weelittledrummer - 03 Nov 05 - 03:21 AM

"the only trouble is that everybody I know who has had anything to do with the royal family reckons they are a pack of arseholes. And this I find strangely more persuasive."

And

weelittledrummer - 03 Nov 05 - 11:45 AM

"this isn't the view held most people who have had the misfortune to be within a hundred yards of him.

the usual impression he makes is that of a complete twat."

I take it then that you have never met any of them, and that your opinions are based on hearsay. What happenned to, "You should take people as YOU find them".

Of the current members of the Royal Family I have met:

- Prince Phillip he visited our town when I was ten, arrived by helicopter, it was very well publicised, we scampered down from school to see him land and had to wade over a cauld (salmon ladder) to make it there in time. As he landed he apparently saw us and immediately on landing, instead of greeting the local dignitories he walked over to us, asked if we were alright and advised us not to be so foolish in the future - we didn't have the heart to say that we'd come to see the helicopter not him, but he impressed as as being a nice man.

- Prince Charles, he and I were in the Navy at the same time, we used the same pubs while on courses, always struck me as being a fairly normal sort of bloke. If you want testiment to him as a boss ask those who served under his command of HMS Bronnington, I've certainly not heard any complaints, and he still keeps in touch with them.

- Princess Anne, in my opinion the best of the lot, hard working, tireless, down to earth. I had the pleasure and honour of dining with her onboard HMS Victory and came away extremely impressed with the lady.

Weelittledrummer I would refer you to the good that this man, you so decry on the opinion of others, has done and measure him by that yardstick.

By all means roll on the Republic - you'd end up with Posh and Becks, or the winner of 'Pop Idol'/Big Brother as your President - mark you it's probably what you rate. For my part I prefer having a purely ceremonial Head of State, a-political, that can link their history to the history of the country they represent back through damn near one thousand years - that's got a bit of style about it - Presidents? here today gone tomorrow, forgotten without the slightest thought or backward glance.