Queen Elizabeth II

R

RetiredAndLovingIt

Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Joined
Jan 21, 2019
Messages
2,654
Location
California, The State Of Crime And Chaos.
Brits, don't miss the Party At The Palace Concert

The Queens Jubilee weekend kicked off with a great concert last night, it was not stuffy at all and I think it had something for everyone including Rod Stewart, Queen, Diana Ross, Andrea Bocelli.
It's available on Hulu basic today and I'm feeling pretty homesick even after 40 odd years here.
I still remember the days of standing at the top of our driveway waving our little Union Jack flags as the Queen or Queen mother was scheduled to drive past when they were visiting my town.
 
Okay, I'm pathetic with the search tool, but I haven't found a mention of the Platinum Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II. I know it's not a typical FIRE topic and that's why I've put this in the "Other" category.

I've enjoyed intermittently watching the celebration and just watched the Queen come out on the balcony to hear GOD SAVE THE QUEEN, more or less signaling the end of the festivities. She still has that elegant smile, God Save Her.

No matter your view of the Monarchy, you have to admit The UK knows how to do pomp and circumstance. I was 5 when The Queen was Coronated. My dad always took my big sis and me to the movies on Sunday afternoon so that mom could get some time to rest (from us, I guess.:blush:) Movietone News covered the Coronation. For a 5 year old to "get it" - understand the gravity of the event still surprises me. But I still recall thinking how beautiful the young Queen (26) was, how much she was loved by "her" people, how glorious it must be to be a monarch. I still feel all those things though I recognize that the Monarchy has limited power.

Now, I recognize that Queen Elizabeth II is not a candidate for FIRE. That makes me sad for her. The more I understand her role (and that of those who may follow) the Monarchy seems more a prison sentence than an honor (Of course, it's a gilded prison and it IS possible not to accept the j*b.) Queen Elisabeth II certainly got to understand the ups and especially downs of her coming position by watching the turmoil that brought her father to the throne and also living through the war when her parents "home" was intentionally targeted by the Nazis.

There have certainly been a lot of challenges during the Queen's tenure. For the most part, she seems to have emerged a victor amid the chaos. Her family has disappointed from time to time, but that seems to be true in most families. Living lives in the public can not be easy.

All in all, I think of Queen Elizabeth and her Monarchy to have been a good example to the world and worth the celebration she is receiving. God Save the Queen!
 
I think if I had a job that paid as much as she gets paid, I'd still work too, although the work is mostly just living a life having people do things for you, and public appearances. !!

Prince Charles is famous for having servants put one inch of toothpaste on his toothbrush, talk about a power trip..

It's a golden, diamond encrusted, prison, but using the word prison is like saying we are all stuck here on this planet basically imprisoned on earth.

She could have resigned, it's been done before.
 
She’s a very wealthy woman independently anyway, so I doubt it’s the pay.

I would have stepped down in favor of the next in line long ago, like the Queen of the Netherlands did for her son, and many other elderly monarchs have done. We even had a pope retire! So I can only guess it’s important to her to continue reigning as she has already broken all the records in terms of the duration of her reign. OK, 2 more years and she’ll have beaten Louis XIV of France, but I was thinking in terms of British monarchs. Maybe she’s going for that ultimate record.
 
Last edited:
I watched some of the Trooping of the Colour and I looked up who the old guy was who was standing with her on the balcony. He is 86 year old Prince Edward, her first cousin and younger brother of Prince Michael, Duke of Kent. Their fathers were brothers.

Good Morning America on ABC had some nice coverage and they were showing the family on the balcony up close and then pulled the view back and I was surprised by how far away from everything that balcony is! I thought everyone on the balcony had a great view of the action in front of them but they are far from the action. The fly-bys were impressive!

