The Royal Family

[SecretPro]

2 hours ago, ozleicester said:

Meghan ruining the royals = 10 pages
Randy andy knocking off sex trafficked women - 1/2  a page

And Prince Williams 3 year affair and baby with Rose Hanbury = no pages, thanks to an injunction and his PR team throwing his own Brother under a bus. (Plenty of pages across the world though). 

[ozleicester]

2 minutes ago, SecretPro said:

And Prince Williams 3 year affair and baby with Rose Hanbury = no pages, thanks to an injunction and his PR team throwing his own Brother under a bus. (Plenty of pages across the world though). 

I havent even heard about this... lets google

[David Hankey]

Seems to me that they are no different to any other family.

[David Hankey]

I dare say Prince Andrew is "sweating" this morning.

[Buce]

41 minutes ago, David Hankey said:

Seems to me that they are no different to any other family.

 

Then why do we treat them as if they are?

[Wymsey]

A pounds worth of settlement fee is surely taking the mickey?..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59879079

[MPH]

11 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

A pounds worth of settlement fee is surely taking the mickey?..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59879079

 

I think they also hav to pay her legal costs don’t they? Which I’d imagine is astronomical 

[Dunge]

6 hours ago, ozleicester said:

I havent even heard about this... lets google

Might help if you throw in the word “allegedly”…

[st albans fox]

8 hours ago, SecretPro said:

And Prince Williams 3 year affair and baby with Rose Hanbury = no pages, thanks to an injunction and his PR team throwing his own Brother under a bus. (Plenty of pages across the world though). 

I've seen photos of mrs hanbury ........ i guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree ...... his old man dumped diana for camilla!!!!!

[SecretPro]

2 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

I've seen photos of mrs hanbury ........ i guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree ...... his old man dumped diana for camilla!!!!!

Yes, they seem to have a thing for long faces.

[Guest worth_the_wait]

yeah yeah yeah.   Let's get rid of the Monarchy.
 
That will fix the major issues we're facing like the coronavirus pandemic, global warming, energy crisis, post-brexit trade deal, rampant nationalism in Europe, geo-political tensions with Russia and China, inflation, homelessness, poverty, food banks, and lots more.   You never know, it might even also fix our defensive weakness at corners.
 
Then we can have some nice popular elected political Head of State like President Tony Blair or President Boris Johnson.  Yay!
 
Or better still, have some elected nobody like the winner of Strictly or Bake Off.  Double yay!

 

What could possibly go wrong? 

[BKLFox]

4 hours ago, Wymsey said:

A pounds worth of settlement fee is surely taking the mickey?..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59879079

She got what she really wanted

[bovril]

13 hours ago, ozleicester said:

Meghan ruining the royals = 10 pages
Randy andy knocking off sex trafficked women - 1/2  a page

Meghan and Harry are huge publicity whores so there's that. 

[What the Fuchs?]

53 minutes ago, worth_the_wait said:

yeah yeah yeah.   Let's get rid of the Monarchy.
 
That will fix the major issues we're facing like the coronavirus pandemic, global warming, energy crisis, post-brexit trade deal, rampant nationalism in Europe, geo-political tensions with Russia and China, inflation, homelessness, poverty, food banks, and lots more.   You never know, it might even also fix our defensive weakness at corners.
 
Then we can have some nice popular elected political Head of State like President Tony Blair or President Boris Johnson.  Yay!
 
Or better still, have some elected nobody like the winner of Strictly or Bake Off.  Double yay!

 

What could possibly go wrong? 

Well we basically already do have a presidential system in that the prime minister actually has a lot more power respectively than say the president of the US because literally the only thing they need is a majority and then they can get away with corruption and dismantling citizens rights like we are seeing and have seen under de Pfeffel. What we also have though is a parasitic and anachronistic institution in the monarchy on top of that which is an insult to anyone who values democracy, equality and social mobility. What’s more is if an elected politician abuses their power it is possible for them to be removed. Whereas the royal family can have an insidious influence on legislation to benefit themselves as they always have done, can waste vast amounts of public money on ridiculous luxury while the plebs are encouraged to use food banks, can act without scrutiny or accountability and can produce thousands of tonnes of Co2 every year on their private jets - and probably soon a yacht - while criticising the plebs on climate issues and be lauded for it because people like the escapism of reading about them in the daily mail to distract them from the hardships in their own life that these scroungers will never have to face.

