British Royals ~ I don’t get it

I don’t just get the obsession we Americans have with the British royals.

So Harry and Meghan want to step back from their royal duties to make their own way in the world. Well, good for them. Hopefully, they will not have to live off the family’s fortune or off the taxpayers’ largesse. I’ve got to believe that Harry’s inbox will be filled with job offers.

Why should a grown-assed man in 2020 need permission from his grandmother to make life decisions? Why should Meghan, an American who has presumably been taking care of herself for some time need permission on where she should go and what she should wear?

And speaking of permission, why should Charles not have been “allowed” to marry the woman he loved because she was “not worthy” in favor of Diana, who in turn was treated like a brood mare by having to present herself to the royal gynecologist to prove that she was virginal?

Yeah. Yeah. I get tradition and even enjoy it somewhat, but really!

 

IBTL

There is no way to reply without being political.

If The Crown is to be believed, Camilla was somewhat of a loose slut.

We all know why the Royals have a problem with Meghan.

I don't think that she owes anyone anything. OTOH, she knew what she was getting herself into. We are still a generation or two away from the Royals changing their perception of themselves. I personally don't think William will be much better than Elizabeth when it comes to social equality. They go through the motions, but it's pretty much a front.

 

I agree, but this is the way the Royals role.

I'm sure Meghan's value as an actress has risen since she married into the clan, but, I would suggest she stay away from tunnels.

Good luck.

 

Yeah, I agree, I do not understand why Americans are obsessed with another country's royal family. All tabloid fodder...............

 

Thought I was the only that doesn't give a sh** about them.

 

I mean, you can either roll your eyes at the obsession, or you can participate it in and roll your eyes at the traditions and rules and absurdity, but its really one or the other.

But taking it in turn, Americans are still interested in British royals because they are celebrity obsessed. The notion of letting the British have a good gossip on about the private lives of rich and powerful people without joining in on the fun is abhorrent. And it gets worse here because Meghan was an american celebrity before being a royal.

Why would he need permission from his grandmother? Because she is also his boss. When he takes on official titles, they are also a (largely ceremonial) job. Ditto Meghan, who knew what she was marrying in to. Harry could really have stepped aside earlier or asked to not be granted these titles when he married, instead they gave it a go.

As for Charles, the fallout and public reaction of that debacle is how he eventually he did end up marrying Camilla, and how his sons had far more choice in who they married. So getting into that argument is arguing about something that has already evolved, and is judging not only a different culture, but the views and traditions of that culture at a different time.

And while we can eyeroll at tradition as a reason, tradition is really the entire process by which the royal family sustains itself. If they are going to end up completely private citizens who do what they like when they do, then you need to have them removed as ceremonial heads of state, remove any publicly funded allowances, have a messy debate over what they should own vs what should be state property, and you end up with just a very rich family who can have a lot of fun on ancestry.com. But we are still a fair ways from that.

 

Ever ask yourself who else in the Windsor clan has red hair besides Harry?

 

I hope some of our friends from across the pond weigh-in on this thread... I'd love to hear their thoughts/perspectives.

 

It's what I call manufactured news for lack of anything actually meaningful or important. Front page news today...jeopardy answer...tourist stops for bison in national refuge and receives free car wash...target is selling a chocolate avocado that looks like the real thing. I'm about as interested in Harry as I am what's in Kim Kardashian's refrigerator.

 

No, there's at least another one or two or three . . . .

 

Personally... I do not even understand why there are Royals in the first place.

Stick with Prime Ministers, Presidents, etc. Turn those Castles into massive BnB's.

 

Yeah...she's American.

 

A Brit here. The feeling is that Harry was disrespectful in not informing (let alone discussing) his Father and Grandparents of their decision before posing it on social media. That doesn’t matter if you are Royal or not, it’s plain good manners. I don’t care where they live and what they do but I do care if they are being subsidised by the British taxpayers for their security and lifestyle. If I was his parent or grandparent I would be very upset with the pair of them.

 

His red hair came from Diana's side of the family. Sarah, Charles and Diana Spencer...

 

Me and you. And I would suspect a whole shitload of others. We just roll our eyes and move on.

 

Umm.....don't you know where you are?!? Those castles obviously need to become casinos!

 

Nope, I don’t believe it has anything to do with that or ethnicity. I believe something happened after Harry met Meghan to distance themselves from William and Kate and we will never be told what that was. It just seems so sad that the boys were so close and now they aren’t at all. Whose fault that is no one knows and we can’t speculate.

 

You'd think the Battle of Yorktown would've put this to rest.

You know, for a people (Americans) who obsess over all manner of people who don't seem obsession-worthy, does it matter if it's a foreign "dignitary," a sports figure with a rap sheet ... even a two-faced televangelist? We love to obsess. Ray Lewis is "rehabilitated." Mike Vick jerseys still sell. A-Rod is a somewhat venerated senior statesman, Tiger Woods is a god and we all love David Crosby though he was an addict and a dealer.

 

If I recall my history, Edward the VIII (or was it the VII?) had to totally abdicate in order to be with the one he loved!

 

Eddie 8