I admire Elizabeth's dedication and calm. But I think it's tragic what a monarchy does to children. Your life, your career, your choices are all decided for you before you are even born. This was done to Charles, William and now George. Even the siblings farther down the line have expectations loaded onto them that they don't get to decide. And if you decide to "step back" like Harry then Piers Morgan (and plenty of other commentators) get to publicly criticize every move you make including who you marry, where you live and the name you choose for your baby.

Some people naturally feel comfortable being in the public eye. Some of us are naturally introverts and being born already a public commodity would make me want to hide in a cave and never come out.
 
Last edited:
Was the queen able to attend the final day celebration?

I know she was able to attend the first but then didn't feel well (has mobility issues) enough to attend the next day or two. Have to cut her some slack as she's spry for a someone in the mid 90's.
 
She has been against abdication her whole life, as she saw what it did to her parents, and blames it for the early death of her father, who was never meant to be King. So while technically it's an option for any Monarch, personally, for her, it wasn't, as long as she has been able to continue her duties.
 
The life of the Monarchy is not something to be envied in my opinion. Forget the money! Therefore, it is considered a duty, though as suggested, that duty can be rejected. I think of it more like being in the military, but being born into it. YMMV
 
Aerides said:
She has been against abdication her whole life, as she saw what it did to her parents, and blames it for the early death of her father, who was never meant to be King. So while technically it's an option for any Monarch, personally, for her, it wasn't, as long as she has been able to continue her duties.
Click to expand...
I understand about what her uncle’s unexpected abdication did to her parents. But IMO that has no bearing on her situation because her son has always known he might take over one day. And if not him, his son.
 
Last edited:
I think the Queen's work ethic is amazing, unfortunately it was her duty and over the years it's cost her a lot on a personal level and she's done a magnificent job. it's not always been great for her or her family, they have the same problems as the rest of us except every time they screw up it's reported in the media
I hope she does resign soon because she deserves the rest but now that Phillip is gone the job may be all that's keeping her going.
There is no question that British people are so different from Americans and if you've never seen it check out the show Very British Problems which is so spot on to our weirdness.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4960806/

I told my kids to watch it and they came away understanding me a whole lot better.
 
Aerides said:
She has been against abdication her whole life, as she saw what it did to her parents, and blames it for the early death of her father, who was never meant to be King. So while technically it's an option for any Monarch, personally, for her, it wasn't, as long as she has been able to continue her duties.
Click to expand...

Also, at an age when it might have been a viable way to go, there were family problems that made abdication problematic for the country. Of course, I'm no expert on the Monarchy, but we all watched the unfortunate story(s) play out. All in all, I think Her Majesty handled things reasonably well. YMMV
 
audreyh1 said:
She’s a very wealthy woman independently anyway, so I doubt it’s the pay.

I would have stepped down in favor of the next in line long ago, like the Queen of the Netherlands did for her son, and many other elderly monarchs have done. We even had a pope retire! So I can only guess it’s important to her to continue reigning as she has already broken all the records in terms of the duration of her reign. OK, 2 more years and she’ll have beaten Louis XIV of France, but I was thinking in terms of British monarchs. Maybe she’s going for that ultimate record.
Click to expand...

I suspect she has not really planned for a life in retirement. :(
 
My 14th cousin 3x removed, through her mother, and still was not invited to jubilee :D
 
I have not watch any of the jubilee celebration, and have just scanned the headlines. I am impressed at how much the UK has put into this. For many years I was under the impression that the monarchy was falling out of favor there, but perhaps it is more the later generations of the monarchy than everyone :).

I do not think she has stepped down as, from what I have read about her life, she sees her position as a "God-given" duty and not just a job or career. It also seems many admire her as she is a connection to the monarchy when it put itself in danger when the people where in danger - I am thinking back when her father and mother refused to leave or go into hiding during WWII, and she herself served in the war effort.

My MIL is a huge fan of the Queen. She got to meet her and Prince Philip as a young adult. Her native country was then part of the British Empire and MIL's uncle was a government official during a royal visit. Her basic view was they both worked to make everyone feel at ease around them, and laughed off or were sympathetic to any mistakes made around them. The Queen still seems to have a good sense of humor.
 
