The Royal Family Discussion Thread

[m williamson]

3 hours ago, crookesey said:

It’s the people that make the royals feel important, all the Ma’am,ing, Sir,ing and bowing makes me want to puke. George11 was the last king to lead troops into battle at the Battle of Dettingem in 1743, how many have died for King/Queen and Country since?

Many years ago Prince Michael of Kent came to do the official opening of the offices in Manchester where I was the Regional director. He was there  from 10.30 till mid afternoon.

The visit included  a 20 minute meeting in my office with my MD, the prince and me. At no time during that conversation or for the rest of the visit did I refer to him as Sir.

I treat him politely as I would anyone but I don't regard anyone as intrinsically ' better ' than the rest of us. He didn't seem to mind, and in fact extended the 20 minutes further by sending his protection officer away when the original 20 minutes were over.

The bowing and scraping from a few others present wasn't pleasant, but each to their own I suppose.

 

What always amuses me is the advice every parent gets when expecting their first child;

" Whatever you do don't spoil them " 

" Why not? " 

" Because it'll ruin their character "

 

Then just about everyone that comes into contact with royalty commences bowing and scraping and picking and choosing their words so as not to offend their precious sensitivities. 🙄

[ECCOnoob]

2 hours ago, m williamson said:

 

 

Then just about everyone that comes into contact with royalty commences bowing and scraping and picking and choosing their words so as not to offend their precious sensitivities. 🙄

I don't think it's just a royal thing. For one thing, it's well published that the royals don't expect anything. The traditions of how to greet a royal are things built in our society, not something they sit there demanding every time they enter a room.  Deep down, I don't think King Charles will give a flying fig whether someone bows courtesy, waves or high fives. It's the wider population who find outrage and criticism against people who don't do something.

 

Besides people show that sort of behaviour all the time across different parts of our culture.

 

Children for example from a very early age, as soon as they start going to school, understand deference to their teachers with 'sir' and 'miss' and following orders, lining up, putting their hands up for permission to speak, waiting to be acknowledged in turn....

 

Obviously in the military there is an entire manual on protocols and procedures, terms of address and rankings. It even trickles down to the police forces where the uniform division still have set ways in terms of address, greeting and protocol.  Lawyers are still bowing when they enter a courtroom.

 

It's not simply about "the person" but far more respect and acknowledgement of the institution. 

 

Even more, contemporary cultures is just as ripe for a new wave of such  behaviour, look at the way that people fawn and give deference, fall in line and bow down whenever there is a famous thespian, influencer, celebrity rolling into town. 

 

The sort of diva, entitled, self importance  behaviour and demands shown by that mob IMO far outweighs royalty whose lives are almost simple and humble in comparison to the cult of stardom. 

Edited December 2, 2023 by ECCOnoob

[m williamson]

53 minutes ago, ECCOnoob said:

I don't think it's just a royal thing. For one thing, it's well published that the royals don't expect anything. The traditions of how to greet a royal are things built in our society, not something they sit there demanding every time they enter a room.  Deep down, I don't think King Charles will give a flying fig whether someone bows courtesy, waves or high fives. It's the wider population who find outrage and criticism against people who don't do something.

 

 

 

 

The sort of diva, entitled, self importance  behaviour and demands shown by that mob IMO far outweighs royalty whose lives are almost simple and humble in comparison to the cult of stardom. 

The royals don't have to ' expect anything  if it's built into the culture do they? They can take it for granted that obsequious behaviour toward them is theirs by right .

During the three way chat I mentioned in my last post the prince and my managing director began lamenting the crime level in the country. I decided to keep out of that particular discussion as given the circumstances I thought it was just a bit daft.

However, the prince decided to ask me for my opinion, so I gave it. I told him that while it was indeed something that caused problems for many people and I had personally witnessed the effects on a number of occasions it was in fact also good for business. We were an electronic security company specialising in the sale, installation and 24 hour maintenance of intruder alarms, CCTV systems and we operated 24 hour Central Monitoring Stations. 

