Things King Charles might do

I'm not sure, but I don't believe any elected Head of State in a democratic country expects to be called "Your Highness" or "Your Majesty".

But it's quite probable that they are called 'sir' or 'ma'am. It's respect, not deference.

JaneJudge

all the proper wealthy, old money buggers by us drive really old land rovers occasionally you see on old volvo with a pheasant stuck to the grill plate. It's the peasants with the flash cars

Snap, though not so much since Lord Lowther call me "Hugh", died. There hasn't been much shooting so there are plenty of pheasant and peasants or plebs for that matter in their four-wheel drives.

MaizieD

^I'm not sure, but I don't believe any elected Head of State in a democratic country expects to be called "Your Highness" or "Your Majesty".^

But it's quite probable that they are called 'sir' or 'ma'am. It's respect, not deference.

I'm happy to call people sir or madam as a sign of respect, if they deserve it.

"Your majesty", not so much. That's deference.

Some of this is almost certainly apocryphal. Some it (pillows and bedding) I'd certainly do myself if I could. The breakfast box thing isn't true, or certainly not on every occasion(I know someone who has provided honey for the royal breakfast and it isn't honey that was brought along). As for the toothpaste thing - that's been doing the rounds for years. It is true. The valet put toothpaste on the royal brush when the then Prince of Wales broke his shoulder playing polo. Seems fair enough to me. Is he spoilt and entitled? Almost certainly. But no more so than any of us would be in his exceptional circumstances.

MaizieD
"Hasn't Brexit taught us anything?"

The disaster of Brexit would have been unlikely to have happened under an elected Head of State.
For example, when Boris Johnson asked the Queen to prorogue parliament, it was clear that the Queen had no independent role to play. It was highlighted to the nation that the monarch's real job is to do the PM's bidding.

volver

Callistemon21

Grany

If we stopped calling them your majesty your highness, what are they just a celebrity family.

That statement undermines your campaign for a president.
Does it mean you believe we don't need a Head of State at all?
Unlike every other country in the world.

Do you not understand our constitution?

Dangerous territory.

I'm not sure, but I don't believe any elected Head of State in a democratic country expects to be called "Your Highness" or "Your Majesty". Because they're not majestic ?. That doesn't mean they are not HoS.

Asking grany if she doesn't understand the constitution is just childish. Do you Callistemon, think our constitution was handed down from on high on tablets of stone and must never change?

No it's not.

It's the way Grany wrote it.

It's a nonsense statement.

It's not though. It's really not. Makes perfect sense.

Only if you put imagined context around it.

As a statement it is meaningless.

I disagree strongly Callistemon. Some people believe that it's quite natural and acceptable to consider just one living British person as Their Majesty. That title implies that this one person is in a special position that the rest of us can never attain, that they are in some exalted position - that of a majestic person - because of their genes. It can't exist without context. It means something.

It's not meaningless at all, and I believe it is simplistic to say it is, and misses the point entirely.

Normandygirl

MaizieD
"Hasn't Brexit taught us anything?"

The disaster of Brexit would have been unlikely to have happened under an elected Head of State.
For example, when Boris Johnson asked the Queen to prorogue parliament, it was clear that the Queen had no independent role to play. It was highlighted to the nation that the monarch's real job is to do the PM's bidding.

I was thinking of it more as a massive constitutional change which involved, and still involves, disentangling laws and powers from those that existed while we were members.

I really can't see that the status of the HoS has anything to do with it. Parliament is supreme and it was parliament that decided to go ahead with leaving , despite the dodginess of the conduct of the referendum.

WRT the prorogation, how would an elected HoS, with a supposedly non political role, have dealt with it?

WRT the prorogation, how would an elected HoS, with a supposedly non political role, have dealt with it?

Sorry, pressed "post" too soon.

The toilet seat has to be new and then removed so that it can’t appear on eBay after a royal visit.

WRT the prorogation, how would an elected HoS, with a supposedly non political role, have dealt with it?

A non political HoS should be expected to uphold the constitution. That should be one of their roles. If a government tried to do something unconstitutional, the last way of stopping them is to get the HoS to do it.

If the HoS truly represented the people, they could step in when a government tried to do something unconstitutional - like the government wanting to adjourn Parliament early to avoid having to defend themselves if they are doing something that isn't allowed. Which is what they did in 2019.

The Queen did nothing. Maybe Rees Mogg lied to her and she just believed him, maybe she just didn't want to get involved in defending our constitution which seems to rely on precedent and everyone in government having some kind of conscience, which this government certainly don't have.

If the Queen didn't act to defend the rights of her people, will her son? Or should we get ourselves a modern system with defined roles, which doesn't just hope that the government are good chaps who play with a straight wicket? Because they aren't. This lot certainly aren't and they got away with it because we had no way to stop them.

Meanwhile, we worry about toilet seats and toothpaste.

"WRT the prorogation, how would an elected HoS, with a supposedly non political role, have dealt with it?"

The phrase "non political" doesn't mean that the role would be purely ceremonial. A better description would be" Politically neutral", similar to a Supreme Court Judge or the role of Speaker.

Because an elected head of state's neutrality is prescribed by law, they can be genuinely independent of government, acting as an impartial referee of the political system and an extra check on the power of government.

If there's a risk that a new law may breach fundamental rights or principles, for example the proroguing of parliament, a HoS may refer it to the Supreme Court. Or if there is widespread public opposition to a bill, as with the brexit bill, the HoS could refer it back to the people for a second, confirming mandate.
The system we have atm means that governments can break laws, overide the fundamental rights of citizens with impunity , push through laws and sign treaties without the support or even reference to parliament and our present HoS is powerless to stop it.

Nannytopsy

The toilet seat has to be new and then removed so that it can’t appear on eBay after a royal visit.

New loo for royal visit has been required since way before e bay.

Sometimes the “trending now” box has some interesting titles next to each other….

volver

Meanwhile, we worry about toilet seats and toothpaste.

'We' being your republican allies, volver. They're the ones fretting about toilet seats and toothpaste...

Chestnut

nexus63

i have been reading about the pampered prince who is now king and my thoughts on him have gone down, he sends a van with his furniture including bed, pictures his own toilet seat and toilet paper, he takes a
breakfast box with him with 6 different kinds of honey, he needs his shoe laces ironed flat and a valet to put 1 inch of toothpaste on his toothbrush. i had great respect for the queen and thought she was a wonderful
person, i can't say the same about the new king.

How they love the gullible public who believe everything they read. ???

OK, how about "the king who can't even put on his own gloves when leaving his mother's funeral"?

MaizieD

volver

Meanwhile, we worry about toilet seats and toothpaste.

'We' being your republican allies, volver. They're the ones fretting about toilet seats and toothpaste...

"Allies"? Do you think we're plotting a coup?

My point is that many complain about what they see as ridiculous privilege and how the country treats the royals we have today. While I'm worried about having a system that doesn't serve the people of this country at all well.

Lucca ?
Did you enjoy your holiday?
Sorry to briefly deviate from the thread.

many complain about what they see as ridiculous privilege and how the country treats the royals we have today. While I'm worried about having a system that doesn't serve the people of this country at all well.

Maybe both are important to some Volver.

That's true nadateturbe.

Bye bye Henry to use his correct name By all means send his children to visit grandfather. He and wife can stay out of the limelight. We all have heard them say they want a quiet life out of the limelight.
The pressure he put on his Granny and Grandfather was cruel.