I'm the reverse, I like her because she's always seemed nice, shame that trait isn't genetically transmitted

Things might change though; if the Queen dies while someone like Obama is in the Whitehouse I think people might prefer an elected official as opposed to Charles.

Well, that's what they call "a rock and a hard place", or, "the devil and the deep blue sea" !

Why should the Queen interest you people anyway? You are all foreigners now, living on a foreign shore, so she is as irrelevant to you as you are to her.

no different to when I was in the UK then.

Yes. Because HM has never sent emissaries overseas. Nor have any expats ever been patriots. You twat!

I was disinterested in her in the UK, and continued to be so after moving here. No one I know in the UK gives a rats-ass about her either. However, in contrast, my USC g/f watches every single 'documentary'/drama/soap opera about the royal family that shows over here (and there are plenty of them!). That's why I was saying she has but one value - tourist attraction ...

But based on other posts above, it would probably benefit everyone (except the RF itself) if they turned all the 'royal properties' into hotels/paid attractions.

I don't see how reasonable, logical people can support a system that has no basis in common sense. As Monty Python put it so well ...

Got up at 6.50am to watch the broadcast at 7am.
Stood for the National Anthem.
Watched and listened and was as usual touched by her concern for her people.
She has had a very awkward reign. Let down on many occasions by the people closest to her. She has always strived to do the right thing by her people - on some occasions she has had to do the "right" thing when it stuck in her throat to do it.
She is still my Queen and I will always respect her for trying to be the best she could possibly be.

On her death I would be quite happy to see the end of the monarchy, as there is not one of her relatives who would be able to do this job with her genuine sense of service.

Obviously you didn't shower then, and dress in your finest garments for the occasion!

TV is a one way way experience. So dressing up to watch anything is taking it too far petal As long as she doesnt fall out of bed to broadcast on Christmas Day we are all good.

I'm not being funny, but you seem to hate the monarchy (which stands as the last line of defence agiainst excesses by the UK government) and you also seem to hate the 2nd Amendment (which stands as the last line of defence against excesses by the US govenment)....

And you seem to keep arguing for us all to have no freedom and chips in our heads...

Are you sure that you aren't North Korean, or a Nazi, or an officer of the Stasi or something?

Wait until the telescreens are installed...

I don't 'hate' the Monarchy; but I will not show them any more (or less) respect than I show any other person on the planet. It's the 'elevation' of these people I object to; the belief that they somehow have more wisdom than I do, or that their opinion is more valid than someone elses'. I may respect and look up to my boss, my mum, or Warren Buffet, or Barak Obama; but I do so based on my judgment. With the monarchy there is a cultural history of 'blind respect' - standing for the queen when she appears, saluting, etc.

Can you give me a practical example or scenario in which the queen, or her son, could practically provide a 'line of defense' against excesses by the UK govt? I would think the military might perform that function (for better or for worse!), and last time I looked, most countries have a military with or without a king/queen to lead them.

Regarding the 2nd Amendment of the US constitution - I simply look upon the issue from a practical and analytical standpoint. It's a fact that the US has more deaths by gunshot than any other civilized country, by an extreme margin, and I feel personally that if there were fewer guns in circulation, if it were harder to get guns, then there may be fewer future deaths. But I concede that the situation in the US is a big ugly mess in this regard, with too many guns already in circulation, and already in the 'wrong' hands. Thus, I respect the desire of law abiding citizens to own a gun for self defense - even though I have no desire to own one myself. But this notion that some folks have that they will somehow overthrow a tyrannical government with their personal arsenal of weapons strikes me as an indication that someone who has watched one-too-many Rambo movies or similar. However - if those fantasies are what float your boat, please enjoy them.

I believe the more fundamental 'rights' of individuals are the rights of 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' - guns can work either way in that one, and I choose to view guns as being counter to those rights.

Regarding the Monarchy - what logical justification can you give for allowing an entire extended family to live in a certain style and luxury at the expense of taxpayers? Let's not pretend they are 'self sufficient', because of all the income they get from their land and holdings ... if you abolished the monarchy then those lands and holdings would become public property.