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I keep seeing news stories about Prince Williams upcoming wedding and it got me to thinking. What is the British people's feelings toward the royal family. Are they still a big deal? Is it still a big part of your national identity? Or are they more on the peripheral now and not really thought of unless there's something big, like the wedding coming up?

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Well, I think opinion varies widely on the Royals. They definitely are part of our national identity, I mean the Queen is on every banknote and coin, as well as stamps. But they do seem to exist in the background for the most part. I'd say many Brits consider them as something that is 'just there'.

 

Occasionally we have Royal visits around the country that spark interest in whichever area the Royal goes to, for example Prince Charles visited a village near me around the time of the golden jubilee in 2002. All local schools shut down for the afternoon, and a few businesses too. People lined the streets, and as a 10 year old back then I was handed a little Union Jack which I duly waved around with much childish enthusiasm. I even shook his hand, and I distinctly remember saying something trivial to him, and he acknowledged me and replied.

 

Also, when a British citizen reaches the age of 100, they get a telegram from the Queen. My great grandmother got one, and she's still going strong, turning 103 next week.

 

There are a few people who are completely against the Royals though. They cost the average taxpayer 69p per year. It is subjective as to whether they are worth that, but Buckingham palace brings in massive amounts of tourism, and when the wedding comes around this April there will be a lot of money injected into the economy. From what I've heard, the people who dislike the Royals tend to say 'they just sit there and leech off the taxpayer', and while I agree that they do get our money for free, and they lead relatively easy lives, they don't just 'sit there'. Only a couple of years ago Prince Harry served in Afghanistan, and the Queen herself served in the Woman's Auxiliary Territorial Service back in WW2. They visit charities, war veterans and overseas countries, so it's not all lounging around eating caviar in the drawing room at Windsor castle.

 

The Royals do get news coverage every now and again, as to what visits they've been on recently, or what they've been up to. And every Christmas day we get the Queen's speech at 3pm, which most people seem to watch. Obviously when the wedding happens they'll be huge amounts of coverage; when it was revealed that Prince William had proposed to Kate Middleton, it was headline news for a few days after, so I dread to think what it'll be like come April. But after the wedding, things will settle down again, and they'll all go back to taking a relatively back seat in British society. Most people are more interested in what David Cameron is doing, or what is going on with the government in general. That being said, the Queen still technically has the power to dissolve Parliament should she wish. She, in theory, rules the country and indeed, when we get a new Prime Minister, the Queen will swear him/her in.

Realistically, she doesn't have much power though.

 

From what I've noticed, older generations tend to hold the Royal family in higher regard than younger generations. I personally don't pay much regard to them, but I'm glad we have them, and I'd rather we have them than not. They certainly are a big part of our national identity.

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I'd say many Brits consider them as something that is 'just there'.

I think that is probably the best answer - they are just there, they are part of our furniture.

 

I am neither for nor against them. They do cost the taxpayer money which I believe could be better spent in these hard times, but on the other hand they do bring a lot of revenue in through tourism.

 

The tourism thing is something which I have never understood though... Buckingham Palace may be a fine building, but it's just that - a building, and there are much nicer buildings and architecture in London, and visiting the Crown Jewels was one of the biggest wastes of an hour of my life... we weren't even allowed to take photos.

 

I must admit that I am fascinated by the history of the Royal family, particually the Tudors (Henry VIII, Elizabeth I etc), I love reading and watching documentaries, films and TV programs about the history. I care more for that, as they have helped shape our country into what it is today, and for me it is the history that gives us our national identity.

 

But for the Royal family today I can take them or leave them. Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting married, there is a big buzz about the Royal wedding in a few months time but so what? I don't have anything against them and good luck to them - but I am just happy for an extra day off work (which I won't be wasting watching the wedding).

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The Royal Family are part of the history of the UK, they do help the tourism of this country, and I think they are respected and admired from abroad.

 

There are some people in this country who would like to see Royalty abolished.

I'm not a fervent Royalist, but it would be very sad to see them go, it would be another part of our identity taken from us. :king:

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I don't blame you for wanting to keep that part of your identity. You don't want to become homogenized with the rest of Europe. But as far as them being respected and admired from abroad, it just ain't so in the U.S. Over here they rank on about the same level as the Kardashians. They are good for tabloid material but beyond that...

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

I didn't watch it all. I watched bits because my mom was while I went about doing my things. The dress weren't that nice. The Queen looked like a stack of butter. The prince's looked nice. The song to walk down the isle was horrid. Not to mention they drove all the cars around the block and it took 10 minutes to watch each car with someone 'Royal' in to move. Not to mention the car was crawling.

 

It was all just a bit... plain.

