There is an argument that the monarchy is a repository for illogical nationalist feelings and useful for it.

There’s no inherent link between nationalism and monarchy.
Many Welsh and Scottish nationalists are republicans who believe having a monarchy is outdated and illogical.
The nationalism you are talking about is a brand of British nationalism.

This whole shebang would put many a traveller’s funeral to shame. 😀

Are we all looking forward to watching the queen’s final journey? Six solid hours.

If only there was something else to do.

Flick one channel on the remote for uninterrupted live coverage of the Great North Run.

Obviously it reduces your ability to moan about something so think carefully before you take such drastic action.

The nationalism you are talking about is a brand of British nationalism.

Great point and I completely agree. I’d love to be able to get in to the mindset of the sort of person who fawns over the royal family (nobody on here btw)as it is just so alien to me. Almost a form of worship and that’s a whole other can of worms we don’t want to open on this thread.

It’s the sanctification of individuals with the aim of placing them above criticism and ossifying social structures. Stalinism and monarchism are quite similar in that respect. It’s irrational and consequently those on bended knee can only fend off criticism with abusive quips and ad homs.

There’s no inherent link between nationalism and monarchy.
Many Welsh and Scottish nationalists are republicans who believe having a monarchy is outdated and illogical.
The nationalism you are talking about is a brand of British nationalism.

An interesting point is that if the monarch ceased to be UK head of state s/he would presumably still remain head of state of another 14 independent countries, which would be awkward.

Another interesting observation imo was Putin’s unexpectedly warm tribute to QE2. Putin has never struck me as someone who highly respects polite international protocol. I suspect he felt able to give his warm tribute because QE2 wasn’t a politician but seen as a neutral figurehead who represented the British people more than the British government.

As someone who believes that there should be absolutely no place for an inherited head of state in an advanced democracy this puts me in a bit of a dilemma.

There is clearly something very attractive about a non-political neutral head of state in international relations, it must surely reduce feelings of bipartisan nationalism, how you achieve that in a democratic society isn’t that obvious to me.

Edit: See also Sinn Fein’s tribute to QE2 as another example of transcending nationalist barriers.

“There’s no inherent link between nationalism and monarchy.
Many Welsh and Scottish nationalists are republicans who believe having a monarchy is outdated and illogical.
The nationalism you are talking about is a brand of British nationalism.”

I’m guessing you meant to finish that off with ‘English nationalism’? In which case I wouldn’t disagree with you.

Many Scotish nationalists may well consider the monarchy to be outdated and illogical but had the recent referendum for Scotish independence been succesful, the monarchy would have still been retained.

Another interesting observation imo was Putin’s unexpectedly warm tribute to QE2. Putin has never struck me as someone who highly respects polite international protocol. I suspect he felt able to give his warm tribute because QE2 wasn’t a politician but seen as a neutral figurehead who represented the British people more than the British government.

or maybe he wants to chip away a little of the support the government has for it’s opposition to his slaughter of Ukrainians by pretending to agree with royalists on a minor issue. It is a pretty common and simple debating/propaganda technique.

Maybe there was a similar cynical motive behind Sinn Fein’s tribute, after all the reason Sinn Fein has always given for not taking up their Westminster seats was the oath of allegiance to the monarch, something which UK nationalists don’t appear to have a serious problem with. I don’t remember a similar polite tribute when Margaret Thatcher died.

Edit: Even if Putin’s motivation wasnt an unlikely feeling of sadness and regret at the death of QE2, the point remains imo that he probably felt able to do so due to the perceived political neutrality of QE2. Whether this is a good or bad thing is another question.

Abstentionism has deeper roots than just the simple we won’t take the oath of allegiance. It has long been a republican practice not to attend the parliament in London
This is quite a good article on it
https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/06/sinn-fein-mp-british-parliament-irish-republicans-brexit

Anyway, I’m just wondering who next for the OP “Angel of Death” Kelvin, to start a thread sending thoughts to?

switched on the telly earlier this morning and saw some sad faces, some people, just normal people telling the reporter about how the were upset etc,

not sure I get it. yeah, it’s sad for the royal family, but personally being affected by her passing. I was a bit shocked when Bowie passed, more when lemmy passed, but they gave me something.

the royals, not so much. But they also didn’t ‘seem’ to interfere and offered a nice fairytale idea of princesses, princes to children and americans.

as for british people being really upset, I’m not going to be able to understand that.

