[Maggie]

It's just been announced that The Queen Mother died this afternoon peacefully in her sleep, may she rest in peace

[Janette]

She was a lovely lady and my feelings go out the the Royal Family.

[disco]

Yes, it is very sad for her family and friends. Me? I'm over it already.

[Sticks]

Of all the royals, she was the only one I realy had time for.

She stood with us during WWII instead of disappearing to Canada as some wished.

A sad day

[Feefs]

It is sad, but it doesn't affect me that much. She did no more during the war than any of my dead grandparents, and I didn't expect strangers to mourn them.

Obviously she is a public figure who has always been around, so I do feel a certain attachment and therefore personal sadness, but she had a good life and lived to an exceptional age so hardly a tragedy. I'm younger (late 20s if that counts) and I don't think I've heard her say anything except the odd word. I know nothing of who she really was, so I, and most people of my age and younger will find it hard to be affected by it.

However, my sympathies go to the Queen, the rest of the Royals and all those that did actually know her. I hope protocol and faux admiration from randoms don't interfere with their needs for privacy and to mourn her as they see fit.

I've just put the tv on, and it's like a circus outside Buck house.

[disco]

I agree, it's quite unfortunate for her family.

However, I think we can all now look forward. The Queen Mum apparantly represented a 'Golden Age' - what of exactly? Of war, conflict, inequality, racial hatred, unrealistic 'family values'...

To me, she represented everything that was WRONG with society in the 20th century. Her death, however sad it was, will hopefully give the Royal Family the chance to radically reform and scrap the outdated and outmoded institutions which hold Britain back, rather than clinging to the non-existant imperialistic view of a 'Great' Britain.

[Maggie]

Can you tell me something, Why when a much loved person dies do we have to have all this crap, either express your sympathies or shut up.
If you want to debate about a republic start a thread, this is not the place to do it.

[disco]

OK then, we'll ignore the constitutional debate for a moment and concentrate on the Queen Mother herself:

She supported white minority rule in Rhodesia, refered to anyone black as a "nig-nog" or a "blackamoor", distrusted Lord Mountbatten, viceroy of India, "for giving away the empire" and disliked his wife because "her mother was half-Jewish".

She refered to Germans as "Huns", was opposed to immigration and thought that black Africans could not run their own countries.

She took £634,000 from the civil list yet had a £40 million overdraft (guess who bailed her out...), spent most of her later life drinking, gambling and blowing large amounts of our money. She gambled on the horses so much that she had her own personal bookie wire installed in her house to receive up to the minute horse racing results.

FOR OVER 50 years the Queen Mother was responsible for guarding royal documents that detailed the abdicated King Edward's relations with Hitler and the Nazis. She had all the former king's papers sealed in the vaults of Windsor Castle, including captured German war documents that summarised the Windsors' meeting with Hitler in 1937. Within those documents were the notes of the plan to restore the Duke of Windsor to the throne if the Nazis won the war.

Now I'm sorry if any of this offends, but I refuse to stand by and watch you all make fools of yourselves by making tributes like this to a racist, bigoted leach.

[blinkinlovely]

Enough of the politics please........ I don't think that this is the time or the place to preach to others. We're all entitled to have our own opinions and do not have to a) express them or b) agree with anyone else. No one persons opinion is more valid than another and so, hating to see any natiness on this site, maybe it's time to pay respects or keep quiet on this thread.?

[splodge0]

Originally posted by blinkinlovely
Enough of the politics please........ I don't think that this is the time or the place to preach to others. We're all entitled to have our own opinions and do not have to a) express them or b) agree with anyone else. No one persons opinion is more valid than another and so, hating to see any natiness on this site, maybe it's time to pay respects or keep quiet on this thread.?

Thank you, thank you .............. I watched with horror as a topic about Princess Margaret's death esculated into a vitriolic diatribe on another BB site. There was even another thread started over the monarchy in general...and who hates so and so e.t.c.

NOT HERE PLEASE.....with hundreds and thousands on top...lol

:c olour::col our:


ps. I keep reading your nick name as bikinilovely!.....lol

[disco]

Originally posted by blinkinlovely
Enough of the politics please........ I don't think that this is the time or the place to preach to others. We're all entitled to have our own opinions and do not have to a) express them or b) agree with anyone else. No one persons opinion is more valid than another and so, hating to see any natiness on this site, maybe it's time to pay respects or keep quiet on this thread.?

Oh, fantastic idea. What better way to solve the ills in society than supressing debate. There doesn't have to be any nastiness as long as we all respect each others opinions and conduct debate in a sensible fashion.

Debate is one of the best ways we can learn about issues, and your own opinions is often developed through debate. Perhaps your views are strengthened through disagreement with the opposing views, or perhaps they are softened by hearing the other side of the story. Either way, it is surely better than basing your opinions on a limited understanding of the issues in hand.

