Arent they also exempt from prosecution as well? Look at that whole Jack the Ripper saga...or Princess Diana murder
The royal family (not the hangers on, the immediate royal family) dedicate there entire lives to serving the country. They work incredibly hard, particularly the queen, serve in the armed forces, act as ambassadors for our country and increase tourism. They don't just sit on there arses enjoying our money, they work hard for the country. To anyone saying the royal family makes no difference to tourism, your just wrong. People come from all over to see our royal buildings because they are still current, the world loves that we still have our royals in our palaces rather than them just being another empty/museum palace. Then there is the huge amount of tourism around any royal event such as the jubilee, the royal wedding etc... Which generated billions for the economy. Top it off with the fact that the royal family legally own the crown estate, it isn't something we could just take from them if they stopped being the royal family. They would however then not be obliged to contribute the earnings off it to the public coffers, meaning we would be worse off without them, than with them even when you take tourism out of the equation. The royal family earn more than they cost. They aren't benefit scroungers, that's something poor people say to make themselves feel better. Whilst I can understand annoyance aimed at the wider royal family as some of them seem to do **** all but still have the royal benefits, people should be proud of our queen and her immediate family for the hard work they do in service to our country and for the figurehead they provide that connects us to countries all over the world.
Hard work? They do it as the cross they have to bear. It's not out of choice. Given the considerable luxury of lifestyle they indulge in, ofcourse they will visit a hospital or attend a ceremony. It's their job I suppose BUT (and here's the point that's missed) it's NOT a position they have earned like the rest of us. As for income, tourism in the British Isles is made up of a range of factors, of which royal heritage is only a part. And of the royal heritage, the attraction of the royal family is in itself only a small part. The tourism industry is far more complex than is often simplified by the royalists. The truth is that it's made up of British tourists as much as it is foreigners and the royal family factors very little into it (although the royal heritage factors far more). Also, we can replace it with an elected figurehead like a president if people are so hung up on their economic value. The one thing nobody ever has an argument for though is how someone should deserve the luxury and obedience of am entire nation based purely on a birth right. How can anyone with any degree of self respect square that with the ideals we pride ourselves in regarding equality and achievement through what is earned.
@paragraph 1 - your right, it isn't out of choice, they don't get the same freedom of choice or privacy over there lives that we enjoy. They have no option but to serve the country, no choice over there own destiny. They do get to enjoy a luxury lifestyle because of this but money vs freedom is a whole other conversation. @paragraph 2 - the royal family generate a lot of tourism revenue. Even if you ignore there effect on tourism in general and just look at one off royal events there are billions added to the tourism industry. @paragraph 3 - as far as I'm concerned the royals have an important part to play for our country and I couldn't care less if they are born into it. I think we are better off with them than without them.
please log in to view this image Can anyone explain to me how wearing a Nazi uniform serves the country? Definitely my favourite Royal moment though, because it shows they feel they are above the soldiers who gave their lives for this countries freedom and that despite apparently "dedicating their lives to serve the country" as AFCFTW claims, they have no real regard or respect for the people that live in this country.
Can't see the image but I assume it's prince harry as a nazi at a fancy dress party? Firstly I don't think it what was that big of a deal just a poor decision. And secondly harry has just ended a ten year career in the army, it's been a huge part of his life and soldiers are the people he will have spent most of his time with over the last decade. Poor example if that's what the image is.
A poor decision? Dressing up as a guy who caused millions of people to be murdered is a 'poor decision'? No its ****ing ******ed, and because he's been born into a certain family that ****** could be making decisions that change our lives in the future. And as for him being in the British armed forces, he probably fought as much as Tony Blair did, and was in as much risk as Tony Blair sitting back in his no.10 office. They even said he's not even allowed to go anywhere near the battle zone because he'd be too much of a risk to the rest of the soldiers. Sounds like the ideal kind of soldier, one that can't even fight or be involved in the battles. What was he doing? Making the tea ??
He was 16 or so at the time wasn't he? Never made a stupid decision at that age? All teenagers do stupid things, to try and say that this proves him to have no regard for soldiers when he then went on to have a ten year career in the army is stupid. My reason for bringing up his army career was to show he obviously has a strong connection to the army and soldiers which was a contrast to the point you were trying to make. I wasn't trying to argue the ins and outs of his military service. However I remember seeing that he was out in Afghanistan or iraq at one point until the media got wind of it and he was pulled out, because as you say it was a security risk. I have no doubt he would of had some top soldiers around him and have been kept as safe as possible in a conflict zone, but from interview clips I've seen with soldiers who served with him it seems he was one of them and insisted on being treated the same as everyone else. Edit: I've just looked it up and it was ten years ago so he would have been 20 at the time. Probably old enough to know better, but still just a bad decision rather than some show of disregard for the military given he went on to join the army.
Lets not forget folks, the Royals backed the Nazis before it came to war, they admired them. That is no secret. Even in the Spanish civil war in the 1930s, England Germany Italy France aided the Franco fascists
Seriously, why the **** do people tolerate monarchies in this day and age perpetuating the idea that some people are just better than others, they are the epitome of the kind of thinking the upper class have. Th tax payer pay those lot 35m a year while 1m people+ are scrounging food from food banks. Now 150m for a paint job The ****s have all their cash in tax havens. It's ridiculous.
1) Explain to me what freedom of choice I have that they don't? There are many things about my job I hate but have to do. And they DO have a private life (like many celebrities) that we would envy. 2) I would like to see where you got those billions from? Also, those one off events come along once in a while. Not often enough to justify a royal family. If that's what's so important an elected American president generates just as much surely? Lets just have him/her instead. At least they'll be a public choice, generate income and it solves the problems of all the "hangers on". 3) Well that's a difference of ideology I guess. I think they neither play an important part (in my life or my family's certainly) except to enjoy a lifestyle off my hard earnings...on the basis of what? Who their mum and dad is and where they're born. I think this is where the whole thing becomes irrational in the sense it's a point so polar opposite neither of us can meet in the middle on.
The Queen is reportedly worth £500m and she's sponging £12m salary a year. Buckingham Palace is estimated to be worth £5bn. **** off
Dead or alive Charles is worth about £400m, if you add up their worth, and look at how they leech from the country. It's sickening. people dont' ONLY come to England to see Buckingham Palace, that is horse ****, that would be one boring ass two week holiday just to see a building
They are paid for with tens of millions of money from the crown estate but the crown estate which they legally own (and getting rid of them as the monarchy wouldn't change this, it would infact give them full control) generates hundreds of millions which goes into the countries pockets instead of their pockets. They generate more for the country than they cost even when you completely disregard tourism. They don't live off your hard earned cash.
The same crown estate they've acquired by default off Jo Public... and continue to do so? It should go to the public purse who have as much right to it as the monarchy.
I tolerate monarchies - I don't for a second think they're better than me. I just put their existence into historical context rather than thinking I can create a world from scratch according to my perception of right and wrong. As I said earlier, I feel there are far more pressing problems in the world to warrant my opprobrium.
My point was they think they are better than you, they are born into it. Any ****in offspring they have will have to be floated by you the tax payer
For every Tiddly with a camera queuing up there to see a statue of Larry Grayson, there are a thousand of them coming over just to see the Beatle trail.
