King Charles III

I agree broadly with Gabrielle. A completely daft reason for installing some man or woman as head of state is safer than purported reasonable reasons.

Don't patronise me, lady.

The Royals don't have personal ambitions? What??? I suppose at the moment the limits of their ambitions seem to be getting themselves called Duke of Ballamory or some other made up title.

I think you've been watching too many fiction films. Check out how many countries in the world are republics, and how many are led by power crazed megalomaniacs.

Then calm down a bit.

volver

*MaizieD*.

I would like this country to be a republic because I believe that any citizen of this country should be entitled to aspire to be Head of Government or Head of State. As long as one can only become Head of State by being a descendant of the last Head of State, we can never call ourselves a democracy or a truly equal country.

All countries have the right to design their own constitutions. When we have become mature enough to realise that we do not need to have a Head of State that looks good riding on a carriage, then we can decide what sort of HoS we want, and what their job will be.

Not everybody wants that. Some people are happy to stick to the old ways, with a Royal Family. But that perpetuates the old habits of inequality, and entrenched deference to a ruling class. I would prefer a system where the HoS truly represents the citizens of this country.

At this stage, I would love it if people realised that having an elected HoS does not mean we have a system like the US, or France, or anywhere else. We have our own system, which we will decide on.

Again I understand not everyone wants that. Some want to stick with the status quo, and that is a valid position. However those people aren't entitled to mock republicans if they don't understand what it is that we propose. They are not entitled to think we are anarchists intent on beheading that nice King and his lovely family, just because we are jealous of their wealth.

It will take some grown up thinking to get to a republic, but that day will come. Eventually.

How interesting a post. Surely you don't believe for one millisecond that a 'civilian' head of state will not feel they are entitled to avail themselves of all the trappings of royalty do you?! Have you not learned anything from what has happened in former Communist Russia? Or China? Old emperors and tsars swept aside, murdered and the 'people' installed as a totally equal and harmonious state of being. NOT! As Roger daltrey once sang " meet the new boss-same as the old boss" royals are a figure of state and have no political or personal ambitions, why should they? I agree that some serious cloth cutting is now required, but have a power crazed megalomaniacal social climber as absolute head of state? Get real! It was bad enough enduring the last power mad social climber, Thatcher , that went well didn't it. So try really thinking about what you wish for before releasing that genie the wording of the wish can be the undoing of the wisher.

William and Catherine must be watching what this punishing schedule is doing to Charles and Camilla and dreading the time when their turn comes. However the Queen having died in Scotland has added tremendously to what is having to be done, though Scotland has done her and Charles proud.

In Scotland, ‘havering’ always means wittering, or talking nonsense. Maybe outside Scotland it means the same as ‘wavering’.

I hope King Charles gets a fair crack at the regal whip after so long in the 'pending' file! Camilla is obviously his soul mate and has always been so.thank goodness that the powers and protocols that caused everyone such heartache when he was a young prince have been swept aside forever(hopefully) and I truly wish for him to be close to Harry once more for everyone's sake. I agree that Camilla is oh so likely to tell the nasties weedling into his mind to sling their collective hooks too! I'm sure he'll mind her counsel more than those who seek power for themselves. I'm not a royalist but recognise the benefits and unique nature of our set up. Nowhere else on the planet has such a symbiotic relationship between people parliament and monarch. As we used to say to each other as kids in the 50s/60s "it's a free country!" A retort tipping a wink to our collective triumph over evil in WW2 we all believed it then as now , let's keep it this way.

Much too ambitious WWM2.
I don't envy Charles right now.

I know that C&A have every luxury etc, but my goodness they, especially Camilla are looking utterly exhausted, and they still have a week to go. I wonder if the plan is too ambitious?

I believe as a Monarch he has to be non political and is not allowed to voice his opinion as he once did.
We never knew the Queens thoughts on matters and that’s how it should be.
I’m sure he’ll make a good King with Camilla, the Quuen consort hy his side.
It sems strange now to have a King but I feel he will do his best to serve the people. God save the King.

One of my daughters, who has a PhD,didn’t do that well at school but when she went to uni she absolutely loved it and came through with flying colours. Some people just develop differently. I have a grandson , her son, who is now at uni getting high distinctions in everything. He didn’t do that well at school, either and just scraped into uni and then changed into what he really wanted to study after he had ‘proved’ himself after the first year. Exams are not everything,especially these days. School curriculums are not the be all and end all, either. I was one of those people that always excelled in exams but I know there were others a lot cleverer than me, who didn’t go well. I was just lucky, I could spew out what they wanted and then immediately forget it all anyway.

biglouis, what was your academic honour?

Rather than being intelligent as biglouis stated Charles is far from clever (Since when has a B in history and a C in French indicated intelligence

Yes a rather nasty little post related to when he was a very young man.

I failed the 11+ but went on to gain the highest academic honours one can be awarded in this country.

People can do well in later life as experience matures them.

MaizieD.

I would like this country to be a republic because I believe that any citizen of this country should be entitled to aspire to be Head of Government or Head of State. As long as one can only become Head of State by being a descendant of the last Head of State, we can never call ourselves a democracy or a truly equal country.

