William and Kate

Well! Congrats to all in the UK! Another big Royal Wedding. Best wishes and a long happy life to the both of them.

(But isn't is a sad commentary on the state of the world today that almost the first thought after the happy announcement was: "How much will it cost us?" And then, "How much can we make out of it?" At least, that's how it is being reported over here. All our commentators can talk about is the cost of the wedding dress and the cost of the bash itself -- and then, envious comments about how people will make lots and lots of money off tee shirts and tourism. Yecch!)

The Royal Family is the UK's biggest tourist attraction. Disney opens a new theme park, a Royal gets married.

i hope they get it over quickly. the media bombardment is going to drive me nuts. i will have to become a hermit till its all over.

From what I read, it's gonna last at least a year.

Over here, the papers were busy pointing out where you could buy a copy of the engagement ring (Diana's), and purchase a knock-off of the outfit she wore to make the engagement announcement. I guess no one wants Wm's outfit.

Hey what about us Jim, don't forget they are our heads of state to
Craig

I've got nothing against them, despite the feelings of many of my countrymen, and hope it all goes swimmingly. It will benefit us in these dark times. That said, I wish it could now all be forgotten until the day of the wedding and I bet William and Catherine do too. Fat chance!

I found myself thinking, here we go again. Will the media invade too much and try to turn Kate into the next Diana. I do hope the press leaves them alone but these stories sell papers unfortunately.

The Caledonian Journal's (Scotland's first internet-only newspaper) report on the engagement said:

"Two people who went to university together are to get married, it has emerged. William Windsor (or possibly Wales or possibly Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) and Kate Middleton, both 28, met at St Andrews University eight years ago. Wall-to-wall, dewy-eyed, hysterical coverage can be found in every other media outlet."

:-)

TimR

Yawn. Personally, I couldn't be less interested in hearing incessantly about a ridiculously expensive wedding that I won't even be invited to.

It's ironic that the Americans (aka War of Independance against King George) seem to care more about the royals than we do!

Well I'm just teasing you, but £20 million of tax payers money for the security? That's no joke!

RichLewis wrote:It's ironic that the Americans (aka War of Independence) seem to care more about the royals than we do!

Oh yes!. My wife's aunt -- no longer with us now -- was obsessed with the British royal family. Scrapbooks were filled with pictures and stories. Of course she was a bit dotty -- no, a lot dotty -- and went into deep, deep mourning when Diana died. She was horrified at the concern expressed in Britain over the expense of maintaining a royal family -- saw it as yet another sign of the Decline of the World.

She'd be bouncing with anticipation . . . and may be, for all I know.

Come the revolution....

Don't get me started. I'm with Harleyrider.

wabashene wrote:The Caledonian Journal's (Scotland's first internet-only newspaper) report on the engagement said:

"Two people who went to university together are to get married, it has emerged. William Windsor (or possibly Wales or possibly Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) and Kate Middleton, both 28, met at St Andrews University eight years ago. Wall-to-wall, dewy-eyed, hysterical coverage can be found in every other media outlet."

:-)

TimR

The Daily Mash online is much more direct than that.

Don't get me started. I'm with Harleyrider.

I was remarkably restrained in my comments, tbh. When I first read Jim's post I took a couple of days out to calm down before responding. The distinct lack of British reaction to the initial post leads me to believe there are a lot of folk doing exactly the same!

I'm considering forming my own country and starting my own royal family! Where exactly does one buy those BUTT UGLY hats the royals wear, I'll have to put in a standing order for them once I've succeeded!

Just as long as the Lad doesn't follow in his Da's shoes he should be just fine. Either that or there will be no peace in Camelot!

Where is your bloody loyalty to Queen and country, all traitors will have their head on a spike at the Tower you bloody heathens and anti royalists

On a more serious note if they want to get married good on em but let your bloody parents pay for it and not us bloody tax payers, and yes along with all the other Brits I am sick of hearing about it already but wish them all the luck and for F**k sake don't mold Kate into the next Diana

From an ex-service man who served Queen and Country

Do I want a royal family... yes. Whats the alternative? it seems like the Dutch and the Danes kinda like theirs.

The monarchy costs us in taxes 67p per person per annum. Except that the revenue from the Crown Estates goes to the Government in return for a slice of the taxes for official duties and upkeep of the residences; the Estates revenue is actually greater than what the Crown receives from the Government handout, so actually the country makes a profit from the monarchy. Seems like a good deal to me.

As for the two youngsters who are getting married, good luck to them... I just hope that the interfering buggers from Whitehall and the shitty British tabloid press don't screw things up for them.

Harleyrider wrote:Yawn. Personally, I couldn't be less interested in hearing incessantly about a ridiculously expensive wedding that I won't even be invited to.

