The Guardian rounds up the best comments, questions and answers from our recent live chat on tomorrow's journalist – what tools and skills will they need to survive and thrive?
I used to believe that for the price of a loaf of bread for every UK citizen the monarchy was worth preserving, but perhaps, as the recession continues to rip its way through our lives, people are starting to believe that the loaf of bread is more important to them than the Queen. However, this is not about the funding of the British Monarchy. This is about preserving the Royals’ sanity, or what’s left of it...
The air is thick with the chanting of reform to our political system. The smog of the MPs’ expenses scandal is hovering and they have become mere rabbits in the headlights of the press and public anger.
The recent revelation in the media has supposedly left a suicidal atmosphere looming over the heads of our politicians. But have we every considered the media’s impact and the effect of a mangled upbringing upon the monarchy? So, whilst we are suggesting reform for our political system, perhaps it’s about time that we suggested a reform of the monarchy.
There may be no rumours of a suicide from Sandringham or from anyone within the royal household, but there have long been tears and tempers from the Throne’s Heir, William. He was a troubled teenager, unable to cope with the twenty-four-seven media culture that tore, and continues to tear apart this family life.
The phrase “family life” is somewhat controversial in itself. The Queen is often said to be “cold”, this is reflected somewhat in her abandoning of her child, Prince Charles, for months on end. It’s seen in their inability to be themselves around each other; it’s led to the endings of relationships that the Queen has deemed as unsuitable for her children; it’s led to the many mistresses of Prince Philip; and it’s led to Harry’s “drug addiction” and attention seeking antics. The monarchy has indeed brought up many estranged individuals.
Then there’s the media, who like the monarchy, takes and tortures the innocent people who marry into the royal family. Friends even suggested that Princess Diana ended up envying the Falklands war for taking attention away from her. And of course, there’s the hatred towards the media from both William and Harry, as they believe their mum was murdered by it, in that fatal car crash.
So, before we imprison and injure the lives of the next generation of Royals, perhaps it’s time to consider setting them free instead of throwing away the key. After all would you not rather preserve the sanity of a few individuals, instead of preserving something which symbolises and enforces that intelligence and hard work do not matter and all that does matter is the hierarchical class system?
God save the Queen.
