I noticed on other threads a general apathy for the Royal wedding today. This is not uncommon I find as anti-royal sentiment seems to be a more socially acceptable than to be pro-Monarchy.
So I was just wondering what everyone's thoughts were on the Monarchy?
Do you think we should keep them or ditch them?
Apart from taking money, what do they do?
You would be suprised at the amount of tourism they actually bring to this country, any royal after the queen is worthless imo. Princess anne does a lot for charity so i wont knock that. I think it does continue the vast history this simple island has compared to like 400 yrs in american history compared to records going back over a thousand years and more here. I do think itll be a sad day when the queen does go and the end of a massive era.
My thoughts exactly Retro. I'm a big royalist. Many countries would give anything to have a royal family like ours (USA). I'm a bit of a sucker for all the whole traditional procedure of stuff like today, so I enjoyed it. That sorta stuff makes me proud of the monarchy.
I cannot for the life of me see the argument in the "they bring in tourists" angle, are you telling me that if the Monarchy was abolished, no bugger would come here ?
Personally, I find them an annoyance, especially Andrew, and wouldn't miss them if they were gone, well, apart from Phil - he's great. But equally, I have no problem with them going on, it's not as if they have any power, all I would want is for them to PAY THEIR WAY.
e.g. The missus and I saved for a year and a half to get married, we didn't end up with much, but we had a great shindig. How much of today was paid for by the Search and Rescue helicopter pilot and his jobless wife ? I'll bet nowhere NEAR as much as WE all did today through our taxes. How many Police were in attendance ? Who pays their wages ?
I'm happy for anyone celebrating their union in holy matrimony, but catching glimpses of the coverage today, I have to wonder, who was it all for, them or us ? Cos I could have done without it.
Still, they got me a day off work, so chin chin old boy.
(29 Apr 2011 18:08 PM)Dredd Wrote: [ -> ]I cannot for the life of me see the argument in the "they bring in tourists" angle, are you telling me that if the Monarchy was abolished, no bugger would come here ?
Sure, we'd still have a tourist trade, but disregarding the Monarchy's ability to 'bring in the punters' is a little short sighted.
I'm not a diehard Royalist. I didn't put up the bunting today or wave the flags. I did however watch the wedding (probably about three times now due to the constant repeats of highlights on the news all day), and I am most definitely pro-Monarchy, for one very simple reason.
Without them, what is our cultural identity?
Who are we?
Because I struggle to think of much going for us that is unique in the world beyond the Monarchy.
Football hooliganism, knife crime, teenage pregnancy, binge drinking and Chavs?
Dear God...
Long live the Queen!
And congratulations William and Kate.
People still go to Rio despite gang warfare in the favelas.
People still go to Turkey despite football hooliganism there - google Galatasaray - and there being an ACTUAL war in some parts of the country.
If those issues don't stop tourists going to those countries, what makes you think people would stop coming here cos we said "enough's enough" to the Monarchy ?
No one has said people will stop coming, just that the Royals are a tourist attraction.
But other than that, they are great ambassadors for the country. The world loves them and how many country's ambassadors could get away with racial slurs and idiotic goofs like Phillip?
People moan about paying for them, and that they are spongers. Well I'd much sooner pay for them and all that they do than the benefit cheats and scroungers out there that sit on their arses and suck money out of the system without contributing.
The Monarchy does contribute to the economy, whether you choose to believe it or not.
Whatever it did bring into the economy this year, it's claimed it all back on that wedding.
I have a mixed mind on this. In principle I'm anti royals, not so much because of how much they cost to the tax payer (it is so little per person anyway), but more because of the Monarch being our unelected head of state.
However as Sample has already alluded to, whether we like it or not our Royals, even the less senior ones open doors for Business in the East especially like no elected politician could ever hope to.
The tourism argument is a more murky debate as, yes the Royals do bring in alot of tourism money even when there is no major event going on, however I personally would ask, if there were no Royals and all the exisiting out of bounds royal abodes were opened up, then potentially that could bring in even more tourists.
The bottom line for me though which is why I'm happy with the status quo is, new business sucured by the Royals (especially from the more wealthy East) helps provide me with a job, more so than any additional tourism would if the Palaces, castles etc were opened up.