Why does the UK have royalty?

[England my lionheart]

Buck house isnt all that impressive i think many people only go there to see the changing of the guards etc. and the fact that the Queen lives there.I think if the Queen didn't live there it wouldn't draw any more tourists than any other stately home.Hampton Court Palace is far more interesting ( if you take the Queen out of the equation, in fact it gets far more visitors than buck house even with the queen)
Versailles on the other hand is another kettle of fish and visited for other reasons( one of which is, it is really most beautiful) the same as the most visited palace in europe which i believe is the Alhambra

Windsor Castle is another venue that attracts lots of Tourists,the Queen stays there often especially during the flat Horse racing season,her standard flies on the Tower when she's there,when she is you cannot move for tourists.

AS you said earlier,our Island is one of tradition and part of our make up and the tradition of the Monarchy is an important part of it.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Windsor Castle is another venue that attracts lots of Tourists,the Queen stays there often especially during the flat Horse racing season,her standard flies on the Tower when she's there,when she is you cannot move for tourists.

AS you said earlier,our Island is one of tradition and part of our make up and the tradition of the Monarchy is an important part of it.

When most of the Grand rooms and appartments were lost in a great fire a few years ago, The Queen used her own money ( many Millions) to have them restored back to the original condition.
Windsor castle is one of her favourite homes.

 

[England my lionheart]

Mine too,Windsor Castle is 10 miles from me,if i feel energetic i can walk through the Forest and end up here.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

AS you said earlier,our Island is one of tradition and part of our make up and the tradition of the Monarchy is an important part of it.

But it's not a uniform tradition. There are still plenty of people on "your island" who make sure there's a glass of water under their cup when they give their "Loyal Toasts".

 

[kai]

But it's not a uniform tradition. There are still plenty of people on "your island" who make sure there's a glass of water under their cup when they give their "Loyal Toasts".

Ha Ha i have to frubal you for that one 9-10ths are you a secret jacobite toasting to the King across the water( Franz i suppose).

brilliant

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Ha Ha i have to frubal you for that one 9-10ths are you a secret jacobite toasting to the King across the water( Franz i suppose).

brilliant

Well, I'm more Jacobite than Hanoverian, but at the end of the day, having a Jacobite monarch would be a far second to having no monarch at all.

But like I said before, my main issue is with her being Queen of Canada. I don't really like the idea of having some other country's head of state on my currency, and I really don't like the idea that there's a de facto religious test for the office of head of state of my country.

 

[kai]

Well, I'm more Jacobite than Hanoverian, but at the end of the day, having a Jacobite monarch would be a far second to having no monarch at all.

But like I said before, my main issue is with her being Queen of Canada. I don't really like the idea of having some other country's head of state on my currency, and I really don't like the idea that there's a de facto religious test for the office of head of state of my country.

I think the protestant thing will go before long.

And take hope , I think that Canadians are a brave and intelligent people and i am sure they will make the right decision when they get the chance to keep or get rid of the sovereign.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I think the protestant thing will go before long.

Really?

It's inexorably tied up in the monarch's role as the head of the Church of England. It wouldn't really do to have the head of one religion to be a card-carrying member of some other religion, would it?

I don't think that the requirement for a non-Catholic monarch will disappear until the monarch is no longer the head of the Church of England... but that's an institution with a huge amount of tradition, history and inertia itself, and as you and EML pointed out, your country has a thing for history. I'd put disestablishment of the C of E as only slightly more likely than disestablishment of the monarchy.

And take hope , I think that Canadians are a brave and intelligent people and i am sure they will make the right decision when they get the chance to keep or get rid of the sovereign.

Heh... the question isn't really at issue right now. I think most Canadians don't really care much about the Queen one way or the other: they don't generally have too deep an attachment to her, but they also don't dislike her enough to bother getting rid of her.

Actually, because of the all the issues that come up with Quebec separatists any time that constitutional changes are mentioned, I doubt that anyone in a position of power will even think of examining the issue of our head of state for a long, long time. It's just not worth the risk of breaking up the country.

 

[kai]

Really?

It's inexorably tied up in the monarch's role as the head of the Church of England. It wouldn't really do to have the head of one religion to be a card-carrying member of some other religion, would it?

I don't think that the requirement for a non-Catholic monarch will disappear until the monarch is no longer the head of the Church of England... but that's an institution with a huge amount of tradition, history and inertia itself, and as you and EML pointed out, your country has a thing for history. I'd put disestablishment of the C of E as only slightly more likely than disestablishment of the monarchy.


