Platinum Jubilee: So What?

~ beetleypete

Anyone who reads this blog must already be aware that I am not a Royalist. I am the opposite of a royalist, not in favour of a monarchy, whoever represents that institution.

Now we are faced with a seemingly endless ‘celebration’ of Elizabeth II being queen for 70 years. Commercialism run riot. Souvenir coins, Queen face masks, special edition magazines, crockery, mugs, cakes, T-shirts, flags, even special packets of biscuits and sweets. The sycophantic newspapers and TV channels are getting set for a season of ‘Jubilee Tributes’ and broadcasts, and millions of ordinary people are staging Jubilee parties in streets, schools, parks, and other venues.

Elizabeth Windsor is one of the richest people in Europe. Her ‘personal wealth’ (that inherited wealth stolen by her ancestors over the centuries from other people and the colonies of the former Empire) is estimated to be around £350,000,000. As well as that, the taxpayers contribute millions to her upkeep, and that of some of her extended family. Many members of that family live in reasonably luxurious rent-free ‘Grace and Favour’ apartments or palaces, also at public expense.

2022 may be her 70th year as monarch, but it also happens to be the year when the cost of living in Britain has never been higher. The year when food prices, gas prices, petrol prices, and electricity prices have become unaffordable for many hard-working people on low wages. When there are more Food Banks in most British towns than actual banks, and many families will not be heating their homes properly this winter because they simply cannot afford to do so.

It is also the year when a discredited, lying, and corrupt Prime Minister refused to resign. When his lies were discovered, he changed the Ministerial Code of Parliament so he would no longer be subject to it. A dictator in all but name, using Royalist ballyhoo to cover up his own shameful political record.

The estimated cost of all this wonderful Platinum Jubliee celebration to the nation? £1,3000,000,000. That is ONE POINT THREE BILLION POUNDS.

I can think of far better ways to spend that, in a time of crisis.

You will find me celebrating when the monarchy is abolished, and not before.

57 thoughts on “Platinum Jubilee: So What?”

  2. Commercialism celebrating whatever there is to celebrate. Media coverage of what people want to see as compared to what they should see. A royal family that turns up their noses on their daughter-in-law because she is not a royal, and decline their grandchild protection. And people celebrate them…

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    1. They have always considered themselves to be entitled, and beyond reproach. The queen even paid off the woman who her son had sex with when she was underage. No ‘ordinary person’ would have even been allowed to do that. It’s sickening to me.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  3. Let me throw in a different perspective. I agree with everything you said, yet the aura of the Queen and royalty make people feel good (stay with me here) when they don’t have much to feel good about. People need a brass ring on the merry-go-round, hope and something to smile about. The real issue is the money. The Queen should foot the bill for the celebration (and many more things.)

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    1. Thanks for your thoughts, Jennie. I am sure you are right, as around 75% of the people in this country adore the queen, and all the pageantry surrounding monarchy. It reminds them of ‘Empire’, and makes them feel British.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. It’ll probably only come from the odd [very!] die-hard, and I won’t bother responding; otherwise, the majority of my ‘friends’ on there are used to my occasional rant, so they’ll probably just roll their eyes and scroll on 😀 Cheers, Jon.

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    1. Thanks, Beth. I have had these opinions since I was very young, but I seem to be in the minority in this servile country. It really is a lot like ‘Downton Abbey’, if you have ever seen that. ‘Humble servants’ looking up to the entitled rich.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  8. The idea in 2022 of monarchy is absurd Pete. The only Royal any of us fancied was the one they bloody well killed in France. My family used to live a few minutes away, (in like, ‘5’ directions in Kennington/Walworth) from the British Legion a couple of hundred yards from Kennington Park Rd. & the Kennington Tube station. We drank there a lot because a., it was close for all of us, and b., coming home at night on the tube from somewhere else it was right there, cheap, and likely to find a family member (or three) tipping a pint. I remember we had to down the last round quickly before we had to sing. Always.

    But that said? Not sure about the tourism thing. The revenues might offset the costs, but I have no facts collected in that hypothesis, either way. I’m guessing someone has run that to ground though.
    But really, like fishing, after 60+ years of baiting the hook? I think we can stop now and, pat them all on the head, “Well done then. Out you go”! And send them to Hollywood to join all the other morally corrupt deviants.

