Prince Andrew

[All uphill]

Does this mean there is a Dukedom (or whatever it is called) going spare?, any takers?

I wish they would offer it to me; I'd get huge pleasure in refusing it

 

[briantrumpet]

Poor thing, he has to put up with living in just a 'lodge'.

 

[Xipe Totec]

Poor thing, he has to put up with living in just a 'lodge'.

View attachment 10577

It'd be a shame if that caught fire, wouldn't it?

And if he was at home when it did. Asleep.

 

[Evil_Breakfast]

Sunday Express, as usual, failing to read the room.

 

[Pblakeney]

Sunday Express, as usual, failing to read the room.

View attachment 10579

Not so sure that they are.
With the usual caveat that there is any truth to the headline.

 

[Ianonabike]

Why on earth is this the top news story?

It's an upside down world

 

[stephec]

 

[Psamathe]

Why on earth is this the top news story?

I can appreciate it having high profile givenEpstein's offences, how victims are still having to fight, etc.

And then UK's Royal family tangled-up in it, showing no contrition, no mention of the victims, just fighting to reduce their own reputational damage.

And they rule the UK. In more ways than signing what Parliament tell them to sign eg

Greenpeace threatens to sue crown estate for driving up cost of offshore wind
The environmental lobby group alleges the crown estate has driven up costs for wind power developers and boosted its own profits, as well as the royal household’s income, due to the “aggressive” way it auctions seabed rights.

The crown estate, as the legal owner of the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is responsible for auctioning offshore wind rights. It has benefited from the huge growth in the industry, commanding hefty option fees from renewable energy developers to secure areas of the seabed to build their windfarms.
...
Will McCallum, co-executive director at Greenpeace UK, said the estate should be “managing the seabed in the interest of the nation and the common good, not as an asset to be milked for profit and outrageous bonuses”.

“We should leave no stone unturned in looking for solutions to lower energy bills that are causing misery to millions of households,” he said.

 

[Evil_Breakfast]

And then UK's Royal family tangled-up in it, showing no contrition, no mention of the victims, just fighting to reduce their own reputational damage.

And they rule the UK. In more ways than signing what Parliament tell them to sign.

In the same way that America has to ween itself off it's addiction to firearms; because legislation has - increasingly - fallen behind the mindset of 2nd amendment rights to protect wild west/frontier land against 'Injuns'; we need to realise that Monarchy based/rooted governance is becoming, increasingly, archaic and outmoded.
In their eyes; we are nothing more than serfs, too easily persuaded to look the other way, AND gas-lit to believe it's in our interest to do so.
Before anyone else does, I will admit that the lower/upper democratic model; a-la Germany, USA, and the continual chaos that is Italian (and French) democracy is not without fault(s), but - at least - the citizens decide the route, rather than a strata of ennobled and entitled individuals; treading water in (their) tides of history.

 

[matticus]

In the same way that America has to ween itself off it's addiction to firearms; because legislation has - increasingly - fallen behind the mindset of 2nd amendment rights to protect wild west/frontier land against 'Injuns'; we need to realise that Monarchy based/rooted governance is becoming, increasingly, archaic and outmoded.
In their eyes; we are nothing more than serfs, too easily persuaded to look the other way, AND gas-lit to believe it's in our interest to do so.
Before anyone else does, I will admit that the lower/upper democratic model; a-la Germany, USA, and the continual chaos that is Italian (and French) democracy is not without fault(s), but - at least - the citizens decide the route, rather than a strata of ennobled and entitled individuals; treading water in (their) tides of history.

<slightly Devil's Advocate mode, but:>
I disagree, because the wealthy elite that do NOT have the same public exposure as the Royals wield just as much power, and abuse it more, doing much more harm. Many of them have greater inherited wealth than most "Royals"!

 

[Evil_Breakfast]

<slightly Devil's Advocate mode, but:>
I disagree, because the wealthy elite that do NOT have the same public exposure as the Royals wield just as much power, and abuse it more, doing much more harm. Many of them have greater inherited wealth than most "Royals"!

Valid point.
I accept that private capital/affluent individuals have sway/influence over elected mechanisms, over the -collective- wishes of the electorate.
What I posted can be construed as naïve/idealistic; which I accept.
The 'system', as it stands, is broken.
And the masses suffer.
Not the affluent, or the privileged.
Us.
This has to change.
Will there be pain?
Sure. I accept that.
The current model is not fit for purpose.
The salt in the wound; is that we are too accepting of the distractions that are proffered.

 

[Rusty Nails]

but - at least - the citizens decide the route, rather than a strata of ennobled and entitled individuals

I am not sure that applies in the US at the moment with Trump and his backers puppet masters and the Project 25 authors.

 

[Evil_Breakfast]

I am not sure that applies in the US at the moment with Trump and his backers puppet masters and the Project 25 authors.

OK.
Again, a valid point I accept.
As an example (for consensus/clarity) : Climate change. A broad term that, I think, we can all accept needs addressing.
And yet, 'management', funded/propped up by private capital via lobby groups, constantly kick the can.
Profit, at the expense of every one else, is an aberration that no-one should accept.
And yet, that's exactly where we find ourselves.

 

[icowden]

And they rule the UK. In more ways than signing what Parliament tell them to sign eg

You have confused "rule" with "own".

 

[matticus]

As an example (for consensus/clarity) : Climate change. A broad term that, I think, we can all accept needs addressing.
And yet, 'management', funded/propped up by private capital via lobby groups, constantly kick the can.
Profit, at the expense of every one else, is an aberration that no-one should accept.

So nothing to do with the monarchy then? Glad we agree! x