Should tax money be supporting the royal family

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Why is British tax money beng used to support one of the wealthiest families in the world?

Duke, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 02:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

because this country is stupid. i really resent my money being used for this. i can offer nothing in the way of defence.

gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 03:58 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'd much rather my tax money was spent on the royals than on, say, defense. The royal family's antics are far more entertaining than Tony Blair's, and a lot less dangerous.

kate, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 08:37 (twenty-one years ago) link

see I understand why you keep the royal family - tourist dollars, rally-around-figure, etc. what I still don't understand is why the house of lords still exists.

James Blount (James Blount), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 08:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yes, the House of Lords should go away. I like royalty, I think it's civilised to keep them around, but god forbid they should be allowed to wield any actual POWER.

kate, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 09:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

they can keep them if they really want. but let someone else pay for them. i cant afford it.

i think britain is a pretty pathetic country at the end of the day, and recent events pretty much confirm

gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 10:32 (twenty-one years ago) link

The queen should get no tax money, (and should be compelled to pay tax rather than just agreeing to do it when its expedient).

Lords should be a democratically selected.

Ed (dali), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 11:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

Because we're a piss poor sorry arsed excuse of a modern country; we're really a feudal state over which a semblance of democratic government has been overlaid, and I wish I wish I wish we'd had a frigging revolution a 150 years ago.

Sorry. I'm becoming a Maoist in my old age.

Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 12:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

As a touristcentric figurehead and economy-booster, the Royal Family is fine by me. I rather like tradtion really.

Mark C (Mark C), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 12:09 (twenty-one years ago) link

I don't like them (amazingly, they're reactionary tossheads), don't like the culuture of deference and secrecy that surrounds them and hate the way in which their existence allows the Prime Minister to use the Royal prerogatives 'as if' they were a absolute monarch and so deploy troops without Parliament, sign treaties etc etc.

Off with the feudal head of this country's constitutional structure.

Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 12:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm hoping that the Queen will sack Tony.

jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:36 (twenty-one years ago) link

Chuck doesn't take from the Civl List never has, for that he can stay - the rest of them can f*ck off.

smee (smee), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:39 (twenty-one years ago) link

chuck makes nice but expensive biscuits too

Ed (dali), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:41 (twenty-one years ago) link

Haven't tried them but he gives the profits to char-i-dee doesn't he? See, nice guy, he gets to live.

smee (smee), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:45 (twenty-one years ago) link

he makes a good do-gooding gentleman farmer (kulak capitalist pig)

Ed (dali), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:46 (twenty-one years ago) link

whether they are nice are not is irrelevant. they are too expensive. another family should put in a bid asking a lower price.

gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:46 (twenty-one years ago) link

haha the streets of poundsbury are too narrow for the dustcart so they i. pay through the nose for their oogly q.terry houses and ii. have to hoik their binbags by hand many yards out to the real streets of dorchester

mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:47 (twenty-one years ago) link

in fact why not get people to pay for the privalige of being royal. A million quid and you can be king/queen for 6 months or somesuch

Ed (dali), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:48 (twenty-one years ago) link

Chuck does have generally bad ideas about architecture. Poundbury is as bad as any barrat village in that respect. It is possible to be progressive, modern and functional and still be in keeping with the surroundings.

Ed (dali), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 14:49 (twenty-one years ago) link

You wanna get into a discussion about the Royal Family and taste? Have you seen the Queens outfits?!
All I'm saying, Chuck is trying - gotta give him points for it. The rest of them, don't even start me...

smee (smee), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 15:09 (twenty-one years ago) link

Chuck is very trying; he's a total reactionary fuckhead green ink merchant letter writing overpriveliged piece of aristo turd.

Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 15:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

What's a carbuncle?

Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 15:13 (twenty-one years ago) link

They're monstrous

Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 15:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

Camilla, next question

Ed (dali), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 15:25 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm no supporter of the aristocracy but I sometimes worry about the kind of abuse C. Parker-Bowles receives.

Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 15:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

That's more misogynistic IMO - same as Princess Anne; a trope of upper-class life (horses) is used as a specifically gendered insult; almost like aristocratic women are OK as long as they're fuckable.

Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 15:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

carbuncle = thing on Graham's neck

RickyT (RickyT), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 15:51 (twenty-one years ago) link

Dave Q for King. You know he would rock.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

as an a American I find it all rather humerous! Whenever I hear a Brit accuse Americans of being stupid, I always bring up the fact that your tax money is going to support a filthy rich family with no real power, so who is stupid?

