Royalty and the media

Oh it's Bayern Munich and Barcelona [so it might be worth watching; sorry any England fans reading this ].

Oh, so that's why there are England flags everywhere!

Yes! Anything to escape from the football.

Any one going to watch "Murderous Mistress" on channel 4 at 9pm ?

Think it may be quite gripping !

The royal family doesn't live off taxpayers' money in spite of what the Murdoch media would have us believe. There have been lengthy and well-informed posts about how they are funded (not saying this debate shouldn't be opened again, just saying the information is readily available out there on the net). We do support MPs and members of the House of Lords out of taxes, as far as their public office is concerned. And teachers, doctors, soldiers, nurses, police officers, firefighters, tax inspectors, immigration officers......of course we do because they are carrying out functions on the part of the state, the public, the rest of us. Yes, rich and powerful people often get treated differently from poor and powerless people. It is disgraceful and we should all work towards making sure we aren't part of the problem. But it is a mistake to pick the royal family as an example of the rich and unfairly powerful. Look at the Times rich list!

I have been watching it on iPlayer, Tegan as it has clashed with Broadchurch. Looking forward to the last one. It's been a very interesting series.

Is anyone watching the current Lucy Worsley [my favourite historian at the moment] series about 'Royal illnesses and how they have shaped the monarchy' [which is far more interesting than it sounds]? Last one in the series was tonight. She put forward the case that Prince Albert's death actually saved the monarchy because he was becoming far too powerful.

Yes I know that Lilygran but the point I was trying to make is that as usual there is one rule for the rich and wealthy and another for the poor and needy .

The bedroom tax does not effect me. But I feel so sorry for many of the families it will effect. Moving up and down from three bedrooms to two and then back again to three as their families grow. Of course if you are a member of the royal family ( or an MP for that matter) living on tax payers money then it is very different and you will be allowed (in fact encouraged) to have the biggest mansion money can buy.

Or didn't vote for some of them in sufficient numbers.......

Lilygran I may have voted Lib Dem but I certainly didn't vote for the coalition!

The Royal family isn't the government, gillybob and can't be held responsible for any stupidity on the part of the Coalition. Unlike the rest of us who either voted for them or didn't vote against them in sufficient numbers.

Mariposa, what would Camilla have to do to deserve the Princess of Wales title?

At the risk of upsetting some of the more royalist members.......the royal family really annoy me and is a subject guaranteed to get my going.

Where to start?

According to government a couple with three children only need a two bedroomed property (until the eldest child reaches a certain age and even then, only if they are not all the same sex). If they refuse to downsize (assuming there is a smaller property available of course) then they will be subject to Bedroom Tax.

A young very rich couple (still living off tax payers money) with one child (yet to be born)need a huge multi million pound mansion ???? No bedroom tax payable of course.

Lets just hope that this marriage is a genuine loving marriage and not a marriage of convenience and mutual amount of money in the bank ha ha

Eloethan

If what we are experiencing at the minute "is not hearing a lot Deedaa* pity help us when she goes into labour and the baby is finally born.

I'm not a royalist and am tired of all the coverage that the royal family gets.

Any girl who marries a prince can take the title princess but they have to be known by their husband's first name that's why Marie von Reibnitz is known as Princess Michael. Technically Kate is a princess but does not need to be known as Princess William as Duchess of Cambridge is her title. When William becomes Prince of Wales she will become Princess Catherine of Wales.

I think only aristocratic girls can take the title princess, Diana's father was an Earl. As to her doing so much for British fashion I haven't noticed any influence here in Germany. there are some lovely crown princesses in the Eurpean royal families, but they seldom have any influence on fashion.

Compared to her European counterparts Catherine leads a very boring, restricted life, and media attention won't help.

Dee that is perhaps why we haven"t heard a lot . Also I don"t suppose there is much to say at the moment .
She seems to okay now so that is good .

I suppose my problem with Camilla is that I was in a marriage with three people and I sort of relate to her as being on a parr with the woman who brought misery to my life [and my childrens]. However, it has become more and more obvious that she and Charles should have been married all along but then we wouldn't have the great people that are William and Harry. I've always liked Prince Charles [not finding his wacky ideas wacky at all] but felt he treated Diana appallingly.

The DT seem to feature the Prince of Wales a great deal lately - almost daily in fact. Is there some significance in this do you suppose? Is the paper 'getting us ready' for the future?

It struck me today that we haven't heard much about the baby lately. At one time it seemed as if there was nothing else happening in the world! I'm sure the actual birth will be much more exciting if we haven't all been bored rigid by it beforehand.

I'm not sure what the problem is with Camilla? She seems to have a good relationship with the Queen now and William and Harry seem friendly enough with her. Surely they are the people who should have a problem with her and if they don't I can't see that it's anyone else's business.

Read kate is moving in with Mum , for a while after the birth .

Good idea , Nobody like Mum .

Bodes well for us that their family get on well .

Went all the way to Sandringham today, suffered a numb bum on a coach, and Charles & Camilla didn't search us out