Our Queen

I used to fancy Alan Rickman something rotten too, anniebach
My theatre designer daughter was sitting next to him at some luvvies' function a few years back and he was being very charming. She said she didn't have the heart to tell him her mother fancied him!!

Jalima, I really don't understand how people can love queenie, I do mean people who don't meet her. I never met Alan Rickman, I could say I loved Alsn Rickman but no, I fancied him . I respect queenie but no more than the ninety one year old I know ,queenie really has no effect on my life , so neither dislike or love her

I'll agree with a much slimmed down monarchy, which I think they are aiming at. Andrew is quite annoyed that his daughters do not have protection any more and that Charles is objecting to them having a royal role instead of going out earning a living.
I think so too.

I think the Americans and Japanese probably love our Queen more than you do anniebach

I doubt Americans and Japanese flew here just to see queenie and the windsors walk to church on Christmas Day If the gardens are open to the public the country doesn't benefit , the house is privately owned .

I do not want rid of the monarchy, I do want s much smaller number the country has to pay to protect and I do think it's time they moved into the 21st century

All the above require staff. Staff = employment. Interest in the Royal Family's activities when on holiday = tourists which is good for the local economy.

There was a very long queue of people hoping to see the Queen attend church on Christmas morning. A lot of them were American and Japanese tourists.

I don't know much about Balmoral but Sandringam House and gardens are open to the public when the Queen is not in residence. Popular tourist attractions bring in a fair bit of dosh all round.

You don't know what you've got till it's gone.

Perhaps she doesn't go to bed when at Balmoral, all these red boxes, stag hunting, dog training, picnics, BBQ's, hill walking, entertaining, balls, must be hell

Ah yes*Daphnebroon*, you're right, Balmoral is summer because she was there in August when Diana died.

It must be nice to just turn up at these places and have all the packing, shopping etc sorted for you.

although I do end up doing most of the washing and ironing when I am at DD's (how does that happen?) which I don't suppose HM has to do

Well, usually 2 months staying with DD, perhaps another couple of weeks, some weekends.

But - I am retired, don't have to dress up and meet foreign dignitaries that I don't wish to meet, make pleasant talk with people I don't want to talk to but mustn't upset - every day is a holiday if I want it to be

He is such a nice man, I don't know if he is homeless, but I think he must be Eastern European (not British anyway).

Do you have five months hols a year Jalima

Think giving the money to that chap was good and you received a beaming smile from him, I feel really happy , thank you

ps anniebach I gave in trying to find a homeless person in my town to give your £1.50 to, couldn't find the Sally Army either (I haven't got out much lately) so I gave that (plus an extra contribution from me of course) to the sweet little man who sells The Big Issue, got a big beaming smile from him and 'Merry Christmas' so I hope that was OK.

She stays in Sandringham untill February . Windsor for high days Balmoral untill October , this family love their holidays
Me too!

and I hope that, if I get to 90, I won't be doing as much work as HM has to.

Does she know in advance which items the PM will want to discuss? If not it will be like an exam - you need to know the answers to ALL possible questions. If she raises the items herself, then she presumably has studied them specifically. All legislation in enacted in her name (Queen's speech - "My government willl . . . ."), and she is conscientous enough to want to know what she is signing.

It is notable that in their autobiographies, many ex-PMs remark on her grasp of current affairs and of previous history. They didn't have to write that, they could have just kept schtumm on the subject if they found her uninformed and stupid.

But what details? just how many details can be discussed in one hour?

Successive Prime Ministers have said that she knows all the details when she discusses them with her at their regular meetings.

Do we know she sits for hours reading all those papers? Perhaps the red boxes are just tradition, She signs her name job done , her secretaries are there with her, we assume she does all this reading of papers , think of the size of her staff and advisors , private secretary, assistant private secretary etc

We are told by the palace through the press , PR ?

this family love their holidays

Off with their heads!

Don't those Red Boxes go to the Queen regardless of where she is? Are they just a nice bit of holiday reading?

She stays in Sandringham untill February . Windsor for high days Balmoral untill October , this family love their holidays

Don't think so Lillie, Balmoral is Summer, Christmas and New Year at Sandringham.

I was thinking .... don't they all go up to Balmoral for the New Year? Will they postpone the trip if she is still poorly? It's a long way to travel.

Agree with Antonia.
Royal children are not going to be dressed like everyone else. It would be like shivers to them.
But they give a nod to it, so as not to look too out of touch with "ordinary" people.
To be talked about, and feel newspaper inches, they have to look and be different.

I disagree Paddyann think the Queen and Prince Philip have served the country well for many years. There are a lot of other people who take money from the tax payer when they are not entitled to, fraudulent MP's and P. Green spring to mind

No Merlotgran, I do refer to her queenie but never Liz Windsor , you must mixed up posters

well if she's on her way out lets hope the rest disappear to foreign shores.Its a medieval concept in the 21st century,millions struggling and this overprivileged pampered lot keep putting their hands out for more money .....time it came to an end

It has been very mild until today and even then it wasn't 'freezing'. And some people think it's good to get fresh air to the legs!!

Our DGD are always stripping off too