I can't be the only one who feels sick every time a story on the royals comes up on the BBC? Today's one on Harry in Africa is particularly nauseating.
I thought that the BBC had to be impartial, but they're clearly not on this issue.
Only slightly away from the Beeb, but I came across this from the British Council -
www.teachingenglish.org.uk
We all love 'em - don't we?
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/fi...g/royal_ws.pdf
Sorry, it is a pdf , and I have no idea how I could convert it into something else.
Oh, and isn't Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, not "The Queen of England"?
Does it matter? But I'd have thought The British Council might have got it right.
But I could have got it wrong.
[Seren, thanks for pointing out the wrong link. Now corrected]
Last edited by bindeweede; 9th July 2008 at 06:00 PM. Reason: Added comment. Also correction.
Yuk.
and it's only going to get worse. Can you imagine what it'll be like when william gets married? I think I might have to emigrate.
Do you think they'd allow a pro-republic protest outside the wedding?
Sorry, I'm rambling now - not uncommon - but I remember I went on a day-trip to France when Charles and Diana got married. I had quite a nice time in Boulogne (spelling?). Very nice cheese shop up near the castle......Originally Posted by puzzlebobble
Very wise.
I went to my cousin's wedding near Strasbourg a couple of years ago. They do good weddings in france; sat all day in a vineyard drinking wine and eating cheese.
Maybe we could suggest they have the wedding abroad. Las Vegas maybe.
Rather warm. Antarctica? "Cool". Hate that word.
The royals generate useful tourist revenue for the economy. Since this country makes next to nothing these days, they get my vote.
But they could do it a lot cheaper and without so much personal privilege. I'm afraid that argument falls into the trap of the Excluded Middle 8)
Bindeweede your first link is wrong, it's a for-sale domain with ads on it. I think you need to add "UK to the end?
I have a real soft spot for the British Council so I was dreading opening that PDF. Actually, apart from the "Queen of England" thing, I didn't find it too bad. It does ask questions about the "worth" and reasons for having a royal family, it's not like it's a love letter or something.
If you're teaching in a commonwealth country or in the UK, the royal family are going to be well-known and (urg) even loved. Random people on the street in India know about our royal family, I can vouch for that! Plus the Council is British (there's a subtle clue in the name, I realised) and its remit is to represent and promote British culture and society around the world, not just teach English.
For non-commonwealth countries it just seems really irrelevant, though.
Last edited by seren; 9th July 2008 at 09:03 AM.
I don't buy the tourism argument.
Firstly, it's taken as read to be true but I've never seen any working. Secondly, if public hanging was good for tourism it wouldn't make it right.
Antarctica is a good idea but wouldn't we get stories about how heroic harry saved Princess Margaret from a polar bear etc?
I think it's unbelievable that our next head of state is a proponent of homoeopathy.
We have loads of 'royal societies' such as the Royal College of Physicians or of-course the 'Royal Society'. What exactly do these societies gain from patronage of the royals and why do the royals think they are even vaguely worthy of the association?
If we could fully open up all the royal residences such as Buckingham Palace, maybe we could even get more tourists....
I'm far from a behead-the-royal-family type, however I think we desperately need to re-evaluate what their role is in society today. I'm sure most of them are decent people at the end of the day, despite living an entirely separate life from the rest of us. I don't think they deserve to be unfairly treated, however we do need to look at what they really do for the country as opposed for themselves.
Yep:
Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...n_Elizabeth_II
Only if someone provided a polar bear, they are not native to the Antarctic.
Anyway, you have all been had. The proper heir to the throne lives in a small house in Australia.
(If Tony Robinson is to be believed.)
Maybe it was a republican polar bear with a strong backstroke.
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