[user104658]

I'm not just talking about extremes though Ammi; I'm talking about the average, normal citizen and the subliminal message that something like a Royal Family can place in the public mindset for normal people. The idea that one is "just normal", should have "normal aspirations", shouldn't strive "beyond their place", should be aware of and accept where they slot into a social hierarchy. I think that's damaging, to many people, and it's so subtle that I don't think many people even see it? It's also, in my opinion, a very deliberately constructed social message... They WANT people to "stay in their lane" and let the old families / old money get on with pulling the strings. It benefits absolutely no one but the aristocracy, in the long run.


In terms of bringing people together... Well. That assumes that everyone is into it, which isn't the case. Everyone isn't "everyone"... Some of us DON'T mourn the death, or celebrate the birth or marriage, of a Royal any more than any other of the millions of random families in Britain. In fact, I find it sort of miserable that we celebrate the birth of Little George more than we do the birth of a baby two doors down. That we mourn the death of the Queen mother like it's some huge national incident when old ladies her age die literally every hour without mention. That the nation screeched and wailed over Diana when - despite her doing some good things for charity - there are people who do FAR more for the world than she ever did who die without so much as a mention in the local paper.

That's a problem to me. The idea that it's good for us to "look up" for inspiration, instead of bothering to look around us. Especially when the inspiration that's "up there" is mostly duty-driven. Fake, hollow plastic window dressing.