BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Allan Conn
Date: 08 Feb 22 - 06:01 PM

One does wonder about Witchell. I used to think what on earth has he done wrong to get lumbered with that gig? When he could have been reporting on many different and interesting news stories. Now though hey, he is way past pension age and still clinging on! Maybe waiting on to be the face of the story when she dies??? She might outlive him yet though!

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08 Feb 22 - 06:19 PM

I can't see any advantage to them from the the tabloid media's obsession. Other very rich people seem to get along happily without that kind of attention.

The occasional ceremonial occasion, like Presentation of the Colours ,or the Tourist stuff like the Changing of the Guard, and the trickle of Royal Visits to hospitals would be quite enough. The tabloid gossip rubbish, I cannot imagine why they can benefit from, still less enjoy.. My impressionis that most of the other royals in Europe don't have too much of that, and don't miss it.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Feb 22 - 06:38 PM

I've either bought or subscribed to the Guardian for fifty years. Until recently, in "know thine enemy" mode, I'd get a free Daily Mail with my My Waitrose card, about once a fortnight. The coverage of the royals, and the dissing of the ones who fall by the wayside (unsurprisingly frequent) is legendary. They'd be nothing without the metaphorical front page. Try it and see, but hold your nose. Sadly, the free paper with a ten-quid spend is coming to an end this month. The Mail is the royals' best friend.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Feb 22 - 06:40 PM

Nicholas Witchell, surprisingly, is only 68.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08 Feb 22 - 07:06 PM

No, I can't see the benefit, Steve. Yes, it keeps them in the public ete andso forth, but where's tge good of that.   If the only public appearance of the royal family in 2020 had been the Queen's Vera Lynn broadcast, and Prince Philip's funeral with the Queen on her own, that would have been quite sufficient to remind people they are still there. Especially with all the replays the latter has got thanks to Boris's party problems.

What more is needed, from their point of view. Not from the tabloids who revel in working over real or fancied royal family squabbles, keeping us up to date about princes on the loose getting into scandals.

You might say they deserve it, but they hardly benefit from it.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Feb 22 - 07:58 PM

Reminding people that they're still there won't serve them. They need to be in our faces and they are, being in the news all the time (a platinum year means mentions every day for months). There's been almost more coverage in recent weeks of our virtuous Queen removing this, that and the other privilege from Andrew than there has been about him and his misdemeanours. Not long go it was all about Harry and Megan being distanced by the others. Now it's the Queen making irrelevant statements about what she wants Camilla to be called (yes, that same Camilla who connived in the cheating on Diana even before the infamous waste-of-money royal wedding). Gosh how many column kilometres has that received... We will be ceremonied to death in the next few months. This goes on and on, and it suits them down to the ground. Diana almost did for them, but only by getting killed in a crash. It's a perennial and eternal saga, they love it (so do millions of the more unthinking elements of the public, unfortunately), and they need it.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08 Feb 22 - 09:56 PM

Can't really rate those things as "milking the media". They just happen, and the media make a big thing out of it. No doubt they enjoy much of it, but it wouldn't matter if they loathed it.

The rest of the stuff in between they just have no option but to endure -, like the Queen has to endure having a session with Boris Johnson every week. Though I imagine that's not as bad as Margaret Thatcher must have been. Boris can be quite enteraining, as in his Have I Got News For You days.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Mrrzy
Date: 08 Feb 22 - 11:39 PM

At least he doesn't give her unsolicited backrubs.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: The Sandman
Date: 09 Feb 22 - 01:45 AM

Andrew does not need the Media concentrating on him at the moment, so this other attention is a distraction from which he bernefits

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 09 Feb 22 - 04:13 AM

Well the noble Queen has reigned over many a shabby scandal, mostly not of her making (though I'm never sure about Diana....or Harry...) She keeps her inner core safe (Cambridges and kiddies, Anne) and a few peripherals anonymous (Wessexes and, to an extent, Phil The Greek and his big racist mouth, generally just a looming yet silent grouse-murdering presence). We've had Fergiegate, Dianagate, Cheating-Charliegate, anus-horribilisgate, divorcesgate, Andygate, Meghangate...they keep coming and they add flame to the spluttering embers and they never let us forget "the firm." Yet Her Maj shines through the crock of shite like a glistening jewel. She's managed what Boris couldn't - surround yourself with gross inferiors that make YOU shine all the more. He's tried that (he calls them "his cabinet"), but with him you'd achieve more shine on a polished turd.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: robomatic
Date: 09 Feb 22 - 02:33 PM

Well, again, just for fun. This is by no means scientific, but we have some historical examples of when monarchy was disposed of. One of them is England. It can be argued that that hiccup in orderly transfer of power led to the United States of America, or at the very least, enabled it.

