A new King?!

[Rimshot]

Rob, if you had ever done any political canvassing you would know two things;
First, nothing offends a working class Labour voter more than a scrounger, particularly if they get a massive unearned income, say from the Royal Duchy of Cornwall .
Second, those who abuse the system are the last people to have political allegiances...they tend to belong to the 'I don't vote, cos they're all the bleedin' same' group.

[Elgrande]

Seems that many women are hospitalised with this severe form of Morning Sickness; just had one on BBC South East. As for the rest; can't be bothered rowing with people over something that most people in the world admire us for!

[Poshgill]

I know what you meant about Left wingers Rob and knew that we were precluded from your statement, but it is very easy to generalise and tar everyone with the same brush. In fact the 'the council house spongers who are not paying anything towards the country but drop sproggs faster that a bad juggler drops balls and they get all the health stuff for free but no we are LABOUR we have to love those little darlings.' rant is not true either. As Rimshot pointed out, these people generally do not vote and if they do vote, in my experience, they are of the EDL or BNP type. Its also not true that Labour voters support these people. The whole concept of socialism is you should only get out of society what you put in (From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs). We do need a benefit system in this country but most right-thinking people would argue for some sort of means-testing.

Yes, it is true Rob, the Diamond Jubilee celebrations did attract a lot of visitors to this country this year. There is no country on earth that can do pagentry like the British. I went to see the changoing of the guard in Cape Town once. It was not a patch on how we do ours though. However, it was a special year. We had more visitors for the Olympics than we did the Jubilee. Would the visitors still come if we didn't have royalty? Probably. Do we get visitors to this country just because we have roya;ty? Possibly not.

[Garawa]

Whilst there may be elements in what you have said, millions don't flock to Buckingham Palace because of the architecture, it's because of the royal connections. Of course people would come anyway but how many come to London to visit places just because of the royal connections - it must be an awful lot. Had we had a president for the last 100 years I don't think anyone would bother. I love Greenwich and we visited the Henry VIII celebrations a couple of years back. Suddenly seeing everyone playing a tudor part really transported you back and you couldn't help but think of what happened under your feet all those years ago. Same with visitors from overseas, they are drawn by the history as you said but that history came from the royal connections. I doubt the Tower of London would have hardly any visitors at all were it not for the beheaded queens and crown jewels.

[mark8364]

Rob, I didn't actually slag off the Royal Family. I just said they should abolished. As for my political preference, I voted Conservative in 1983, the first election I was old enough to vote, but haven't voted since.

[Garawa]

I do worry when people don't vote. People in some countries are desperate to be heard through suffering oppression by not being given a vote or it being manipulated and we have full freedom and don't use it.

That said, seeing how some imbeciles seem incapable of seeing how simple actions cause many people distress I worry that these people are being given votes and being asked to pick our governments!

[Poshgill]

Totally agree Gary. People died so that we could vote. Failing to vote then denies anyone the right to have an opinion on anything. Politics touches us all. In Australia, it is law that everyone votes. Apathy to politics is the single biggest problem in this country and the electorate gets the govt they deserve. (Mind you, if Mark voted Tory previously, I'm not TOO upset he hasn't voted again! )

As to tourists in London, well quite frankly I think you are wrong. Again I will use France as an example. More people visit the Palace of Versaille than Buckingham Palace and they have had no monarchy for 300 years. As for castles, Tower of London gets less visitors than Edinburgh Castle and the most visited castle in Europe is Neuschwanstein in Germany.

Its a pretty pointless debate as swe will continue to have a monarchy and we will continue to have visitors, but I still maintain that the most visitors come to this country to see the buildings and architecture and history, not to see the royals.

[Rimshot]

That can't be right Posh, look at all those visitors wandering around the pyramids desperate to see the Pharaoh.

[Elgrande]

Flippant and purile and the numbers are vastly different.

[Elgrande]

Then again all the Royal haters will no doubt be hoping that Mother and Child die during child birth. No doubt that will give them an excuse for a party as they didn't celebrate or take any time off for the Jubilee!

[Poshgill]

Bit strong that. Not sure anyone has even intimated that they would like to see any royal harmed. De-throned perhaps, but not harmed.

Anyway, Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. It's funny how people become rather aggressive when some one has the temerity to mention they are republican. So what if people don't believe in the monarchy? It's the 21st century not the middle ages. You can't drag them off to the tower for treason.

And some of us couldn't take time off during the Jubilee as we were too busy making sure the country ran properly so we could get all those jingoistic flag-wavers to London so they could touch their forelock to the landed gentry and continue to be the serfs.

[Snackboyslim]

The Royal family do far more good than harm and I'm very proud of them. My partner is Estonian and I know for a fact that when her many relatives come and visit, without exception they want to experience Buckingham Palace, take photos, buy gifts for their friends/families. That's all good for us.

I think they (royal family) bring a massive amount to our nation. Most foreign tourists find the whole history of our monarchy the facination when, 'Britania ruled the waves'. They are not necessarily visiting the royals for who they are now and the way we see them as a nation today, it's because of their/our history.

Invaluable.

Posh, as far as France having more visitors mate, it's a vast country which is far more accessable to mainland Europe than we are as a tiny Island. That doesn't surprise me and I feel it has no relevance with the Royal family.

By the way, I vote Labour.

[Rimshot]

You've made our point for us Snackboy. They come to see the palace not the Queen. As for 'hating' the royals , actually I don't know them as intimately as ElG, so I can only venture my distant impressions. The Queen seems likes a decent old buffer, kind to dogs and horses , established a reputation for wisdom by not saying anything unless its been written down for her and delivers a speech with a magnificent absence of any detectable emotion. As for her offspring, a space-cadet, a playboy wastrel, a dimwit and a woman with about as much charm as a diddycoy's guard dog.

Needless to say I bow to the judgement of all those who meet them regularly down the off-licence.

[Kezz]

People say horrible things!

[Robpthegills]

Thats my point.

If you dont want a royal family then fine, but why do they have to suffer personal insults.

As for the royal family they are no more dysfunctional than most in this country, and in fact a lot of them
have done far far more than most other families in this country.

Katie was as thin as a rake and suffered from morning sickness........yeah well done good reason to slaughter someone. THEY don't make the press throw the story down our throats every second the PRESS does that. Yes kerry katona might have done but the royals didnt.