Stephano, Thursday, 13 February 2003 03:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

Kate as a brit, you should know that terrorism is a real threat, and a strong national defense is needed! The Royals are not needed!!

stephano, Friday, 14 February 2003 23:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

I have been told that the Royal family really does have huge amounts of power, but they allow the government to run things so that it looks like they're a progressive state. ie: the elected government exists at the whim of the crown. Is this true, or insane conspiracy mongering?

Dave Fischer, Friday, 14 February 2003 23:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

Dave B's first post = otm. Tom Paine continues to whirr silently in his grave.

Dave Fischer - what you have been told is indeed crackpot conspiracy blah BUT I have no explanation as to why the British didn't chop their heads off a couple of centuries back like the French did.

Venga, Saturday, 15 February 2003 00:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

Ah - thanks, good to know.

Dave Fischer, Saturday, 15 February 2003 00:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

forget where i read or heard this but it's clever so pretend *i* said it: between 1770 and 1840 the french got a revolutionary new bourgeois constitution but stuck with thier backward old primarily agricultural & pre-industrial economy while the UK had NO social revolution and instead switched bingo into the world's first and for a long time dominant industrialised and post-feudal economy

mark s (mark s), Saturday, 15 February 2003 00:43 (twenty-one years ago) link

A toast! To the Queen! To all queens everywhere!

Candidia, Saturday, 15 February 2003 18:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

sixteen years pass...

Well, funnily enough?

BREAKING: the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have just basically quit the Royal Family. pic.twitter.com/n3oipRPBX1

— Julian Abbott (@JulianBAbbott) January 8, 2020

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 8 January 2020 18:57 (four years ago) link

How's the ginger twat intending on making his money?

Frozen Mug (Tom D.), Wednesday, 8 January 2020 19:00 (four years ago) link

Nude snooker matches in Vegas, having demonstrated competence in the field before.

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 8 January 2020 19:03 (four years ago) link

xp America

glindr jackson (gyac), Wednesday, 8 January 2020 19:06 (four years ago) link

Someone finally took that DNA test.

nashwan, Wednesday, 8 January 2020 19:09 (four years ago) link

Tbf they could absolutely coin it in in America and not have to deal with the Daily Mail obsessing rampantly over Meghan stepping out of a car the wrong way on the way to a memorial or whatever

glindr jackson (gyac), Wednesday, 8 January 2020 19:10 (four years ago) link

WeWork probably has a spot on the Board open.

Greta Van Show Feets BB (milo z), Wednesday, 8 January 2020 19:15 (four years ago) link

Time for Andrew to make that comeback.

Frozen Mug (Tom D.), Wednesday, 8 January 2020 19:30 (four years ago) link

would be great if this means meghan markle is back on tv

j., Thursday, 9 January 2020 01:11 (four years ago) link

Looks like the peasantry are going to need a new scapegoat, luckily there's lots of black people around they can choose from

it's after the end of the world (Matt #2), Thursday, 9 January 2020 01:35 (four years ago) link

Time for Andrew to make that comeback.


Tbh my immediate response to this was “ah another nonce is it”

Baby yoda laid an egg (wins), Thursday, 9 January 2020 07:47 (four years ago) link

Tbf they could absolutely coin it in in America and not have to deal with the Daily Mail obsessing rampantly over Meghan stepping out of a car the wrong way on the way to a memorial or whatever


oh they’re absolutely gonna be hounded whenever they go for the rest of their lives

now with added frisson of harry being not just a (oh god) ‘race traitor’ but and actual traitor by abandoning his duty to do whatever the fuck it is the royals do beyond cutting ribbons and raping kids

'Sly Cooper' Movie Breaking Into Theaters In 2016 (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 9 January 2020 08:12 (four years ago) link

MailOnline is huge in America, don’t you worry. Also the only UK paper for sale in many parts of the US.

santa clause four (suzy), Thursday, 9 January 2020 08:34 (four years ago) link

Yes but they’ll have access to friendlier media in the US and I imagine they can be a bit more honest about what they think.

glindr jackson (gyac), Thursday, 9 January 2020 08:43 (four years ago) link

> not have to deal with the Daily Mail obsessing rampantly

17 pages of coverage after yesterday's news, apparently. and an almost entire radio 4 breakfast news show (although thankfully no gyles brandreth that i heard). i can see why someone would want to step away from this.

koogs, Thursday, 9 January 2020 09:33 (four years ago) link

I imagine they can be a bit more honest about what they think.

which will be breathlessly reported in the uk media as 'harry and meghan SLAM royals, demand queen's head on a pike' and, like koogs says, be accompanied by multiple pages of meghan upskirts and royal baby pics

