We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING
Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
The Queen and what we have learnt from her.
Options
Comments
-
My goodness. What an outpouring of envious bile. Everything that is wrong with this country can't all be laid at the door of the royal family. Of course they live privileged lives but I wouldn't swap with any one of them, particularly not the Queen.
I remember that at the end of the film made about the royal family in the sixties, (or was it the seventies) the comment was made that the importance of the Queen was not what she did but what she prevented other people from doing.
I sort of agree.
Robert Mugabe anyone? Vladimir Putin? Kim Jong-un ?I believe that friends are quiet angels
Who lift us to our feet when our wings
Have trouble remembering how to fly.0 -
Diana certainly became manipulative and sly but you have to ask if they made her that way or was that actually her natural disposition. I am inclined to think the former, that her misery led her to collude with the press and lash out but I could be wrong.
By her own admission she was no Einstein. I believe she described herself as "being as thick as two short planks". She At least had no intellectual pretensions and seemed well aware of her shortcomings. It's no crime to be lacking in intelligence........she certainly didn't seem "thicker" than most of them appear to be.
Where I felt great pity for her is that I think she was like a lamb to the slaughter. She was young, naive and innocent and they were cruel and spiteful, jealous of her popularity. She dutifully presented them with an heir and a spare and all Charles could do was flaunt his mistress in front of her.
I did not worship at the shrine of the "sainted Diana" - she was not perfect - she had feet of clay just like any of us. In many ways she was a vain and foolish young woman but I feel it was Charles who was the truly odious one.
Just my opinion of course.........;)
Call me old fashioned and out of touch but I don't like liars and cheats and I have nothing but contempt for those who indulge in extra marital affairs. He publically humiliated her, no wonder she lashed out.
By describing them as dysfunctional I meant that out of the queen's four children only one of them has managed to remain married. Although of course we have no idea whether Edward and Sophie have a happy marriage or whether they live together in abject misery.
They all seem "away with the fairies" half the time - all that inbreeding???? None of them seem to have a grip on reality or the slightest inkling of how ordinary people live. You only have to read Queen Victoria's ridiculous diaries to realise they live in la la land.
None one of them would be capable of holding down a job or standing on their own two feet in the real world. Take away their privileges, money and status and they would sink without trace.
Whilst she was a member of "The Firm" Diana was indeed little better than a "brainless clothes horse" but it's interesting that after the divorce she disposed of most of her clothes and adopted a much simpler way of dressing. Makes you wonder how much of the clothes horse bit was just part of the job.
Diana had her faults but she did Also have many redeeming good points. She was prepared to take on causes that were as important as they were unfashionable and controversial - namely AIDS and land mines. She certainly didn't play it safe.
She might not have been none to brIght but she well understood the power of her looks, charisma, fame and popularity and how to use them to try and achieve some good.
I think this is why people warmed to her so much - yes they admired her beauty but they could also see that she was broken and fallible.0 -
Really .......
Having the Romanovs didn't protect Russia.......
If the military, foreign or home grown - were to decide to take power and set up a dictatorship I doubt that the royal family could stop them.0 -
Perhaps we have learned that if you have thrust upon you a position of complete responsibility and you take that responsibility seriously you can make a very good job of it, earn the love and respect of people worldwide, maintain your dignity at all times, raise a family and put your job as Monarch before them as you have to without question, do your duty at all times and still be doing the job at the age of 90 as well and with as much commitment as you always have regardless of personal cost, that Queen Elizabeth is a woman worthy of loyalty and respect and is a wonderful role model for all of us.0
-
I must catch up with this on the BBC radio iPlayer (much improved version IMHO).
Although I maintain there's little I'd want to learn from the Queen, there's plenty her generation can teach me. Jackie O, where art thou?Value-for-money-for-me-puhleeze!
"No man is worth, crawling on the earth"- adapted from Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio
Hope is not a strategy...A child is for life, not just 18 years....Don't get me started on the NHS, because you won't win...I love chaz-ing!
0 -
My goodness. What an outpouring of envious bile. Everything that is wrong with this country can't all be laid at the door of the royal family. Of course they live privileged lives but I wouldn't swap with any one of them, particularly not the Queen.
I remember that at the end of the film made about the royal family in the sixties, (or was it the seventies) the comment was made that the importance of the Queen was not what she did but what she prevented other people from doing.
I sort of agree.
Robert Mugabe anyone? Vladimir Putin? Kim Jong-un ?
I think you will find we are all disgusted and repulsed by their behaviour, frivilous lifestyle, cover ups of child abuse and sex offences, freeloading wastes of human matter... I wouldnt want to live as they do I have a bit of dignity and I have morals... they must all be so incredibly bored! It's not all about the money, but that doesn't help when people are being refused medical care because of money, life saving medical treatments refused so people die.. the utter injustice and inequality is gross.
The true heroes of this country are a dying breed.. the same generation as the queen but the ones who kept the country moving in spite of their circumstances against adversity they are the stories that warm my heart and display the true struggle and survival ability of human beings.. Both of my grandfathers died before retirement age.. one from asbestos related illness and the other from a stroke brought about by a work related injury.. 2 of thousands of deaths as a result of working conditions.. you don't see that with the mighty windsors (or whatever they are really called)
Putin is fantastic.. he sees through the lies and corruption and isnt afraid to call people out on it.. I rather loved him tearing strips off American politics 2 years ago.. Mugabe was put in place by American arms dealers.. then he sacked them off and they go upset .. and the crazy Korean guy is a touch out of control.. but.. they arent invading others countries or killing anyone but their own people unlike most of the rest of the world!.. but they are government so not really comparable to an insufferable bunch of inbred boring stuffed shirts, a figurehead of a long dead age.LB moment 10/06 Debt Free date 6/6/14Hope to be debt free until the day I dieMortgage-free Wannabee (05/08/30)6/6/14 £72,454.65 (5.65% int.)08/12/2023 £33602.00 (4.81% int.)0 -
I was almost reluctant to click on this thread, expecting sycophancy but I'm delighted to read I'm not the only one who isn't in love with royalty.
