[knox]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

I think if you asked most British people they'd instinctively say they agreed with the principle of a republic but the Royal Family itself seems to stand outside of that for a lot of them. Even compared with most current or ex-monarchies, most of Britain's 'great' moments are ineluctably tied in to its Kings or Queens, especially Elizabeth I and Victoria (and the beheading of Charles I, obviously). So in the eyes of many I think the Royal Family is emblematic more of a once great nation than anything really to do with the idea of a monarch in general and what that means.

It's also the case that this specific Royal family gained a massive popularity within the nation's working class - especially in London - when the Queen Mother visited the victims of the Blitz in WWII. It's easy to trivialise those kinds of things but the affection does seems to run very deep as a result. Comedians often make jokes about the love London cab drivers have for the Queen mum.

I also think a great number of people from all political persuasions have a genuine respect for the Queen herself, not out of duty but because they recognise that she's a pretty awesome woman. For someone whose had to contend with the media, political opposition, the disolving of the empire, the Diana affair, it's hard to see where, in ther context of her position, she's ever put a foot wrong (Philip is another matter entirely, obviously). So besides anything else, she seems to provide a number of people with a sense of stability amidst so much change.

what I'm trying to say is that this current monarchy seems to occupy a different social place to previous ones, to the point that it appears to have transcended (at least in the minds of many British people) conventional ideas of a monarch. Personally I'd do away with them but I do understand and to a certain degree appreciate the depth of support they have.

that's a clear way to put it.
thanks for that.