Are the Royal Family losing their touch?

I( agree Parsley, my children are indifferent to the Royal Family, and not through lack of interest in current affairs as they all have strong political opinions and are very capable of arguing their point of view. The Queen has just 'always been there' and although they wish her no ill, they will not be weeping when she dies, they don't know her. I have always been divided in my opinion; on one hand I like some of the pomp and ceremony, such as Trooping the Colour, but on the other hand, I hate flag waving, bunting and street parties. They reek of cap doffing, beer and circuses for the masses, it just makes me uncomfortable. I may try to be away on holiday for the jubilee, somewhere that doesn't have copies of the Daily Mail for sale. But...I get all defensive when talking to Americans who question the need for a monarchy, a nation who decided, marginally, that a very old man with a good background in politics but failing mental capabilities, was a better bet than bankrupt fantasist with a big mouth and little brain......see, I told you I am split on the issue!

The RF bow and curtsey to each other. So ridiculous.

www.facebook.com/liz.budd.9237

Good for you Anniebach

nadateturbe that’s their choice , we too have a choice , I don’t know why some refer to the public as doff capping and forelock tugging, again it’s choice. Only bowing for me is to the cross. I don’t feel inferior or think I am, they have wealth I don’t, they live in castles I live in a one bedroom council bungalow, some have holiday homes, some are homeless.

cap doffing

I have with certainty, never capped my doff. This I know to be true.

Seriously, I've never seen anything so ridiculous as Sophie and Louise bobbing to the Queen as she walked into the Abbey. Automatically, without even thinking about it. Because they clearly do it at home. Its weird, sorry.

nadateturbe

Good post Grany. It's actually quite difficult to find information about this on Google.

When people think of republics they often think of the US or France. Yet they are far from typical of the many democratic republics in the world today. While some are presidential systems, inspired by the US or France, most are parliamentary republics, with systems of government not that different to the UK, or hybrid systems with a president and a prime minister.

What they all have in common is that they are founded on the principles of equality and as an aspiration for the people to truly govern themselves.

There are 32 democratic republics There is a book The little book of republics. Republic shop

Annie I know that members of the public are not required to bow or curtsy if they don’t wish to, but nonetheless every time the royals perform one of their public duties, I see the people receiving them bow or curtsy, and as you say, children are taught to bow or curtsy when giving flowers to them.
However the royals bow and curtsy to one another. The Queen issued new Letters Patent a few years ago specifing that non blood members of the family need to curtsy to blood members of the family. So blood princesses such as Anne, Beatrice and Eugenie will curtsy to Catherine if she’s with her husband William, but if she’s not with William she ranks lower (as her rank comes from William) then she must curtsy to the blood princesses Anne, Beatrice, and Eugenie. It’s all very outdated and in my opinion ridiculous, but clearly the Queen believes it is important otherwise she wouldn’t have changed the rules. Perhaps Charles will alter this and do away with all the bowing and curtsying, but I won’t hold my breath.
She also altered Letters Patent on who could be a Prince or Princess quite recently, otherwise Charlotte and Louis wouldn’t have had those titles until the Queen dies and their grandfather Charles ascends the throne. However, as a direct heir to the throne George would have had the title prince.
It’s all completely outdated and doesn’t fit in a democratic society in my opinion.

My children and grandchildren have no interest in the Royal family at all either Parsley and like you say Gill they are all up to date on current affairs etc
I ve never been a Royalist but not sure what would be in its place I d be happier if it wasn’t such a rich empire that own numerous palaces and big buildings
Is it Netherlands that has a very ordinary Royal family
that would be better but like the government they are all tainted by riches unfortunately

Goodness I didn’t realise all the layers of curtsying Maddy
What a silly nonsense like one person is more important than another it really is a whole class system all of it’s own
Totally outdated and unnecessary in this day and age

It’s their choice, doesn’t affect me or trouble me

It is a strange choice though, isn’t it.

As the so called status of our royal family members is only ever achieved by birth or marriage, I find it slightly nuts that anyone is required to bow or curtsey to any of them - it's not as if they've actually done anything tangible to achieve their lofty position.

But, if people wish to bow, curtsey or doff caps, then it's not affecting me.

I wouldn't, but there you go.

I know BlueBelle. And unfortunately it’s perpetuated by the Queen.

In my ignorance I thought that bowing to the Queen was bowing to her position as monarch and not to her personally. I have no idea why anyone else in the family should be bowed or curtsied to.

Not ignorance Parsley, it's logical.

Something just occurred to me after maddyone's good explanation of the curtseying thing.

If Charles isn't around, Camilla has to curtsey to Charlotte.

Dearie me.

If Charles isn't around, Camilla has to curtsey to Charlotte

Oh, that had me choking on my tea!!
???

What a lot of absolute rubbish it all is. It really is time it was put where it belongs - to history.

Who on this forum does it affect ?

All of us Annie, all of us. You included.

Because our Head of State thinks its entirely reasonable to have a set of rules whereby a woman in her seventies physically shows deference to a toddler just because of who the toddler's dad is.

This is how they think the world works, and because the Head of State has a say over the signing of our laws, then her attitudes are bound to affect the conduct of the legal system.

Or, if you are going to tell me she never interferes, tell me what the point is in having her at all.

I do wonder if they bother with it all apart from when the Queen is around. It’s perpetuated by the Queen. She obviously believes it’s important whether or not anyone else does.

I'm sure Charles will do away with such old-fashioned protocols.
I really cannot imagine that he would be happy about Camilla, if she ever becomes Queen Consort, having to curtsey to the babies of more minor royals or indeed anyone.

it sounds hilarious, can you imagine the amount of draught it causes

They must spend the first half an hour of big family parties all bobbing up and down boats in choppy waters.

I can imagine the children having fun with this.

Surely Charlotte's classmates don't have to curtsey to her each morning?
?

it must make the windows rattle