New Years Honours

A multimillionaire businessman whose company’s drug price rises have cost the NHS £50 million was appointed OBE in the new year’s honours list, The Times can reveal.

Vijay Patel, 69, set up a company that exploited a loophole in health service rules to increase the price of old medicines for which it was the sole supplier by up to 2,500 per cent.

The firm, Atnahs, raised the price of a packet of antidepressants from £5.71 to £154. An insomnia treatment now costs more than £138 instead of £12.10.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/millionaire-rip-off-drugs-businessman-vijay-patel-given-obe-hkzr5b00p

technically one might ask if there are any 'white' Americans because they're not descended from the original population of North America either.
And another question is - how do native Americans prefer to be defined?

They were called 'Red Indians' by the first invaders but what is their preferred definition? (if they have one)

Just barging in on the tail end of the conversation regarding genealogy/royal family. Possibly, a little known fact, although I've read it several times now, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of George III, grandmother of Queen Victoria was thought to have some African ancestry. There's a painting of her in her coronation robes, I think, where her features possibly suggest that.

Has anybody any idea how much these gongs cost. They look very expensive to me.
Astonished that a football manager is honoured for coming second.

Black Americans before the slave ships ?

What about all the surgeons who've saved hundreds of lives ?

Of course there are black Americans and white South Africans but their family trees will go back to Africa or Europe, White Americans family tree will be in Europe or Scandinavia. Original Americans? who knows! My paternal family tree goes back to Eire, the R.F's goes predominately back to Germany owing to the fact that they tended to marry into the various German principalities. I can't quite see why it matters apart from knowing where you originate can be interesting, surely its just one of those things and of no importance whatsoever particularly these days.

Fascinating discussion of the genealogy of the the British monarchy but I think that both Jalima and Annie pose very relevant questions

Jalima Does 'blood' matter though?

Annie so there is no such person as a black American?

I don't think 'blood' matters at all. What is more important is the acceptance of the prevailing culture (with the proviso that the prevailing culture, like language, changes over time) and identification with the nation.

As far as Annie's question goes, if we're looking at 'blood' and occupation of a territory, then technically one might ask if there are any 'white' Americans because they're not descended from the original population of North America either.

many folks think they should “call it a day” and pay their own way instead of sponging off us.

This is a bit ridiculous. How many Heads of State are self supporting?

Jabberwok so there is no such person as a black American?

I so agree with other posters that this such an outdated system. Kept going, IMHO, to keep the RF relevant when really many folks think they should “call it a day” and pay their own way instead of sponging off us.
I find OBE and CBE particularly amusing-what empire then? And who on earth would want to be called a Dame-except in panto?
Do wish a list of refuseniks was published at the same time.
No one should be honoured for just doing the job they’re paid to do and certainly not anyone who has either evaded tax responsibilities or just doesn’t live here-for whatever reason.

Could anyone say specifically what Twiggy has done to deserve the same 'gong' as say, Judi Dench (a lifetime in classical theatre) or Margaret Thatcher (a British Prime Minister) to name but two.
Twiggy modelled a few clothes in 1966 and drew eyelashes on her face....what else? And please dont say she is the face of M&S!
I once knew a woman who flew Spitfires, delivering them for service during WW2 .. she got no recognition and now lies in an unvisited grave.
What in heaven's name did Twiggy achieve?

The Danish royal family were of the house of Glucksberg which was a Dano-German branch of the house of Oldenburg . They reigned in variously in German states Denmark and Greece. Princess Alice was a G,.Grandaughter of Queen Victoria.

The Greek monarchs were actually Danish, not German:
"The Greek royal family is a branch of the House of Glücksburg that reigned in Greece from 1863 to 1924 and again from 1935 to 1973. Its first monarch was George I, the second son of King Christian IX of Denmark. He and his successors styled themselves "Kings of the Hellenes".
ie. They were kings of the Greeks, not of Greece.

Well Annie, its just a fact, both his parents were German, Grandfather Edward V11 son of Victoria and Albert was German, grandparents ditto as they were Hanovarians and had married Germans since George 1st. They did of course change their surname in 1917 which helped to anglicise the family.
Just because someone had German blood didn't automatically make them Nazi's! Princess Alice was such a person as was George V1th. Not quite so sure about Edward V111th though, as he and Wallis did seem to court Hitler!

Does 'blood' matter though?

Is it how we behave and conduct ourselves, how we treat others that matters?
Princess Alice probably had German ancestry but if you read my post above you will see that she risked her life to save others in WW2.

I cannot agree that George 6 was German sorry ,

Yes it does sparklefizz, but like the rest of us its now been thinned down considerably, to the point that Prince George has very little German blood! Prince Phillips parents despite being 'Greek' were in fact both imported Germans!!! Most roads led back to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert!!!
Yes Annie, George V1th the Queens father was three parts German! His parents were George Vth of Saxe Coburg Gotha and Mary of Teck, George Vth's mother was Alexandra of Denmark whose father, the king of Denmark, was in fact another minor imported German(!) Prince!! Blood didn't really start to thin out till George V1th married Scots Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon!! Since then the younger RF's seem to have steered clear of their German relatives on the matrimonial front!!

When Germany invaded Greece in the Second World War, Princess Alice, Prince Philip’s mother, by then a widow, fought back. She aided Greek Jews as they tried to flee the Germans. It was risky. It could have cost her life itself. She was a princess, but the Germans played for keeps. In any case, she survived. Her name is listed among the “Righteous Gentiles,” the people whom the Israeli government regards as heroic in helping Jews to escape annihilation under the Germans.

hellenicnews.com/road-greece-prince-philip-duke-edinburgh-greek-roots/

Jabberwok Yes, but Prince Philip's nationality affects Prince Charles, his siblings and Princes Harry & William, and their children.

Was George 6. German ?

Yes, he's the Queens husband, so doesn't affect her nationality! He is in fact Prince Phillip of Greece and Denmark.

Wasn’t Prince Philip a Greek?

The Queen is half German, her father was German, her mother definitely Scottish!!! She is a constitutional monarch and doesn't rule anybody!

Whoops ... and the Normans!