# Happy 80th birthday to the Queen **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 21, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554 "2006-04-21T00:58:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Happy\_Clam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@Happy\_Clam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Clam)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/21 "2006-04-22T11:41:36Z")
I am torn. On the one hand, the longer a good Monarch stays in power, the longer the inevitable republican revolution will be prolonged. On the other hand, anyone is better than Charles. On the gripping hand… aw shucks, she’s the Queen! Go, your majesty, go. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/22 "2006-04-22T11:55:03Z")
The Queen Elizabeth and Charles are in the same situation that Victoria and her oldest son Edward were. Charles will, in all likelihood, be a grandfather before he becomes king, since his mother is proving to be long lived. His reign will be relatively short before passing to his son. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Clam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@Happy\_Clam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Clam)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/23 "2006-04-22T12:03:25Z")
Indeed, didn’t the future Edward 6th (or is that 5th?) say at one point: “I don’t mind praying to the eternal father, it’s the eternal mother that gets me down.” ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/24 "2006-04-22T12:16:37Z")
> [@Cat Jones](#): > > That’s a bit harsh - as far as I can see they have pretty much the [same](http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/in_pictures_the_queen0_a_public_life/img/5.jpg) [style](http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/in_pictures_the_queen0_a_public_life/img/11.jpg). No doubt there’s a special place in fashion hell for Norman Hartnell 😃 VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/25 "2006-04-22T12:34:11Z")
Happy birthday to the Queen. We mean it, man. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/26 "2006-04-22T12:50:50Z")
The story’s told that one day the Queen was reviewing the soldiers on horseback when a loud fart cut the air. The head soldier said “I’m so sorry, Your Majesty. It was one of the horses.” To which she (reportedly) replied: If you hadn’t said anything, I would have thought it was a horse. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/27 "2006-04-22T16:37:27Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > The Queen Elizabeth and Charles are in the same situation that Victoria and her oldest son Edward were. Charles will, in all likelihood, be a grandfather before he becomes king, since his mother is proving to be long lived. His reign will be relatively short before passing to his son. Didn’t Victoria and Albert Edward hate eachother? She refused to allow him to perform royal functions on her behalf. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/28 "2006-04-22T16:43:22Z")
From Bill Maher last night: Prince Charles wished his mother a happy birthday, and one more. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/29 "2006-04-23T15:40:34Z")
Queen Quote Two: The Queen was chatting with a young lady when her (the young lady’s) cellphone went off. “You’d better answer that,” The Queen said with a smile. “It might be someone important.” ---
**Author:** ![cabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@cabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cabdude)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/30 "2006-04-24T00:12:09Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Didn’t Victoria and Albert Edward hate eachother? She refused to allow him to perform royal functions on her behalf. I read that she blamed him for Prince Alberts death. I think he returned from visiting Edward at Cambridge with a bout of the flu, which turned out to be typhoid, and died soon afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/31 "2006-04-24T05:08:35Z")
I think the reason she blamed him for Albert’s death had more to do with his riotous lifestyle paining his father. ---
**Author:** ![cabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@cabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cabdude)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/32 "2006-04-24T05:41:41Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > I think the reason she blamed him for Albert’s death had more to do with his riotous lifestyle paining his father. Which was the reason he was visiting him in Cambridge, no? ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/33 "2006-04-24T11:31:44Z")
> [@Happy Clam](#): > > I am torn. On the one hand, the longer a good Monarch stays in power, the longer the inevitable republican revolution will be prolonged. On the other hand, anyone is better than Charles. On the gripping hand… aw shucks, she’s the Queen! Go, your majesty, go. I missed this on the day BUT a good Monarch is ALWAYS GOOD. If it wern’t for old Lizzy many of us colonial type countries would have to elect a president! I can’t speak for happy-clam-land but I KNOW that there is no one here I wan’t as president! Having the monarchy costs less and the Queen is much more agreeable then some ex-politician! As to Charlie…best thing he ever did was ditch the ditz and marry something more his class. Charles has worked as hard as he can (given his job description). I personaly want the Royal family to continue. Presidents cost too much and fuck up far to often. Royals are almost harmless and save money (to us ex-colony types), besides which who else would be on the back of coins? Helen Clark? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/34 "2006-04-24T15:07:48Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > I missed this on the day BUT a good Monarch is ALWAYS GOOD. If it wern’t for old Lizzy many of us colonial type countries would have to elect a president! > > I can’t speak for happy-clam-land but I KNOW that there is no one here I wan’t as president! Having the monarchy costs less and the Queen is much more agreeable then some ex-politician! _nodnod_ I’m actually a bit of a rarity in my party as a soft monarchist. I rather like having the monarchy. It’s less expensive than a presidency, I think it’s a nice symbol, there’s no point in electing an apolitical head of state, and it’s _interesting_, which a president is not. If everyone else were prepared to go to the trouble of changing the constitution to become a republic, I wouldn’t stand in their way; I think Canada should govern itself as it sees fit. One thing I would insist on, though, is if we had a republican head of state, we should still call them the Governor General. Mainly because I can barely say “President of Canada” without falling asleep. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/35 "2006-04-24T18:04:51Z")
> [@Happy Clam](#): > > Indeed, didn’t the future Edward 6th (or is that 5th?) say at one point: “I don’t mind praying to the eternal father, it’s the eternal mother that gets me down.” Nope, Edward, Victoria’s son, became king as Edward VII. Edward VI was the son of Henry VIII, and he died in his teens. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/36 "2006-04-24T20:27:56Z")
