why are old age pensioners so obsessed with the royal family?i think they do nothing for the country just drain us tax payers wages and do nowt with it but buy luxury boats planes and cars ud think they would do a bit more and invite some poor little orphans for a ride in thier jumbo that i paid for or get a real job instead of being given a rank in the army
131168
haha ur juz jealous. without their ancestors they might never hav England on the map
541600
Firstly and most crucially, the royal family DOES NOT live off the taxpayer. HRH Queen Elizabeth II is the owner of crown property (ie the Duchy of Lancaster). The tax which the government receives from the residents and businesses in the duchy itself is collected and a portion of that tax money is given to the queen herself. In essence, it is the monarchy which subsidizes the government NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.\nFrom this income, she must pay her staff and the other royals who are on the Civil List.\nThis nonsense that the British royal family lives off the taxpaying public is mere tripe. You can debate the merits of giving any portion of the taxes the government receives frmo the Duchy of Lancaster to the British Royal Family but you can't debate what constitutes fact.\nHope that helps.
252395
The continued existence of the "royal" family, is a way for he British people to hold on to an institution that has been a part of the history of their country for hundreds of years. Its figurehead status aside, it strengthens the pride of the average citizen and re-establishes patriotism
433423
The above question is neither for or against the Monarchy, it is asking your opinion!! So not jumping to conclusions on whether or not YOU personally want rid of them I shan't insult you as I answer. As a previous answer states the vast array of anti-monarchy answer show just how many people have "sour grapes" Things like: Why should people be born into wealth? and: Why should they get to spend vast sums of money on frivolous things when they have never worked a day in their lives? Easy answers to those two really- the first is just jealous people who are irked because they weren't born into wealth. The second is slightly more worrying. The people who say this don't seem to have a grasp on reality, everyday there is some TRASH written in tabloids and rags all the country over slurring the royal family or revealing some dirty secret. Everyday the Queen has to listen to inane country legislation and discussing it, some days more important than inane. In times of rememberance and worry the Queen is there-someone to look up to and listen to-indeed someone to respect- the countless charities that exsist solely because of Her? RSPCA? RSPCC?  The thousands She has raised for charities? The millions upon millions She and her family bring to THIS country. Which by the way is HERS'! We were given the right to rule the country as a democracy-we were not GIVEN the country! And why should we be? Why shouldn't somebody be born into Her Impossible position? The weight of a country on your shoulders every day the stress of constantly being within the publics focus. If all this isn't a job that is worth more than it's weight in gold I don't know what is. Besides all that there are millions of other roles that She fills that I don't even know about. Things like being able to dissolve parliment and dissmiss ministers. The powers that she has over govertment may not have been used-yet.but they are there and very real (reassuring yes?)  Her father when crowned was known for saying it was the worst thing ever to happen to his Very happy family why? Because it is hard work being the Head of State, and he knew what this meant for one of his daughters and so on forever down the line. Constant Hard Work. Better somebody be born ito this position than fighting and striving (you might say lusting ) after such a position of power- somebody with an agenda, their own ideas, not a neutral source to look to when these "somebodies" start getting unreasonable. The Queen should stay She more than works for all that is Hers and this land is indeed still hers, rightfully so!!!
4382
Because they are either snot nosed rich kids who take everything gran-id or they are poor and think the money should be spent on them so they can continue generation after generation sucking money out of our government because they are too lazy to work. They have no appreciation for those of us that serve proudly so that that can sleep at night w/o bomb sirens. Ignorant people are against the military. Justa simple way that you can judge someones character.
148267
Didn't you mean "What do you think of celebrity baby names?" Just kidding.  Actually, this is something that I think about often.  I believe that my generation will begin to witness the demise of the middle class (by which I mean the lower and middle middle classes, not the upper middle class).  The reasons for this breakdown are, I imagine, extremely complex, and I doubt very much that I am qualified to render a competent analysis.  I will speculate that the most fundamental cause of this phenomenon is complacency.  This generation of people seems genuinely unconcerned with any kind of political education, which need not be formal at all.  As long as people really are more interested in what goes on in the tabloids than the political and social forces that are eroding our society as we know it, social and governmental elites will continue to protect their own interests at the expense of those from whom, theoretically at least, they derive their power.  Change requires recognition, and as long as we bury our collective heads in the sand, nothing will be done.  This nation seems to be following the path of all fallen empires.  We are so incredibly overextended that taking care of the needs of the bulk of our own population is simply no longer a primary concern.  The number of people in this country living without access to health care bears this out, and this is by no means the only issue faced by the lower and middle classes.  We will either wise up, or experience the kind of unrest and violence that such social divides inevitably bring.  I hope for the former, but expect the latter.
