FamilyWiggs
Member
- Messages
- 3,452
- Location
- Flintshire, N Wales.
Sorry - couldn't think of any other way to introduce it... and I just wanted to say
"Hurrah!"
"Hurrah!"
- Thread starter FamilyWiggs
- Start date
CatherineB
Member
- Messages
- 353
- Location
- Cambridge
To which I would like to add
"and about time, too!"
"and about time, too!"
Feltwell
Member
- Messages
- 6,377
- Location
- Shropshire, England
I doubt very much that anyone is more excited than my 6 year old daughter. In spite of her own ambitions to be a princess, she can't wait to see the wedding, especially the dress. She is already preparing to give the seamstress tips on how to make the dress really beautiful (it needs to be "really twirly" apparently, to make her look like a proper princess).
Still, it gives me something to remind her about when she's 15 and refusing to wear anything other than black or purple.
Still, it gives me something to remind her about when she's 15 and refusing to wear anything other than black or purple.
JoceAndChris
Member
- Messages
- 6,606
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Your daughter sounds like a really sensible girl, and no doubt she'd have an opinion or two on pretty princess furniture that you ought to listen to. :wink:
I've just found out about this wedding - how very very lovely!
Will she be Queen Kate or Queen Katharine?
I've just found out about this wedding - how very very lovely!
Will she be Queen Kate or Queen Katharine?
Feltwell
Member
- Messages
- 6,377
- Location
- Shropshire, England
JoceAndChris said:
I don't have much choice but to listen, she rarely pauses for breath! I think the furniture would need more sparkly bits to be deemed fit for a princess. Clearly Chippendale just didn't appreciate the sophistication that a modern princess would require.
Still, at least I've got 2 sons for a bit of man talk as well! (Well, when they can both talk that is....). I'm very tempted to get a model railway set for Christmas and fix it up in the roof space of my new garage - for the kids to play with, of course...... :wink:
Flyfisher
Member
- Messages
- 10,201
- Location
- Norfolk, UK
Shhh! Don't tempt fate a second time.JoceAndChris said:
I wonder if we'll get another Bank Holiday on the day?
Gareth Hughes
Member
- Messages
- 2,741
- Location
- In the wilds of East Anglia
JoceAndChris said:
Neither, as her name's Catherine, with a C. We haven't had a Queen Catherine since 1705
CatherineB
Member
- Messages
- 353
- Location
- Cambridge
Gareth Hughes said:
Queen Catherine?! I can't wait for the wedding memorabilia to come out!!! My very own Queen Catherine mug, I can see it now :mrgreen:
CatherineB
Member
- Messages
- 353
- Location
- Cambridge
Err, I suppose that should have read "coronation memorabilia" 
Flyfisher
Member
- Messages
- 10,201
- Location
- Norfolk, UK
Just start with Princess Catherine and work your way up to Queen. :lol:
FamilyWiggs
Member
- Messages
- 3,452
- Location
- Flintshire, N Wales.
Rob, I believe our colonial cousins across the Atlantic are experimenting with just such a system for identifying their Head of State.
Whilst it is clearly early days (only 200 years or so, against the 1.5 millennia we've notched up), I understand it has thrown up some decidedly questionable candidates - including stars of moving image picture films and a barely-educated religious fundamentalist with a propensity to sign execution warrants every fortnight.
It will be interesting to see how this rather radical experiment unfolds - but I wouldn't rush to do away with our constitutional settlement in too much haste.
Whilst it is clearly early days (only 200 years or so, against the 1.5 millennia we've notched up), I understand it has thrown up some decidedly questionable candidates - including stars of moving image picture films and a barely-educated religious fundamentalist with a propensity to sign execution warrants every fortnight.
