Discussion on British culture - our favourite British stuff!

[Siz]

Thanks Scissorlegs.  That helps.

Lions, I wasn't trying to imply that I think that Charles shouldn't have a happy relationship.  I just always thought that the story went something like "Charles fell in love with Camilla but wasn't allowed to marry her, so he married someone else."  That's why I was confused that he is allowed to now; like, did they change the rule or something?  Why now but not then?  Why couldn't he have been with the person he really wanted all along?

Keep in mind that most of my impressions about the rules surrounding royal marriages come from fairy tales and children's movies.  In my mind, it usually goes something like this:

(Prince Humpty-Hump and Serving Wench Doodah run into the throne room holding hands.)
Prince Humpty-Hump:  Mother, Father, Serving Wench Doodah and I are deeply in love and we wish to be married immediately.
King Thingamajig: Humpty-Hump, you're a prince.  It's your royal duty to marry a princess.  This has always been our law.
Prince Humpty-Hump:  But I love her!  I'll give up my throne if I have to, but I will marry Doodah!
King Thingamajig: Now you see here-
Queen Whatsherface: Thingamajig, you're the king.  You can change the law!
King Thingamajig:  I can?  I mean, yes, I can!  I'm the King!  And as the King, by royal decree, I say that the Prince can marry whoever he wants!
(Much cheering and clapping and dancing by anthropormophized mice and pumpkins)

Almost right.

Actually it was a change in attitudes that helped, both socially and within the royal family. The death of Diana was a watershed for the royals. They were forced to alter their deportment and reconnect with the public because we had expressed our horror at the way they had carried on - with such outdated and unfashionable aloofness and pomposity. The Queen was wise enough to see that their very survival was dependant on being accessible to the man in the street - so the barriers of regal pride and tradition needed to come down. And with that, came the freedom for Charles to marry his true-love, and for the prodigal sons to express themselves in much more human terms.

[Ali]

From the outside looking in, Diana always seemed like the most "human" of that cast of characters.  I think that's why she was so beloved around the world.  Not that I have anything against the Queen, or Charles, or any of them, but we just don't feel the same sort of connection to them that we felt to Diana.  I remember exactly where I was when I heard that she died - I can't say that about too many people that I'm not personally connected to.  And seeing the pictures of her sons at the funeral, gods!   

[Siz]

From the outside looking in, Diana always seemed like the most "human" of that cast of characters.  I think that's why she was so beloved around the world.  Not that I have anything against the Queen, or Charles, or any of them, but we just don't feel the same sort of connection to them that we felt to Diana.  I remember exactly where I was when I heard that she died - I can't say that about too many people that I'm not personally connected to.  And seeing the pictures of her sons at the funeral, gods!   

Agreed. Some people attribute the current 'renaissance' of the Royals to Diana - I agree. She certainly did much to slap the royals into taking a good look at themselves. That's one of the reasons that the 'establishment' wanted to shut her up and distance themselves from her. Alas, she was the mother of the future king so not too much they could do. And her invovlement with AIDS charities and other patronages really brought the Royals to the people.

I was in bed with a German girl (whose real name escapes me, but I unaffectionately called 'Melonhead') when I got the news. Where were you all?

[Ali]

From the outside looking in, Diana always seemed like the most "human" of that cast of characters.  I think that's why she was so beloved around the world.  Not that I have anything against the Queen, or Charles, or any of them, but we just don't feel the same sort of connection to them that we felt to Diana.  I remember exactly where I was when I heard that she died - I can't say that about too many people that I'm not personally connected to.  And seeing the pictures of her sons at the funeral, gods!   

Agreed. Some people attribute the current 'renaissance' of the Royals to Diana - I agree. She certainly did much to slap the royals into taking a good look at themselves. That's one of the reasons that the 'establishment' wanted to shut her up and distance themselves from her. Alas, she was the mother of the future king so not too much they could do. And her invovlement with AIDS charities and other patronages really brought the Royals to the people.

I was in bed with a German girl (whose real name escapes me, but I unaffectionately called 'Melonhead') when I got the news. Where were you all?

I was standing in my parent's living room messing around with their dog when the news came on the TV.  I rushed to call my mom and tell her (she was out, can't remember where.)  We cried.

[ThinkAnarchy]

^^^

I was laying in bed watching tv when they interrupted what I was watching with the coverage. Even then I didn't really know why people were making such a big fuss about it. I didn't think Royalty did anything in today's world other than flaunt their massive estate and money.

What political power does the Royal Family still maintain? I thought their existence was nothing more than a figure head type situation now.

[DeterminedJuliet]

Errrmm, I was 12. My mom said "Lady Diana passed away" and I said "Oh, that's sad." But I didn't know who she was.
I do now, of course.

[Crow]

I don't remember hearing the news at all, but I do remember being annoyed that every channel on TV was taken over by the funeral so I couldn't watch cartoons, then having fun channel switching laughing at the sentences you could make up due to the time delay, then getting bored very quickly and went outside to play.

[Ali]

I was 17 and my mom had always been really interested in Lady Diana, so I definitely knew who she was.  If I remember correctly, I think I found out when I got up the morning after it happened, so I think my mom must have been at work. 

Man, you guys are making me feel old!

[DeterminedJuliet]

Just learned that Alan Moore is English. And I was all like "Damn. Do they have a monopoly on ALL the great creative minds?"
Apparently.

