OT- The Queen's Christmas Day Message to the Commonwealth

[Romanis]

It still resonates and means a lot to a lot of people. This year's message was poignant.
God Save the Queen!

[ramAnag]

Sorry Rom, not a day for disagreeing and I know she does well for an old lady but, aren’t they all a bit of an a anachronism now...do many folk actually listen anymore? Personally I don’t recall listening to one in colour.

[Andy_Faber]

Sorry Rom, not a day for disagreeing and I know she does well for an old lady but, aren’t they all a bit of an a anachronism now...do many folk actually listen anymore?

Many millions do R, most of which appear to populate my Facebook and twitter feeds and/or know my wife and mother in laws mobile numbers! My closest musical friend asked me to call him to wake him up (he works shifts as a nurse) so he saw it ‘live’. My trolling of social media has taught me that we all live inside our own social bubble (and sometimes many), mine had queenie front and centre earlier....

[exilecanada]

It still resonates and means a lot to a lot of people. This year's message was poignant.
God Save the Queen!

I can’t agree more, I watched Her Majesties address today, as I always do. The ‘Royals’ are an institution to cherish. They, and what they stand for, bring in so many tourists to the UK, the benefit is incalculable.

Long live the Queen and her heirs.

[ramAnag]

Many millions do R, most of which appear to populate my Facebook and twitter feeds and/or know my wife and mother in laws mobile numbers! My closest musical friend asked me to call him to wake him up (he works shifts as a nurse) so he saw it ‘live’. My trolling of social media has taught me that we all live inside our own social bubble (and sometimes many), mine had queenie front and centre earlier....

Fair enough Andy, each to their own, I bet many millions more watched Dr. Who and Eastenders but I don’t have to take them seriously either. There were nine of us sitting down to Christmas Dinner at the time and I don’t think it occurred to anyone to press ‘record’.

[Manofpride]

Sorry Rom, not a day for disagreeing and I know she does well for an old lady but, aren’t they all a bit of an a anachronism now...do many folk actually listen anymore? Personally I don’t recall listening to one in colour.

Has this got anything to do that she's a Brexiteer?

[ramAnag]

Has this got anything to do that she's a Brexiteer?

Is she? I wouldn’t know.
As for ‘incalculable’ value to tourism...I’m sure tourists come to visit the Royal related landmarks, but beyond that... they’re not really relevant imo.
I think the Palace of Versailles is the most visited Palace in Europe...seems quite a while since there was a French Royal Family.

[roger_ramjet]

I think she is a Remainer like most Germans, especially when married to Greeks...

[Romanis]

I do realise many or some think it's stupid to have an unelected head of state. Worse to have someone born into such privilege.

However until you live abroad or perhaps observe how some other democracies sans royals work, you realise hey it's not a bad to have someone outside politics to have a final say in determining who forms the Govt. Or even further, to act as an unbiased referee in certain conditions. Add to the fact you have someone who's been long in the job, such a person can have immeasurable benefit during a crisis.
More so in countries where you have a de facto head of state, like a Governor General. If that person becomes unworthy of high office, he can be removed by the Queen easily without a need for a drawn out political circus.

Maybe we don't need so many royals but I think having a Sovereign as constitutional monarch is a very good thing.

[MadAmster]

I do realise many or some think it's stupid to have an unelected head of state. Worse to have someone born into such privilege.

However until you live abroad or perhaps observe how some other democracies sans royals work, you realise hey it's not a bad to have someone outside politics to have a final say in determining who forms the Govt. Or even further, to act as an unbiased referee in certain conditions. Add to the fact you have someone who's been long in the job, such a person can have immeasurable benefit during a crisis.
More so in countries where you have a de facto head of state, like a Governor General. If that person becomes unworthy of high office, he can be removed by the Queen easily without a need for a drawn out political circus.

Maybe we don't need so many royals but I think having a Sovereign as constitutional monarch is a very good thing.

I may be wrong, it does happen, but I seem to remember that the Monarch in the UK is merely a figurehead. The Monarch has no say in who forms the government. Protocol/procedure demands that she invites the head of the largest party to try to form a government. If they fail, the leader of the 2nd party tries. At some point the Monarch will call for a new election if a government can't be formed. Politicians inform her that a govt can't be formed and, again, protocol/procedure tell the Monarch what to do. the Monarch has no power.

Governor Generals abroad? I also thought that they too were political appointments, decided upon by the PM and then "announced" by the Monarch. Again, I might be wrong.