Elf, that puppet is fantastic 🙂

Re being born into privilege, that’s inevitable isn’t it, unless you live in a communist state?

If you are born to self-made rich parents, that’s still a life of privilege.

we will never solve the problems of society when our country is still based upon a system where simply your name and family history confer on you poverty or untold wealth.

America: no Royals, far larger social divides than the UK.
In fact show me a country where the poverty gap narrowed when they became a republic?

Elf +1

TJ:

Admittedly from wiki:

The Royal Prerogative includes the powers to appoint and dismiss ministers, regulate the civil service, issue passports, declare war, make peace, direct the actions of the military, and negotiate and ratify treaties, alliances, and international agreements.

The Queen has the power of veto for all bills passed by Parliament too. It would be pretty big news if she used it, I think it was last used in the 18th century, but it’s a reserve power. Like I said, a potential brake on democratic excess.

airtragic – Member
Germans? Where did your ancestors live in the mid 1700s? I’ve no idea about mine.

Good point. IIRC my ancestors then were from France, Germany, Italy, Russia and what is now Iran. No Brit there at all. Guess I should surrender my passport, really 🙂

Couldn’t really care about the royals but I’m reasonably sure there are far more important issues that affect our lives than them and it’s a free bank holiday 🙂

America: no Royals, far larger social divides than the UK

Lol.

Bloody pirates. Full of hot air!

If you abolished the monarchy and all their wealth was redistributed amongst the UK population in order to reduce the social divide. How many generations before this wealth will be back to the current day distribution where the top 1% of the population own c25% of the wealth?

Not many I reckon, just this time the wealth will be owned by Branstons, Murdochs and Co. No thanks.

PS – those pirate stats are nonsense….what about software piracy 🙂

In fact show me a country where the poverty gap narrowed when they became a republic

You argument seems to be that having the wealth held by and elite minority then transferring this wealth/assets to the majority does not somehow narrow the poverty gap. Whilst I accept it would not be a panacea it seems prima facie to be the case that it would have improved a bit. I doubt we can get reliable stats though.
France? Iraq more recently after the shah?

It will help for a generation or two, but it won’t solve the poverty gap in the long term.
How about Russia as an example?

it would have improved a bit

For a few days perhaps.

“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”

Where did your ancestors live in the mid 1700s?

Basically right where i am now. My paternal ancestors were mentioned in the Domesday book here in Rochdale. On that side i’m as English as i can be i reckon.
The Welsh/Scots blood from my maternal side does alter things slightly but as far as i know we were all in the various points of the UK centuries before the current Royal Family were put in place by the Act of Settlement.

I was fettliing in the garden this morning. It was like the world had ended. I didn’t hear a single car.

I think the republicans might as well settle down for another 100 years.

In 1700 my ancestors were mostly welsh. Oddly I come from a long line of welsh giants. I’m a dwarf at 6’4″.

in 1700 one side of my family were Shropshire peasants. The other side is less clear – probably Cornish but possibly Breton. A bit of German as well

That’s where it all went then?

I inherited the opposite gene, i blame generations of Welsh miners banging their head on roof supports and developing protective dwarfism! 😥

Shropshire peasants, TJ? That still accounts for 90% of the County? 😀

All from within a couple of miles of one village in an unbroken chain going back to about 1720. Only a few names between them as well – most of the women called Martha, the men William

Most Welsh miners weren’t actually Welsh originally afaik. They came to Wales for the work when the industrial revolution kicked off down there.

TJ – what Shropshire village?

Rushbury. some came from as far afield as Wall or Cardington

My Maternal Grandmothers ancestors came from South Wales up to Manchester for work, my Maternal Grandfathers were also miners, from the Scots borders and also came down to Manchester for work. Scots were Hiltons and the Welsh were Williams, almost typical names from those parts it seems!

All from within a couple of miles of one village in an unbroken chain going back to about 1720

I believe the modern term for that is ‘inbred’.

I am descended from Genghis Khan and Taras Bulba! 😀

elfin, did you know that Genghis had ginger hair and blue eyes?

Don’t be silly he was not scottish.

no, but he still was a ginger. I know this, I have drank in the grand genghis irish pub in ulaan baatar 🙂

TooTall – Member

All from within a couple of miles of one village in an unbroken chain going back to about 1720

I believe the modern term for that is ‘inbred’.

😯 🙂

grand genghis irish pub in ulaan baatar

😆

I’m sorry I simply don’t believe you.

sorry, grand khan irish pub…..

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Mongolia/Ulaanbaatar_Hot/Ulaanbaatar-1296791/Nightlife-Ulaanbaatar-TG-C-1.html

😀

TJ – I used to live in Cardington and got married there.

Yes, Rushbury is even smaller 😀

Will I have to look for some TJ’s on the headstone’s next time i’m bellringing?!

Proof there is an Irish pub almost everywhere

Much like the fact that even the tiniest British hamlet has a curry house or a Chinese takeaway?

There were a few Irish Pubs in UB – I used Grand Khaan for the free wifi, and Little Irish for the craic

😮

(Is speechless)

Is speechless

Is savouring a brief moment of peace!
🙂

Elfinsafety – Member

(Is speechless)

that should be made a sticky…..!

Scamper – Blakeway is the name of that side of my family. Rushbury church is where a lot of them are buried but few gravestones as they were poor. Jim And Mary Griffiths ( now both deceased ) were my last contacts in the area – IIRC they did bellringing / churchy stuff in Rushbury.

The farm where most of them lived was the Gillberries farm. Jim and Marys descendants still farm there

the royal family are an assett and bring tens of thousands of tourists to this country every year.

the sex trade bring tourists to Thailand perhaps we should cash in here?

Oscillate Wildly – Member
it costs the taxpayer something like 35 million a year to keep the queen….

35 million of the taxpayers money….

regardless of what the royal family generate tourist wise, why on earth should WE everyday working people fund that?!?!?!?!?

she has 100’s of millions sat there, and the same with all the royal family…..

i hope it goes tits up tomorrow really do

———————————————————————–

I don’t know if anyone’s actually got any figures but I bet they bring a damn site more than £35 million into the country.
There again if you don’t like it you could always emigrate.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY[/video]

I don’t know if anyone’s actually got any figures but I bet they bring a damn site more than £35 million into the country.

Go and prove this then…

Thing is, all those tourists would come here anyway, actual living Royals or not. They don’t come here to see the Queen waving at them from the balcony at buck palace, do they? No, they don’t. They come to gawp at the buildings, wander round the museums, eat overpriced food, go on a double decker bus, maybe come visit Elf.

So yours is a rubbish idea.

There again if you don’t like it you could always emigrate.

Oh here we go; anyone opposed to the idea of a monarchy (as opposed to a true democracy) can get out, can they? Sorry, I thought Britain was a free country and all that… 🙄

the royal family are an assett and bring tens of thousands of tourists to this country every year.

Do they? I din’t realise the Royals had started up their own travel company and budget airline.

And I must confess, I’ve never seen Princess Anne down me local travel agents.