David Porter » Entries tagged with "royalty"
The Real Jobs of the British Royal Family
In hard economic times, people may grumble or wonder about the cost to the taxpayer of the Royal Family: why don’t they get (proper) jobs? Well, they have. Sometimes people argue that the Monarchy is a drain on public resources. In fact, demonstrated by events like Prince William and Catherine Middleton’s wedding in April 2011, the institution raises interest and tourism income into Britain, and if there wasn’t a Royal Family, there’d be an elected head of state that would cost money too. A television series from US Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Monarchy, the Royal Family at Work (2006), declared: ‘to handle 4,000 state visits, balls, school dedications, nursing home visits, and charity events, the Queen depends on her husband, her children, cousins, and now a new generation of grandchildren’. She … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101
British Royal Wedding Spotlights Interest in All Things Regal
This article was first published on Suite 101, 9 April 2011. With continuing interest in the Queen’s Jubilee of 2012, it still has something to say about the monarchy in Britain today. Kate and William’s April 2011 nuptials are like a British movie with a global audience and a reminder of how films about royals endlessly fascinate people. Peter Kellner, President of the UK’s YouGov Opinion polling organisation, said in April 2011: “For 123 of the past 174 years, we’ve had a female monarch. For how many of the last 174 years has American democracy produced a female president?” His point was wider than a dig at Americans; it illustrated a British acceptance of the Royal Family in general and The Queen in particular. Whether Brits are naturally Royalists or not, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101