At the buffet which followed my MD came up to me and asked me why I'd said that. " Because it was the truth,  if it weren't for criminals you and I Ray would have to get a proper job " was my reply. The MD was a good guy and accepted it, but why was it even a thing? Pussy footing around royalty is servile. They should be treat with good manners the same as anyone else, but no more than that.

The population in this country is raised to be subservient, it's built into the culture and in my opinion is damaging to the nations wellbeing.

It's one of the reasons why we ended up with such a useless bunch of incompetents running the country. A lot of them went to Eton you know, so they must be superior to hoi polloi 🙄

[Guest]

1 hour ago, ECCOnoob said:

I don't think it's just a royal thing. For one thing, it's well published that the royals don't expect anything.

Where is it "well published" ?

[Guest]

Excellent piece by Marina Hyde on the Scobie book: One small slip and Omid Scobie’s Harry and Meghan book goes stratospheric. Imagine his distress.

 

I'd give a small body part to be able to write with half as much wit and flair as Marina.

[cressida]

2 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

I don't think it's just a royal thing. For one thing, it's well published that the royals don't expect anything. The traditions of how to greet a royal are things built in our society, not something they sit there demanding every time they enter a room.  Deep down, I don't think King Charles will give a flying fig whether someone bows courtesy, waves or high fives. It's the wider population who find outrage and criticism against people who don't do something.

 

Besides people show that sort of behaviour all the time across different parts of our culture.

 

Children for example from a very early age, as soon as they start going to school, understand deference to their teachers with 'sir' and 'miss' and following orders, lining up, putting their hands up for permission to speak, waiting to be acknowledged in turn....

 

Obviously in the military there is an entire manual on protocols and procedures, terms of address and rankings. It even trickles down to the police forces where the uniform division still have set ways in terms of address, greeting and protocol.  Lawyers are still bowing when they enter a courtroom.

 

It's not simply about "the person" but far more respect and acknowledgement of the institution. 

 

Even more, contemporary cultures is just as ripe for a new wave of such  behaviour, look at the way that people fawn and give deference, fall in line and bow down whenever there is a famous thespian, influencer, celebrity rolling into town. 

 

The sort of diva, entitled, self importance  behaviour and demands shown by that mob IMO far outweighs royalty whose lives are almost simple and humble in comparison to the cult of stardom. 

Thanks for explaining it all otherwise some people would be jumping at the chance to pass their ill-informed prejudices on to others.

[m williamson]

32 minutes ago, cressida said:

Thanks for explaining it all otherwise some people would be jumping at the chance to pass their ill-informed prejudices on to others.

Perhaps you should try to be a little bit less condescending and show a little more discernment?

 

Not everyone was raised to be subservient, some of us believe in equality and that the class system in this country is damaging to its welfare. The belief that some people are born to be in positions of influence without any innate natural ability to support it is something that is prevalent in this country and is a negative factor in the country's progress.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, cressida said:

Thanks for explaining it all otherwise some people would be jumping at the chance to pass their ill-informed prejudices on to others.

I would echo m williamson's first line in post #3007.  Totally condescending.

Why are people who don't believe in monarchy "prejudiced" ?   Why also,  is their  "prejudice "ill-informed" ?  Do you mean you know something that we don't know. ?

Other people have the same right to their opinions as Monarchists do without being prejudiced or ill-informed.

 

People also cannot  respect and acknowledge an institution which they don't want and don't believe in.  We may know many people who we respect far more  than the royal family.

That doesn't interfere with your choice to be a good and loyal subject without you being "prejudiced or ill-informed".

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Organgrinder

[cressida]

I said 'some people' not all people.

[m williamson]

4 minutes ago, cressida said:

I said 'some people' not all people.

As you were posting on this thread praising someone for ' explaining ' it on this thread then you must have been referring to posters on this thread mustn't you?

Can you be more specific and point out which of us you were referring to, and what precisely it is that they are are ill- informed and prejudicial about?