It will be interesting to see how this rather radical experiment unfolds - but I wouldn't rush to do away with our constitutional settlement in too much haste.
this is true, but what qualifications do you have to have to be a future king of a country? and how do we know any of the queens children hold such qualifications?
for instance, the queen believe it or not has the ability to make some very important decisions does she not?
what if say she only had one son , who became king , and who was lets say a nazi type fellow?
i dont think simply being born into it should be enough to qualify any one person to be a king of any country.
if that is the case , which it is , then every one should be allowed a chance because anyone could be just as big a gamble.
for instance, the queen believe it or not has the ability to make some very important decisions does she not?
what if say she only had one son , who became king , and who was lets say a nazi type fellow?
i dont think simply being born into it should be enough to qualify any one person to be a king of any country.
if that is the case , which it is , then every one should be allowed a chance because anyone could be just as big a gamble.
FamilyWiggs
Member
- Messages
- 3,452
- Location
- Flintshire, N Wales.
The monarch has very few remaining powers - known as the Royal Prerogative and these are exercised almost exclusively under the guidance of the Executive.
These remaining powers are largely retained in her role as Head of State in order to formally separate them from the power of the Executive which is seen as constitutionally sensible - dissolution of parliament, assent to Acts of Parliament, appointment of PM, declaration of war, etc.
Whether the HoS should be a hereditary role is another question - but I tend to the view that it appears to work pretty well and delivers stable governance, and whilst it ain't significantly broke - don't fix it. I wouldn't design it this way again from scratch - but I also wouldn't jeopardise what works now for some lofty notion of egalitarianism.
8)
These remaining powers are largely retained in her role as Head of State in order to formally separate them from the power of the Executive which is seen as constitutionally sensible - dissolution of parliament, assent to Acts of Parliament, appointment of PM, declaration of war, etc.
Whether the HoS should be a hereditary role is another question - but I tend to the view that it appears to work pretty well and delivers stable governance, and whilst it ain't significantly broke - don't fix it. I wouldn't design it this way again from scratch - but I also wouldn't jeopardise what works now for some lofty notion of egalitarianism.
8)
Nigel Watts
Member
- Messages
- 1,779
- Location
- London N7
The irony is that the royal family is more representative of ordinary people in terms of abilities and temperament than any elected politician or salaried official is ever likely to be as the latter only represent a tiny self-selected minority of people who have managed to climb to the top of the greasy pole.
Access to the throne is of course restricted by birth but the position of consort to the monarch is not. Now that the royal family seems happy to marry into the middle class the field is now pretty wide open.
I had no idea that Charles II's consort, Catherine of Braganza, lived until 1705. Just looked her up on Wikipaedia and what an interesting person she was. It seems she introduced to this country the table fork and the habit of drinking tea. Bombay formed part of her wedding dowry. Thanks for pointing this out Gareth.
Access to the throne is of course restricted by birth but the position of consort to the monarch is not. Now that the royal family seems happy to marry into the middle class the field is now pretty wide open.
I had no idea that Charles II's consort, Catherine of Braganza, lived until 1705. Just looked her up on Wikipaedia and what an interesting person she was. It seems she introduced to this country the table fork and the habit of drinking tea. Bombay formed part of her wedding dowry. Thanks for pointing this out Gareth.
FamilyWiggs
Member
- Messages
- 3,452
- Location
- Flintshire, N Wales.
Why not a TV telephone vote?
That'll secure some good, well prepared candidates. :roll:
That'll secure some good, well prepared candidates. :roll:
biffvernon
Member
- Messages
- 4,607
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I don't think it was the Queen's decision to invade Iraq or to ethnically cleanse the Chagos Islands. Hey, but what am I doing defending the monarchy?
JoceAndChris
Member
- Messages
- 6,606
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I love the Queen. And the Royal family. They do silly things sometimes but I think on the whole they make a pretty dignified job of it, and how horrible to live your life so constantly under scrutiny, especially in our time of the Internet and the all prevalent power of the media. I wouldn't change places with Her Majesty, though I'd be in my element in a palace.