The Royals

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
The Norton Cat said:
Is Versailles open year round though? I'd imagine so. As a functioning Royal residence, Buckingham Palace is only open to the public for a short spell each summer.
Click to expand...

I just don't think people would lose interest in St Paul's, the Houses of Parliamant, Trafalgar Square, Picadilly circus, the tower of London, tower Bridge, and Buckingham palace if those dreadful people were stripped of their titles and moved into a council block in elephant and castle.

England is much bigger than the royals. Just my opinion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: arthur and Reggie the Cheddar
Disco down under said:
I just don't think people would lose interest in St Paul's, the Houses of Parliamant, Trafalgar Square, Picadilly circus, the tower of London, tower Bridge, and Buckingham palace if those dreadful people were stripped of their titles and moved into a council block in elephant and castle.

England is much bigger than the royals. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...
I don't think they would but, for some people at least, the presence of a Royal Family adds something extra, a different context to understand those things in. Ultimately, I think if you don't agree with the concept of a Royal family, you will believe that they don't add any value. If you do agree with that concept, you will believe that they do add value.
 
  • Like
Reactions: polyphemus
The Norton Cat said:
I don't think they would but, for some people at least, the presence of a Royal Family adds something extra, a different context to understand those things in. Ultimately, I think if you don't agree with the concept of a Royal family, you will believe that they don't add any value. If you do agree with that concept, you will believe that they do add value.
Click to expand...

I'm sure they add some appeal for some and you know what, maybe they do bring some cash in. That's hard to quantify either way.

But they would need to add a whole load more than they do for me to think the concept is a good idea.

I just don't believe anyone should be born into an officially higher station than anyone else. I don't know what they would have to do to win me over. But they're not doing it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: clockstander
Disco down under said:
I'm sure they add some appeal for some and you know what, maybe they do bring some cash in. That's hard to quantify either way.

But they would need to add a whole load more than they do for me to think the concept is a good idea.

I just don't believe anyone should be born into an officially higher station than anyone else. I don't know what they would have to do to win me over. But they're not doing it.
Click to expand...
I think that's fair. Personally, I don't have a problem with it and don't really consider it to be a higher station as such, just a hereditary public position. I don't believe that the class system still exists in the way that many people want to claim it does. The 'common man' can work his way to riches greater than many royals or members of the aristocracy currently have. As such, the Royal family and the aristocracy are anachronistic concepts that are just a relict part of the national identity. Complaining about them is just as much part of the national identity!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nordic, polyphemus and Disco down under
Disco down under said:
"10 million visitors

With nearly 10 million visitors every year, Versailles is one of the most visited historic sites in the world"

Sounds like we ought to storm a prison, chop the royals heads off, write a big novel/opera about the ordeal and the tourism will triple.
Click to expand...

And until you do that, I’ll happily accept the millions of visitors every year that visit the uk due to the royal family.
 
Disco down under said:
I went to Versailles. I didn't go for the fifteen Louis'.

Plenty of country without royals do just fine in bringing in tourism cash.
Click to expand...


Were I to visit France, Versailles is where I would head for too.
It looks like architecture at it's most extravagent.
In my many visits to London, I've never bothered to look for Buckingham Palace.
But tourists seem to want to, along with The Tower and The Crown Jewels.
Then there are the Guards, popular for photo oportunities plus the ceromonies that go with it all.

But I agree with your point that very few tourists will come ONLY because we have a Monarch as Head of State.
But it seems to be something that adds to the list of things that attract foreigners to our shores.

It beats me too.
But then I reflect that when I visited Melborne, I was disapointed to find that John Landy was no longer Govenor General.
I would happily have stood in all weathers just to see him drive past me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Disco down under and farnboromackem
polyphemus said:
Were I to visit France, Versailles is where I would head for too.
It looks like architecture at it's most extravagent.
In my many visits to London, I've never bothered to look for Buckingham Palace.
But tourists seem to want to, along with The Tower and The Crown Jewels.
Then there are the Guards, popular for photo oportunities plus the ceromonies that go with it all.

But I agree with your point that very few tourists will come ONLY because we have a Monarch as Head of State.
But it seems to be something that adds to the list of things that attract foreigners to our shores.

It beats me too.
But then I reflect that when I visited Melborne, I was disapointed to find that John Landy was no longer Govenor General.
I would happily have stood in all weathers just to see him drive past me.
Click to expand...

Living history as opposed to dead. You know the crown jewels will be whipped out every so often (fnarr fnarr) and have their story added to. A Royal wedding brings thousands over who would normally go somewhere else to spend their money. It's like a pop star going on tour for them.

It's not for me, personally, but I understand the attraction. I met Phil at a garden party and you just have to think about all the people who've changed history he'd met, and the world changing events he'd been close to. It's that weird glamour.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smug in Boots, farnboromackem and The Norton Cat
The Exile II said:
Living history as opposed to dead. You know the crown jewels will be whipped out every so often (fnarr fnarr) and have their story added to. A Royal wedding brings thousands over who would normally go somewhere else to spend their money. It's like a pop star going on tour for them.

It's not for me, personally, but I understand the attraction. I met Phil at a garden party and you just have to think about all the people who've changed history he'd met, and the world changing events he'd been close to. It's that weird glamour.
Click to expand...

Or when he was younger all the women he shagged.
 
Disco down under said:
I'm sure they add some appeal for some and you know what, maybe they do bring some cash in. That's hard to quantify either way.

But they would need to add a whole load more than they do for me to think the concept is a good idea.

I just don't believe anyone should be born into an officially higher station than anyone else. I don't know what they would have to do to win me over. But they're not doing it.
Click to expand...

Broadly my personal position too.

But I have just always accepted that I live in a country where most people disagree with me. The Monarchy retains it's appeal and that's it.

As I get older I can see the quaint attraction bit, but the principle is not for me.

Mind, as I said earlier, some, most, probably ALL, of the likely candidates for Head of State make your flesh creep!
 
  • Like
Reactions: TopClub, Disco down under and Reggie the Cheddar
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back