I think the Queen is one of a dying breed. She has taken her responsibility seriously. She's about the only one with Charles to an extent. Her sister certainly had her fair share of parties and holidays. In general after the 'annus horribilis' and other faux pas their popularity plummeted.
So the royal family has been reinvented for the modern world by a PR machine around Will and Kate. It's incredibly similar to Cheryl and Ashley Cole or Posh and Becks. It's pandering to the British obsession with celebrities and incredibly shallow IMO.
I watched news clips last week of Will and Kate in India and thought 'What's the point?'. Zara are probably sold out of maxi dresses. Big deal!
I listened to Will today, defending the accusation that he's lazy. OK, I agree, he doesn't need to do any extra royal duties there are plenty of royal pensioners around to do that. But that young man has given up a full time (well fullish) job with the air ambulance, and gone part time so he can spend time bringing up his family although his wife is a SAHM. That's admirable but so far removed from the lives of ordinary people it's laughable.
For me there's a wide enough gap between the haves and have-nots in this country without a royal family rubbing it in. I don't wish any of them any personal ill will but as an institution it's an anachronism.0 -
[QUOTE=VfM4meplse;70539454 .
Although I maintain there's little I'd want to learn from the Queen, there's plenty her generation can teach me. Jackie O, where art thou?[/QUOTE]
Hi there I'm still alive and kicking.:D Personally I have nothing but the greatest admiration for HM, as at 90 she is still working full time and can never retire and do what ever SHE may want to do.
I daresay there are lots of times she would probably rather put her feet up, and her comfy slippers on and just slob around:) and take the day off from just people in general.
Can you imagine having to look and behave perfectly ALL the time.never being able to have a headache,toothache, cold sore or just saying I'm going to have a duvet day. She has steadfastedly done her duty to her country and no matter what hasn't put a foot wrong.Her children I wouldn't like to bet could say the same thing. Charles doesn't appeal to me at all,and Andrew just seems to want to play golf and video games ( bit too old at his age really and doesn't seem have grown up Anne seems to be more like her Mum, but as for 'Dockyard Doris' (Edward) as a friend of my late OH called him (he was in the Met police protection branch and that was his nickname) he seems to have done very little with his priviledged life.
Kate has turned into a baby-making heir and spare machine as did her late Ma-in-law. So there is a lot about the Royal family that is wrong, but looking back over the past 70+ years I don't think of them all she could be accused of doing a bad job.
Her generation, as my late Mum, and probably my generation have just 'got on with things' as best we could.
We made do and mended, and tried to pass on to our children, and grandchildren the things we have learned over the years.
I enjoy the good things in life such as my children and grandchildren growing up, and I can see different things about them that they have inherited.My grandsons love of life and my late OH's sense of humour, and my Dds feeling for family and caring that my Mum passed on to me.
So tomorrow good luck and Happy Birthday to HM and may she live as long as her Mum, ( although not leave such a large debt to the banks) HM seems to be a lady after my own heart in her thriftyness .0 -
I think you will find we are all disgusted and repulsed by their behaviour, frivilous lifestyle, cover ups of child abuse and sex offences, freeloading wastes of human matter... I wouldnt want to live as they do I have a bit of dignity and I have morals... they must all be so incredibly bored! It's not all about the money, but that doesn't help when people are being refused medical care because of money, life saving medical treatments refused so people die.. the utter injustice and inequality is gross.
The true heroes of this country are a dying breed.. the same generation as the queen but the ones who kept the country moving in spite of their circumstances against adversity they are the stories that warm my heart and display the true struggle and survival ability of human beings.. Both of my grandfathers died before retirement age.. one from asbestos related illness and the other from a stroke brought about by a work related injury.. 2 of thousands of deaths as a result of working conditions.. you don't see that with the mighty windsors (or whatever they are really called)
Putin is fantastic.. he sees through the lies and corruption and isnt afraid to call people out on it.. I rather loved him tearing strips off American politics 2 years ago.. Mugabe was put in place by American arms dealers.. then he sacked them off and they go upset .. and the crazy Korean guy is a touch out of control.. but.. they arent invading others countries or killing anyone but their own people unlike most of the rest of the world!.. but they are government so not really comparable to an insufferable bunch of inbred boring stuffed shirts, a figurehead of a long dead age.
Cover ups of child abuse?Who? When?
0 -
D'you know what? I am also disgusted and repulsed by people's behaviour, but fortunately I have a certain amount of maturity and the advantage of a good upbringing and education all of which has taught me that to attack people who can't answer back is bad manners at best and downright wicked at worst.
I won't be reading this thread again, because I don't have time in my life to deal with nastiness.
I wish you all well.I believe that friends are quiet angels
Who lift us to our feet when our wings
Have trouble remembering how to fly.0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.5K Spending & Discounts
- 243.9K Work, Benefits & Business
- 598.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 176.9K Life & Family
- 257.2K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards