I hate to bash on people's traditions, but this royalty business in England has got to go. I'll grant that Britons don't pay much attention to the royal family, from what I've seen. Other than in tabloids, no one really cares what Elizabeth II is up to. In practice, England operates just like the States: The media and the public discourse is concerned with members of parliament and the prime minister.
But de facto practices aside, the idea that a basically democratic country could still allow a royal family to exist doesn't make sense to me. The phrase "queen worship" frequently comes to mind. For example, Prince William is to be addressed as "Your Royal Highness." I'm sure he's a great guy, but what did he do except be born? The queen even has a little logo that goes on postal cars and other things royal. It's a capital E and an R with a crown and the Roman numeral II in the middle. It reminds me of the LBJ (LeBron James) logo, like ERII is some sort of brand.
Royal succession would never exist in the United States. My friend from France, another nation born of a revolution, doesn't like the queen worship, either. If you want respect and influence in a place where men are created equal, you earn it.
Here's my point, in numbers: In 2006 the royal family received almost $70 million from British taxpayers. That goes towards things like $50,000 vacations for pleasure and million-dollar garden parties.
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