Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Passed Away

[Frank Dernie]

who has passed? never heard of him, is he of great importance to me or my late cat, Sooty, I don't see royals saying sorry about my cat Sooty, so why should I ever care about royal snobs or british pm that likes silly lockdowns last year that cost the life of my cat Sooty. sod the royal snob family and british boris johnosn, bloody animal cat murderer he is.

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Prince Philip killing your cat may have annoyed you but it will probably have saved the lives of local wildlife if the cats round here are anything to go by, so does have a positive side.
Johnson is a bit of a twat for not learning the lesson of history and neither locking down soon or hard enough, I agree, but it is done now, hopefully he has learned by now.

GDR

 

[sergeauckland]

What about the power to veto legislation or amend it for your own benefit? The Queen has more power over British law than we ever thought | Monarchy | The Guardian

Questionable. The Crown and the Queen (two different bodies) can of course lobby for or against legislation, as can any other citizen or group.

However, as has been shown when the Queen agreed to pay tax, the monarchy is acutely aware of public opinion. Furthermore, any action by the Crown or the Queen would be immediately exposed to the political process, so unlikely to 'get away' with anything underhand.

In any event, how is that different to what a President or Prime Minister can do whilst they're in office or when they have left office but still have their contacts and therefore influence? One very valuable, indeed essential, protection we have is in a Free Press which won't hesitate to make public any perceived or real privilege exercised by those in power or with influence.

S.

 

[Andysu]

Prince Philip killing your cat may have annoyed you but it will probably have saved the lives of local wildlife if the cats round here are anything to go by, so does have a positive side.
Johnson is a bit of a twat for not learning the lesson of history and neither locking down soon or hard enough, I agree, but it is done now, hopefully he has learned by now.

GDR

If It was me as pm, I would have locked the ins and outs on the uk the second a virus broke out no matter how many miles away. Then the county wouldn't be in deep crap like it is now. hairdressers still closed, pathetic, yet shops coffee shops open makes no sense? I want a flipping decent haircut and had to use clippers, cos of that shellfish boris twat with a scruffy haircut, and he is so incompetent.

 

[Berwhale]

Questionable. The Crown and the Queen (two different bodies) can of course lobby for or against legislation, as can any other citizen or group.

Witholding Queens Consent is not an option available to any other citizen or group.

 

[sergeauckland]

Witholding Queens Consent is not an option available to any other citizen or group.

I'm not aware of that happening any time in recent history. As a country without a written Constitution, we're riddled with obscure bits of legislation, custom and practice, which whilst still extant, haven't been exercised for a very long time. Whilst I accept these things shouldn't exist, equally I'm not bothered as long as they stay in abeyance and never used.

S

 

[Wes]

What? nobody bothered to write down the Constitution??

 

[TimF]

He didn't go to college but he had some courses at various naval schools. In his youth his family was exiled from Greece and they became royals without a country. His mother was schizophrenic. He lived off his relatives (royals in various countries) for years and years. He was sent to private boarding schools that were boy's adventure schools (Outward Bound sort of thing). England took him in but he wasn't English royalty and you don't just walk in and get a place at the table, you know. Out of high school he got in the British Royal Navy and had a possible career there working all his connections through the Mountbattens line, but that was a German lineage and it wasn't going to get him into a British royal position but it could get him a naval career. Late in his teens, or perhaps at age 20, he latched on to the thirteen year old Princess Elizabeth and they connected. I suspect in the period 1915 through the 1950's there were many royals without a country living in the capitals of Europe. Royals from Russian, Poland, Hungary (oh the Hungarian royals!), Greece (Phillip's family), Spain, and etc. I suppose the American version is the children of Hollywood movie royalty.

 

[Burning Sounds]

Prince Philip killing your cat may have annoyed you but it will probably have saved the lives of local wildlife if the cats round here are anything to go by, so does have a positive side.
Johnson is a bit of a twat for not learning the lesson of history and neither locking down soon or hard enough, I agree, but it is done now, hopefully he has learned by now.

GDR

Indeed, cats are a menace to wildlife, but then so was Prince Philip! Grouse shooting was a favourite pastime of his.

 

[Frank Dernie]

What? nobody bothered to write down the Constitution??

There simply isn't one.
The law is by precedent (of which there are centuries worth)
The Magna Carta is the nearest we got, and is the basis of the US constitution I think but everything is advisory and tested in the courts if contentious and that gives precedence.
I believe the US legal system is based on the UK system with the presumption of innocence and a judgement giving precedence.

 

[Frank Dernie]

He didn't go to college but he had some courses at various naval schools.

His greatest legacy is the Duke of Edinburg's award scheme which over 6 million teenagers worldwide have benefitted from, including my children and my eldest granddaughter is doing it now.

He also served in the Navy in WW2 rising to commanding a Frigate defending the Atlantic convoys. After marrying Princess Elizabeth he had to stop all that, and then play second fiddle to her for the next 70+ years once she became Queen unexpectedly young.

