Are the Royal Family losing their touch?

From what I have heard from people who have met her when she has been on official duty , Princess Anne does a good job. She is very experienced at doing what she does and does it very well.

For example a recipient of a medal told me he was the last of 60 recipients to be awarded his gong by Princess Anne at Windsor Castle and yet when she spoke to him she knew all about his background and the details of the circumstances which led up to him being nominated for the medal.

He was not formerly a Royalist yet was very impressed.

Then Anne could stand to be President. Then if she's so good we'd all vote for her.

Although I think being President would involve more than being able to recall somebody's military history.

I remember reading about Queen Mary talking to a reluctant member of the royal family. ' You are a member of the Royal family. We are never tired and we love hospitals'!
Sounds like Anne's a chip off the old block.

I think Andrew is arrogant from what I’ve heard. But I would not stand up in court and swear to it !

The person who I spoke top and was impressed with Princess Anne, quite against his expectations, was not in the military. volver

Gosh there are a lot of families that fall into that category.

I'm thinking about the modern function of the Royal family. They aren't political and have no actual power. However, they seem to have a function as great encouragers. They go round to all sorts of places, organisations and events and seem to have a very positive effect for whatever the reason. Similarly, the honours system and the Royal garden parties. These events seem to be a way of acknowledging that individuals have done something good or worthwhile or helpful to others. It's a sort of national pat on the back. In this way they make a lot of people happy. That's not nothing in this day and age.
Clearly they are slimming down numbers and easing the Queen slowly to retirement quite neatly. Fine by me.

varian

The person who I spoke top and was impressed with Princess Anne, quite against his expectations, was not in the military. volver

Apologies for making that assumption varian.

In this way they make a lot of people happy.
And maybe that in turn makes them happy? A sort of mutual benefit.
Cheesy, but why not?

?

Who needs a functioning head of state with the interests of the civitas at heart, and a commitment to the defence of democracy and representation, when we've got someone who metaphorically pats us on the head and shows us one of their many gardens.

volver sorry you haven't understood what I was getting at.

That makes us sound like dogs! (pats on heads and visits to the garden).

Why do people on this thread keep telling me I don't understand?

I'm not an idiot, I understand fine.

We don't need "encouragers", we need people who act on our behalf and are a check and balance against other arms of the government having too much power. And don't get me started on the honours system or we'll need a new thread

Joseanne

That makes us sound like dogs! (pats on heads and visits to the garden).

Indeed. Lap dogs.

I think the royal family like ?

We do not need a 96 year old H of S who cannot actually do the job. If she had any humility she would have stepped down and handed over to Charles two or three decades ago.
But preferably I would like to be able to vote for my H of S.

Maddyone - prediction: Someone will come along and say "but she made a promise when she was 21!!!" ?

Sigh. I was meaning that these visits and invitations give a tremendous psychological boost to those involved.
As to the political stuff surely it's the job of the opposition parties to put pressure on the government and the house of Lords for the checks and balances.

It would be good if some commenters actually understood the constitution of this country.

I was meaning that these visits and invitations give a tremendous psychological boost to those involved.

No sighing required Aveline. I know that's what you meant. As I said I'm not an idiot, and I'm quite good at understanding English.

As to the political stuff surely it's the job of the opposition parties to put pressure on the government and the house of Lords for the checks and balances.

Lets imagine, oh I don't know, that a political party with nefarious ideas has a majority of ...oh, lets say - 80 seats. And let's say that they want to prorogue parliament illegally, and the only way they can be stopped is by the Head of State stepping in and preventing it happening, because the opposition and the Lords can't do that. So The Head of State has a duty and responsibility to see that the Government of the day is respecting the laws of the country. But say we had a Head of State who was a little old lady who didn't get herself involved in such matters, and just smiled and gave some encouragement to the people who had to pick up the pieces. And she didn't do anything to prevent the government breaking the laws of the land, even though she could.

Wouldn't that be a terrible state of affairs?

Luckily it didn't happen!

Ive always felt pretty indifferent towards the royals and can summon no enthusiasm for this coming jubilee. At a time where most families are finding it harder just to make ends meet and afford the basics having a small over privilaged group of people who live in the most incredible luxury seems increasingly out of kilter with the 21st century.

errmmmm....

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/decision-of-the-supreme-court-on-the-prorogation-of-parliament/

I was a royalist but I now feel that they are an elderly, creaking institution. If the Queen lives another ten years which she may well do, Charles will be in his mid 80’s when he takes the throne, yet another elderly creaking HofS. If he lives till 100 then William will be in his 70s too when he gets on the throne. Generations of RF just waiting all their lives for the job they were born for. Compare this to the Dutch RF who abdicate in their 60s and therefore have younger Kings/ Queens on a steady rota. I pity William and Charles on a personal level. I wouldn’t fancy taking on more work in my 80’s. What a grotty system. I’d much rather have a HofS who was younger and capable of doing a proper job.