369089
Rich people are bored and need some sort of politically correct cause to support, whether they believe it or not.\n\nLook at all the 'environmentalists' who are LOADED with cash yet drive the biggest SUV's they can find...
320784
I have to agree that the investment is poor.  As an ex-pat Aussie living in the UK it is clear that the English don't show the same level of government support as we do.  I guess maybe it's because there is only so much money to go around, and the populace insist on maintaining an expensive health service, NHS dentists, and other traditional tax absorbers; and that in light of this someone running for office won't win votes by saying "I'm going to eliminate non-private dentistry and build a National Institute of Sport"
16198
Here in England we are highly amused by the strange views and opinions of the people in the USA. We are particularly confused by their desire to worship actors and by their very poor grasp of geography.\nOur monarchs do not rule us; they are 'left over' from our history. We are a parlimentary democracy. Of course nobody thinks royalty are superior, in fact I can fart much better than the Queen can - I just hope she does not read this else I'll be beheaded.\nBy the way, why are americans such bad spellers?
390751
This country is going down the tubes mate,and we need to do something about it fast.Its people like your daughter who get the short end of the stick.Honest,hard working citizens who really need the benifits for what they are there for,SUPPORT,not just to greedily sponge for a living their whole lives.All the best to you and your daughter,and I hope you get some help for her.
512951
personnally it is the aim to amount wealth at the expense of everything else, ie use the army to amass policital control in another country then pay american companies to work there the companies of course are mass benefactors to the republican party.  \n\nOffer no government health care to your people so the poor die.  As a brit it amazes me that the richest country in the world cannot afford to pay healthcare for their poorest people.  Your government really scares me.
337076
I don't really consider the Queen or Royal family to be "in power" as it is a purely ceremonial role nowadays.\n\nI really don't have any time for the Royal family as I consider them an irrelevant soap opera although I am happy to just ignore them if they are around.
403167
Everyone from here is joining mine anyway. You can join. It doesn't have a name yet, but we are pushing for world peace and the death penalty and the stocks. Apply for a position. You cannot have Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary or Home Office, because they are gone. Oh, and you need to bring about £1 million because we are bankrupt.
303576
Strangely enough, though I don't know where you're from, we pay taxes ALL of our lives right up until we're retired. There are also medicine being developed so people can live longer.\n\nThe contradiction here is: older people + taxes they've paid all their lives = no money when they retire.\n\nAs much as I hate to be crude ... wtf?\n\nAnyway, yes, the property will have to be sold unless you (or another willing relative) has the money to support the needy relative.\n\nI lost an inheritance that way and I'm seeing a friend facing the same trouble. The moral of the story is? Government, stop fixing the highway and save that cash up for me when I'm too old to work... Or stop research to make me older and not give me money ... it sucks either way
230988
I agree with you. I think many of them come here for the exact reasons you stated. I know there are war torn countries and whatever but Britain is only a small island and there are plenty of safe countries in between us and their own country. They come here because they are practically guaranteed a good life and a job, if they feel like working, though they don't have to. I get about £300 a month in tax credits to help me stay at home with my own kids. There are people who have a problem with that when these illegals are coming in and being given brand new houses, some built for them, then they were getting those food voucher thingys but that's not good enough is it, they want the cash so they can go and buy themselves a corner shop and rip us off some more. I am all for the BNP on this one. It's not racist. It's fair. It doesn't happen in other countries. If I went to another country, they wouldn't just hand out free stuff just because I was foreign so why do people think it's racist if you don't want to do that?
443669
Your boredom is allowing many of us to to live here in Utopia, I mean the US.  \n\nJust think for every one of you overseas there are ten of us that are thankful for your efforts, even if all you can do is re-tie your boots all day.  If I ever become wealthy I will donate to Veterans causes. I'm ex-military (late 80's) and I could have been put in your shoes - I was lucky.\n\nIgnore NONAME, that was uncalled for and will probably get reported.
226992
Hell, yes! Royalty and hereditary titles. I get fed up with these titled muppets moaning because life isn't like it was in the 15th century. They receive too many tax exemptions. have too many privileges and serve little purpose. \nHaving said that, what would we do with their stately homes and a number of un-employed lords and ladies post-revolution? The houses could be re-used for the benefit of the community. The aristocracy could be encouraged to seek work like the rest of us.\nI can't see that we would lose much if we didn't have royalty or aristocracy.