Queen Elizabeth marks 90th birthday, as popular as ever

I wish that after the Queen, it skips a generation and goes directly to William. Charles just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Stephen Fry on the British monarchy and aristocracy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ2Dggq4_lc#t=158

Long may she reign!

In this corner, the Queen is still as popular as ever. Long live the Queen ...

I wasn't aware she paid taxes Jimizio. I'm sure it will be no different to the rest of the elite international super-rich bubble that chuck a few symbolic quid in the direction of the treasury to keep the plebs quiet...

Strangerland - You certainly gave that impression.

SenseNotSoCommon - either get a job as a JT mod or STFU.

Moderator: You have been asked more than once not to reply to Strangerland. Furthermore, if you ever say to another reader STFU again, you will be leaving us.

"She can abdicate the throne anytime and for any reason she wants."

I remember reading a book on the royals by the lukewarm royalist Jeremy Paxman. He said she sees her job as Queen and head of the C of E as a divine role. She apparently takes this stuff very seriously. Abdication Iooks a pretty remote possibility.

Another nonsensical idea is the idea of an established church.....

@Madverts

My point is that she could give her opinion on anything if this silly system was abolished. Speaking out on the rich avoiding or not paying their fair share of taxes could be an interesting one for her ( she does pay some as far as I'm aware ).

I find the whole system of hereditary privilege pretty repugnant in a 21st century democracy. The idea of her eldest son representing the UK is revolting.

Jimizio,

a rare and strongly worded denial from Buckingham Palace, emphasising that she has and will always be politically neutral"

The one time she could and should have intervened is when mass-murderer Tony Blair, against the will of the entire nation, dementedly took Britain to the unmitigated disaster in Iraq. Perhaps she should intervene on the Brexit, a leave vote would be potentially more disastrous for Britain than destroying someone else's country...

Personally I'm neither pro or anti-royal. I wouldn't want their lives for anything. They are an economic asset for the sheer number of tourists they draw in. But the fact that they are sat on that fortune and don't pay any taxes is pretty repugnant...

Because she's still alive.

She can abdicate the throne anytime and for any reason she wants.

Thinking of h.r.h, the quote by Madame de Pompadour comes to mind. "After me, the deluge". No-one wants to see her son on the throne

Well done Brenda. Happy Birthday!

The next in line is an interfering fool and his son is a workshy, intellectually mediocre, bland non-entity.

God save the UK.

"Why not give the throne to Charlie?"

She's not stupid. She knows the popularity of the institution would take a dive if she did. William has a suitably bland image and is trying to be a bit more plebby for the 21st century ( liking Aston Villa and marrying a pleb ) but Charles has the doubly whammy of aloofness and a bad habit of trying to influence politicians.

Why not give the throne to Charlie?

Because she's still alive.

"The claim in The Sun, under the headline “Queen backs Brexit”, prompted a rare and strongly worded denial from Buckingham Palace, emphasising that she has and will always be politically neutral"

This is the part of the stupidity of the whole thing. Of course she has an opinion on it - she's not a stupid woman. If the royals were allowed to live normal lives, they could express their opinions and vote rather than living weird lives cutting ribbons on buildings and waving inanely.

She has perfected the skill of being so bland she is almost impossible to dislike even for people who favour the abolition of the monarchy. Her eldest son, the next in line, hasn't perfected that skill.

Why not give the throne to Charlie?