Koolau said:
The life of the Monarchy is not something to be envied in my opinion. Forget the money! Therefore, it is considered a duty, though as suggested, that duty can be rejected. I think of it more like being in the military, but being born into it. YMMV
Click to expand...



The duty can be rejected but it’s not something that can be really chosen and it’s why almost no one does. You’ve seen what happens to those who choose to reject the responsibility. Who would want to bear the burden of that? The fall-out from rejecting your duty to the crown is worse than the duty itself as some has learned the hard way - the scorn, the ex communication from the only only family you’ve known and worst you’re expected to never speak about it and God forbid if you do.
 
I think there was a right and a wrong way for Harry to "step back" and he chose the wrong way. He wanted to have his cake and eat it by moving away yet continuing to get paid his nice allowance and taxpayer paid protection detail while retiring and living in another country. When the demands did not go as they had planned, the spoiled pair lashed out in fury and they spectacularly burned every bridge they could in the Oprah interview.
Megan is obviously the boss in their relationship and what she says goes and he's too needy and dim to see her for what she really is, a narcissist who whispered in his ear and managed to separate him from his family for ever.
The real losers are their kids, they will have no cousins or aunts and uncles on either side of the family due to mum and dad's fragile mental issues and victim mentality.
 
jollystomper said:
I have not watch any of the jubilee celebration, and have just scanned the headlines.
Click to expand...


I haven't watched either except for something that popped up on the news a couple times recently, which I skipped through. I knew it was something about the queen, but I try to avoid that. Some people are really into that sort of thing, even here in the U.S., but I'm among those who just aren't interested in hearing about the royals.
 
GenXguy said:
I haven't watched either except for something that popped up on the news a couple times recently, which I skipped through. I knew it was something about the queen, but I try to avoid that. Some people are really into that sort of thing, even here in the U.S., but I'm among those who just aren't interested in hearing about the royals.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll give your post a +1.
 
aja8888 said:
I suspect she has not really planned for a life in retirement. :(
Click to expand...

Even Popes can resign so I don't see why the Defender of the Faith can't. But, the current resigned Pope is still called to duty from time to time. I believe the previous Pope stepped in for a few days while Pope Francis had some surgery.

I imagine Elizabeth would have been in great demand for the more delicate assignments - remembering those who died in The War of Colonial Aggression, for example.

I've never understood the monarchy. I even hate it with the talking heads talk about appoint somebody to be a 'Czar' who will solve all of our problems. I suppose if I had lived through WW2 and seen my King and Queen stay in London while it was being bombed, I would understand better. They were a class act.
 
Last edited:
jollystomper said:
My MIL is a huge fan of the Queen. She got to meet her and Prince Philip as a young adult. Her native country was then part of the British Empire and MIL's uncle was a government official during a royal visit.
Click to expand...

I've mentioned some time ago that after watching the changing of the guard, several folks in our entourage were walking a small street (or alleyway) close to the palace. Out of nowhere, a huge old Rolls came flying toward us. We hugged the wall and realized that the car was occupied by Prince Phillip. My only "brush" with Royalty.
 
Some of us (older forum members) probably remember her coronation:


I was still age 4 at the time, and pretty impressed. :)
 
Sunset said:
I think if I had a job that paid as much as she gets paid, I'd still work too, although the work is mostly just living a life having people do things for you, and public appearances.
Click to expand...
It's what happens when you don't trust your kid to take over the company. :D
 
Koolau said:
I've mentioned some time ago that after watching the changing of the guard, several folks in our entourage were walking a small street (or alleyway) close to the palace. Out of nowhere, a huge old Rolls came flying toward us. We hugged the wall and realized that the car was occupied by Prince Phillip. My only "brush" with Royalty.
Click to expand...

Lucky for you it was before his driving got worse :eek:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom