Poll: Do you like the British Royal Family?

[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 I am opposed to the idea of hereditary privilege beyond basic inheritance and I find the idea of a monarchy to be outdated but I also appreciate the tradition and recognition of history that it brings.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.

 

[RyQ_TMC]

The moment England become the only truly civiliased country that still has a Royal Family.

Huh, way to show those backwards primitives in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Japan.

And, depending on your definition of "civilized", a number of other countries of which respect of human rights I'm not sure (or I'm sure myself, but it's debated, and so I won't bring them up), so I won't list them here.

Apologies if you're being facetious. Hard to tell on the Internet.

OT: I don't care about them as people (I don't know them, how would I form an opinion?), but the size of media circus around any big event concerning them is sickening. Government decisions really important for the future of my country were being made, but the media decided to ignore it in favour of breathlessly reporting on the Royal Baby's First Poop. I don't mind Commonwealth dwellers caring about the event, but in countries for which the events in the British Royal Family have ZERO relevance, I'd rather they focus on more important stuff.

 

[SonofaJohannes]

Non-brit here. They haven't done anything for me, so I don't care about them. It's the media I'm irritated at for giving them so much attention. But the family itself? Don't care. Sure they bring in money from tourists, but since I don't live there it doesn't really mean much to me.

You know which royal family I hate? Sweden's. Fuck those guys.

 

[spartandude]

while i dont dislike them personally(i dont know them) but the idea of a Monarchy just pisses me off, i also hate how we get right wingers in this country calling people scroungers when they need benefits to not starve because there are very few jobs but then praise the royal family, or how we dont have enough money to pay for doctors, nurses, teachers etc but had enough to pay for the wedding and jubilee on top of what they already get

I would also like to congratulate a good friend of mine on the birth of his daughter yesterday but i guess he isnt important because he wasnt born to the right people