[Sandra Craft]

Actually it was a change in attitudes that helped, both socially and within the royal family. The death of Diana was a watershed for the royals. They were forced to alter their deportment and reconnect with the public because we had expressed our horror at the way they had carried on - with such outdated and unfashionable aloofness and pomposity.

To be honest, I felt sorry for the royals that they couldn't handle it privately and had to make awkward, lying speeches in order to placate the public.  Reserve was something I admired in the Brits.

[Too Few Lions]

I don't remember hearing the news at all, but I do remember being annoyed that every channel on TV was taken over by the funeral so I couldn't watch cartoons, then having fun channel switching laughing at the sentences you could make up due to the time delay, then getting bored very quickly and went outside to play.

Same thing here. It was a really weird time in the UK that people in the US won't be able to appreciate. There was such an overkill on the TV and in the papers, I felt like the public was being manipulated, and I could see how dictators manage to do that sort of thing in other countries. It made me realise just how much a population can be manipulated into believing certain things and acting certain ways, and the sheer power of modern media.

The UK TV was just running news on Diana's death and comment and nothing else for days on all the channels, the papers were just running Diana stories and little else, Tony Blair was constantly on TV calling her 'the people's princess' - I mean really, she wasn't a poor commoner from a terraced house. Personally I never gave a toss about Diana, for me she was a toff from a wealthy background who seemed to be very good at manipulating the press and public opinion. But you never saw a single person express any thoughts similar to that after her death, or even suggest she was anything less than saintly, it was like you had to be in mourning, and that's all that was allowed. Yet no-one I knew actually gave a toss about Diana or her death.

[Siz]

I don't remember hearing the news at all, but I do remember being annoyed that every channel on TV was taken over by the funeral so I couldn't watch cartoons, then having fun channel switching laughing at the sentences you could make up due to the time delay, then getting bored very quickly and went outside to play.

Same thing here. It was a really weird time in the UK that people in the US won't be able to appreciate. There was such an overkill on the TV and in the papers, I felt like the public was being manipulated, and I could see how dictators manage to do that sort of thing in other countries. It made me realise just how much a population can be manipulated into believing certain things and acting certain ways, and the sheer power of modern media.

The UK TV was just running news on Diana's death and comment and nothing else for days on all the channels, the papers were just running Diana stories and little else, Tony Blair was constantly on TV calling her 'the people's princess' - I mean really, she wasn't a poor commoner from a terraced house. Personally I never gave a toss about Diana, for me she was a toff from a wealthy background who seemed to be very good at manipulating the press and public opinion. But you never saw a single person express any thoughts similar to that after her death, or even suggest she was anything less than saintly, it was like you had to be in mourning, and that's all that was allowed. Yet no-one I knew actually gave a toss about Diana or her death.

I disagree with your 'manipulation' angle. I just think the media was expressing what many, many people felt. The whole mood of the country was quiet pensiveness for several days - partly out of respect, but also out of the numbing realisation that our great institutions are mortal - and all that implied. It was not just about the death of a much-loved princess, it was a country mourning it's innocence.

[Too Few Lions]

I disagree with your 'manipulation' angle. I just think the media was expressing what many, many people felt. The whole mood of the country was quiet pensiveness for several days - partly out of respect, but also out of the numbing realisation that our great institutions are mortal - and all that implied. It was not just about the death of a much-loved princess, it was a country mourning it's innocence.

obviously you experienced it all from a different angle than me, and that's fair enough. I wouldn't deny that there were plenty of Brits who were genuinely affected by Diana's death, but there were also many people who didn't care about it and didn't think it should be treated any differently from the death of any other individual. Plenty of us didn't consider Diana or the royal family generally as 'a great institution', just overprivileged people.

What we got was an overkill of a Dianathon where absolutely nothing else was shown on the TV and radio and papers for several days and all we heard was exactly what you've just said above for days on end. Not all of the country felt that way by any means, but according to the media and the politicians we all did, and we all had to. Personally I found it really weird, surreal and quite frightening, and all of my friends did too, because none of us felt that way.

[Firebird]

While I'm sure it was worse in the UK, there was definite overkill about her death over here too. All due respect to those of you from the UK, but I personally have never understood the fascination with the royals and why the institution continues to exist when they effectively have no power. I know they have some official duties, but let's be honest, it's largely symbolic. Why the continued fascination with every bit of gossip about them? It seems like such a frivolous waste of time to me. This is not a personal judgement against them as people; Diana seemed like a good person overall. But when people were going on and on about her death, as well as the royal wedding, I felt the occasional urge to yell "Who cares???" There's so many more important things going on.

[Sandra Craft]

All due respect to those of you from the UK, but I personally have never understood the fascination with the royals and why the institution continues to exist when they effectively have no power. I know they have some official duties, but let's be honest, it's largely symbolic.

I've wondered if it was a largely sentimental thing?  Otherwise, supporting a royal family just seems like an unnecessary strain on the ecomony.

Why the continued fascination with every bit of gossip about them?

To be fair, we do that just as much in America and we don't even have real royals.  The other day I saw a news item about some actor seen dining alone. and it wasn't even a slow news day.  Tho I'm not sure there could be any news day slow enough for that to qualify as truly newsworthy.