State Opening of Parliament 2: 2023 -

[Durham]

The anti monarchy crowd were out I see.

I think this is the right sort of place for Republic & not social visits to towns, schools, hospitals etc so fair enough to them.

It should become part of the official proceedings. A solemn BBC voice intoning:

"& now we can hear the traditional disloyal cry of "not my king" greeting His Majesty's coach & as is customary on these solemn occasions we can see the familiar old greeting made by The Kings's own hand in the general direction of the republicans. How wonderful that we preserve such antique customs in dear old Blighty."

 

[Blog Real]

The anti monarchy crowd were out I see.

I think this is the right sort of place for Republic & not social visits to towns, schools, hospitals etc so fair enough to them.

It should become part of the official proceedings. A solemn BBC voice intoning:

"& now we can hear the traditional disloyal cry of "not my king" greeting His Majesty's coach & as is customary on these solemn occasions we can see the familiar old greeting made by The Kings's own hand in the general direction of the republicans. How wonderful that we preserve such antique customs in dear old Blighty."

Are there many republicans in the UK or is it a minority?

I think there are currently more anti-monarchy demonstrations in the United Kingdom than in Spain.

Do the British still support the monarchy?

 

[Durham]

Republicans are a noisy minority. Not to be taken seriously at all.

 

[Saragli]

The republicans are a minority, but as said, a very very vocal one. Republican sentiment is growing however, but, I think with many nations around the world, there is more of an anti-government sentiment in general. I am glad to see no major backlash against the return of the full SOoP. It appears to have went down as business' as usual.

 

[Durham]

There is definitely growing disenchantment with establishments in general but I can't see any circumstances barring some sort of Black Swan event that would turn Britain into a republic.

 

[Curryong]

There’s a ‘sharp generational divide’ in attitudes towards the monarchy, with those under 30 much less in favour.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66707923#

‘The pollsters say there has been a broadly consistent picture of "overall positivity towards the monarchy", but there is also a sizeable and rising minority who are opposed.’

 

[tommy100]

Given Republic claimed hundreds were going to turn up to protest and yet all we saw was that crowd I'd say that sums up the situation well - a lot of bluff and bluster

 

[Iluvbertie]

I always question how committed many of these people are to 'the cause'?

A number of years ago I was in London and wanted to go down to Parliament Square to see the Houses of Parliament and to the Abbey. I run into some police who advised me to not go as there was a protest going on so I turned around and went to the National Gallery instead.

Later that afternoon, after a lovely time in the Gallery, I was in a pub when a couple of young men came in with placards from the protest. They were asked what they were protesting about and their reply was interesing:

'No idea - just go because it is a protest and they are fun. No doubt the next protest we will be protesting for whatever we were against today'.

The discussion then turned to how many were like them - saw protests as 'something fun to do' rather than a cause they cared about and they said 'probably 50/50 in our experience.'

So I looked at that crowd and assumed about half were there for the 'fun of it' rather than because they are truly committed to the cause of republicanism.

 

[Iluvbertie]

How interesting that there is a precedent for it from previous Kings. I am also just now learning that Charles never had the RVO before coming King which makes sense as neither does the current PoW's. I know that the King loves Scotland, and respects her, but I am disappointed to not see the sash of Scotland's order at the opening of the UK's parliament.

I remember reading when Harry was given the RVO that it is a 'reward for personal services to the Sovereign'.

At that time there were three senior royals who obviously hadn't performed any 'personal service' to the late Queen - Philip, Charles and William. All the other adult royals who undertook official duties had received but not those three.

Philip received it for his 90th birthday and Charles and William never did - so either they didn't perform any 'personal service' to Elizabeth II or it isn't done to give it to the future Sovereign. I suspect the latter.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Where were the Prince and Princess of Wales ?

William was in Singapore for Earthshot.

Catherine was at home.

 

[tommy100]

Some will certainly be students who protest without really understanding the issue or really caring all that much about it. Likelyhood is at least half of any students or young people there will become either indifferent or leaning towards monarchy by time they are in their 40s.

 

[Iluvbertie]

The people I was talking to were probably mid-40s to 50s. They just protest for the sake of it.

 

[wartenberg7]

Some observations and questions: There was the tradition of Westminster students to stand versa Victoria Tower to greet the monarch, but not this time. Has it been abandoned and if so, when? Has it been voluntarily or was it a fixed date in the calendar for the boys to stand there?
I wonder why HM wore the sash of the Royal Victorian Order - an order He seldom ever wears...? I cannot recall a single event seen Charles wearing this particular order, and I watch the RF since ages...
Did anyone notice that the hermine cape, or collar or whatever you may call it, of The Queen´s scarlet train looked different from that she wore at the coronation? Is it another train? I even think it looked a bit shorter and the end of it looked much more angular than The King´s...?!

The train Qu. Camilla wore at the beginning of the coronation service looked almost identical to the one of her late mother in law, while this one not really..?

 

[Hans-Rickard]

The King wore the orders in the way King Edward VII and King George V did as well.

He did not recive the Royal Victorian Order by his mother, but as he is now sovereign of all the orders, he can ofcourse wear them all… I read that the Royal Victorian Chain was his late fathers chain

 

[muriel]

I remember reading when Harry was given the RVO that it is a 'reward for personal services to the Sovereign'.

At that time there were three senior royals who obviously hadn't performed any 'personal service' to the late Queen - Philip, Charles and William. All the other adult royals who undertook official duties had received but not those three.

Philip received it for his 90th birthday and Charles and William never did - so either they didn't perform any 'personal service' to Elizabeth II or it isn't done to give it to the future Sovereign. I suspect the latter.

Might it be that Charles & William did not receive the RVO as they had the Garter?

 

[Stefan]

Did anyone notice that the hermine cape, or collar or whatever you may call it, of The Queen´s scarlet train looked different from that she wore at the coronation? Is it another train? I even think it looked a bit shorter and the end of it looked much more angular than The King´s...?!

The train Qu. Camilla wore at the beginning of the coronation service looked almost identical to the one of her late mother in law, while this one not really..?

Did not notice the length and shaope of the Queens train only that the colours in it are more lighting then the one of the King which very much darkened and where the gold isn't look golden anymore. Thought this was of the difference in age as i thought the Queen wore the one of the late Queen Elizabeth II. which is 15 years younger then the one of the King (who used the one of his grandfather)

 

[wartenberg7]

Did not notice the length and shaope of the Queens train only that the colours in it are more lighting then the one of the King which very much darkened and where the gold isn't look golden anymore. Thought this was of the difference in age as i thought the Queen wore the one of the late Queen Elizabeth II. which is 15 years younger then the one of the King (who used the one of his grandfather)

Still, I think, other the one she wore for the coronation, it is not the one her late Majesty used to wear, which ones end was round (like the one of the current King) and a bit longer.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?...C7FFF6C&selectedIndex=1&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0
https://www.bing.com/images/search?...imid=608034629466420349&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0