'Sly Cooper' Movie Breaking Into Theaters In 2016 (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 9 January 2020 10:07 (four years ago) link

Big “everyone in knives out describing themselves as “self made” energy

— Kath Barbadoro (@kathbarbadoro) January 8, 2020

Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 9 January 2020 10:56 (four years ago) link

this miriam margolyes story is incredible pic.twitter.com/xbTfglj6dH

— the bird of britain (@theseagullah) January 9, 2020

'Sly Cooper' Movie Breaking Into Theaters In 2016 (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 9 January 2020 11:18 (four years ago) link

Such a 2003 question

xyzzzz__, Thursday, 9 January 2020 11:20 (four years ago) link

2020 question: how long have we got?

xyzzzz__, Thursday, 9 January 2020 11:35 (four years ago) link

how rich are you?

'Sly Cooper' Movie Breaking Into Theaters In 2016 (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 9 January 2020 11:37 (four years ago) link

Also a lot of friends posting a reworking of the 'Get Out' poster.

Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 9 January 2020 11:39 (four years ago) link

Her majesty The Queen, earlier today. #Megxit pic.twitter.com/CMZEmE26QC

— twitch.tv/Limmy (@DaftLimmy) January 9, 2020

mark s, Thursday, 9 January 2020 12:16 (four years ago) link

limmy, as ever, otm

'Sly Cooper' Movie Breaking Into Theaters In 2016 (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 9 January 2020 12:18 (four years ago) link

in these difficult times, spare a thought for this poor bastard

Royal mega fan John Loughry has been at countless Harry and Meghan events over the last two years.

Now he says he’s disappointed with the couple, saying they’ve let the Queen down.

He feels he now has to choose a side - Sussexes vs Royals. pic.twitter.com/efaSik4bhH

— Anna Stewart (@annastewartcnn) January 9, 2020

'Sly Cooper' Movie Breaking Into Theaters In 2016 (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 9 January 2020 12:28 (four years ago) link

Harrowing stuff.

pomenitul, Thursday, 9 January 2020 12:44 (four years ago) link

Maybe he should split the difference and kill himself

The Masked Zinger (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 9 January 2020 12:50 (four years ago) link

GET A BRAIN MORANS

To those genuinely upset about Harry & Meghan still staying at Frogmore - "SPONGING OFF OUR TAXES" - don't worry. Their wedding was estimated to have brought in between £300m and £1b in revenue, so they've made us far more money than they'll ever rinse out of us via a new kitchen

— Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) January 9, 2020

'Sly Cooper' Movie Breaking Into Theaters In 2016 (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 9 January 2020 14:16 (four years ago) link

EveningStandard: "Madame Tussauds swiftly removes Harry and Meghan waxworks from Royal Family set"

mark s, Thursday, 9 January 2020 16:33 (four years ago) link

Still maintain if the royals are actually a tourist attraction they'd be better value killed and stuffed

The Masked Zinger (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 9 January 2020 16:36 (four years ago) link

tbf tussaud was way ahead on this point: http://rodama1789.blogspot.com/2013/10/madame-tussauds-head-of-robespierre.html

(content warning if clicking thru and you dislike depictions of beheadings)

mark s, Thursday, 9 January 2020 16:38 (four years ago) link

(that aside the little blog essay is interesting: tussaud was also something of a grifter!)

mark s, Thursday, 9 January 2020 16:42 (four years ago) link

Still maintain if the royals are actually a tourist attraction they'd be better value killed and stuffed

― The Masked Zinger (Noodle Vague), Thursday, January 9, 2020 8:36 AM (twenty minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

famously no-one ever goes as a tourist to france or the united states

bidenfan69420 (jim in vancouver), Thursday, 9 January 2020 16:58 (four years ago) link

that's bcz france killed their royals and the US stuffed theirs *highfives self*

mark s, Thursday, 9 January 2020 17:03 (four years ago) link

I have a friend who worked at Madame Tussaud’s while at UCL and they ‘borrowed’ her to pose as a plague victim for one of the tableaux. I’m pretty sure Kay’s waxwork is still in situ.

santa clause four (suzy), Thursday, 9 January 2020 19:22 (four years ago) link

Plague's never gonna go out of fashion

The Masked Zinger (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 9 January 2020 19:27 (four years ago) link

too busy to give this more than a v sketchy glance: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/harry-and-meghan-royal-family-surveillance-capitalism/

my conclusion = in the right territory, with maybe a few over-glib shortcuts to shove home a modern point viz "This is an institution founded on the idea… that (southern) England is the core of the realm" -- yes but no not really, london's overswollen ultra-centrality is recent rather than foundational, as is the over-valuation conferred to its marches viz the "home counties" (a term that post-dates the civil war): the fact that york is one of the two archbishoprics and that the title of duke of york was always conferred on the monarch's second son etc. had serious weight a couple of centuries back (bcz aristocracy still had serious weight) -- norman culture e.g. was abt effective garrisons and uneasy family rivalry (hence the wars of the roses)

