And it feels like very unnecessary knowledge. 

And because they're German.

[RandoEFC+]

9 hours ago, nudge said:

I get what you're saying, but it's not exactly the point I was trying to make. I don't think people are bizarre for going to see the royals or following the news about them and their lives; after all, it's just a slightly different version of celebrity cult and probably someone's prefered form of entertainment, just like football and motorsports are to some of us. What I do think is bizarre is the mentality which still allows monarchies and the concept of royalty to be a thing at this point in human history - because essentially, it still supports the archaic notion that members of a certain family are superior to the rest of the population and have the right to positions of power and influence to rule and lead the nation simply by virtue of birth. The way I see it, those in the crowds bowing and crying and cheering in support of kings and queens are pretty much bending over and willingly accepting the superiority of their self-appointed overlords This is what I find absurd.

Yeah I know. I was joking really. The idea that anyone's worth should be even partially determined by who their parents are is objectively ridiculous. What's actually worse is that the UK's House of Lords has hereditary peers who actually become a part of the secondary legislature because of who their parents were. It's less in your face than the royal family but arguably more crazy.

I think the royal family is largely harmless, but it comes into sharper focus and makes it impossible to justify when you have cost of living and poverty issues like the "lower classes" of the UK are suffering from now. I wouldn't label myself as a monarchist or a republican really, but I do think people who support the monarchy should at least admit that the whole thing is silly in the modern world. As long as they can admit that I can respect it if they still support it.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

I hear Prince Andrew is being left in charge of the corgis, because he's an experienced groomer. When asked about his new position he said it would be no sweat. 

[Honey Honey]

It's interesting that most of the pageantry and pomp was created at various times in the last 150 years.

Much of the "old" world isn't really old at all. It is inventions from the wave of nationalism which infected life from the late 1800s to the 1950s. During that wave leaders fabricated and exaggerated connections to a distant past. 

Many civic and royal buildings in London are designed to give the impression of a long illustrious rich history. Often in reality it is the Las Vegas of the previous century.

[Gunnersaurus]

3 hours ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

I hear Prince Andrew is being left in charge of the corgis, because he's an experienced groomer. When asked about his new position he said it would be no sweat. 

Savage

[Stan]

3 hours ago, Honey Honey said:

It's interesting that most of the pageantry and pomp was created at various times in the last 150 years.

Much of the "old" world isn't really old at all. It is inventions from the wave of nationalism which infected life from the late 1800s to the 1950s. During that wave leaders fabricated and exaggerated connections to a distant past. 

Many civic and royal buildings in London are designed to give the impression of a long illustrious rich history. Often in reality it is the Las Vegas of the previous century.

So @Bluewolf and @CaaC (John) are to blame, as per?

[CaaC (John)+]

24 minutes ago, Stan said:

So @Bluewolf and @CaaC (John) are to blame, as per?

We always get the blame, blame @Bluewolf though, he is younger than me and kept creeping up behind me and sticking a sword up my arse 

[Stan]

1 hour ago, CaaC (John) said:

We always get the blame, blame @Bluewolf though, he is younger than me and kept creeping up behind me and sticking a sword up my arse 

I'd ask him to explain but perhaps @MUFC is in a better position to do so. Literally. 

[Azeem]

 

 

[Honey Honey]

I remember growing up when we were culturally capable of silent reflection as a sign of respect, or at least you'd get a bollocking if you weren't. Now it's wooping and clapping. Presumably silent reflection was a product of war rememberence and now that generation touched by war has largely gone the leadership in crowds has been replaced by something with less order to their values.

[CaaC (John)+]

4 hours ago, Honey Honey said:

I remember growing up when we were culturally capable of silent reflection as a sign of respect, or at least you'd get a bollocking if you weren't. Now it's wooping and clapping. Presumably silent reflection was a product of war rememberence and now that generation touched by war has largely gone the leadership in crowds has been replaced by something with less order to their values.

Nowadays mobile phones are the in things, look at all the crowds and all you see is people holding up phones and taking pics or videos, go back to the old days and all you see is people just standing and watching and they know later on in years they can say to their younger generation "I was there when..." or "I saw the Queen & Prince Philip at..." and only cameras to take photos.

[Azeem]