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HRH. Queen Elizabeth, Diamond Jubilee.

Our Queen Too!

Queen's Birthday this weekend in NZ...
In London, the Jubilee festivities kicked off and we had a Waka in the Thames.
The Royals have a way with putting on a Party, have done for generations, and it seems, have not lost their touch!
I loved the RAF formation flypast
 
Hmm, I remember as a child being called in to watch TV. My folks told us that this might never happen again in my lifetime. We watched the whole coronation from start to finish (s to f for American TV at that time.) Dunno 'bout my sister but I was properly impressed.

And so far, it looks like she just might outlast me.

:jawdrop: :birthday: and a couple :guinness:just for (sorta) outlasting me.
 
Those of you in this community who are Englishmen, or who are Commonwealth members, can be justly proud of having a truly great woman as your sovereign and head of the British Commonwealth. As a young woman in the Second World War she was a member of the British Army, and both she and her family insisted on no special treatment - unlike some wealthy and/or influential people in our country whose offspring have very much received special treatment - by request. As such she is, I believe, the only WWII veteran head of state anywhere in the world. One carefully-researched biography states she was able to completely strip and then reassemble a vehicle's engine, reinstall it, and drive it away - a requirement for her position description. She knows what dirt under the fingernails is, which is undoubtedly one reason she connects so well with virtually anyone wherever she goes (interesting aside - Queen Elizabeth the QM learned how to operate a locomotive and in fact did so while on a visit to a railroad facility during WWII; she was also a first-rate pool shot).

Prince Philip is quite a character in his own right. As a young sub-lt in the RN he served aboard, I think, HMS Warspite in the Med and was shot at in earnest more than once, as well as bombed. At Cape Matapan he was in charge of one of the ship's searchlight batteries, an unenviable position at the best of times in a night battle. Thus he took the same risks as anyone else on the ship, right down to the lowliest seaman.

Dad was born a Canadian but became a U.S. citizen by choice in WWII during his Army service. My early years were spent in metro Detroit, and as we received Canadian TV easily I recall watching the Queen's yearly Christmas address to her Commonwealth many times. Although he was an American citizen and had seen combat to protect this country, he never missed what the Queen had to say. Respect.:salute:
 
Yes, I've heard Prince P. has made a remark or two it's taken a staff of PR specialists some effort to downplay or explain. I'm not sure if that's a by-product of his early upbringing or his time in the WWII RN. Vastly entertaining unless you're one of the recipients. What can be said in his defense is that he's no different than most people in this world. We sure have our share of it from both parties in this country. It's just that he has higher visibility being the sovereign's consort.

It's kind of hard to put into words, but many people over here in the Colonies look at the British royal family and in particular its extended members as effete and useless snobs. What bothers me about this pattern of thought is that we definitely have that same kind of person here in this country; the difference is some are born into wealth over here, while other earn it, by honest effort or "hook or crook" - but still many of them have the "snobbery" attached to them, and are (I think) much more obnoxious about it as it's so much more blatant here. The area where I live is full of these people, many self-made rich and some inherited; there are many, many of them who are quite crass about it. The amusing thing about this is that most of them are not from here, but rather from the Northeast US or the West Coast. My own origins are distinctly lower-middle class American Midwest, although Dad worked his way out of that. Those origins can cause you to observe things like I describe in other people, because you've now seen both sides.:wiggle:


P.S. - That's interesting re: the "Royal" sobriquet missing from the Army when everyone else has it. Individual branches and units within the Army have "Royal" attached to their names - I wonder why not the parent service? Is there a hidden message here? Also - it's "HM" Queen Elizabeth II, not "HRH." But the sentiments are greatly appreciated, and heartily seconded!!
 
Clearly the BBC hadn't got a clue how to handle the show but despite that I enjoyed the spectacle. On a side note,I wonder if the Queen will pass Victoria's 64 year reign?
 
Roger said:
Clearly the BBC hadn't got a clue how to handle the show but despite that I enjoyed the spectacle. On a side note,I wonder if the Queen will pass Victoria's 64 year reign?
Click to expand...
Given the longevity of her mother the Queen could well pass Victoria's record for the longest reigning monarch.
 
as Tako said, i certainly do hope she does so...

i'm somewhat a royalist, picture of Her Majesty The Queen has pride of place in my room, right in the centre at the top...

long may Her Majesty reign...

