I recently moved from the UK to live in New Orleans until the end of the year. A couple of times now, talking to random people at the bar or wherever, they have asked me about the queen. I found it kind of strange, because in the UK you could pretty much go a whole year without even using the word 'queen'. By and large, we don't give a **** about her.

What is it about the royals that excites people? I have never understood it, in the same way I never understood how, during Wimbledon, allegedly the country came down with 'Henmainia'. I never understood the clearly working-class middle aged woman, wearing a Tim Henman T-shirt and waving the Union Jack, screaming "come on Tim!". How could they get so worked up about such an unlike-able, posh sod tennis player? Literally being reduced to tears as he busts out the tournament?

What is it that causes blind nationalism in some people?

High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Fluoridated water

This post is funny to me, because my wife, who's British, says the exact opposite - that in England the royal family is really cherished in a way that Americans don't understand.

Well, I don't want to tell you your wife is wrong... But, she is. I mean sure, in some circles she may be cherished (her immediate family cherishes her I'm sure), but it is far from the norm.

Your wife lives in the States now? Any back ground as to why she might believe this?

[edit] Did she like Tim Henman too?

The royal family is interesting because its weird to have a family receive a **** ton of welfare in exchange for being the public figurehead of a country.

in america a lot of rich people get breaks that they shouldn't (farmers etc) but nothing as overt or quite as irrational as the royal family.

Maybe it's a generational/gender thing. Don't know how old you are. She's 37, and I'm not sure how you could prove that one of you is wrong and one of you is right.

She's never mentioned Tim Henman.

lol@british ppl not caring about the royals

PRINCESS DIANA BRO

Yeah, this basically. People here really didn't give a ****. There it was an enormous event. So how do the British not care about the royal family then?

Sure. I spose a lot of people here pretty much consider her nothing more than a tourist attraction, and a VERY costly one. I think she actually recently submitted a request for several more billion or whatever, because during the economic turndown it had become difficult to maintain staff and estates etc...

I dunno... I've been there and the royal influence is everywhere.

Maybe otnemem's wife is right and you are wrong. Maybe your social circle is in the minority?

Edit: Also, it's all about Andy Murray now.

Diana was different in that she appeared somewhat human, and actually did a fair amount of stuff for people. I guarantee there will not be anything like the same response when Charles dies. Or the queen.

otnemem, yes it could def be a generational thing. I know for instance the queen mother is fairly well liked among an older generation as she actully did a lot to help people during the war.

When you say you've been there, you are refering to the country I have lived in for 27 years?

The royal influence might have been everywhere while you were on vacation walking around the central London tourist-traps...


Oh, and Murray is Scottish and has publicly stated that he feels no affiliation with England...

I have no clue why people (mostly women) get excited by the royal family, perhaps its some fairly tale bull ****. Most American's though have zero interest in it though.

axioma, my wife doesn't value the royal family because of some good the Queen did years before she was born. She values the tradition, symbolism and history, which is probably what most people latch on to when they show support for the family. I understand that Britain is very divided in this support, so I think for you to say that nobody in England gives a **** about the royal family, when what you actually mean is you and your friends don't give a **** about the royal family, is pretty dumb.

Ignorance.

Why do you consider it strange that some random American in a bar asks you about the queen? When people think of England the queen comes to mind. He was just trying to make conversation & asked about something he thought you might know about.

How do you understand it is very divided out of interest?

Anyway this wasn't the point of my post. More interesting is that you say your wife values "the tradition and symbolism" of the Royals. What does this even mean?

Yes, of course I am referring to the country you've been living in for 27 years. I'm not just talking about the typical tourist traps. Also, my wife lived there for 2 years as well. I know that she would disagree with your stance.

ok, forget murray. I didn't know that.

Edit: Also, this:

This thread on UK nationalism bores me, and I am tempted to put a boot in its ass The American Way imo.

Maybe "symbolism" wasn't exactly the right word. But you know what tradition means, right? And you can figure out how this word might apply to centuries of royalty?

lol tradition of what?

The Royal family is no different from any other old money rich people. The traditions they embody are stackin dat cheese and doin whatever the **** them want.

I give up.

I've not been articulating my thoughts very well.

Basically, what are these positive values the royals embody that we should cherish?

I don't get it. I could see how some lord of the manor would be into the idea, but what about a working class single mother that has a mug with the Queens face on it and talks about how adorable the princes are?