Mullardman
Moderately extreme...
I do not wish to sully the Prince Philip RIP thread with this. As far as I'm concerned the bloke was a product of his times and circumstances. I neither liked nor disliked him.. but he does seem to have stuck to the job he signed up for and if the Dof E Award was his only legacy.. he made his mark.
But.. I digress...
Our Monarchy is basically an institution which has been incorporated into the mechanism of 'The State'. The Monarchy currently exists by the consent of Parliament and the people. Yet in a curious way, each lends legitimacy to the other. It is what it is. I recognise its usefulness as a 'marketing' tool for the UK, and also as a sort of more or less politically neutral focus for the population when needed.
Royalty, on the other hand..is frankly an absurd concept...which gives present day 'royals' some sort of legitimacy... in the eyes of those who accept the bluff.
Those individuals who are deemed 'royal' by dint of their family history and descent, are essentially the descendents of people who acquired and maintained power and ascendency through military force, skulduggery, murder, intrigue, incest, and worse. There is no 'direct' line of 'royal' descent..and several times throughout our history.. different people/families have gained ascendency through conflict, convenient marriages, murder...or even invitation... etc...
'Royalty' ceased to have any meaning once democracy was established in the UK.. not that it had any real meaning beforehand other than some bizarre belief in 'divine right' etc. Royalty was replaced by 'The Monarchy'
Are those above qualities ones we should really be using to elevate human beings to some sort of status which places them above the masses, requires 'cap doffing' etc?
Pushing the point a bit I know.. but just for effect... Putin is a man who has maintained power in Russia by disposing of his enemies..or silencing them through fear. In what way is he different to Henry VIII? OK..as far as I know he doesn't invoke 'God' as his legitimator.. but in modern times Fear of God is not needed.. fear of the man is enough..
Same could be applied to China, North Korea, numerous Gulf/Arab states.
Royalty is a sham. Discuss.
But.. I digress...
Our Monarchy is basically an institution which has been incorporated into the mechanism of 'The State'. The Monarchy currently exists by the consent of Parliament and the people. Yet in a curious way, each lends legitimacy to the other. It is what it is. I recognise its usefulness as a 'marketing' tool for the UK, and also as a sort of more or less politically neutral focus for the population when needed.
Royalty, on the other hand..is frankly an absurd concept...which gives present day 'royals' some sort of legitimacy... in the eyes of those who accept the bluff.
Those individuals who are deemed 'royal' by dint of their family history and descent, are essentially the descendents of people who acquired and maintained power and ascendency through military force, skulduggery, murder, intrigue, incest, and worse. There is no 'direct' line of 'royal' descent..and several times throughout our history.. different people/families have gained ascendency through conflict, convenient marriages, murder...or even invitation... etc...
'Royalty' ceased to have any meaning once democracy was established in the UK.. not that it had any real meaning beforehand other than some bizarre belief in 'divine right' etc. Royalty was replaced by 'The Monarchy'
Are those above qualities ones we should really be using to elevate human beings to some sort of status which places them above the masses, requires 'cap doffing' etc?
Pushing the point a bit I know.. but just for effect... Putin is a man who has maintained power in Russia by disposing of his enemies..or silencing them through fear. In what way is he different to Henry VIII? OK..as far as I know he doesn't invoke 'God' as his legitimator.. but in modern times Fear of God is not needed.. fear of the man is enough..
Same could be applied to China, North Korea, numerous Gulf/Arab states.
Royalty is a sham. Discuss.