Members Kylie Posted May 1, 2011 Members Share Posted May 1, 2011 When my grandma was visiting me in Newcastle last year, somehow she and our very nice Geordie taxi driver got onto the subject of the Royal's. He wasn't all that old I don't think, maybe 40's or 50's and he gave her such a sermon on his loathing of the Royal family, well, more so the Monarchy. Cue the end of the conversation and my grandma asking me what he said, because the Geordie accent is hard to understand if you're not used to it: Grandma when we get out of the taxi "What did he say?" Me: "Um, I don't feel comfortable repeating what he said." (And I curse like a sailor!) It'll be interesting to see how the British people feel about all of this in a few months, when they're back to reality and life is kicking them in the gut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted May 1, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 1, 2011 I think the people who loathe them probably still loathe them right now. I think most of the UK is probably in the middle ground - they're loved by some and an easy target for others, with most being indifferent. I actually think it helps that they have no major role in government, as every PM ends up being despised by all and most MPs are known only for scandal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members difficultdiva Posted May 1, 2011 Members Share Posted May 1, 2011 Unless James does something truly horrific, these photos are just things the tabloids could use as filler for their backpages. I was watching "The Royal Family at Work" documentary on PBS last night and they all have public engagements to keep for themselves AND the Queen (when she's not able to attend), along with keeping whatever professional job they may have in their life. Prince Carl of Sweden looks like Dan from "Gossip Girl". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Khan Posted May 1, 2011 Members Share Posted May 1, 2011 IOW, the Royals are just like you and me...except we wear better hats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cat Posted May 5, 2011 Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 Yes, but he has a long-time girlfriend. The Scandinavian (and Dutch) royal families have always been refreshingly blasé about princes and princesses living with their significant others for years before they got married. They were so afraid of another Diana Moment (young virgin marries prince who doesn't love her and already has mistress; gets her revenge) that they figured it was better for the royal kids to make sure they were completely committed before they jumped into marriage. Also... commoners marrying into the British royal family has been a feature since the medieval era. It is really only in the 18th and 19th century (especially under Victoria whose prodigious intimate life with Albert produced 9 children whom she managed to marry off to all the crown heads of Europe as a way of "assuring stability" and consolidating British power. Of course, that didn't stop the First World War a mere 13 years after her death, but whatevs). Kings just slapped a hasty title on their beloveds and said "See? Now she's the Duchess of Bumblefuck and newly divorced from her last husband. Let's get hitched!" The Wallis Simpson debacle was an anomoly, partly because of prurient attitudes among the Church of England establsihment (though not the vast majority of the population who were quite happy for the king to marry "the woman he loved") and mainly because of Wallis Simpson's Nazi ties and Edward VIII's own sympathies for the fascist cause. With war approaching, the government knew the king could make things extremely dicey for Britain if he sided with Hitler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted May 5, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 It was fascinating reading about the various sisters, I can't remember their names, who were of British aristocracy and were convinced they could convince Britain to find the way with Hitler, and the sisters have very close ties to Hitler. I think one ended up being shot in the head and slowly died from it for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cat Posted May 5, 2011 Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 The Mitford sisters. Unity Mitford had a personal cult of devotion to Hitler and on the day war broke out between Britain and Germany (Sep 3rd 1939), she shot herself in the head but did not die. Amazing. And extremely tragic. Another Mitford sister was married to Oswald Mosley, leader of the British fascists. A third was an ardent communist, another (Nancy) became a writer and Deborah, the youngest is still Duchess of Devonshire and dowager duchess of Chatsworth, arguably Britain's most impressive aristocratic estate. Moreover, her brother-in-law (the then duke of Devonshire) married Kathleen Kennedy (Joe Kennedy's daughter, JFK's sister) who he met in 1939 when Joe was US Ambassador to the court of St James. However, Joseeph Kennedy was hastily sent back to the US -- rumor has it for having Nazi sympathies himself (you really couldn't make this up). Kathleen married the Duke of Devonshire but they died in a plane crash soon afterwards, in 1944. Thus, Deborah Mitford, married to the second in line to the title, because Duchess of Devonshire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted May 5, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 Thanks for all the details. Fascinating. I'm surprised this wasn't made into any type of movie. Kitty, I think it was Kitty, either that or Diana, was controversial to the end, with some causing a fuss after she was on Desert Island Discs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cat Posted May 5, 2011 Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 Diana was the one married to Mosley. Perhaps she was the one on DID that got everybody calling in. I cannot see the Brits being too thrilled about a notorious fascist getting to pick her Top Six Most Meaningful Tracks of Music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cheap21 Posted May 13, 2011 Members Share Posted May 13, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted May 13, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 13, 2011 Wow that's hilarious. I didn't even realize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Soapsuds Posted May 13, 2011 Members Share Posted May 13, 2011 :lol: :lol: Outstanding Cheap!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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