Poll: Do you like the British Royal Family?

[Abomination]

I'm Canadian, and I actually do like the British Royal Family. Lots of people say they're outdated, and I agree whole-heartedly. That's the exact reason WHY I like them. They're a leftover from another time, they're essentially a living fossil. I appreciate them the same way you appreciate an exhibit in a museum. I look at them kind of like a miraculously still living dinosaur. I don't really care about the people in the family, or what they do and don't actually do, but just the fact that they still exist in some capacity amazes me and I'll actually be sad when they're finally gone.

Considering how there are now 3 generations of direct male first-born descendents, this particular living dinosaur will out-live YOU.

 

[drthmik]

Royalty is important because it is the right way to set up a country. A president is just a person that doesn't really matter; that is why people try to kill them all the time. We have had 4 presidents assassinated and pretty much every president has had people try to kill them. But royalty is more important and better than most normal people, they have a degree of dignity that makes assassins step back and say 'lets not do this;' because killing them is something different where they see the majesty of royalty before them and they are too in awe to try and kill them.

You should try reading some history before you make claims that are not true

Actually that's a sarcastic piece of satire, I just can't put my finger on where I've read it before but it was used by some total pillock in his attempt to make the United Kingdom - when it had a powerful monarchy - seem "better" than the United States.

I think it was an Australian film, I just can't put my finger on where I heard it before.

Ah... Well I had no way to know that

 

[KungFuJazzHands]

They seem alright, at least from what I saw in that John Goodman movie.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Also, when did the British royal family become the royal family of Earth?

Ever since Britain was the master of the colonies. That means Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, etc, all have official diplomatic allegience with Her Majesty.

Don't forget Falklands/Malvinas! Those guys pirated everywhere, didn't they?

 

[SpAc3man]

Yea why not. I am opposed to the idea of hereditary privilege beyond basic inheritance and I find the idea of a monarchy to be outdated but I also appreciate the tradition and recognition of history that it brings.

The British Royals gave up their absolute authority years ago. Their main purpose these days is to inspire a sense of patriotism and honor a rich history.

I do look forward to the day New Zealand becomes a republic and leaves the Commonwealth but for the time being I have no problem waiting a bit longer. Many older generations still hold a sense of loyalty to the royals due to New Zealand very much still being viewed as a part of the British Empire while they were growing up in the mid 20th century. Out of respect to these people and the Queen I think it is still appropriate to maintain the monarchy. Perhaps we will part ways when Charles is crowned.

They all seem like a nice bunch of people so I conclude that I like them. It would seem unfair to dislike them due to the lineage and tradition they were born into.

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

Being English, I do of course know the royal family. And whilst the Queen constantly tells me about how annoyed she is about yanks misusing her English - indeed, I hear she tells anyone who'll listen about it - I find them to be quite interesting people and am proud to have them around.

Except Philip, you should have heard what he said to the take-away deliveryman. The shame of it.

Every time I hear something about the Royal Family, a little part of me wishes England had gone the way of the French. Just a little.

Attempted to set up a constitutional monarchy (like wot we got now) and then decided we'll just all have a few years of murdering each other instead before having to fight constant wars with the rest of Europe for the next 20 or so years?

Sounds brilliant. Lets do it, the French Revolution was definitely a shining period in history.

 

[StormShaun]

I was born in England and moved to Australia, so I think that still counts as 'British' (Even though I consider myself as half Australian and half English).
And right now, I don't like the monarchy, but I have no problem with the Royal Family.

Though I do think they get a bit too much press. I mean seriously all this press with the baby, I heard someone say "I interviewed the store owners" and they were talking about the store near the Hospital where he was born. (I can understand depending on their story.)

Basically.
Dislike the monarchy.
Have no problem with the Royal Family.

The coolest members of the Royal Family are the Corgis.

 

[RedDeadFred]

I dunno, I've never met them...

I definitely don't like the IDEA of a royal family. Honestly, it's ridiculous how much I've been hearing about this new baby. A million babies are born every day yet this one has what seems like half a nation going crazy over it. I find it incredibly stupid that the so many people still treat the royal family as if they are important.

 

[Shock and Awe]

They're right for Britain, so I am all for them. They help make money for the country and are a piece of living culture.

 

[game-lover]

When I think of the Royal Family, it's mostly: "Oh hey... it's those people who live in that country I want to visit someday."

That's basically it.

So I guess that's a NO by your definition.

 

[SinisterGehe]

They do not affect or have affected my live or country since 19th century. And my country didn't even exist back then.

I think my "Don't care" meter would swing to "hate them" side slightly because the media do not shut the fuck up about them. There is severe and real issues to report about and what the papers are on about, them and their fucking weddings, parties and what the fuck ever...