More recently it was Russia. The Russian monarchy was overbearing and inefficient. But under it Russia experienced something that might be called technical and economic progress. Under the Soviets. Stalin was more powerful and malicious than any Russian royal ever (Ivan the Terrible never had that kind of power over the entire territory). Similar examples can be found in China, (North) Korea, and of course, Germany.

Reminds me of one of the cleverer scenes in "Game of Thrones"

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Allan Conn
Date: 09 Feb 22 - 06:06 PM

Difference in Britain is that democracy is well established as is the system. An elected Head of State would probably have the same largely ceremonial role that the present monarch has. Government itself would not be greatly different.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 09 Feb 22 - 08:50 PM

Allan is right - it'd be essentialy the system they have in Ireland. But I'd worry that the voters in England would be less wise in their choice than their neighbours in Ireland. I can easily see them going for a celebrity, or a retired politician. Unfortunately David Attenborough is too old to do the job.

Actually I suspect they'd very likely go for Prince William

The nightmare of course would be if England went down the executive president model of America, Russia and France.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: robomatic
Date: 09 Feb 22 - 09:03 PM

Well, as an over-proud American I would have felt 'we' were better than that and would never vote for someone dangerously unqualified. Then along came Drulius Geezer. I am reminded of Spike Milligan's line for the Goons. "Old England isn't finished yet! It's finished.............
NOW!
It's important to note that the FAT EGO who was in office was not the cause, but a bit of effect. We can hope it's temporary, but then we have such contrasting current examples of political sagaciousness as the RNC,Progressives, and the Q.
At this point I still like the idea of a written Constitution and a very strong stomach for this side of the pond.

Of course your mileage may vary, and you DO have lots more mileage.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Feb 22 - 10:26 AM

"and the Q" Initially, in the context of this thread, I took it that that meant the Queen. But on reflection, perhaps not.

I sometimes wonder if the Decision of the Founding Fathers to preserve the system of having a Monarch in charge, but elected, and with stronger powers than the one in Britain, will ever get recognised as a relic of 18th century thinking in need of being adjusted.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 12 Feb 22 - 11:01 AM

Personally, I prefer the idea of a benign, benevolent, non-political, ceremonial HoS - the Queen being a good example - to a US-style elected President, but I dislike the ‘hereditary’ element of our ‘Royals’ arrangement. I’d be delighted if we changed the UK’s system completely, to something akin to the RoI’s arrangement - probably a PR system of government with a PM elected by Parliament, and a non-political, ceremonial-only HoS elected by the general electorate.

Whilst I have a degree of respect for the Queen as an individual and, to a lesser degree, her immediate family, in this day and age I find the idea of the role of HoS being reserved for members of one grossly over-privileged family, and for no better reason than ‘that’s how it is’, and the inference that the Royals are somehow ‘better’ than everyone else, an insult to the rest of society.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Feb 22 - 11:19 AM

Well I have no respect neither for her nor the institution, and if it were possible, even less for her dysfunctional family. I refer you to my post of the 9th. The one sensible thing that the Queen has done in the last seventy years, something that neither Charles, Philip nor Andrew haven't managed for themselves, is to keep her mouth shut. Royal controversies are routinely played down by the media, especially the BBC, unless they smell a potential victim such as Meghan. Events such as dressing up as Nazis at parties, being photographed shagging a young woman from behind, the Queen Mother's and Philip's racism, the barefaced unfaithfulness to Diana even on the eve of the royal wedding and Margaret's taxpayer-funded dissolute and alcoholic lifestyle are all conveniently played down. Just think if Jeremy Corbyn had even thought of doing things like that.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Feb 22 - 11:33 AM

Got my noes, eithers and neithers a bit mixed up there...

