www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23393963
Quote "In his final address as king on Sunday, the 79-year-old monarch said his country must remain a "source of inspiration" to Europe."
Raises two points
1/ Thats the second of Europe's royal houses to abdicate to a younger monarch, will Queenie abdicate? (Charlie's wish)
2/ In what way have you, or Europe been inspired by Belgium, a country that really doesn't exist. (Beer, Chocolate, Moules-frites are a given)
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I'd say no chance at all.
About the same that I've been personally inspired by any country. Although I quite like Bruges, it's a nice little city.
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Concept of monarchy is getting obsolete.
Since EU rules come out of Brussels may be that inspiration he mentioned about.
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1. Not bothered - hugely expensive archaic irrelevance.
2. It's very rich history linked to the sacrifice of this and other nation's (including Germany's) youth in wars - oh and beer.
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>> Concept of monarchy is getting obsolete.
>>
It's as obsolete now as it has been for decades of centuries from a logically point of view. Yet it's very idea is as popular as ever. No doubt sustained by the latest addition to the family. It's not really something that can be seen in logically fashion, it's just/simply part and parcel of the country.
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I can't understand it though !
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Which bit? Their popularity I assume. Same reason any celebrity is famous and well liked, plus they have a historic link to the country, it's all wrapped up nicely together.
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That's it really - are they nice people beyond their well organised and sorted public personas ?
I'm not a celeb person either. :-)
Whilst I normally defend the BBC, I really can't get over the sychophantic reporting - particularly from the awful, fawning Witchell fellow...
Last edited by: R.P. on Sun 21 Jul 13 at 11:37
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I don't know, but how well do we know anyone. Do we really need or want to know their non public personas?
I gathered that ;-)
Last edited by: sooty123 on Sun 21 Jul 13 at 10:54
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Congratulations sooty. You are the only poster so far who understands that there's nothing to understand. A constitutional monarchy is just there, embodying in a practical way the coherence of the nation, along with its absurdity.
Clattering rationalists who ridiculously imagine that tinkering a republic into existence would make our nation less absurd, and pugnacious semi-egalitarians who imagine it's all about inequality and bowing and scraping, are the people most interested in what royals are 'really like'.
They may think they are too smart to be interested in celebs, but their endless curiosity and attempts to be iconoclastic give the lie to that, very amusingly.
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Belgium King abdicates - sooty123
