The British Royal Family

[MrsSpringsteen]

I think Harry's cuter too, but yeah the Nazi thing tends to put the damper on that..

the age thing too, but there's nothing wrong w/ looking and hey he did turn 21

I enjoyed Princess Diana, she wasn't perfect but who is. She was a thorn in their side and it seems they didn't like that. I like Fergie too.

 

[U2Bama]

I am opposed to the institution of monarchy. There have been a few good monarchs who have served as good, fair leaders, though. I think the late King Hussein and the current Abdullah od Jordan are alright.

~U2Alabama

 

[Kieran McConville]

It is the British royal family's great good fortune to have survived into a modern era where they are a subject for tabloid gossip, and not a reason for violent revolution. Yeah.

 

[Angela Harlem]

I've got a long list of problems with them. One is the queen not paying taxes. Their treatment of their own family is utterly appalling and they are no role models. The queen's refusal to attend Charlie's wedding because of her role in the church pissed me off. He's never really looked happier. She, Camilla, seems like an ok person, hard to say, I know. But protocol dictates so much. It's tiring and annoying. Fergie came out here last year or the year before to do some Weight Watchers promo stuff and she was doing a tv interview and had everyone in hysterics describing how her daughters'd treat the queen and so on, and the nicknames she had for her. All the nice ones, the family seems to hate. Stuffy pompous twats that they are. And they do fuck all for this country, but we have to bowtow. I dont think even the average person here could tell you what the Governor General does.

 

[DrTeeth]

I'm just appaled when that the line of descent determines what position you get. This irks me in every part of society but I think it's even more pathetic when this is supposed to be a modern democracy and we're talking about the head of state. I have no problem accepting that these people are working hard but it just goes against everything I believe in.

Furthermore there's the financial part, and sure, a president deserves a nice salary and I'm sure facilities aren't cheap either. But at least we could stop at two or three houses and we wouldn't have to finance the entire Royal family who seems to be breeding like rabbits at the moment (I'm talking about the Dutch monarchy here).

And if the president screws up, we can just kick him or her out of office at the next elections.

 

[TheQuiet1]

I thought the Queen did pay some taxes??
Anyway, I have a question (don't I always?): Do the Canadians, Australians and all the other countries the Queen's head of state actually pay anything towards it? Does the Royal family actually have official residences in those countries that need to be upkept?

OK, that was two questions. I know the answer is obvious (I'm thinking 'Yes' to both) but I just wanted to check.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

I thought the Queen did pay some taxes??

She does. As of 1993 she pays income tax and capital gains tax, although because of an arrangement by which the Queen repays civil list payments made to other royals and offsets these payments against her taxes, her tax liability is far less than would be expected.

And I don't know the answer to your second question, but hopefully an Australian or Canadian person will be better informed than me.

 

[verte76]

If only it was our choice!

Yeah, I see what you mean. There haven't been any plebicites on whether or not to keep the monarchy. So I guess it's being forced down your throat. Still, I don't think it's my place, as an American, to judge whether or not Britain needs a monarchy because it's not my country.

 

[dandy]

Anyway, I have a question (don't I always?): Do the Canadians, Australians and all the other countries the Queen's head of state actually pay anything towards it? Does the Royal family actually have official residences in those countries that need to be upkept?

OK, that was two questions. I know the answer is obvious (I'm thinking 'Yes' to both) but I just wanted to check.

the queen doesn't have an official residence in canada, but we have the governor general who is the queen's representative in the country. basically, this is a fluffy, quasi-diplomatic position--the governor general flies around the country and the world, throwing and attending fancy parties for the rich and powerful. this is all funded by taxpayer dollars.

there is, in theory at least, a political element to the governor general's role, as the governor general *can* advise the prime minister on laws/political goings on, but this happens rarely, if ever.

personally, i think the monarchy is a nostalgic throwback to the age of imperialism and colonialism, not to mention that the very idea of a monarchy flies in the face of constitutional democracy (as DrTeeth said a few posts back ). i'd like to see canada get out of the commonwealth, but i don't think it's going to happen any time soon.

 

[meegannie]

Still, I don't think it's my place, as an American, to judge whether or not Britain needs a monarchy because it's not my country.

It's not mine either, but since I pay taxes here and will have to swear allegiance to the royal family in two years....

Anyway, I don't feel very strongly about the monarchy either way, and second pretty much everything Fizz said. I agree with Angela Harlem's assessment of the majority of them as "stuffy pompous twats," but at least they make good tabloid fodder sometimes.

 

[Kieran McConville]

No the former dominion countries dont fucking pay for the Queen - we never did! The monarchy is a British outfit, in fact nowadays the Queen isn't even directly our head of state here in Australia, the latest memo circa 1999 or so appears to be that the Governor General holds that 'honour'. I imagine Canada et al are similar.