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 12 Feb 22 - 02:15 PM

Your prerogative, Steve. I decided some time ago to not allow my shreddies to get wedged up my arse-crack about things over which I have no control - life’s so much more comfortable that way. ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Feb 22 - 02:30 PM

Oh, I know they'll be there until and beyond the day I go to join the choir invisible. But thank Shankly for free speech, eh?

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 12 Feb 22 - 05:28 PM

At least they don't dress up as lefties!!

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Feb 22 - 05:39 PM

In an imperfect world there are some things worth getting worked up about, and a lot that aren't.

I'd not lift a finger to get rid of the royals, or to keep them. And I skip the gossip about what they are supposed to get up to.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Feb 22 - 05:55 PM

There's no supposed about it really. In fact, they are so protected that there will be things we know about that were worse than reported and other things that we'll never know about.

What's worse, Bonzo, dressing up as a leftie or dressing up as a Nazi? Careful now...

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Feb 22 - 07:02 PM

"Royal controversies are routinely played down by the media."

As Star Wars put it:   "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...."

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Mrrzy
Date: 12 Feb 22 - 07:29 PM

Which media?

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 13 Feb 22 - 04:19 AM

The UK daily newspapers aided by every lefty under the sun.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: The Sandman
Date: 13 Feb 22 - 05:11 AM

Bonzo being dog matic

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 13 Feb 22 - 06:07 AM

I like being called a lefty/leftie. In fact, I have a badge that sez "This is what a socialist looks like" and another that sez "This is what a trade unionist looks like." I keep them alongside my EU stars badge, my Dump Trump badge and my 1977 Stuff The Jubilee badge. I also have a Royal Meteorological Society badge and car sticker, seein' as 'ow I'm a member thereof. I can't help that it's called "royal." It was never my idea. Never mind.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Feb 22 - 01:07 PM

Congratulations to the Queen for paying Andrew's legal bills and get him off. The sycophantic newsreader has just said that "he's innocent, not found guilty of anything."


So why the big payout to Virginia if he's done nowt wrong?!

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Mrrzy
Date: 15 Feb 22 - 01:34 PM

He has not gotten off yet? I am unclear on that last.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: robomatic
Date: 15 Feb 22 - 01:51 PM

What does "getting dressed up as a leftie" look like?

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: DaveRo
Date: 15 Feb 22 - 02:00 PM

Whisper it, but the time is right for the Queen to abdicate

I hope she doesn't go (either way) before Boris does.

I see only 60% of people (in the UK? doesn't say) support the monarchy now.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Feb 22 - 02:57 PM

Learned a lot from listening to the radio during a drive to work today: The queen may not need to abdicate - I just heard that Charles, and then Camilla both tested positive for COVID. Who knows what happens if they infected Mum.

Andrew's settlement on the charity of the woman who was suing him apparently doesn't have the usual verbiage about "no admission of guilt" and he's still wanted for questioning in another case.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 15 Feb 22 - 03:22 PM

After 70 years on the throne Her Majesty The Queen still radiates joy.
It’s impossible to watch this lovely moment without a big grin.
God save the Queen, long may she reign.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Feb 22 - 05:12 PM

Well unless she breaks all longevity records she won't be reigning for an awful lot longer. She radiates love of her corgis and very little else. All we can say for certain is that her replacement will be a bloody sight worse. Still, we're stuck with 'em and one has to be calm about that...

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 15 Feb 22 - 05:40 PM

I too am puzzled; how does one dress up as a leftie?
I consider myself to have been one for almost sixty years so which of my clothes should I discard in order to preserve my status?

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Feb 22 - 05:47 PM

Your bowler hat, tuxedo, dinner jacket and brogues, Dave. Alternatively, hang on to 'em all and go incognito...

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Allan Conn
Date: 16 Feb 22 - 02:44 AM

Re DaveRo's post and support for the monarchy at just 60% that is true - but a more important factor is what is the support for an alternative once the Don't Knows and Don't Cares are taken out of the equation. For instance a recent Yougov poll put support for the monarchy at 63% - but support for a republic was much lower at 25%. Likewise Survation recently had support for the monarchy lower at 57% whereas a republic was 29%. So the support for the monarchy is not universal but support for the alternative is still way behind. When broken down in parts then even in Scotland where support for the monarchy is only around 50% that support is still way ahead of Republicanism.

