Poll: Do you like the British Royal Family?

Shpongled

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Apr 21, 2010
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I like having a monarchy. Even if they did cost more than they bring in, i still wouldn't want to see them go, they're part of our cultural heritage, they;re part of our history.

To me getting rid of them would be like bulldozing over Edinburgh castle and replacing it with a block of flats. Sure, the flats might be a bit more useful but they're a fucking eyesore.
 

BristolBerserker

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I'm British and I support the royal family because they are a part of our culture, our history and I believe our future. Why? Because everyone pretty much agrees that politicians are not particularly popular (except Boris, he's awesome) so to have a head of state to represent us who is not politically motivated is a good idea. The monarchy also helps bring tourists to the country and money to the economy. The whole royal family also cost British taxpayers less than an American president costs theirs. There are more reasons but I can't be arsed to write any more except to say that people wanting to make the UK a republic tend to be dicks.
 

Syphous

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I get their existence, it's part of British culture and heritage. However I am American, with no British blood running in my veins. So I have no opinion of the royal family, therefore I chose "don't like".
 

J Tyran

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evilthecat said:
J Tyran said:
That isn't the only reason though, they are also still around for tradition.
Well, that's all well and good for Anglicans, isn't it.

My family, however, faced centuries of religious persecution because of your "tradition" and because they believed in the radical notion that noone is marked out by God as especially fit to rule.

That's my "tradition", I like it better than yours.
I wasn't referring to the Monarchs position as head of the Church of England, I presume your family is Catholic though. My own feelings about that whole mess probably mirror yours to some degree if that's right, that situation went on for about 400 years too long. The thing to remember though is that neither side is blameless in the origins of that dispute and neither side is blameless in the continuation of the dispute, its just that over the last 400 years something that should have been a largely secular matter got dressed up in vicar and priests clothing.

The only real sign of it in the Royal family in living memory was how Charles was banned from publicly courting and marrying Camilla.
 

roguewriter

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May 9, 2011
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Non-British and Yes. I just think there is something inherently very cool about a Royal ancestry that goes back almost, what, a thousand years? I know a few Brits, and most of them don't really make a fuss, but they take pride in all the good things the Royals represent.

They have problems with laws and whatnot, just like me here with some things in America, but they direct their dislike or flat out hate at the Prime Minister or Parliament. The Royals are just kind of bragging rights to them. National Pride, that kind of thing. While I think they're alright (and wish 'em all the best with the new baby and so on) I'm quite proud to have a President and a government founded on the concepts of by the people, for the people, etc, etc.

And, no, I don't care if some people don't believe that exists anymore.
 

blaize2010

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Terramax said:
carlsberg export said:
Maybe there should be a 'neutral' option?
I consider 'neutral' to be under the heading 'don't like' as in 'don't care for'.

'Don't like' doesn't mean the same as 'I hate' in this case.

Sorry for the lack of clarification.
Sorry, but that's entirely wrong. Neutral doesn't mean hate. Hate is a vehement, active dislike, neutral is more along the lines of, "I don't want to brutally murder them, but I also don't want to give them my money." Or something like that. Anyway, there's no case where logically don't care for means hate.

Also, I could do without them, but I live across the pond so I really have no experience or knowledge to base my opinion on other than thinking that royal families are outdated and archaic.
 

J Tyran

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blaize2010 said:
Also, I could do without them, but I live across the pond so I really have no experience or knowledge to base my opinion on other than thinking that royal families are outdated and archaic.
Lots of countries keep outdated and archaic things around, you know like 200 year old documents. Luckily for us this particular outdated and archaic thing doesn't impact the running of government all that much.
 

Tallim

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I'm not particularly bothered either way to be honest. One thing I do find bemusing though is how the USA media are way more obsessed with our monarchy than ours is :/
 

DanielBrown

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I'm a Swede and am indifferent. They aren't important to me in any way, so I see no reason to care. Our own royal family is much more fun. The only ones I like is our crown princess and her husband, the others are like amusing cartoon characters.

Intresting to see how many are saying the British royal family is leeching of the people though. Watch this video.

 

VondeVon

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Dec 30, 2009
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To me, 'don't like' isn't the same as 'neutral'. I don't like seafood, I'm not neutral about seafood.

Royalty is a shiny bauble and - like the expensive-to-maintain but pretty architecture of the past, are worth keeping around from a cultural perspective.

Although, I very firmly believe that all Royals, unless in service as a sort of social and political public relations position, should get a job to support themselves the same as everyone else. Or live off the same welfare level as non-royals...

Edit:
DanielBrown said:
Intresting to see how many are saying the British royal family is leeching of the people though. Watch this video.

