What is the actual purpose served by the Queen of England and all the other royals?

Question

What is the actual purpose served by the Queen of England and all the other royals?

Answer 1

I better escape not to be caught violating the community rules!

Answer 2

To perpetuate an anti-democratic society in which people are allowed to vote but the real power and influence is held by  a unelected and self-selecting elite.

It stupid that British soldiers are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan so that those people can have the freedom to elect their own Head of State when the same human right is denied the British people.

Answer 3

Its pretty much just tradition these days. i think she is sort of an example, honorary leader for the nation.

Answer 4

tradition

Answer 5

Nothing

Answer 6

I think she heads the Church of England.

Answer 7

Well since our civil war in 1645, we removed the absolute power of our monarchy, which is why it probally survived in the 19th Century.

in 2005 the Queen carried out 378 official duties in the UK compared with 466 in 1979. The Duke of Edinburgh attended 352.

Since he 80th birthday, Prince Charles has had more access to government papers, and is to allowed to preside over more investitures, meet more foreign dignitaries and take the place of the Queen in welcoming ambassadors at the Court of St James’s.

The Prince, who held two private audiences with Tony Blair in 2005, corresponds with ministers, regularly on a range of issues.

The Queen has a weekly audience with the Prime Minister, as well as attending set-piece royal occasions such as Trooping the Colour, the State Opening of Parliament or state banquets. But the Prince will gradually shoulder more official duties as part of his preparation as the “king-in-waiting”.

Official engagements to be undertaken by members of the Royal Family are published up to eight weeks ahead, (see link) enabling members of the public to see a Royal visit, and members of the media to plan their coverage.

More advance notice is usually given for national occasions attended by the Royal Family. There will always be additional engagements which will be added with less than eight weeks' notice due to programming requirements.

Over the reign, Her Majesty has given regular Tuesday evening audiences to 11 British Prime Ministers. They are: Winston Churchill 1951-55, Sir Anthony Eden 1955-57, Harold Macmillan 1957-63, Sir Alec Douglas-Home 1963-64, Harold Wilson 1964-70 and 1974-76, Edward Heath 1970-74, James Callaghan 1976-79, Margaret Thatcher 1979-90, John Major 1990-97, Tony Blair 1997-2007, and Gordon Brown. Tony Blair was the first Prime Minister to have been born during The Queen's reign. He was born in early May 1953 - a month before the Coronation.

Since 1956 The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh have held informal luncheon parties at Buckingham Palace to meet distinguished people from all professions, trades and vocations - usually 6-8 guests and two members of the Household attending.

The Queen is patron of more than 620 charities and organisations, and has undertaken over 256 official overseas visits to 129 different countries.

She has has sent around 100,000 telegrams to centenarians in the UK and the Commonwealth - more than 280,000 telegrams to couples in the UK and the Commonwealth celebrating their diamond wedding (60 years) anniversary.

The Queen has opened Parliament every year except 1959 and 1963, when she was expecting Prince Andrew and Prince Edward respectively. She has made a Christmas Broadcast to the Commonwealth every year of her reign except 1969, when a repeat of the film 'Royal Family' was shown and a written message from The Queen issued. She has has attended 50 Royal Maundy services during her reign at more than 39 different cathedrals.  The Queen has only missed four services - two for official tours and two for the births of Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. She has has laid her wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday every year of her reign, except in 1959, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1983 and 1999 when she was either pregnant or overseas on an official visit.

So she is not bad value for money, but the rest of 'em are an expensive tax burden to bear.

Answer 8

Parasites with massive unearned (stolen) wealth, they serve no purpose whatsover.

Answer 9

When US president Theodore Roosevelt asked Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria what his role as a Monarch was, the wise Emperor replied:

"To protect my peoples from their governments."

Unelected heads of states have an independence a president can never have. They are usually politicians who owe their allegiance to their parties. The Queen had eleven prime ministers and an extraordinary knowledge about (world) politics.

Answer 10

It's a little like the hub caps on your car. They look nice and shiny but, the car will run just as well without them.

Answer 11

Unlike in the American system, the British Royal system saves the government millions and millions of pounds.  You have one royal family.    Each expresident, his family, etc. becomes, in effect, an established monarch.   They're paid in full, their staff, security and upkeep of their estates are paid by the taxpayer.   How many royal palaces do you have versus the presidential estates/homes that are maintained by the tax payers in the U.S.    

If you did a cost by cost break down, you'd find that the British system is by far cheaper than the U.S. system of putting the ex-presidents out to pasture and paying "royally" for their upkeep.

Answer 12

Some of the answers so far have been quite good. The only one worth considering, however, is that Her Majesty is able to act as a buffer between the UK government and the people.

The Emperor of Austria had it right when he was quoted as saying he was there to protect his people from the government. Can you imagine if Blair had made himself president of the UK Republic ?? Shock, horror !!

Fortunately, Her Majesty is head of the British armed forces, not Parliament, and I feel sure that they would oppose any move by the government to overthrow the Monarchy.

Long may it remain so.

Answer 13

There is no real purpose anymore - they are just figureheads and they do some philanthropic work. They are kinda like very sophisticated mascots.

Answer 14

Figure heads dont have to serve a purpose their job is to be there and be quite.  They are mostly quite good at that .They know that if they are not its,

          bye bye Queenie, bye bye who's next in line?

Answer 15

The queen is the non-elected Head of State. As for the others, who knows?

Answer 16

Pomp and Circumstance

Answer 17

Parasitic titleholders who get to live in opulence because at some point in the distant past their ancestors were the most unscrupulous and bloodthirsty murderers who managed to seize the resources through violence and political coercion.

Answer 18

providing some source of emotions for the stuff shirted brits, who cant even burp without some outside provocative catalyst.

They walk around like ghouls without emotions, so the royals are around to turn them on and make them act like people.

Answer 19

free holidays paid 4 by us