I do think though that at least a portion of support for the monarchy will be a fairly soft support. More for the person than the institution so support could be fickle - and approval for the present Queen is way ahead of approval to the heir to the throne. This link shows there is an overall positive rating for the Queen of 80% with 51% being very positive. Charles has only a 54% overall positive rating with only 13% very positive. Among the adults only William and Kate come anywhere near the Queen in truth! Harry has only 34% overall positive with only 11% being very positive. Then there is the likes of Andrew with 6% positive about him and only 1% very positive. Again when broken down support in Scotland is lower for all the royals apart from Harry and Meghan - as I suppose maybe they are not so hated because the institution has not got the same support so criticisms of it are not so important.

One does feel that maybe after an initial bout of sympathy there could be a major challenge for the royals to retain support when Charles and the even less popular Camilla take the throne. With the Queen there is the "aye been" element. For the vast bulk of us she has always been the monarch since we were born so it is kind of accepted without much questioning by many.

https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/mk1br7xert/Internal_RoyalFamily_211124_W.pdf

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Senoufou
Date: 16 Feb 22 - 03:32 AM

I remember when I was very small my mother telling me that the king was dead. And I also remember very clearly watching the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth on the TV at a neighbour's house.
Prince Philip was the Chancellor of Edinburgh University where I studied, and I stood in line while he passed along, talking to many of the students.
My father (GPO Telecommunications officer) met and talked to Princess Margaret at Kensington Palace, in order to arrange telephone systems there.
I've seen HM when she visited Norwich years ago and have arranged celebrations for the Silver Jubilee at the school where I taught.
However I'm very surprised that my attitude towards the monarchy has completely changed. I now see it as an anachronism which should come to an end after the Queen has passed away. I can't see the use of them, and rather resent their privileges and enormous wealth. I would never ever curtsy to any human being. They aren't 'elected' and the usual defence of 'they attract tourism' could be continued if all royal residences were opened to the public.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 Feb 22 - 03:41 AM

As tourist attractions they are very low on the lists, Sen. I do have an alternative that I have mentioned before. Hand over the running of "Windsor World" to the Disney corporation. We retain a purely titular monarchy AND they begin to rake in the money for the UK. Win-Win :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Senoufou
Date: 16 Feb 22 - 04:25 AM

Hee hee Dave, good idea! And I reckon Harry & Meghan would be an excellent choice as Directors/Managers of such a shenanigan. They seem to know all about that sort of world.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: meself
Date: 16 Feb 22 - 11:24 AM

As a Canadian - as I indicated earlier - I'm content with our odd Constitutional Monarchy - but when Justin Trudeau had the swearing in of his government broadcast publicly, I was chagrined to see these serious people, one after another, meekly swear allegiance to not only the Queen but all her heirs, fruit of her looms, etc. I mean, the Queen is one thing - but Charles?? William (okay, so far, so good, but ... )? Harry? And ... whatever, um, 'characters' the following generations produce? Even my mother was embarrassed. I'm not saying that feudalism isn't quaint and charming ... but [insert quotation from the leftist peasant of Monty Python & the Holy Grail here]!

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 Feb 22 - 12:56 PM

Is it just me, or does £12 million seem rather a lot of money to hand over to someone you never met or, if you did, you didn’t shag?

Mind you, it’s not really a lot to him when it’s our money he’s handed over, is it?

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Feb 22 - 01:06 PM

Morally speaking, all their money is our money. Of course, they get to spend it on big palaces, servants, playing polo, making horses jump over fences and shooting grouse on huge estates that we have to keep off. No food banks for them.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 Feb 22 - 01:53 PM

All together now…

“Oh the grand old Duke of York
He had twelve million quid
He gave it to someone he never met
For something he never did!”

I thank yew, I thank yew, I thank yew…! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Feb 22 - 03:54 PM

Headline in tomorrow's paper: HUGE QUEUE FORMS AT PALACE AS ANDREW GIVES MONEY AWAY TO PEOPLE HE'S NEVER MET

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Feb 22 - 05:08 PM

Oh God, and don't we all just LOVE Nicholas Witchell! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Mrrzy
Date: 20 Feb 22 - 08:51 AM

By George, she's got it.

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 20 Feb 22 - 09:08 AM

100

Subject: RE: BS: Congratulations to HM The Queen!
From: gillymor
Date: 20 Feb 22 - 09:23 AM

Thanks a lot BW, your little ditty gave my nostrils a coffee enema. Lol