 

They literally laugh at us behind closed doors - you know Charles took a private train from one of their palaces in Scotland to another one of their palaces in London in 2019 at the cost of around £22,000 or £40 per mile (source BBC). Doesn’t matter, let’s get the family in for a PR photo shoot and get them talking about Kates’s dress or how bad Meghan is so the plebs don’t realise how pointless and offensive the existence of a monarchy in a 21st century first world country actually is. I hope monarchists never have the hypocrisy to look down on anyone claiming any sort of benefits because they literally hero worship the biggest benefits cheats in the country. No one should be given preferential treatment because of the family they were born into or be above the law.

Edited 5 January 2022 by What the Fuchs?

[Parafox]

Then there's this guy... m(source:wikipedia)

 

In the early years of his reign, Prince Albert (of Monaco) oversaw multiple judicial and legal reforms, including the regulation of custody, protections of the privacy of the individual in the face of technological growth, freedom of the press, legislative gender equality, and the protection of children's rights and handicapped students.^[13] In July 2005, in echo of Albert I, his great-great-grandfather, he travelled to Spitsbergen, Norway. During this trip, he visited the glaciers Lilliehöökbreen and Monacobreen. Prince Albert also engaged in a Russian Arctic expedition, reaching the North Pole on Easter, 16 April 2006.^[22] He is the first incumbent head of state to have reached the North Pole.^{[citation needed]}

 

Since his ascension, the Prince has overseen the construction of various community facilities, including social housing, railway infrastructure, educational institutes for the hospitality industry, and secondary education. He currently heads an initiative to promote ethical economic activity, criminal liability, the adopting of systems to combat money laundering and organized crime, and the introduction of tax fraud into Monegasque criminal law.^[13] In 2006, Prince Albert created the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, which continues Monaco's commitment to supporting sustainable and ethical projects around the world. The foundation's focus has on three main objectives: climate change and renewable energy development, combating the loss of biodiversity, and improving universal access to clean water.^[23]

On 27 August 2015, Prince Albert apologized for Monaco's role in facilitating the deportation of a total of 90 Jews and resistance fighters to the Nazis in 1942, of whom only nine survived. "We committed the irreparable in handing over to the neighboring authorities women, men, and a child who had taken refuge with us to escape the persecutions they had suffered in France," Albert said at a ceremony in which a monument to the victims was unveiled at the Monaco cemetery. "In distress, they came specifically to take shelter with us, thinking they would find neutrality."^[24]

[Sly]

21 hours ago, ozleicester said:

I havent even heard about this... lets google

Neither had I! Seems it got somewhat swept under the carpet! 

[ozleicester]

1 hour ago, Sly said:

Neither had I! Seems it got somewhat swept under the carpet! 

Amazing what can be hidden/promoted by the media, particularly the British rags.

Still read by millions. How dumb do you have to be 

[Guest worth_the_wait]

On 05/01/2022 at 18:46, What the Fuchs? said:

Well we basically already do have a presidential system in that the prime minister actually has a lot more power respectively than say the president of the US because literally the only thing they need is a majority and then they can get away with corruption and dismantling citizens rights like we are seeing and have seen under de Pfeffel. What we also have though is a parasitic and anachronistic institution in the monarchy on top of that which is an insult to anyone who values democracy, equality and social mobility. What’s more is if an elected politician abuses their power it is possible for them to be removed. Whereas the royal family can have an insidious influence on legislation to benefit themselves as they always have done, can waste vast amounts of public money on ridiculous luxury while the plebs are encouraged to use food banks, can act without scrutiny or accountability and can produce thousands of tonnes of Co2 every year on their private jets - and probably soon a yacht - while criticising the plebs on climate issues and be lauded for it because people like the escapism of reading about them in the daily mail to distract them from the hardships in their own life that these scroungers will never have to face.

 

They literally laugh at us behind closed doors - you know Charles took a private train from one of their palaces in Scotland to another one of their palaces in London in 2019 at the cost of around £22,000 or £40 per mile (source BBC). Doesn’t matter, let’s get the family in for a PR photo shoot and get them talking about Kates’s dress or how bad Meghan is so the plebs don’t realise how pointless and offensive the existence of a monarchy in a 21st century first world country actually is. I hope monarchists never have the hypocrisy to look down on anyone claiming any sort of benefits because they literally hero worship the biggest benefits cheats in the country. No one should be given preferential treatment because of the family they were born into or be above the law.