I’m rather ambivilent about the queen: on the one hand, there are those hats. On the other, [cute doggies!](http://www.royal.gov.uk/files/images/queen2.jpg) And corgis are just so funny looking, so I guess my vote goes to ‘yay queen’ in this case. [QUOTE=calm kiwi] I missed this on the day BUT a good Monarch is ALWAYS GOOD. If it wern’t for old Lizzy many of us colonial type countries would have to elect a president! [QUOTE] I’m not sure I follow this - you guys (and presumably, all other previously-colonial nations) have a Prime Minister, right? Why would you need a president, too? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/37 "2006-04-24T21:01:46Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > I’m rather ambivilent about the queen: on the one hand, there are those hats. On the other, [cute doggies!](http://www.royal.gov.uk/files/images/queen2.jpg) And corgis are just so funny looking, so I guess my vote goes to ‘yay queen’ in this case. > > > [@calm kiwi](#): > > > > I missed this on the day BUT a good Monarch is ALWAYS GOOD. If it wern’t for old Lizzy many of us colonial type countries would have to elect a president! > > I’m not sure I follow this - you guys (and presumably, all other previously-colonial nations) have a Prime Minister, right? Why would you need a president, too? The Prime Minister is head of government. The PM achieves office politically, gets kicked around politically, but also wields political power as the executive of the Canadian state. The Governor General represents the monarch, who is head of state; both carry the symbolic burden of the state. This is not clearly elucidated in Canada; I think it should be. It seems that we are at the beginning of creating a head of state (in the form of the GG) who is uniquely Canadian–look at the heraldry of recent GGs, for example. I totally agree with **matt\_mcl** here that even if Canada splits from the monarchy, our head of state should continue to be the Governor General. The GG could be chosen outside the regular political structure: for example, elected by the members of the Order of Canada, as the Globe once suggested. This is one problem with the US system, IMHO: the President is both head of government (subject to all those political processes), and head of state (carrying the symbology of the USA). When you get a call from the President, are you dealing with a man or woman performing a job, or are you dealing with the majesty and history and power of the USA reflected into the world? If the President called you and asked you to do something, would you refuse? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/38 "2006-04-24T21:02:54Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > > [@calm kiwi](#): > > > > I missed this on the day BUT a good Monarch is ALWAYS GOOD. If it wern’t for old Lizzy many of us colonial type countries would have to elect a president! > > I’m not sure I follow this - you guys (and presumably, all other previously-colonial nations) have a Prime Minister, right? Why would you need a president, too? Parliamentary systems normally have the head-of-state separated from the head-of-government. In republican countries that use a parliamentary system, the head-of-state is normally called a President (e.g. - Israel, Germany, Austria, Italy). In constitutional monarchies, the head-of-state is the monarch, the Prime Minister is the head of government. The Queen is not just the Queen of the United Kingdom. She’s also the Queen of the overseas Commonwealth realms, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The monarch’s functions are carried out in each of those countries by a Governor General. If any of those countries decided to become republics, it would still be necessary to have a head-of-state, separate from the head-of-government, the Prime Minister. And I agree with **matt** - “Governor General” is a long-established term in Canada. I don’t see why we would need to change the term to President. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/39 "2006-04-25T03:54:19Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > This is one problem with the US system, IMHO: the President is both head of government (subject to all those political processes), and head of state (carrying the symbology of the USA). When you get a call from the President, are you dealing with a man or woman performing a job, or are you dealing with the majesty and history and power of the USA reflected into the world? If the President called you and asked you to do something, would you refuse? You explained this part very well. I like having one branch of the government that embodies the dignity of the nation, and another that serves as head of the messy, grubby side of politics. Among other things, it helps to ensure that we can’t be fooled into equating opposition to the political positions of the Prime Minister with _lèse majesté_ and want of patriotism, as certain presidents have succeeded in doing of late. (After all, it’s Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.) Meeting with diplomats, opening Parliament, distributing the Order of Canada, giving inspirational speeches to schoolchildren and new citizens, “honouring Canadians, bringing Canadians together, and promoting Canada” are all functions that call upon the serene, timeless dignity of the nation, as represented by the Governor General. Raising or lowering taxes, cutting or funding Medicare, negotiating with the provinces - in short, government - is a matter for the brawling, transient democracy of the state, as represented by the Prime Minister. It’s good to have those functions separate, and it’s good to have a national figurehead without political mud spattered on her gown. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2006, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554/40 "2006-04-30T05:29:47Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > You explained this part very well. Thanks, **Matt**! :: blush :: > [@matt\_mcl](#): > > I like having one branch of the government that embodies the dignity of the nation, and another that serves as head of the messy, grubby side of politics. Among other things, it helps to ensure that we can’t be fooled into equating opposition to the political positions of the Prime Minister with _lèse majesté_ and want of patriotism, as certain presidents have succeeded in doing of late. (After all, it’s Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.) This is exactly what I was trying to express. Symbology and language and the emotions of politics _are_ important. > [@matt\_mcl](#): > > Meeting with diplomats, opening Parliament, distributing the Order of Canada, giving inspirational speeches to schoolchildren and new citizens, “honouring Canadians, bringing Canadians together, and promoting Canada” are all functions that call upon the serene, timeless dignity of the nation, as represented by the Governor General. Raising or lowering taxes, cutting or funding Medicare, negotiating with the provinces - in short, government - is a matter for the brawling, transient democracy of the state, as represented by the Prime Minister. It’s good to have those functions separate, and it’s good to have a national figurehead without political mud spattered on her gown. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-80th-birthday-to-the-queen/353554.md?page=3)