Burying your head breeds ignorance.

[Feefs]

Debate is all very well, but there is a time and a place for it. I have no problems with a separate thread that people can ignore if they choose. Forcing unwanted debates is as welcome to me as forcing me into grief.

You have made some interesting points Disco, but it's unfair to infer people should be ashamed for having goods words to say about a person, and for not being comfortable speaking ill of the very recently dead. The most important rule of effective debate is to focus attention on the subject, and not to offend those you are debating with.

[blinkinlovely]

Well said Feefs

[Di2001]

Very sad.

R.I.P dear, sweet lady.

[disco]

Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out in quite the way it did. Of course I sympathise and empathise with the family and friends of the Queen Mother, and hope they can grieve in whatever way they feel appropriate. My sentiments are similar to Feefs' in that her death is sad, like every other death is, but that we shouldn't feel compelled to grieve for her. Perhaps I put this more bluntly, but the essence was the same.

As with any ending, there is naturally a new beginning. She represents the end of an era, and my second post was mearly stating how I was looking forward to the next era. It wasn't in the slightest an attempt to score political points, however it may be interpreted.

Discolady's dismissal of what I posted as "crap" and that she said we should "either express your sympathies or shut up" angered me, and prompted an admitedly vitriolic response.

Likewise, blinkinlovely's assertation that we should supress views angered me. Regardless of your political persuasions, apathy is the greatest threat society faces. 'Politics' touches every aspect of our lives, and isn't limited to Whitehall deciding what to spend our money on. Deciding what to wear in the morning is a form of politics. Nothing is apolitical and EVERY discussion has an element of debate/slight disagreement to it, and thus has a political slant.

Janette's view that the QM "was a lovely lady" is a political point which did actually offended me. Rather than castrate her for making the point, I put my (alternative) views across. It is simply not possible to say something that everybody likes and agrees with.

[Janette]

Originally posted by Disco
Janette's view that the QM "was a lovely lady" is a political point which did actually offended me. Rather than castrate her for making the point, I put my (alternative) views across. It is simply not possible to say something that everybody likes and agrees with.

As a matter of fact, Disco, I met the Queen Mother 20 years ago and as far as I'm concerned she was a lovely lady and I just happen to be sad that she is dead!

If that offends you then fine!

[disco]

That's fine, Janette. I respect your views (although don't necessarily agree) and I hope you respect mine that I find it very difficult to like racists.

[splodge0]

If I wanted to express my political views I'd post them to The Times or similar, Not here............................



Why don't you Disco!!

[Flossy2k2]

Hello, I'm new to this, and I,m so sad for the Royal Family. So much sadness for one family. What would we do without them.

[Kaz]

Welcome to the forum, Flossy2k2.

I agree with you in that I feel very sorry for the Queen, losing her sister and her mother within a month of each other.

I also met the Queen Mother when she visited a hospital where I work, and I found her to be a lovely, warm and caring lady.

I hope you enjoy posting here, Flossy - we look forward to hearing your views.

[disco]

Originally posted by splodge0
If I wanted to express my political views I'd post them to The Times or similar, Not here... Why don't you Disco!!

Splodge0, I know it's a difficult concept to grasp (I'm not being condescending here - it really is!), but politics is everything around us and whatever we say - whether about the relationship of Helen and Paul, what music we like or whether we'd prefer high inflation or low unemployment - is politics of sorts. To express any opinion is political, and as such is not reserved to The Times, Newsnight and Parliament - it's happens whenever we open our mouths to talk or type a message on the internet.

My messages above were not a conscious attempt to persuade others to take my viewpoint - they were just my thoughts at the time.

I'd like to reiterate some of those thoughts right now: It's a great loss to the royal family, I hope the qm rests in peace and that the royals have the room they need to grieve as a family.

[Maggie]

Disco, I am not saying what you have to say is crap and you can't post your views, but to me this is not the thread to do it, I come on this site to enjoy ROB'S stories and have some light hearted fun, If I wanted to talk politics and have serious debate I would chose another forum were this is the norm.
Sorry if I have offended you with my comments, but some of us feel sad by the death of a member of the royal family. From past experience ie when Princess Margaret died it caused a lot of debate and arguments and I could see this happening again and saw red, I just wanted to stop it turning nasty.

[Flossy2k2]

Hello discolady, I love the Royals too. He seems a bit mean.

[BigSister]

I was shocked when the Queen Mum died and she was only one of a couple of the royal family that i liked

I hope she rests in peace

[Maggie]

Hello and Welcome Flossy 2k2, thats' my point, let the lady rest in peace, I'm not usually like this, happy posting