Heh... the question isn't really at issue right now. I think most Canadians don't really care much about the Queen one way or the other: they don't generally have too deep an attachment to her, but they also don't dislike her enough to bother getting rid of her.

Actually, because of the all the issues that come up with Quebec separatists any time that constitutional changes are mentioned, I doubt that anyone in a position of power will even think of examining the issue of our head of state for a long, long time. It's just not worth the risk of breaking up the country.

You know the Catholic /protestant divide thing is dying out in England and rightly so.

most people will put C of E on forms but they dont care much for religion we are growing more and more secular as time goes by.

Its not on any more is it? not in this PC world we live in.I don't know how any Parliamentarian could seriously defend it nowadays. It will go and i think the Monarch will one day not be head governor of the C of E either. Charlie boy even said he wanted to be defender of all faiths and thats whats going to come i suspect maybe even with William.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

You know the Catholic /protestant divide thing is dying out in England and rightly so.

most people will put C of E on forms but they dont care much for religion we are growing more and more secular as time goes by.

Its not on any more is it? not in this PC world we live in.I don't know how any Parliamentarian could seriously defend it nowadays. It will go and i think the Monarch will one day not be head governor of the C of E either. Charlie boy even said he wanted to be defender of all faiths and thats whats going to come i suspect maybe even with William.

While popular sentiment for the C of E might be going away, there's still a long way to go institutionally, IMO. I mean, you've still got bishops in the House of Lords.

 

[kai]

While popular sentiment for the C of E might be going away, there's still a long way to go institutionally, IMO. I mean, you've still got bishops in the House of Lords.

Yep that's a tradition i don't want to keep. I like having a second house but good grief look at them.

 

[England my lionheart]

While popular sentiment for the C of E might be going away, there's still a long way to go institutionally, IMO. I mean, you've still got bishops in the House of Lords.

And sometimes they are even awake,sometimes i think they ought to have people go round the House checking their pulses.

Although the C of E is in decline i agree its not going away anytime soon and not soon enough IMO,the only good thing about the C of E are the Schools because they do not ram the Bible down your throat.

 

[England my lionheart]

But it's not a uniform tradition. There are still plenty of people on "your island" who make sure there's a glass of water under their cup when they give their "Loyal Toasts".

Bitter memories live on in some,i would wager though that a far greater majority would prefer Champagne

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Bitter memories live on in some,i would wager though that a far greater majority would prefer Champagne

You toast over champagne?

Within some sections of Scottish society, individuals will, after standing, wave their drink over a glass or jug of water on the table. This symbolises "the king over the water," which is a reference to the pretender to the thrones of Great Britain and Ireland, Charles Edward Stuart, and is intended as a sign of solidarity with the Jacobite cause and a protest against the Hanoverian succession.

Loyal toast - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[England my lionheart]

You toast over champagne?


Loyal toast - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Doh didn't see the connection,but see, toasting over water is a tradition too

 

[Primordial Annihilator]

Doh didn't see the connection,but see, toasting over water is a tradition too

Is it?

You learn something new everyday....

 

[kai]

Is it?

You learn something new everyday....

Yep its called toasting the "King over the Water"



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobitism#Romantic_revival

 

[Primordial Annihilator]

Yep its called toasting the "King over the Water"



Jacobitism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not keen on tradition myself but I like the symbology inherent with King over the Water.

 

[FDRC2014]

Get rid please.
I don't want any of my taxes been spent on the Queen, or her family.
They should be made to give back (sell) what they took (i.e. lots of land all around the country), or profits should go to the government.
They should be allowed one large castle (which should be enough for anyone). And the others should be used as museums, and the money to to the government to be spent on something useful.

They have an entirely undemocratic position.

 

[kai]

Get rid please.
I don't want any of my taxes been spent on the Queen, or her family.
They should be made to give back (sell) what they took (i.e. lots of land all around the country), or profits should go to the government.
They should be allowed one large castle (which should be enough for anyone). And the others should be used as museums, and the money to to the government to be spent on something useful.

They have an entirely undemocratic position.

should we apply that to everyone who owns more than one property or land?. i mean should we confiscate all hereditary land and property from everyone and sell it and give the money to the government to be used for something useful?

Should everyone only be allowed one home ( which should be enough for anyone) and use the others for the homeless maybe?