God bless our British brethren, here in the States and abroad, but . . .

[bigtree]

All of the hoopla and protocol surrounding the royals seems so ridiculous. No one should be so celebrated and revered by virtue of their perpetuation of their wealth. I'll take a clue from someone who will defend them *, but I really doubt anyone can convince me these folks deserve a second look from most Americans. There seems to be nothing to these folks except their money. I'm so not impressed. I'm even a bit put off by the level of attention given them by our government leaders. And we're paying for all of this??

[JuniperLea]

1. I love my British heritage

And I love the grace and manners we see in the Queen.

So much of the world's woes could be solved if we were all so gracious to one another.

[bigtree]

2. I could be gracious as all get out with the money these folks have hoarded away

I've seen grace and manners which don't come with as much false pretension. Seems an awful lot to tolerate for the show of manners.

[JuniperLea]

3. These are very old ways

And I don't see them as false pretension at all.

As for the money, the British had to fork out a hell of a lot when BushCo visited them... not to mention the stupidity they had to endure... and the wrecking of a perfectly good garden to boot!

[bigtree]

4. He should have stuck to visiting the government leaders

If he wanted to rub shoulders with royalty he should have paid for it out of his own pocket. The fact that the British paid for it is for them to decide and argue over. I'm more concerned with WHY we're obligated to pay for these folks to visit America and enjoy the benefits of our government. WE pay for our government. The royals. I presume paid for the castle digs and amenities that Bush enjoyed during his visit.

[Virginia Dare]

13. A little bit of context should be inserted here..

originally the Commonwealth of Virginia invited the Queen to help commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. It helped to bring a tremendous amount of interest and tourism to the event.

I think that probably protocol dictated that since she was coming, she would be afforded a state dinner at the White House (she is the symbolic head of British state afterall), being that it will most assuredly be her last visit to this country.

Whether we should pay for state dinners at all is a different question.

[bigtree]

16. I think these state dinners are as obscene as the wealth she and her family flaunt

around their own country.

[bigtree]

8. I can't imagine myself pulling in all of my 'American' faults in their presence

As for British money, that's their concern. They put up with the royals, so they tolerate paying for these visits. The visit, however, had nothing to do with anything I expect out of our government or our leaders. Serves them right for inviting him.

[JuniperLea]

11. So much for being gracious to our fellow...

inhabitants of Earth... jeez.

[bigtree]

15. can't touch her, shouldn't wink at her . . .

whatever

[JuniperLea]

19. Just because you don't understand it...

Doesn't mean there aren't very good reasons for such things.

Personally, I think society sucks in the grace and charm arena, and we could be served well to contemplate some of the classier old ways. We are pigs.

[bigtree]

20. the display that I saw was pretentious

I don't think Americans and our familiarity and frankness makes us pigs. I'm mostly proud of the way most of us behave.

[JuniperLea]

22. I'm sure it appeared that way to you

Perspective is everything, you know.

Frankly, I think most of us behave as pigs. And that has nothing to do with familiarity or frankness. I'm mostly appalled at the way most of us behave.

[bigtree]

23. well, I do think that depends where in the U.S. you're talking about

Of course, much of that perception of our country is framed by our media and can be the only broad perspective for those of us who are generally restricted to our region of the country.

I do tend to think that we do have a more familiar and frank way of communicating which I've grown accustomed to than do the British. Although, during my visit to Britain I found the people I encountered very friendly and engaging. I imagine it's the same as in the States that there are areas which provide more of a welcome than others.

As for these bloody pretentious royals . . . they absolutely turn my stomach with their ostentatious displays of wealth. The influence that their wealth enables them to maintain is just as obnoxious as that of their American counterparts who lord over us with their own monied manipulations.

[melody]

5. I love my British heritage, but I reserve that for the British people

The monarchy is another matter.

[JuniperLea]

6. I've knights in my ancestry

And my maiden name is clearly from feudal England. My great-great grandmother, a pianist, played a command performance before Victoria. I love the history, the pomp and circumstance, the traditions... even the silly ones.

I love everything about the old monarchy.

And if a royal from another, non-British country come to visit, I would hope we'd extend the same gracious hospitality.

[melody]

9. I have knights in my ancestry, too -- and a whole lot of poor folk who suffered from Royals

I'm descended from hillbillies, in other words.

I don't quibble about feating in full measure the old bird and birder. I just reserve the right to
bitch about the extent to which they do so. I extend to our brethren (and sisters) in the UK the
same right to bitch about it when Little Lord Pissypants comes to call.

[Selatius]

7. We pay for a lot of things we may not really want.

It didn't stop Americans from paying to boot the English Crown out of the Colonies when they would've rather paid no price to do so.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. She IS the head of state

That is why she is given this pomp and circumstance

And it is fun to watch our presnit foul it up

[supernova]

12. Exactly,

Regardless of your opinions about monarchy, she is the Head of State for the UK. So we dust off all the protocol in that spirit.

There might come a time when our British friends decide to forgo the monarchy, but until then we need to respect their choice.

[treestar]

21. She's head of state just by title, though. The PM would be the

real head of state in modern terms. She's the "head of state" merely by descent.

She was merely born to the right set of parents.

[bigtree]

14. okay. I think you know what I mean

she's mainly a figure head; a bauble like the crown jewels

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. She should book a gig in Vegas.

Better money and costumes.

[LeftishBrit]

18. I'm not a great believer in fawning over any head of state...

And you won't find me engaging in any worship of the royals. If there was a serious proposal to abolish the monarchy, I would vote for it.

But at least if one must have that sort of thing, I prefer having it separated from political power.

As I said in a thread on the UK forum:

'I think that it would be nice if people didn't treat ordinary, not specially intelligent human beings as the symbols of their country, who deserve a luxurious lifestyle, massive public attention to every little event in their lives, and a feeling on the part of some people that it is 'unpatriotic' not to treat them with the utmost respect.

But, if people do insist on doing so, then I'd rather that the objects of such treatment were largely-powerless royals ('highly-paid models for postage stamps' as they were once described), than powerful political figures, such as America's Mad King George.'