Huh. I had no idea. Ignorance, baby! Why don't they teach this stuff in school? Because they don't want us to know...
 

zxvcasdfqwerzxcv

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I'm Irish living in London, and I have no qualms with the Royal Family. If anything, they are a positive force in the country economically, bringing in vast amounts of wealth through their lands and through tourism. They also contribute vast amounts of money to various good charities. We might tire of the endless and banal media coverage, but that is the fault of the British/international media, not the Royal Family themselves. I think Elizabeth II has been a great monarch who has always reigned with dignity. In particular, her visit to Ireland in 2011 went a long way to repair relations between Ireland and the UK.
 

Zeckt

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At first I thought they were a stupid waste of money till I learned just how much money they actually bring in and all the good things they do with that money, so they have my respect. I still won't give them the time of day though, it's enough to know they still exist. I have my own life to live.
 

Terminal Blue

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J Tyran said:
I wasn't referring to the Monarchs position as head of the Church of England, I presume your family is Catholic though.
Actually, I was referring to the persecution of non-Anglicans in general, which continued until the 19th century. Half my family is Quaker though, so it's slightly more directly relevant in the sense that the Quakers, from very early on, held a religious principle that everyone was born equal and that there should thus be no kings.

And I don't see how "both sides aren't blameless" works. When Catholic monarchs established Catholicism, non-Catholics were persecuted. When Anglican monarchs established Anglicanism, non Anglicans were persecuted. The problem is the establishment itself, which is essentially the root of the monarchy. We raise these people up because they are supposedly chosen by God to rule, and that inevitably means their God, not necessarily yours.

That divine right is what a monarch is. That is all that makes a monarch a monarch. It is what was affirmed when Elizabeth II was anointed at her coronation, and it's the same thing that will be affirmed when Charles is anointed at his coronation.

The fact that we are willing to deny it in our everyday lives doesn't make it any less the basis for the monarchy.

DanielBrown said:
Intresting to see how many are saying the British royal family is leeching of the people though. Watch this video.
I really should just make a proper counter to that video.

VondeVon said:
Huh. I had no idea. Ignorance, baby! Why don't they teach this stuff in school? Because they don't want us to know...
Or alternately, because it's not actually true, and you shouldn't believe everything you watch on youtube. ;)

The monarch theoretically "owns" the crown estate, but they have no legal control over it any more. The monarch also theoretically "owns" the treasury, the revenue service, the prison system, in fact every part of the government, but again they have no control over it.

This is simply a consequence of being a constitutional monarchy, a state which is by nature contradictory. All our public institutions were at one point literal property of the monarch. However, that ownership has now become theoretical because it does not entail any of the usual rights of ownership. The monarch could not take back the crown estate any more than she could demand all prisoners be released from the prison system or just take all the country's tax revenue and stuff it in a Swiss bank account somewhere.
 

Angie7F

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Nov 11, 2011
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I only read 50% of the posts here because there were 8 pages to read and I could read them all.

The OP stated that they were talking to Japanese people.
I am Japanese, and I have to point out that we have Emperors and their family in japan too.
So for the Japanese, i am sure it is easy to understand or not question the existence of a royal family.

Most Japanese people are neutral or in favor of the imperial family and we follow their weddings and birth and death too.
Of course not many people are too open about it because if you do too much then you become right wing...

I also grew up in Australia which is one of the commonwealth so it just seems so natural to be following the news about royal families.
I actually cant imagine being in a country that doesnt have some sort of "family" that symbolizes their country.
 

Edl01

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Apr 11, 2012
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Well I don't hate them, but I defanitly can't say that I like them either. Why would I like/dislike someone whom I don't even know?
 

ninjaRiv

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Aug 25, 2010
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I find them annoying and pointless, just like any other reality TV star (because that is essentially all they are). The people I dislike more are supporters of the real family. Royalists, I think they're called? The ones who buy all the plates and tell me just how great they think the royals are. They always have that smug look on their face. A smug look that comes form nowhere, since they have absolutely no reason to look smug...

I mean, this whole birth thing's been ridiculous... Woman gives birth. Woo. That happens A LOT.
 

GamerAddict7796

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Kitsune Hunter said:
I'm Irish and live in the North of Ireland, so going by that it goes without saying, I hate the royal family, but also because as a republican, I find the idea of a monarchy nowadays to be outdated and backward, mostly because they contribute nothing to society, they're just a bunch of tax dodgers who live off taxpayer's money
1. The Queen DOES pay tax. £10 million per year
2. Why would she need pay taxes anyway when the tax goes to the Queen?
 

Gameguy20100

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Phasmal said:
Needs more options.
I'm British and...
I mean, it's a little annoying people won't shut up about them when something happens in their lives. But you sort of learn to live with it here.
Welcome to my world.

I don't really mind the royals They haven't done anything to me so I just kinda ignore them
 

xmbts

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Well I've never met them. They have a nice front lawn though.