All countries have the right to design their own constitutions. When we have become mature enough to realise that we do not need to have a Head of State that looks good riding on a carriage, then we can decide what sort of HoS we want, and what their job will be.

Not everybody wants that. Some people are happy to stick to the old ways, with a Royal Family. But that perpetuates the old habits of inequality, and entrenched deference to a ruling class. I would prefer a system where the HoS truly represents the citizens of this country.

At this stage, I would love it if people realised that having an elected HoS does not mean we have a system like the US, or France, or anywhere else. We have our own system, which we will decide on.

Again I understand not everyone wants that. Some want to stick with the status quo, and that is a valid position. However those people aren't entitled to mock republicans if they don't understand what it is that we propose. They are not entitled to think we are anarchists intent on beheading that nice King and his lovely family, just because we are jealous of their wealth.

It will take some grown up thinking to get to a republic, but that day will come. Eventually.

volver

Biden is Head of State in the US.

Macron is Head of State in France.

Are they non-political?

It's complicated, I know ?. I'm thinking of coming up with a picture book. My First Big Book of Alternative Governmental Systems.

Make sure its printed on THICK card. It will be well thumbed by plenty of readers, for sure.

Germanshepherdsmum, I haven't condemned Charles for his divorce and it would have been better for the children if they'd done that without all the shenanigans first.
I am certainly not without sin and have never claimed to be. I assume I am allowed an opinion though!
I wasn't boasting about my links with the Church, just correcting the assumptions being made. Some of the most engaged people with the Church aren't necessarily the best Christians so having been through all that doesn't really mean anything.

We have been assured at various times when the topic of a republic has been discussed that a proposed HoS would not be a political appointment...

volver

Biden is Head of State in the US.

Macron is Head of State in France.

Are they non-political?

It's complicated, I know ?. I'm thinking of coming up with a picture book. My First Big Book of Alternative Governmental Systems.

I don't want a political Head of State. I don't care much for the French or the US constitution.

What I do want is less power for the Executive in Parliament and PR to give us a more representative, consensual government. That can be achieved under a monarchy or a republic.

Disenfranchised? Blaming someone else again for how your life has gone. I see a pattern here.
More to do with the Vicar who was molesting young women having been moved into our parish quietly when he'd done the same in another but don't let your assumptions get in the way of the truth!

^ The long walk behind the hearse must have really taken it out of him, and Princess Anne, who had also witnessed her Mother's death and then sat in a car for six hours to accompany her Mother's coffin when it left Balmoral.^

I've just watched the Countryfile programme about Balmoral and the Queen. If those two have been striding up and down those hills from an early age the little pull up the Royal Mile would be a walk in the park for them. We have people in our ramblers group older than them who can walk miles over all terrains...

I'm obviously talking of their physical state. Mentally it must be dreadful for them.

(As a reasonably fit contemporary of Princess Anne I have to say that I'm finding all this 'poor old lady' stuff a bit annoying)

Biden is Head of State in the US.

Macron is Head of State in France.

Are they non-political?

It's complicated, I know ?. I'm thinking of coming up with a picture book. My First Big Book of Alternative Governmental Systems.

volver

^King Andrew and Fergie wouldn't be very pleasant, but they really wouldn't affect the running of the country.^

Then what is the point of having a King and Queen?

Entertainment value, apparently. Across the various threads running today, I am so disappointed at the lack of knowledge about how RF works and how our country works. We're doomed.

Late to this but, what is the point of having a Head of State? A non political role, I understand.

So, what for?

How would they affect the running of the country in a way that A & F wouldn't?

Mollygo

volver

Mollygo
It was lovely news to hear that Nicola Sturgeon wants to retain the monarchy in Scotland even if Scotland achieves independence.
That's been SNP policy for years.

Well done for catching up, though.

It might be the policy, but according to the expert on an interview in Scotland today, retaining the monarchy is only supported by 20% of the SNP.
Now I’m wondering who is right.
Does the SNP support policies that are so unpopular with their members, especially the republicans on GN, or was the expert not such an expert at all and guilty of inaccuracies.

The SNP policy is to maintain a monarchy in an independent Scotland, because to win a vote for independence will require more people to vote "Yes" than just the SNP members.

Most politically aware Scots understand that independence and republicanism are two separate policies. We get the first, then we start talking about the second.

We Scots have patience. We learnt it from having to repeatedly explain Scottish politics to the English.

That does not mean that we cant discuss the damage behaviour may cause children. It is absolutely because I am not without sin that I can confidently say that .

I watched a clip of the Queen's children walking behind her coffin today. Charles looked exhausted, as well he might, given that he has been thrown headlong into a round of ceremonies, meetings, church services, walkabouts, TV appearances - all this within hours of being present at the death of his Mother. The long walk behind the hearse must have really taken it out of him, and Princess Anne, who had also witnessed her Mother's death and then sat in a car for six hours to accompany her Mother's coffin when it left Balmoral. They are in their seventies - that itinerary would have me on my knees, and it continues apace presumably for at least another week.

Good post DaisyAnne. My child benefited enormously from my divorce and he would be the first to say that. .

You will I’m sure icanhandthemback be familiar with Jesus’s admonition ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone’.

Oh, and I have been baptised and confirmed into the Church of England and attended a Church school too, fwiw.