Gentlemen, Ladies, please raise your glasses
:ernae: To her Majesty, long may she reign, and many thanks for being such an inspiration, role model and figurehead for our tiny island nation, and to Prince Philip, Get well soon! :salute:
 
Matt Wynn said:
Gentlemen, Ladies, please raise your glasses
:ernae: To her Majesty, long may she reign, and many thanks for being such an inspiration, role model and figurehead for our tiny island nation, and to Prince Philip, Get well soon! :salute:
Click to expand...

Aye, mate... Long Live The Queen! :salute:

BB686:USA-flag:
 
AndyG43 said:
but there are a fair number of people over here questioning how, at a supposed time of austerity, we can afford to spend in excess of £32m on an event like this?
Click to expand...

at the end of the day, in terms of the bigger picture, £32m is nothing compared to other things (like the £900m we'll have to pay to the EU this/next year for little to no benifit!) At the end of the day, the Royals, despite what some people want to believe, are a bargin compared to other things! And when you add in all the money they bring in from tourism, the good they do for charity, Prince Philips comments etc etc .. their a bargain!

I'm of the opinion that people who hate the monarchy are either jealous, resentful or down right ignorant of other matters.
 
Oh I think it has been shown many times that the revenues the Royals attract in tourism etc far outweighs the public purse.
 
We're not supposed to have royalty in this country, although there is one prominent family from the Northeast that has been active in politics for over a century that is considered to somehow be "America's Royal Family." I'd expand further on them and their attributes but want to keep this exchange civilized.

I'd bet there's an equal sum spent on the security, billeting and transportation arrangements for POTUS and his entourage. We have no place to gripe in this country about money spent on the head of state over here. I think I can say without fear of equivocation or contradiction the British Royal Family has a much greater sense of duty to hearth and home than our political rulers. They have to live in the "goldfish bowl" all their lives vice just a short elected term of office, and, frankly, they handle it with much greater grace.

:guinness:
A belated but no less sincere glass lifted in salute to Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip.
 
Andy, it's hard to judge who you have a beef against. In your first post it seems to be minor Royals and Philip who annoy you. In your second post it seems to be the Conservative government and their apprentice scheme (as reported in the Guardian) who exorcise your patience. Either way this is a flightsim site and this thread is simply about a public servant who has served for 60 years. Any political comment would be better placed in Oso's or similar.
 
Andy,
Any criticism evokes this response from you. Our jobs here as "staffers" is to moderate and if you cannot see that your last but one post demanded moderation then I don't know what we should do?
As a Brit I don't want to close this thread so why don't we let it run without unnecessary intrusion?
 
I watched some of the Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Coronation on BBC here in the Philippines it was indeed lousy coverage by the BBC.

I did get to meet Her Majesty while serving in the British army in 1978 I believe it was, also got to meet Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on 2 occasions once in Omagh , Northern Ireland in 1966 and once in Catterick early 71.


Of lesser importance I was by Appointment for a while Gunner to Captain Mark Phillips.

Was in the same regiment the whole time, sorry no Royal in the Regiments title.

May she continue to Reign for a good while more.
 
Unlike some of the more republican of my countrymen who would sweep away all connections in the name of spite (liberals) I have no ambiguity and no doubts. She is our Monarch, this is who we are, and I am damn proud. Elizabeth Windsor sure make the rest of european monarchy look like a bunch of lightweights, too.
Long May she reign.
 
Among the many things for which I admire the Royals who've served or are still serving in the military is that they do not adorn themselves with unearned, or fake decorations, unlike other so-called "Royals" from Bannana Republics or other such third-world countries who've got so many gee-gaws that they've either invented out of thin air, or have "awarded" to other such loosers from other countries...

It was inspiring to note that Prince William had just the single medal on his uniform for the wedding, and that even now he's only wearing two medals. Prince Harry likewise only wears three medals. Of particular note is the photo of HM showing only three chevrons on her sleeve marking her as a humble NCO during the war years...

That is impressive! :applause:
 
If you are referring to Lazarus first pic with 3 stripes very visible that is not HM, HM is front left with no signs of rank since her commissioned officers shoulder pips are hidden under the sleeveless leather jacket she is wearing.
 
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