Those royals wasting money again

You have to build yourself up before having your ears syringed

Oh definitely......could feel my strength ebbing away before the pudding (of the sticky toffee variety) restored me to rude health.

I've never had my ears syringed (never say never) but if I do I'll make sure to have sticky toffee pudding beforehand (with lots of custard).

Am I spelling syringed properly?
It doesn't look right but hasn't had a red line under it.

I’ve had mine done a couple of times and always feel dizzy as a ? afterwards. If there a next time I shall definitely try a nice pudding beforehand just to see if it helps. My favourite is Creme Brûlée with a crispy top.

Bless, it must be so hard having to fly 130 miles in a private jet, shake a hand or two, eat a lavish meal, visit a yacht maker (maybe place an order who knows?) shake more hands and fly home in the private jet of course. I ask myself ..... how does he do it?

Yes, gillybob, my feelings too.

People have said the royals work sooooo hard and have no privacy. I think the perks probably make up for what I see as (at most) a few trips out a month, all organised for them, arranged for them, with luxury travel and with a bit of fawning and bowing and scraping thrown in (thone in..ha ha) for the few hours they are out and about.

Hmmm. Sounds very tough.

I would keep the Queen but only her immediate heirs to save us from a Presidency. All the others, including her grandchildren and their spouses should NOT be given royal palaces to live in or all the perks of the sovereign.

The monarchy is long overdue an overhaul. I agree with railman.

These 'hard working' individuals are whisked off from their engagements to a luxurious setting and looked after by servants. They do not go back to ironing, dishes in the sink, supermarket shopping, a meal to prepare, beds to be made or work to sort out for the next day. They have an assistant/servant for every part of their existence.

They get heaps of privacy, in the lap of luxury. I am not sure why we tolerate it in 2018.

As I type the royals will be doing exactly as they please..and tomorrow they'll do the same, and the day after that, without prying eyes observing their lives. Their very few public appearances do not justify the existence of such a large family and all the spouses, children and hangers on.

No President for me, so carry on Queenie, and Charles, and William after him....but the rest and their costs and privileges? No thank you. Proper jobs await, and even those won't be arduous, given their relatives.

My favourite is Creme Brûlée with a crispy top. Mine too, although I wouldn't turn down a cheesecake, lemon meringue or pavlova either.

I totally agree with the need for a monarchy overhaul Day6 there are far too many of them these days . What most of them do on a day to day basis (except play) I have no idea . Eddy has probably fulfilled his quota for the next month or two ( another box ticked ) and now it’s back to the real business of enjoying oneself like the rest of them .

Personally I wouldn’t have their life for all the money they might have. Your life isn’t your own.

From reading all your posts Gilly you come across as thinking the grass is always greener on the other side. That’s a shame. You only have one life, this isn’t a practice for another better one that’ll come along ‘next time’.

Try to enjoy what you have instead of always being so bitter. Your husband recently had a TIA I remember. He’s obviously recovered or recovering. Give thanks for still having him - there are others who have lost their life-long partners and would give anything to have them back.

Live and let live.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much bitterness in so small a space. It’s so sad, and it’s pointless. Why waste your lives being bitter, resentful and hating people?

(This is not addressed to anyone in particular, by the way.)

Bitter ? Me? Just because I’m not a royalist , I’m bitter. Strange that unless you adore them you’re bitter .

I could say that all those who worship at their feet should look at what’s missing in their own lives but that would be nasty. Infact a bit like saying that I’m bitter.

I wouldn’t swap their weird lives for a pension . I have the best, most lovable, wonderful, family anyone could wish for . Why would I want to swap with them lot ?

And who mentioned the “hate” word? I don’t hate anyone.

I'm with OldMeg, I much prefer my own life to that of any of the RF.
It's curious that anyone who doesn't join the RF knocking group is referred to as fawning, or 'worshipping at their feet'. Nope, not at all so far as I'm concerned and I haven't seen other posters doing that.

Try to enjoy what you have instead of always being so bitter. Your husband recently had a TIA I remember. He’s obviously recovered or recovering. Give thanks for still having him - there are others who have lost their life-long partners and would give anything to have them back

What a totally unnecessary and nasty paragraph Old Meg

What on earth has the loss of loved ones got to do with opinions about the royal family? If we haven't suffered as others have we shouldn't be entitled to opinions about a very privileged, pampered group of people? We should be eternally grateful we have a partner, so shut up, basically?

If anyone is full of strange and angry thoughts, it is you, Old Meg.

They may have money but they do not have choice. They have to pursue these duties - get poshed up, shake hands with all and sundry, smile, pretend interest in things - yawn, yawn!

I guess they did not choose the life into which they were born, but on the whole they get on with it with a good grace.

If parliament votes to disband the monarchy, then that's fine if that is the will of the people; until then they and we just have to get on with it.

I guess there are tycoons and oligarchs who spend just as much if not more purely in pursuit of their own pleasure.