About the only thing I could read in the Times in the last 3 days is the crosswords. Radios don’t go on and I don’t watch the box. One good thing was that they were playing a Bach suite down in Tesco’s this morning, should do it more often.

I thought she set a shining example of dedication and service to us all.

You see, I am unable to read this and believe even slightly that it is serious.

Anyway, I’m just wondering who next for the OP “Angel of Death” Kelvin, to start a thread sending thoughts to?

Im sure there’s an empty house out there.

I think we need a compromise where we keep.the Royal family but abolish Royal correspondents.

jambourgie
Free Member
Are we all looking forward to watching the queen’s final journey? Six solid hours.

Posted 3 hours ago
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scotroutes
Full Member
Folk manage to watch whole stages of the TdF and that’s about as exciting.

If Millar and Boulting did the commentary on the funeral I might watch!

I’ve been hearing all the commentary in the old Alan Partridge sports reporter voice.

Anything interesting happened on the road-trip? I must admit to turning it off and playing seditious records whilst doing traitorous chores.

I think we need a compromise where we keep.the Royal family but abolish Royal correspondents.

🤣 At least the radio is becoming a bit more normal.

If Millar and Boulting did the commentary on the funeral I might watch!

Sean Kelly FTW!

Shades of the 66 World Cup- the coffins in the Vault, they think it’s all over, it is now!

Jeez I’d rather listen to Nic Witchell than Sean Kelly

According to Mrs g neither the late queen nor the current king were mentioned at chapel this morning.

I would accept a compromise of a slimmed down royal family and remove them from politics completly. No more queens speech and all that baloney.

Let the wider family get jobs

Stop the special privileges like the immunity from police investigations of crimes and make them pay taxes

It will be interesting to see if the licensing of grouse moors in Scotland will apply to the queens estate where criminality is routine. But i bet her privilege exempts her

Declaration of God Save the King met with boos in Edinburgh #Scotland pic.twitter.com/Qj2048kknU

— Phantom Power (@PhantomPower14) September 11, 2022

But i bet her privilege exempts her

I suspect being dead exempts her more!

I think we need a compromise where we keep.the Royal family but abolish Royal correspondents.

Actually I would be willing to start negotiating based on that!!! 😄

OP “Angel of Death” Kelvin

I’d just like to point out that I genuinely would have liked the Queen to have lived past 100, and kept her role ‘till the end. Her passing is sad, I see it as nothing else. Many people are far more moved by it than me, but I do see it as a loss. I don’t want this new King to rule over us though. Reform or remove… everything currently going on praising him gives me the creeps, like the whole of the UK is stuck in the middle of the last century, or earlier. It isn’t of course, but this pretence that we either are or we should be isn’t healthy.

oh dear

That's your daughter, Andrew pic.twitter.com/PqDq4BKtyz

— Parody Liz Truss (@LizTruss_MP) September 10, 2022

TJ is just grumpy that he’s not at home to pop along to see the coffin. 😋

I think we need a compromise where we keep.the Royal family but abolish Royal correspondents

Well Charles called witchell an “awful man” a few years back, so maybe it’ll be early doors for one fawning obsequious correspondent.

Oops

The perils of posting with beer in hand in the hot sun

🙄😎🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🤣

Declaration of God Save the King met with boos in Edinburgh

You know what the scots are like. And it’s spelt booze.

Why would you bother turning up to boo. Is it a protest ‘cos the TV schedules changed?

That’s just weird.

Crackpot local chippy owner took it a bit further than booing 😳😳😳
Jaki – not a royal fan

Why would you bother turning up to boo.

So, you can turn up to celebrate the accession fo a new King, but not to express disapproval that it’s happening? Well, at least the police agree with you, although those arrested/detained for expressing their views have all now been released.

Oops

The perils of posting with beer in hand in the hot sun

Get out of it – it’s nothing to do with the hot sun. You just haven’t come to terms yet with Her Majesty’s sad passing.

Cortege just passed the end of my street. The mood of the crowd a bit conflicted between seeing a celebrity & going to a funeral.

bedmaker – but look at how she’s been punished; her membership of the National Federation of Fish Friers has been revoked!
How will she live with the shame of being sanctioned by NaFFF?

I imagine the National Association of Fruit-Loops will sign her up ASAP

As I understand it, just one bloke was doing the booing in Edinburgh. Not much of a turn out for the republicans.
EDIT. Where is TJ at the moment?