HOWEVER the main argt is abt shift within and adroit use of mass media and here i think it's roughly correct and good (i need to watch THE CROWN S3 to reorient myself on e.g. the 1969 royal-life-at-home documentary (which i don't recall being the catastrophe the writer says it was, but i was only 9 when i last saw it lol)

mark s, Thursday, 16 January 2020 14:40 (four years ago) link

so much disappointed grandparental rage concentrated into this cartoon! "they move to the city, they grow a hipster beard and fraternise with ethnics, they never visit, they have no money, they never call, we even murdered their mum that one time but did it change anything?!!!"

https://i.imgur.com/E74CuzE.jpg

mark s, Friday, 17 January 2020 11:07 (four years ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/E74CuzE.jpg?1

mark s, Friday, 17 January 2020 11:09 (four years ago) link

how dare harry presume to sponge off gran and dad, who earned their money the proper way by being born into the monarchy

que pasa picasso (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 17 January 2020 11:09 (four years ago) link

i mean the underlying if unstated argument is the thread's argument: "we pay for them, they must dance to our tune"

mark s, Friday, 17 January 2020 11:16 (four years ago) link

'we pay for them, they must dance to our tune at the end of a rope' is how i break my underlying argument down to an extent tbrrwu

que pasa picasso (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 17 January 2020 11:17 (four years ago) link

*revolutionary fistbump*

mark s, Friday, 17 January 2020 11:19 (four years ago) link

Oh noes, they're giving up their HRH titles!

pomenitul, Saturday, 18 January 2020 19:01 (four years ago) link

They must realize that even after all this hoohaw the tabloids won't back off one inch.

A is for (Aimless), Saturday, 18 January 2020 19:16 (four years ago) link

"giving up" may not be entirely voluntary. still, my heart bleeds.

the Swedish taboo (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 18 January 2020 20:15 (four years ago) link

Does it look like they quit over paedo Andy?

Never changed username before (cardamon), Saturday, 18 January 2020 22:50 (four years ago) link

lol no

they wouldn't have even got to know him that well until they had some pre-pubescent children in their house tbf!

calzino, Saturday, 18 January 2020 23:14 (four years ago) link

That's unfair, as far as we know he's only raped pubescent children.

the Swedish taboo (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 18 January 2020 23:19 (four years ago) link

yeah ..that's the story he told his mum!

calzino, Saturday, 18 January 2020 23:20 (four years ago) link

Not much difference tbh. To me it proves Harry actually is Charles' son, eyes two centimetres apart is a Saxe-Coburg family trair.

Frozen Mug (Tom D.), Tuesday, 21 January 2020 22:44 (four years ago) link

yeah, the "hewitt is his da" thing is a lot of pish, would be a lot less of an ugly bastart if cha wasn't his da

bidenfan69420 (jim in vancouver), Tuesday, 21 January 2020 22:49 (four years ago) link

my culture wars hot-take is: do the fucking lot of 'em in - in very messy romanovs painting the walls in a dark cellar stylee, including miss marple!

calzino, Tuesday, 21 January 2020 22:54 (four years ago) link

^

plax (ico), Wednesday, 22 January 2020 07:37 (four years ago) link

"It is a pity the royals aren't what they once were, I wonder if its worth doing away with the ones that aren't the Queen and letting the public vote on their replacements"

anvil, Wednesday, 22 January 2020 09:11 (four years ago) link

The Queen is alright but the rest of them are all just part of the establishemnt, Harry and Meghan proving that but what can you expect, The Queen is the only working class one in there, the others havent got a clue!

anvil, Wednesday, 22 January 2020 09:40 (four years ago) link

My worry is if the royal family completely lose touch with their working class roots, as seems likely, whether the institution is strong enough to survive

anvil, Wednesday, 22 January 2020 09:41 (four years ago) link

ten months pass...

Prince Andrew seems really unlucky in his choice of mates

Uptown Top Scamping (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 16 December 2020 09:44 (three years ago) link

Maybe the Queen will cark it in January while the country is already at a standstill.

nashwan, Wednesday, 16 December 2020 10:40 (three years ago) link

Not sure Phil has another year in him tbh.

Eggbreak Hotel (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 December 2020 11:08 (three years ago) link


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