I think it’s incredibly unfair to use words like bitterness,resentful, hating towards those of us who do not accept the concept of monarchy and to give lectures about how people should live their lives and be grateful for what they have. It’s very judgemental and condescending and actually like gilly I might wonder what is missing in people’s lives and their value systems that they won’t hear a word against any member of the RF no matter how vanishingly small their ‘contribution’ to the UK is nor seriously question why a huge family based on who came out of whose vagina or who married that person is seen as a worthy symbol of a modern day democracy. We persist in the fiction on GN that we ‘know’ each other and the lives we live when of course all we are doing is making judgements on posts we make and if we disagree with them or the passion with which they are made, we feel we can ‘rubbish’ that person and the lives they lead.

Who is worshipping at their feet or adoring them? I haven’t noticed anyone on here doing that. Who is ‘fawning’? Haven’t seen that either. It’s as much an invention as some people’s views about how royals spend their time when they aren't in the public eye.

It’s true that I haven’t noticed anyone saying that they ‘hate’ the royals in so many words, but it's implicit in some attitudes expressed here.

I do not adore the Windsors, have never bothered to turn out to see them when they come to this town.

I want to keep the monarchy , no president thanks. President Johnson or President Corbyn ?

I wish William and Harry did the same duties as Charles and Anne did and still do. Harry we will see on tv when he does his commonwealth tours, he enjoys those. Like his mother - if there’s a camera there I will be. William spends his life on paternity leave.

Charles and Anne have the same sense of duty as queenie.

It's funny that others are not allowed to have perfectly acceptable opinions about the role of the royal family in 2018. To decry them is bitterness?

Those who resent being thought of fawning worshippers (they are not - interest in their lives on the odd occasions they come out of their palaces is ok by me) are telling those not 100% behind the royal family that they are bitter Hmmm.

There is middle ground.

To suggest the royal family be preened in the interests of economy, common sense, unnecessary expense, etc, is not bitterness, but a thought about the relevance of monarchy in the 21st century being tossed into the debate. Should we not discuss these things?

Lucky none of your post addresses what some of us feel are important points - the size of the RF, the unnecessary extravagance of their lifestyles and basically how little they do whilst reaping all the benefits of their totally unmerited status - particularly those of working age. They have more choices than most of us can ever dream of and we don’t just have to get on with it until they are disbanded ( which will never happen) reform could take place - it’s ridiculous to think it’s this present circus for ever.

"They may have money but they do not have choice. They have to pursue these duties - get poshed up, shake hands with all and sundry, smile, pretend interest in things - yawn, yawn!"

Ah, but by the same token, most people get up when the alarm clock rings in the morning and get to work in rush hour traffic, week in, week out, year in, year out. They do that every day of the week, they have no choice either.

They come home to yet more household chores, bills, expenses, etc, etc.

They cannot get off their particular hamster wheel either. Why do so many people do the lottery? Maybe because they'd like a life of luxury for a change too?

Now, if we look at royal engagements today, you can bet that the majority of royals have nothing pencilled in. They may have one duty a week? Hardly arduous. Has William got up and gone to the gym? Kate and Meghan will have. Breakfast in bed? Hairdresser due at 10am? Meeting with the Middleton family for lunch in Berkshire at 1pm maybe? Riding over their acres somewhere? Drinks at the members only club with friends?

It's a job like any other but one with few working hours, lots of leisure time,and all the privileges having servants bring, as well as 24 hr security so that the outside world does not intrude unless it's invited. Then the Royals depend on the public turning out....because that justifies their existence.

That's not bitterness, that's fact. Ordinary mortals have little choice either, and none of the privileges or riches. Again, it's true and if it makes me reflect on personal 'prisons', then we all have them.

It is interesting that you make that point MaryEliza as I think I read somewhere that the Queen had decided to “slim down” the Royals who are in receipt of the allowance and who perform public duties. Sayonara Beatrice and Eugenie, Princess Michael and others.
I have no idea what the details are and who gets what, but I understood she was aiming at a closer knit group, Ann, William, Harry and their wives and presumably the Wessexes . Perhaps it was meant as a subtle (?) way to ease Airmiles Andrew into the background?

I think it was Charles who decided to slim down the family Maw.

All these assumptions about how many engagements various royals have are just guesswork. If I could be bothered Id look it up -must be easy to. I bet they have quite a lot more duties than some think , but again it's a guess.

I'm in Day6's middle ground.

A monarchist but not blind to questionable extravagance.

Agree. I like to see them when they come out for events but wouldn't queue up for hours and certainly don't worship the ground they tread on. Also I agree the family should be slimmed down -there are far too many. That balcony was crowded! Bug I'd hate to be without a monarchy -I would have thought Trump was a big enough warning about what might happen if we had an elected President!
As I said, I think the main royals do have lots of engagements as well as a life of luxury. No they dont have to come home to washing up anx bills like the rest of us, but they do have to look perfectly groomed at all times. They can't just say I'm not feeling well/ menopausal/pmt day etc and stay off work (unless very ill.) Even if they have a dreadful headache they must smile and nod and express interest in other people. I'd hate it. Kate was criticised for looking so good after giving birth but she would have been even more criticised if sh'd looked dreadful.