    Cheers, Happy Sunday and all,
    CT

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    1. If they went to America, I think the novelty of their overwhelming ‘entitlement’ would soon wear off. Besides, I would send them there penniless, and they would be living under shopping carts and cardboard, covered by tarpaulins! 🙂
      (I couldn’t care less about Lady Diana, either. Another entitled aristocrat.)
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  9. The UK national anthem is aptly named.
    Something the English don’t know is that Liz is queen of the 54 nations of the Commonwealth, not just England. Her successor has to be approved by the heads of the Commonwealth – and at the meeting to do that a few years ago, it was them that chose Charles. So while there maybe a succession order (the Brits always bang on about in quiz shows), it is actually the Commonwealth who names the successor.
    It looks like a few countries could leave the Commonwealth, one of the West Indies countries is about to. Few have the Union Jack as part of their flags now. NZ still has. A vote to change that a few years ago lost. We still have Liz on all our coins & Bank notes and like all Commonwealth countries, we have a Queen’s deputy, called a Governor General and we have 2 Royal houses here. So there’s a lot involved and more than England to ditch Liz. In NZ case, Queen Vicky signed the Treaty of Waitangi which is becoming more central to our governance over here.
    Now I’m sure you were as guilty as I Pete, but on calls past Buck House in the wee small hours, if the flag was flying, we played a wee 2 note tune to her.

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    1. I did know about the Comonwealth of course, Gavin. But I am sure they just ‘rubber stamp’ the status quo. As for countires leaving, I wish they all would of course. Royalty here is a 10th century anachronism, well past its sell-by date.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  10. Hi Pete, I am sure the Platinum Jubilee will bring a huge amount of money into England. There are a lot of tourists who love to share in this idea of the British monarchy. Anyhow, given that the entire economic and social hierarchy of Britain is headed by the royal family, I doubt you will be seeing their demise anytime soon. Your current PM is also a distant relative of the Queen.

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    1. I have hoped to see their demise for my whole life, Robbie. (The queen’s reign in fact) But no doubt I wil die with them still ‘ruling’. I don’t agree with the ‘tourism’ thing. Many countries/cities get more (or as many) tourists, and have no royals. Venice, Rome, Paris, Florida, to name just four.
      Best wishes,Pete.

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    1. It’s no coincidence that my dog is named after Oliver Cromwell, I assure you! 🙂
      (I would do worse though. I would make them all live in 1-bed flats on the Stonebridge Park Estate, on minimum unemployment benefits. All of them, including the so-called ‘minor aristocracy’)
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. Does England have a habit of cancelling elections? Could the PM do that himself now that he is a dictator? Declare a national emergency and make himself really a dictator? Could he do that?

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      1. I dumped the paid domain and reverted to the free one. The blog should forward itself to you shortly. I am sick of shelling out cash for nothing. As long as it is free I will be here.

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  13. I think you are aware that I worked on a TV series with Prince Edward in 2000. I saw things up close that made me wonder why this monarchy was still viable – one day I will share one of those stories involving Prince Charles…it says a LOT. Anyway, as the US gave the world the “Monarchy of Kardashian” I really can’t judge…they are also a family that contributes nothing but amasses incredible wealth regardless

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    1. Yes, in some countries without a monarchy, celebrities fill a similar role. But they can be discredited, and also fall out of view. That will never happen with the British royals, I fear.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  15. I think the idea of the monarchy will slowly fade as Prince Charles doesn’t carry the popularity as Elizabeth. It is a shame how much money gets spent on the family, in much that same way as government wastes money, and events like the Olympics (more so the ceremonies) cost in the billions as well.

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  16. I can’t get my head around it, so much power (Johnson), so much money while so many British citizens are struggling. All that horrible souvenir crap. I suppose they are saying that the Jubilee is good for tourism. Truth is, I’m not much in favour of tourists either. Travellers, fine. Tourists turn nice places into tatty ones. But I am an old spoil sport.

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    1. They always use the argument about royals and tourism, but it doesn’t wash with me. Paris, Rome, Florida, Venice, all places with no royal family that are always packed out with tourists.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. I had the same horrible years. However, celebrating royalty is never going to be my antidote to them, Jude. But that’s me of course. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete. x

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  20. Next rime your talking to Buck House, remind them that there are two pensioners, one in Beetley (you) and one in Beccles (me) who would love to see their dwindling bank accounts topped up. A million each isn’t much to ask for, now is it! Liz would still have £348,000,000. Two million is naught but a drop in the ocean by comparison…

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    1. When I worked in the Met Police Special Operations in London, I actually did a shift at the Buckingham Palace control room,and another at Windsor Castle control room, Jack. Hard to believe a republican like me was being paid to ‘protect’ the royals. It didn’t sit well with me, I assure you.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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