So you don't want to borrow any bunting for this year's Platinum Jubilee then?
 
Seriously though ...
 
I loved the bit "What we also have though is a parasitic and anachronistic institution in the monarchy on top of that which is an insult to anyone who values democracy, equality and social mobility."
 
We have a democracy that is perfectly capable of getting rid on the Monarchy any time it likes.   Dumping a "parasitic and anachronistic institution" sounds a great idea.  Just stick it in your manifesto, get elected, referendum, 50.1% get rid, and bye-eee!
 
Not likely to happen anytime soon, as for some inexplicable reason the plebs seem to quite like the Royal Family.   God knows why ... maybe it's  the hospital visits, or helping out 1000 odd charities.  Or maybe it's just that people understand that someone has to draw the short straw, and spend their whole life shaking people's hands and engaging in aimless boring chat?
 
Who knows?
 
At the last yougov survey in 2021, 61% said they were in favour of retaining the Monarchy, whilst 34% wanted an elected head of state.   Bear in mind that's after a couple of disastrous years of Hazza, Megs and Andy.   I mean, come on, 61%.    Where do they find these plebs?  They can't all read the Daily Mail.
 
(just to put that in perspective ... since Universal Adult Suffrage was introduced in 1928, no political part has ever won 61% of the vote at a General Election.  Or put another way, the Monarchy at its lowest ebb is still more popular than the most popular political party of all time.)
 
But never mind, plenty of other more important issues to turn our attention to.   
 
As someone once said "If we get to a position where people think abolishing the Monarchy will solve our problems, then it's likely that the Monarchy are the least of our problems."

 

Edited 6 January 2022 by worth_the_wait

[Paninistickers]

46 minutes ago, worth_the_wait said:

So you don't want to borrow any bunting for this year's Platinum Jubilee then?
 
Seriously though ...
 
I loved the bit "What we also have though is a parasitic and anachronistic institution in the monarchy on top of that which is an insult to anyone who values democracy, equality and social mobility."
 
We have a democracy that is perfectly capable of getting rid on the Monarchy any time it likes.   Dumping a "parasitic and anachronistic institution" sounds a great idea.  Just stick it in your manifesto, get elected, referendum, 50.1% get rid, and bye-eee!
 
Not likely to happen anytime soon, as for some inexplicable reason the plebs seem to quite like the Royal Family.   God knows why ... maybe it's  the hospital visits, or helping out 1000 odd charities.  Or maybe it's just that people understand that someone has to draw the short straw, and spend their whole life shaking people's hands and engaging in aimless boring chat?
 
Who knows?
 
At the last yougov survey in 2021, 61% said they were in favour of retaining the Monarchy, whilst 34% wanted an elected head of state.   Bear in mind that's after a couple of disastrous years of Hazza, Megs and Andy.   I mean, come on, 61%.    Where do they find these plebs?  They can't all read the Daily Mail.
 
(just to put that in perspective ... since Universal Adult Suffrage was introduced in 1928, no political part has ever won 61% of the vote at a General Election.  Or put another way, the Monarchy at its lowest ebb is still more popular than the most popular political party of all time.)
 
But never mind, plenty of other more important issues to turn our attention to.   
 
As someone once said "If we get to a position where people think abolishing the Monarchy will solve our problems, then it's likely that the Monarchy are the least of our problems."

 

I'm not a natural monarchist by any stretch, but the millions of tourism money they bring in each year plus, I'd guess, perhaps tens of billions over the decades earned through their soft, apolitical diplomacy ......it's a USP we have and would be madness to ignore it

 

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

Andrews always been my favourite. 

[HighPeakFox]

Anyone that thinks our version of democracy actually functions properly is (imo) sadly mistaken.

[Dunge]

1 minute ago, HighPeakFox said:

Anyone that thinks our version of democracy actually functions properly is (imo) sadly mistaken.

Consider me sadly mistaken.

[HighPeakFox]

14 minutes ago, Dunge said:

Consider me sadly mistaken.

Doesn't prevent me respecting you.

[Dunge]

1 minute ago, HighPeakFox said:

Doesn't prevent me respecting you.

Ditto.

 

And I appreciate my view on it won’t be commonly shared on this thread.

[HighPeakFox]

1 minute ago, Dunge said:

Ditto.

 

And I appreciate my view on it won’t be commonly shared on this thread.

My opinion is not a fact - one thing I've learnt eventually is not to claim to know facts when I really don't.