Queens Speech

volver

DH and I have just been discussing this, actually. There are actually very few constitutional duties for our monarch, but delivering the Queen's Speech is one of them. If she can't do it, then why is she persisting in the post?

Because it’s for life, that’s why. She could appoint Charles as Regent if her health is failing and may yet do that.

I'm sorry, but I'm still thinking about the Cap of Maintenance (which is a hat on a stick, for those who missed it.)

I feel like we're living in a Harry Potter book.

She could appoint Charles as Regent if her health is failing and may yet do that.

Actually, she couldn't, as OakDryad showed us above.

Petera

Elrel

Those who want a republic may get President Johnson

Those who want a monarchy will get a King Charles

No problem with that.

FannyCornforth
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN !
From what exactly CrazyGran?

If I recall correctly, its from rebellious Scots Fanny

She can ask for Charles to be appointed regent but she won’t, even though she is not physically capable of performing some duties and won’t use the aids that other people in her physical situation rely on.

I hope our Queen recovers soon from her present mobility episode. The Queen is very dedicated and I'm sure would have opened parliament herself if she was well enough to walk or travel and sit in a car or wheel chair.
It is not for me to guess at her mobility issue- but something like a back injury may make for instance sitting very painful as well as walking -at any age. Vanity may have nothing to do with it .

Personally, I think we may see some changes after the Jubilee - I think the Queen is desperately trying to hang on till then. She seems well mentally, but I can understand her reluctance to be seen in public in a wheelchair /and or with mobility issues with the world's press waiting to jump on the situation and report how ill she is etc etc. She's had a lot of experience about how the media deal with things.......

More ageist comments “Prince Charles is already an old man”.
He is younger and certainly more fit than Biden, yet so many on here won’t hear of Biden standing down.

As for the pope he is elected. To be our king or Queen you have to be born to it. It is not a job, you don’t go for interview. If the Queen does not want to retire she won’t. If she becomes incapable Charles can be appointed as Regent. Until then she is our Queen.

Germanshepherdsmum

She can ask for Charles to be appointed regent but she won’t, even though she is not physically capable of performing some duties and won’t use the aids that other people in her physical situation rely on.

You have said this before but that is not my understanding of the Regency Act. Can you please explain where it says the Queen can ask ... There is no evidence that she is totally incapacitated only physically frail.

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Edw8and1Geo6/1/16/section/2

Grandma70s.how rude you are

I’m one of those who thinks that in 2022 we do not need a Monarchy. To me, they are just extraordinarily wealthy people who have nothing whatever to do with the vast majority of us. There will probably always be such people, sadly, but let them get on with their privileged lives and set them free from their ribbon cutting and dressing up duties. Nothing at all against them personally…don’t know them, never will. I say, set them free from their goldfish bowl lives.

Yes Volver Harry Potter with wands , hats and special doors , I wonder if the Author got her inspiration from these ceremonial daftness
I dare say in the “ olden days “ the peasantry had to be impressed to be kept under control , but the Queen is surely savi enough to know she should do it all by zoom without all the gold braid and men in tights

It is a shame The Queen won't be seen in a wheelchair.
To do so would be a huge boost in reducing discrimination against wheelchair users.
Using a wheelchair only means ones legs do not function properly.
It doesn't mean there is any other deficiency.

I seriously, seriously can't understand the comments along the lines of "but she's the Queen! But you have to be born to it!".

In past times people thought you had a special calling from God to be monarch, that you were a special person because you and only you could do it, and God had chosen you for it. (Not in Scotland, actually, but that's another story...) But surely we don't still think that do we? We don't think that by accident of birth a particular family are the only ones that can do the job?

And I'm sorry if you don't think its a job, but it is. Heads of State all over the world carry out their job. Most don't believe that they are the only ones that can do it, them or their offspring. Dare I say it, but promoting your family members into positions of power and influence is often though of as un-democratic.

She can ask for the process to be carried out Oak Dryad, for the wheels to be set in motion, on the grounds of her physical incapacity.

volver

I seriously, seriously can't understand the comments along the lines of "but she's the Queen! But you have to be born to it!".

In past times people thought you had a special calling from God to be monarch, that you were a special person because you and only you could do it, and God had chosen you for it. (Not in Scotland, actually, but that's another story...) But surely we don't still think that do we? We don't think that by accident of birth a particular family are the only ones that can do the job?

And I'm sorry if you don't think its a job, but it is. Heads of State all over the world carry out their job. Most don't believe that they are the only ones that can do it, them or their offspring. Dare I say it, but promoting your family members into positions of power and influence is often though of as un-democratic.

'But surely we don't still think that do we?'

I 100% believe that God Almighty has appointed her majesty The Queen as our monarch.

Your republican snake oil is anathema to me.
God save The Queen!

pinkquartz

It is a shame The Queen won't be seen in a wheelchair.
To do so would be a huge boost in reducing discrimination against wheelchair users.
Using a wheelchair only means ones legs do not function properly.
It doesn't mean there is any other deficiency.

I agree. If the only problem is mobility there is an answer. However given these last minute changes I suspect there may also be anxiety and/or agoraphobia. It really isn’t fair on other people to dither about whether you’re going to do something and then back out.

I find it interesting that most people are inferring that it is a physical problem which is affecting the queen. I wonder if it may be a cognitive issue, which would provide a different set of problems.

GSM I imagine she could discuss it with her physicians but the law only allows Regency in that event of the Sovereign's total incapacity and that isn't the case. I suspect there are many duties she is still carrying out as she did while suffering from Covid.

And as I said upthread, there are now only four not five people who can be involved in the decision, two of whom are government members who are compromised by current political events. It would be a very delicate constitutional matter to deal with under any circumstances but particularly so now.

I caught a bit of Charles reading the speech and thought he sounded bored/cynical ! Dont blame him

“While UK taxpayers contribute to the Crown via the Sovereign Grant, the Royal Household also brings in plenty of cash to help boost Britain's economy - and the figure amounts tosome billions of pounds. “

“How much revenue does the monarchy generate?

The intangible value, understood as the present value of the benefits that the Monarchy is expected to bring the UK economy over the years, constitutes the remaining £42 billion. Brand Finance estimates that in 2017 the Monarchy generated a gross uplift of £1.766 billion to the UK economy.”

Above taken from internet.

Furthermore, the monarchy is an intrinsic part of our heritage and history. Woven for centuries into the fabric of our country, with all its unrivalled pomp and ceremony admired (and envied) around the world. What would be the point of getting rid of such a valuable asset? What would we gain?
These are genuine questions.

I can understand why the Queen would not want to be seen in a wheelchair (if that was the reason she didn't attend) - it is probably because we all know as soon as she appears in a wheelchair there will be wild speculation in the media of how there is something desperately wrong with her (we have had a few suggestions on this thread). Dozens of "experts" and "close friends" will come out of the woodwork.

Regency requires the monarch to be mentally or physically incapable of carrying out their duties. I would suggest that the ‘physically incapable’ box has been ticked. It’s not necessary for the other one also to be ticked. But let’s face it, she is most unlikely ever to do that, nor to abdicate. I consider that she is now behaving stubbornly and selfishly. She could go on for some years like this.

What a lot of posts using “I for one…!”
Also some highly colourful (OTT?) language … putrid … snake oil… anathema ?

Sorry if I’m going off at a tangent and being trivial maybe it’s the gale force wind we have here