Edited by Hermione
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I just can't understand all this hatred. It's an effing marriage for crying out loud. Marriages should be happy occasions. Yes we've keep listening on and on and on about this whole royal wedding for weeks, and it's annoying at some point but blame it on the media ok? And the fact people say why would i care about them being married? But you do care when a celebrity you like is getting married right? Anyway no one forces you to care but i keep reading all these rude comments everywhere arghhh. I personally like the royal family even though i'm not British. Mainly because i like Prince Philip a lot lol but even if i didn't like them i would bash the royal wedding.

 

So contrary to the popular opinion i think everything was perfect. The dress was lovely. I like plain things. Trust me, if it was eccentric, or if she wore any tiaras or jewls or anything, people would say bad things again. I also liked the fact that her hair was down, and not up as the protocol says lol. The couple looked lovely. They looked happy and that's all it matters. The Queen looked remarkably well for her age lol, i liked her. And i liked the entire ceremony looked like a fairy tail.

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I just can't understand all this hatred. It's an effing marriage for crying out loud. Marriages should be happy occasions. Yes we've keep listening on and on and on about this whole royal wedding for weeks, and it's annoying at some point but blame it on the media ok? And the fact people say why would i care about them being married? But you do care when a celebrity you like is getting married right? Anyway no one forces you to care but i keep reading all these rude comments everywhere arghhh. I personally like the royal family even though i'm not British. Mainly because i like Prince Philip a lot lol but even if i didn't like them i would bash the royal wedding.

 

So contrary to the popular opinion i think everything was perfect. The dress was lovely. I like plain things. Trust me, if it was eccentric, or if she wore any tiaras or jewls or anything, people would say bad things again. I also liked the fact that her hair was down, and not up as the protocol says lol. The couple looked lovely. They looked happy and that's all it matters. The Queen looked remarkably well for her age lol, i liked her. And i liked the entire ceremony looked like a fairy tail.

Exactly, it's just a marrige. Thats why I don't see why people care at all. What I find annoying is that at least 5 german tv stations broadcasted it live + public viewing. Isn't one enough? They wouldn't do that for my marrige (not that I plan to marry). :P

 

Personally I don't have anything against the Royal family. But I couldn't care less. Nevertheless I watched the kiss(es) live on tv. :P

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Exactly, it's just a marrige. Thats why I don't see why people care at all. What I find annoying is that at least 5 german tv stations broadcasted it live + public viewing. Isn't one enough? They wouldn't do that for my marrige (not that I plan to marry). :P

 

Personally I don't have anything against the Royal family. But I couldn't care less. Nevertheless I watched the kiss(es) live on tv. :P

DEEP INSIDE YOU ARE A VERY ROMANTIC PERSON.

 

 

i know it.

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Exactly, it's just a marrige. Thats why I don't see why people care at all. What I find annoying is that at least 5 german tv stations broadcasted it live + public viewing. Isn't one enough? They wouldn't do that for my marrige (not that I plan to marry). :P

 

Personally I don't have anything against the Royal family. But I couldn't care less. Nevertheless I watched the kiss(es) live on tv. :P

That's maybe because there is some german blood involved :P and since we chase away our Kaiser some weird people miss something :P

 

 

 

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That's maybe because there is some german blood involved :P and since we chase away our Kaiser some weird people miss something :P

 

 

 

Yeah...essentially those "Windsors" are just the brit branch of House Saxe-Coburg-Gotha....:king:

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That's maybe because there is some german blood involved :P and since we chase away our Kaiser some weird people miss something :P

Probably. :P

 

Yeah...essentially those "Windsors" are just the brit branch of House Saxe-Coburg-Gotha....:king:

Until WW1 they were still called House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, but because of WW1 they named them self Windsor.

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Yeah...essentially those "Windsors" are just the brit branch of House Saxe-Coburg-Gotha....:king:

 

 

Probably. :P

 

 

Until WW1 they were still called House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, but because of WW1 they named them self Windsor.

Good to see I'm not the only one who is interested in history. BTW I've visited Gotha 2 years ago and the people there are still very interested in what's happening with the royal's (Ok it was the tourist guide guy(?) who told me that)

 

 

Sorry for the double post but I had to work when the wedding was hold and now i saw the reports and I only have one thing to add: Prince Harry is cool!

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Her dress was STUNNING! I so want that if I'm slim (which fingers crossed I'm getting there) enough when I get married. Haha-I bet loads of people will be having it. So much better then other royals dresses before. I wasn't too bothered about the wedding but I'm glad I watched it. It was soooooo nice, it's nice to see them so in love, unlike certain other weddings. The Queen looked so happy as well, it's not that often you see her smile like she was :) and Harry looked great. I'm a big Harry fan.

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It was about time the royal family got some fresh common blood, otherwise the next baby would've looked like Golum.

 

Well it should look great now!:yesyes:

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