God NO.. A Royal Wedding

[Afghan Dave]

As this is a predominantly British board, let me apologise to any international readers.

Just in time for the cuts, job losses and unprecedented austerity we have to fight though... we get this.

WHOOP-DE-DO....  :x

[Philly Q]

Doesn't bother me, all the best to 'em.

We might even get a day off with a bit of luck.

[Plexi Ken]

Social unrest, redundancy, austerity, a Royal wedding... its the '80s all over again. Time really is cyclic  :P

[Dmoney]

as long as they pay for it all with their own vast fortunes... oh wait!

[JDC]

if the money spent brings in more money via tourism then it's money well spent

[Dmoney]

I wonder what percentage of "tourism money" actually filters back into the hands of the population?

For example, I wonder how many big companies that owe millions in taxes will benefit, who will obviously not pay the taxes on.

I saw Cameron saying it was a piece of much needed "unadulterated good news" which seems slightly optimistic given that people are already pointing out this tax issue. In comparison to previous royal weddings I imagine it will cost less. I'd just like to see some kind of breakdown on where money from tourism goes and how it filters down to benefit everything that will be getting totally screwed over in 2011.

oh. I saw something else saying that the royal family deserve a big wedding celebration because they do more for the country that MOST of the population... hmmm. I'd like to see evidence of that too.

[nfe]

The Queen is a bright woman, the wedding will be tiny compared with Charles and Diana's certainly, bearing in mind the Queen has previously tightened the belt of the Royal Family significantly and massacred the Civil List when questions have been raised about the cost of the monarchy.

On the subject of the Royals doing more for the country than most of the population, well for the most part they do. The Queen is the head of state, and carries out all the functions of one, she doesn't just go around the world on holidays all the time, she is actually working. Others on the civil list generally act as ambassadors and representatives of the nation, too, since the aforementioned cull they've been forced to by the Queen. Hard taskmaster, her.

Note I'm a long, long way from being a Monarchist, but I think people are quick to deride them when the alternative to our Constitutional Monarch would be a Political President (which most studies affirm would be more expensive). And nobody with any sense at all wants a political head of state.

EDIT: Spelling.

[Twinfan]

Oh my god.  I think I might agree completely with nfe  :o

[38thBeatle]

They might want a band at the wedding-I'm on it lads and will let you know.

Actually I wish them well, just as I would any other young couple. I also think nfe said it well. Maybe his band should bid for the royal knees -up.

[Afghan Dave]

Pardon me if I don't tug my forelock...

We have the historic Palaces and a current Monarch + an heir and a spare - all we need constitutionally & to satisfy tourists.

The rest (Andrew downward) can get real jobs.. and pay for their own Royal protection if they feel they need it.

Zara and Peter seem to survive OK!

[Dmoney]

i thought within what I was reading... the "more than most" comment was aimed at saying most of the population are benefit cheats. which I disagree with.

No doubt the queen is busy, but the British tax payer (in the past) has not only funded state business.

I agree about the wedding. I think William is pretty on the ball too, and will have his eye one some low key do.
I wan't to see Harry do a drunken, offensive best man speech. A bit like steve buscemi in the wedding singer.

[MrBump]

I was fairly anti-monarchy when I was younger, but I can't be arsed with that now.

Looking at them on TV yesterday, they seem like a nice couple.

And we might get a day off...

And I'm also looking forward to Harry making an arse of himself during the speech.

And I think that we should all take a vote on just who is suprised by NFE's comments...

:)

[Philly Q]

And I think that we should all take a vote on just who is suprised by NFE's comments...

I certainly was, but I agree with every word.

[Elliot]

I don't agree with the monarchy at all - send them all the way of Charles I.....

Nor, in a Republic, do you need a monarchical 'head of state' with powers to replace our relatively republican monarch (i.e. she wields less power than a modern president, or the stadhouder of the old Dutch republic or the old Doge of Venice)- Indeed, in reality we have a presidential head of state - the Prime Minister.  A second English Republic could  be achieved with a written constitution and a constitutional court to keep elected politicians in order.

[AndyR]

Good luck to them, but keep the cr@p off my television!! :lol:

I'll happily watch the wedding and the parade etc... sh1t, now I live within tube distance, I might even show up on The Mall myself... but everywhere I turned last night there were "knowledgable" media-fairies and various unknown pillocks spewing forth a load of "facts" and "insight". Half of them seem to have written books that they can finally get to market... "Princess This", "Princess That", "Princess on the Toilet", etc, etc...

But yeah, they do look a good couple.

Big mistake using his mother's ring though - the whole thing's banjaxed now :lol:

And, er, add me to the "I agree with nfe" list!