Well, if you and Fiona don't go then I'm NOT going either!

So there, William and Kate, we'll see just what kind of party y'all have!

Russell

tony wrote:Do I want a royal family... yes. Whats the alternative? it seems like the Dutch and the Danes kinda like theirs.

I'll trade you Barack and Michelle, and even throw in Nancy Pelosi.

At least with your lot, Russell, irrespective of which particular lot they are, you and your fellow countrymen have the right to call yourself "citizen". You also have the right to elect your lot in their entirety. I remain a "subject" of someone I have no say in electing and whose position was secured historically through the very dodgy power games of their ancestry and the resultant toadying, grovelling and general ass-licking of the aristocracy the monarchy begat in return for land and favour. (Oh! Better add keeping your head attached firmly to your shoulders to land and favour there!)

Anyway, this is in danger of getting way too heavy. Sadly, no matter what our personal standpoints over here, it seems we are stuck with the over-privileged inbreds - best we can hope for is a nice juicy scandal so that at least we can get a decent laugh at them all.

I do so love a good old Royal annus horribilis.



Oh and btw Tony, next time I am unemployed and not entitled to a penny from the State in benefits, I'll rest a lot easier in my bed knowing that 67p of the taxes I've been paying reguarly since 1982 is contributing to help someone who after all only gets a paltry c.£7m in annual private income her "country estate".

Right, enough. I'm off for a swan pastie now before spending the rest of the day shooting peasants.

I meant pheasants!

Dang!

fiona wrote:At least with your lot, Russell, irrespective of which particular lot they are, you and your fellow countrymen have the right to call yourself "citizen". You also have the right to elect your lot in their entirety. I remain a "subject" of someone I have no say in electing and whose position was secured historically through the very dodgy power games of their ancestry and the resultant toadying, grovelling and general ass-licking of the aristocracy the monarchy begat in return for land and favour. (Oh! Better add keeping your head attached firmly to your shoulders to land and favour there!)

Anyway, this is in danger of getting way too heavy. Sadly, no matter what our personal standpoints over here, it seems we are stuck with the over-privileged inbreds - best we can hope for is a nice juicy scandal so that at least we can get a decent laugh at them all.

I do so love a good old Royal annus horribilis.



Oh and btw Tony, next time I am unemployed and not entitled to a penny from the State in benefits, I'll rest a lot easier in my bed knowing that 67p of the taxes I've been paying reguarly since 1982 is contributing to help someone who after all only gets a paltry c.£7m in annual private income her "country estate".

Right, enough. I'm off for a swan pastie now before spending the rest of the day shooting peasants.

I meant pheasants!

Dang!

Well said ole bean.

The Welsh and Scots have been a thorn in the sides of the Rightful Rulers, by Divine Right, of the Empire for eons. What else is new?

The Romans knew about the Scots and built Hadrian’s Wall.

And the early Norman Kings built castles along the Welsh border.

Tony, you forgot to include the £37.5 million annual rent ol' Lizzie recieves for the rental of HER sea bed from the companies who had the audacity to put wind turbines on it in an attempt to find CHEAP, renewable power resources for the great unwashed.

I mean, obviously it's caused her no end of bother having all those nasty tower things strewn about. It's only fair, though, to compensate her. I mean, she must have had big plans for all that sand and she's had to put them on hold now.

Billy M. Rhodes wrote: ...the Rightful Rulers, by Divine Right, of the Empire ....
The Romans knew about the Scots and built Hadrian’s Wall. And the early Norman Kings built castles along the Welsh border.

Ah right. So let me get this straight: The early "rightful rulers" were some Italians in short dresses and the later lot of Conquerors were French. Oh, and you forgot the Germanic bunch of Angles and Saxons who came over in 449AD and who gave rise to the name England AND who also drove the Britons - the true "original" inhabitants of the area - over to one side of the land and called them Wealas - outcasts.

And, we'll not mention that the "Scots" really didn't come over to Great Britain until after the Romans had left.
And, we'll not mention that the second city of the "Empire" was in fact in Scotland. ;-)
And, we'll not mention that that same empire was founded on the back of a lot of very dodgy dealings including slavery (in which I have to confess to my extreme disappointment, my own country played a significant role)

Which all just goes to prove that History proves everything and nothing.

And it still doesn't justify the nation's taxes being spent (at a time when we are being told public expenditure has to be slashed) on an exclusive wedding that the families of bride and groom could easily afford to pay for themselves. They could always sell the coverage rights to "Hello" magazine like every other celebrity twit. And that's not the spelling of that last word I wanted to use.

Goodness! I find I'm forced to do something I swore never to do again: :queen: <---- Queen :joker: <--- You know who.

I do love history. Too bad we have so little of it we need to borrow someone else's.