homeguard

But did you know about the profit this country makes from the Queen?
HG

faginsgirl

Yes. The whole forum knows. You`ve just told us!

xx

We`re changin` lodggggggggings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

homeguard

Just checking. By the way, did you audition for Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber? If not, why not?
Regards,
Bill (whoops) HG.

ShirlGirl

You make it sound as if she's made that arrangement out of the goodness of her heart, but since you know about your history, you would know how long that's been going on and that she has no choice in the matter....

"On George III's accession, he ended hereditary revenues of Crown lands when he surrendered the Crown Estate to Parliament in return for a fixed civil list payment and the income retained from the Duchy of Lancaster. The King surrendered to Parliamentary control the hereditary excise duties, post office revenues, and 'the small branches' of Hereditary Revenue including rents of the Crown lands in England, (which amounted to about £11,000) and was granted a Civil List annuity of £800,000 for the support of his household and the expenses of Civil Government, subject to the payment of certain annuities to members of the royal family. Although the King had retained large Hereditary Revenues, his income proved insufficient for his charged expenses because he used the privilege to reward supporters with bribes and gifts. Debts amounting to over £3 million over the course of George's reign were paid by Parliament, and the Civil List annuity was then increased from time to time. Every succeeding Sovereign has renewed the arrangement made between George III and Parliament and the practice has long been reckoned among those constitutional conventions which it would be very hard to end." (Wikipedia.)

Hey, keep your hair on!
"Crown Estates" - land "acquired by right of conquest" by William 1. It's all history of course, and it seems like a good arrangement. After all, why should one person be entitled to all that revenue! It would be ludicrous.

When you compare £200 million in exchange for thirty odd it sounds as if the Queen is hard done by! - but £30 million (give or take a couple of million!) is a nice little government subsidy with which to run the family firm!

As fond as I am of the Queen, it does rile me when people claim she is the "hardest working woman in the country". I'm sure there are hundreds of thousands of women in the UK who go to bed physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted every night, who are holding down a job, maybe two jobs, struggling to make ends meet, have to do their own shopping and cooking, don't have any household help whatsoever, or nannies, can't afford a single holiday every year (let alone more than one), while the Queen doesn't even have to turn her bed down at night or make it in the morning.

I think the Queen is so loved that people tend to overlook the practicalities of her privileged lifestyle, how she has plenty of staff to do everything for her and there is so much in the way of everyday stress and worry that ordinary woman have that would be completely alien to her. Yes I know she has her worries and probably even loses sleep over them, and I really respect her and her absolute dedication to her position, but.... "the hardest working woman in the country".... I doubt that very much!

Steve Crook

And she does now pay income tax!
Maybe not exactly just through the goodness of her heart, there was a lot of pressure applied. But she wasn't exactly forced to agree on pain of imprisonment


So generally, we can say that the Royal Family doesn't cost us much at all, possibly a lot less than an elected politician for a President. This particular monarch has a lot of experience of the job, there's something to be said for being trained for a job from childhood and a monarch doesn't have to follow any party line like a politician does.

Yes there are many privileges that go with the job, but they deserve some. How many elected presidents make their own bed or have to struggle to find food for their family? Would you like to live live in the goldfish bowl like they do? I certainly wouldn't.

Are you sure you're still a Republican?
It's mainly the decision as to whether you want a politician in charge or not. How much do you like and trust your politicians?

Steve

CaptainWaggett

I'm still a republican. I haven't seen any evidence that a president would be more expensive than a monarch (how much does the President of Ireland cost - presumably the office doesn't come with quite so much land as the Queen owns, nor do their entire family get a free ride for life?). And I agree with Shirlgirl that it is simply insulting to millions of women working hard to run a home and family while keeping up a job to suggest that Queen works harder.

Dame Starry

The Royal Family are probably the best value for money of anything we have in this country at the moment - and long may they remain with us.

DS x.

julian_craster

The mere thought of Cherie Blair or Hillary Clinton lording it over us all as President would be enough to make me a royalist.......

faginsgirl

No I didn`t. The reason being I dont look like a Nancy. More like a little Dodger who stole (and ate) all the pies.

xx

We`re changin` lodggggggggings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ShirlGirl

My comments about privileges were in the context of the Queen being touted as "the hardest working woman in the country", when in fact other women work a damn sight harder and longer hours and without any privileges or rewards - they are the backbone of your country, not the monarch, but they don't get any recognition for all they do and all they sacrifice because they are just "commoners", not high-profile celebrities like the Queen. I think the Queen gets seen to be extremely hardworking because every single time she steps out in public to do her duty it is covered by the press.

But your politicians are in charge, they make the decisions, not the monarch. Perhaps she helps "to keep the bastards honest" though!

Well, I'm only an outsider as far as the UK is concerned so my opinion doesn't count for much. The Down Under situation is very different. We certainly don't get any financial benefits out of any royal estates and when royalty visits us, the Australian taxpayer foots the bill.
(Here's a chuckle... when Princes Di visited Sydney, one of the local councils spent about $40,000 of ratepayers' money to remove two speed-bumps in a road which was on a route she was to take! $40,000 so as not to jolt the royal bum! The fawning and kowtowing that goes on when royalty visits here is unbelievable!)

I said before I'm a republican, but I guess it doesn't go too deep, because I'm not amongst those who want to change our flag - for example. "New" Australians who have no connection to "Mother England" (such as my hubby!) say that our flag with the Union Jack in the corner means nothing to them. Well, I don't think they should come from other countries and say our flag is wrong and should be changed. Our flag represents the birth of our nation, and it's the flag our men and women of two World Wars fought under and we are living in a free country thanks to them. So it should mean something to them, even if they don't have a drop of British blood in their veins.

It's on the cards that Australia will become a republic in the very near future. We are part of south-east Asia both geographically and economically and the Asian influence is now very predominant in our everyday lives. (We had Thai take-away tonight, haha.) Our new PM speaks fluent Mandarin. Perhaps one day we will even have an Asian-born PM.

Frank63

I say, God bless the Queen and Prince Philip.

Having a monarchy is what makes us British. We are loosing our identity as a nation. We need to preserve it as much as possible wherever we can.

Watch the newsreels, wherever the Queen goes thousands turn out to see her because to them thats what Britain is, The Queen.

" I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception" Groucho Marx

Steve Crook

I expect that Australia will eventually become a Republic. Although I expect they'll find it to their benefit to remain in the Commonwealth.

The fawning isn't confined to Aus, there are some like that here as well. Not everybody by any means, but some.

There are lots of stories written in the newspapers and on TV. Nobody knows if they're true or not but it lets one group say "Ooh, aren't they wonderful" and the other group say "Aren't they a terrible waste of space". But both groups are in a severe minority. Most people here don't fawn and they don't want to get rid of them either.

As for removing bumps in the road, the comment I like best is that the Queen thinks everywhere smells of paint! Whenever she goes anywhere they repaint the place!

Steve

lordtednfs

Ah! But they do get recognition. Who said they were not? But I don't understand what you call privileges or rewards!

I make damn sure that my wife has her "privileges/rewards", days at the parlour, nights out with her friends and family, quality time from the home and within as well with her friends and family, at least two good holidays a year, one without me, so she can do her thing. And all because, I love her and she deserves it.

I am sure that many of the guys here make sure their wives/partners get their quality time and get the special recognition for all their hard work at home and at work, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Valentines, Xmas, but most especially when the mood takes us/them, and then the wife says "What are you feeling guilty about?"

Because someone does an excellent job, it does not need to be blown out of proportion for all to see and possibly laughed at.

I am sure if you asked Her Majesty has she enjoyed her reign, I am sure she would say yes. If you also asked "would you like to be a normal working person living a normal life?" I am sure you would not get a reply, but deep down she would say yes, just to see what it's like. For just one day, would you not like to swap her life for yours? We are curious animals.

____________________
Hooked off the line

Marky B

I have never understood the concept of the Commonwealth. Under the British Empire,when nations under British rule were coloured red,the Head of State was the occupant of Buckingham Palace. Yet,India is independent of Britain,has its own Head of State,but remains a member of the Commonwealth.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Steve Crook

See Wikipedia article
It's one of the biggest trading blocs in the world but it also does a lot of cultural exchange and mutual support.

And of course they also all play cricket and drink tea

Steve