 

[Thomas savage]

I agree completely about monarchy being inappropriate as a form of Government, but in our case in the UK, the Queen hasn't ruled for over 100 years, the Government is in the hands of elected politicians (Pace The House of Lords) NOT the monarchy.

If a country needs a Head of State, as opposed to a Head of Government, then I would much rather have our Queen, and her successors, as people without a political purpose, than some superannuated politician kicked upstairs as a ceremonial President, as so many Republics have. I accept that in some countries, like the USA, the Head of Government and the Head of State are the same person, and I have no issue with that either, but if a separation is deemed desirable between the two roles, then I'm happy to have a monarchy.

One great benefit of our monarchy, and similarly across Europe, is that the monarch represents the permanence of the state, and is not subject to the transience of elections. As long as that doesn't confer any political power, then I see it as entirely positive.

S.

Well the best benefit is brand and tourism cash these days ...

The church and the monarchy are less relevent contributing factors to that feeling of being British ' these days ..

A void filled by celebrity, social media and other self affirming crutches. For better or worse , i for one dont observe any increased enlightenment.

We tear pillars down , desperately for liberty but only to incarcerate ourselves by a more insidious hand , our own no less .

Thats progress!

RIP Philip, a individual who made a decent fist of his lot and helped ( and will continue to thanks to his legacy ) more than he did ill.

 

[Andysu]

Only few more years now till ........ I want out of this country before that muppet and his tart are king , queen.

He didn't go to college but he had some courses at various naval schools.

What's that then blowing up people to kingdom come.

 

[HiFidFan]

One very valuable, indeed essential, protection we have is in a Free Press which won't hesitate to make public any perceived or real privilege exercised by those in power or with influence.

S.

You still do over there? I envy you.

One of the best hopes I had left, to salvage our republic, was a free and independent press. Sadly here, that is mostly long gone. Our mainstream media is wholly in the tank for ratings vs. any semblance of truth. And no matter what 'side' one might be on, that development is a death blow to democracy.

 

[Frank Dernie]

What's that then blowing up people to kingdom come.

Defending supply convoys from the US to the UK during WW2

 

[Andysu]

That's the duke. I know the sound of his engines.

 

[Burning Sounds]

You still do over there? I envy you.

One of the best hopes I had left to save or republic was our free and independent press. Sadly that is mostly long gone, our mainstream media is wholly in the tank for one side. And no matter what 'side' one might be on, that development is a death blow to democracy.

Unfortunately, ours is no better (sorry Serge). Rupert Murdoch has pretty much put paid to that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rise_of_the_Murdoch_Dynasty

 

[HiFidFan]

Unfortunately, ours is no better (sorry Serge). Rupert Murdoch has pretty much put paid to that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rise_of_the_Murdoch_Dynasty

It's a travesty. Whats more is that the populace swallows it up. It's amazing really. Why anyone in their right mind would pick sides and 'die on a hill' for any of these most unimpressive 'leaders' is beyond me.

But hey, at least over here we have entertainment like The Kardashians and mass amounts of pharmaceuticals to dull the pain. . .

I understand Gogglebox is a good laugh.

 

[Thomas savage]

Unfortunately, ours is no better (sorry Serge). Rupert Murdoch has pretty much put paid to that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rise_of_the_Murdoch_Dynasty

Same over the pond , European countries are less influenced by Rupert.. hence brexit lol

Gotta protect your interests.

We can't get anything at work at the moment the boarder and trade is all messed up and its costing us all billions but doesn't seem to make the news . Everything from carpet to windowsills are a problem since the adults left the building during the recent exit from the European Union.

 

[Gorgonzola]

Hi

We make sure of avoiding politics... This thread will likely be one about politics but ... that will be my last post in this thread.
If the moderators feel the post inappropriate let it be removed:

I am no fan of monarchy of any sort. It is the right of any country to chose what they feel most appropriate as a form of government, but a Monarchy, a form in which some people inherit power or the semblance of it is, the antithesis of democracy.
May he RIP. He was a fellow human being who has departed but.. I am not sure what his contributions to the World were nor am I sure he did anything special.
My apologies in advance for those who consider themselves his subjects but I feel strongly about what I posted.

Peace

Yeah, but the British Monarch has essentially no power at all. It's astonishing that some people don't understand this.

Some Canadians would like Canada to become a republic and drop the Queen as head of state. But why? I don't care about the Monarch vis-à-vis Canada but the changeover would be more hassle that it's worth.

 

[FrantzM]

Yeah, but the British Monarch has essentially no power at all.

Against my better judge and my promise:
1) The operative word is “essentially”.
2) Thus what is their (royalty) purpose?
3) Don’t you find it quite illogical to bestow such (privileges) to a few people who have “ essentially “ no power?
4) Don‘t they cost? A lot?
5) What have They done to be granted such honors and such privileges? Born from some “special” people?

I could ask many more questions but if their subjects think of this arrangement/device and its hereditary granting as a suitable and reasonable form of function ...