But that is not their fault.

 

[Reaper195]

I don't like any royal family.

The fact that we still have royalty in this day and age is something I find fucking ridiculous.

Also, when did the British royal family become the royal family of Earth?

The moment England become the only truly civiliased country that still has a Royal Family. Also, media. Media all over the world is bullshit. I live in NZ, a colony (Ish?) of the UK and Jesus Christ, all the bollocks I heard about the Presidential elections in the US, or the Boston Bombing, or Kanye West's kid...I have no problem with the States, but NZ Media portrays it as if it's our own.

 

[Asclepion]

American, I find the idea of deferring to someone because of their birth to be offensive.

 

[BartyMae]

Neutral, though I voted for "non-british: no". I think the idea of a royal family is kind of cool...but...to be honest, I've never particularly cared for English history, and therefore don't really care too much about their royalty. If it were the Roman Empire, on the other hand...

(edit) Oh, and also, since I don't pay too much attention to the media, I don't get affected like some other people by all the purported BS the media reports on them.

 

[Callate]

I like the Queen. Charles seems like a bit of a tosser. The sons had to go through a certain amount of teenage nonsense; we'll see how they shape up as something resembling adults.

Over-all, I don't hate them, but I find the amount of tabloid journalism they attract almost as annoying as they surely do themselves.

 

[Asclepion]

My two pence - don't abolish the monarchy, let them keep their legacy (and the vast quantities of money and property they currently have, I suppose), but:
a) They shouldn't leech off the taxpayers. They're filthy f*cking rich, they neither need nor deserve the money.
b) They shouldn't have any influence over politics or military, officially or otherwise - this is supposedly a democratic nation.

Most people I know are sensible enough to see it from a similarly reductionist standpoint as I do - it comes down to whether you think a person deserves to be given a free ride their entire life, with all the money they could ever want or need, supplemented by people poorer than them, just because they had the sheer, dumb, blind luck to have been squeezed out of a specific woman's tubes. A woman whose only notable feature is that she had the sheer, dumb, blind luck to have been squeezed out of a specific woman's tubes, and so on with similarly arbitrarily-assigned people, going back centuries until you find some random dude whose combination of skill, ruthlessness, resources and luck allowed him to seize power (now that guy I might find a small amount of grudging respect for). And all they have to do in return is wave at the plebs now and then (maybe even shake a hand, but don't remove your glove - peasants are all filthy, disease-ridden curs, being poor must be infectious or something), cut a ribbon on occasion, and try to avoid making a scandal. And that last one is kinda optional. Their qualifications and the vital service they contribute to society are surely on a level with doctors who heal our sick and wounded, scientists who advance our knowledge, and police who maintain order.

The fact is that in any just and democratic society they should just be regular citizens - no dipping into public funds, and no rights or privileges beyond those also possessed by John Smith from Scunthorpe, you know, that funny-lookin' dude hunched in the darkest corner of the pub. And if they balls-up their finances - well, that's their own damned responsibility like the rest of us, and it'd be time to get a damned job like the rest of us. They still have enough friends in sufficiently high places to walk into a 6-figure salary based on naught but nepotism. And if they don't like policy x, that is currently being discussed in parliament, they should write a letter to their local MP (the response to which will most likely dodge the issue and answer a question you didn't ask), like the bloody rest of us. But then, some people are more equal than others, eh?

Ah, feels good to get that out. [/rant]

Absolutely. Divine Right is an idea that has been almost completely abandoned in the modern world, and with it the only justification for having one family being elevated from everyone else. That a post-industrial, egalitarian nation with near 100% literacy and open access to information is still addressing people as "Your Royal Highness" strikes me as some bizarre archaic throwback to the Dark Ages that has only stuck around out of cultural inertia.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

I think they're worth it for the entertainment value, Prince Philip is comedy gold. However, I feel that Hugh Dennis should be given at least 25% of all their holdings.

 

[lunavixen]

I don't care for the British royal family, when they visit our country (seeing as we are a subsidiary of the British commonwealth) they have their holidays on our tax money despite our country isn't in the best financial state as it is.

For those who don't know the (edit current purpose of the monarchy, they are the final signitories that put a bill into domestic law, the proxy for Australia is the governor-general, they sign in lieu of the royal family. They're mostly decorative, and a severe annoyance when they visit. The UK can keep them.

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

Not from Britain. It seems to be very in fashion in my generation to give a shit about the British monarchy, but I'm not sure why. I've heard good things about some of them, bad about others, and in general they are nothing more than glorified mascots for a country I've never even visited.

 

[Undomesticated Equine]

The I do not give a two shits about them option is missing in this poll. The King/Queen has no real power so why would anyone care what are they doing is beyond me.