From: th2_oate@csd.uwe.ac.uk (Tom Oates)
Newsgroups: can.politics,soc.culture.british,soc.culture.australian.
Subject: Re: Do we really need the monarchy?
Date: 16 Dec 92 15:30:09 GMT
Organization: University of the West of England, Bristol

Newsgroups: can.politics,soc.culture.british,soc.culture.australian 
Subject: Re: Is UK stuck with the monarchy?
Distribution: world
Organization: University of the West of England, Bristol

In article <92345.1818102893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA> 2893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA (Andy) writes:

>British institution to the rest of the commonwealth. If QE2 is supposed to be
>Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand et al as much as she is Queen of the
>UK, why are our governments not consulted about these matters.

The answer is simple. Neither Commonwealth governments nor those of the UK 
(and by inference you and me) are consulted because we are just "commoners."
That is the word that royals and their entourage use to describe lesser 
mortals such as you and me, Andy.

Despite this, people in Britain (and those in countries such as NZ, Oz
and Canada are just as bad) throng the streets to clap and cheer when royalty
appear. Watch how commoners bow, scrape and generally abase themselves. 
I was very amused to see film of a University Professor bowing to Princess
Diana whose sole academic qualification is one O-level. She graciously
let him shake her hand. Readers may know that Prince Phillip (Queen's
husband aka "Phil the Greek") is president of the World Wildlife Fund.
Rather ironic considering that his favourite sport is huntin', shootin',
and fishin' ie. generally killing animals, birds and fish.

Like it or not, the UK is saddled with the royal family. We'll have to 
support them until well into the 21st century, thanks to their tendency
to produce offspring. Hopefully, the decision to start paying tax, and
cutting the number of people on the civil list marks the beginning of a new
era of "leaner" royalty like the Scandinavian model. And not before time, 
too. For example: Princess Margaret (the Queen's sister) does bugger all, 
spending most of her time smoking fags and sunbathing on the isle of Mustique.
For these arduous duties she gets paid several hundred thousand quid per year.
Meanwhile, Prince Edward opens garden parties and speaks at charity dinners. 
For this he gets 100,000 pounds a year. All this whilst Britain suffers in 
the grip of the worst recession it has known in many years. The numbers of the
unemployed continue to soar, and the economy is in free fall. Let them eat 
cake.

To be fair, I don't see why Commonwealth countries should have any say in
what British royalty does. After all, they don't have to foot the bill.
The British will never rid themselves of royalty, but I can certainly see
them cutting down on its extravagances. After all, he who pays the piper
should be able to call the tune. The recent marital "revelations" ie. 
Andrew/Fergie, Charles/Diana and Anne/Tim Laurence have had predicatable 
effects on public opinion.


-- 
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* Tom Oates (Univ. of West of England) * DISCLAIMER:I speak only for myself. * 
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Newsgroups: can.politics