Queen Elizabeth II 1926 - 2022

[Sid]

It most of all shows hoe idiotic monarchies are.
The Prince of Wales and King are two ceremonial functions. And then a staff of together 600 people!!
No relevant decisions to be made other than if he goes out in a suit or a military outfit and if he wants his eggs boiled or fried for breakfast.
I wonder if staff still irons their newspapers each morning before handing them to the royals.

Sure they need some staff to do the paperwork, inform them, do the domestic tasks. But 600 people!
And add to that all the guards around the palaces, the troops for the daily changing of the guard procedure.
Madness. Plain madness.

The UK situation is in this case only an example of the madness in all European kingdoms.
In some a bit more, in some a bit less, but what a waist of money.
We (the involved Europeans) should really do something against this.
They are burning our money.

 

[Soen Eber]

You probably don't want to look at the line items for the White House catering and domestic staff, let alone anything else related.

 

[Sid]

At least the president of the USA is a decision maker, a person with political power and responsibilities.
Can be held accountable for what he does. Not so with the royals.

I don't expect the royals to cook their own dinners, do the laundry or vacuum the carpets. But they get their free luxurious lives for virtually nothing of any importance for their country in exchange, other than for the people who love to see the fairy tale shows.
With half of their staff they still would live in extreme luxury.

Only thing that peeves me with the US presidency a bit is the security paranoia around the president.
That really could be a bit less IMHO.

 

[Beebo Brink]

Only thing that peeves me with the US presidency a bit is the security paranoia around the president.
That really could be a bit less IMHO.

Can't agree there. Kennedy's assassination scarred us, and the assassination attempt on Reagan served as a booster shot. I'm frankly amazed no one took shots at Obama.

In the U.S., that level of "security paranoia" is quite reasonable, I'm sorry to say.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

As the comments point out, he's 73 years old and putting in 12 and 13 hour days, where he's standing a lot, giving speeches and meeting people, and he's just lost his mother -- he must be running on empty by now.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

As he makes clear at the end of the thread, Center Parcs have now changed their position, but what a fiasco:

 

[Innula Zenovka]

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

They’re doing the funeral on Talk Like A Pirate Day?

 

[Sid]

It's their free choice to do so.
Plenty of time to make great selfies and score some likes on social media.
Nice scenery along the queue as well: The Tower, London Bridge, House of Parliament, Big Ben

 

[Innula Zenovka]

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The Times are live-tweeting the queue, it seems

 

[Beebo Brink]

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

Apparently, actual military service and not being a creep isn't nearly as important as playing politics right...

 

[Beebo Brink]

Apparently, actual military service and not being a creep isn't nearly as important as playing politics right...

I'm wading through the comments and it's a battle of arcane regulations and cross-competing claims of this being entirely above board, or not. Everyone is being suitably stuffy and snotty to each other, I'm happy to report.

 

[Zaida Gearbox]

Apparently, actual military service and not being a creep isn't nearly as important as playing politics right...

Keep in mind that I think Harry and Meghan are a pair of twats. I'm personally more concerned about why Archie and Lilli haven't been changed to Prince and Princess on the royal website. The longer they hem and haw about doing this the more it makes H &M's claims of racism look 100% true. Charles could end up destroying the monarchy through his own stupidity and it appears racism. Because I promise you every not-white person in Britain, the entire Commonwealth, and even the world is paying attention to this.

It also increases the chances that H&M will go full on nuclear in future revelations because I promise they haven't even revealed the tip of the iceburg of how fucked up that family is.. Isn't part of the reason Harry's book has been postponed is becaue he's trying to decide about including some real bombshell information?

 

[Zaida Gearbox]

Apparently, actual military service and not being a creep isn't nearly as important as playing politics right...

Prince Andrew also served in the military during the Falkaan (sp?) War.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

Falklands

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

Prince Andrew also served in the military during the Falkaan (sp?) War.

I know... but the point was that Harry's service is just as real and he was at least as close to combat.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

It's their free choice to do so.
Plenty of time to make great selfies and score some likes on social media.
Nice scenery along the queue as well: The Tower, London Bridge, House of Parliament, Big Ben

Thread

 

[Sid]

Everybody who finds this uttermost important can always rejoin the queue after they walked past the remains of the Queen and do it all one more time.
"The greatest thing that ever happened"

How on earth can a queen dying ever be the greatest thing that ever happened?