# Long live the king! Any king! Just gotta have one! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590 "2017-06-10T14:42:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/1 "2017-06-10T14:42:41Z")
Why are some folks so in thrall to royalty? Even in the U.S.A. where we’re not supposed to care about such things many clearly do. So much so we kinda make surrogate kings and queens out of our famous and wealthy people. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/2 "2017-06-10T15:14:49Z")
Some people want an authority figure who they feel will lead them well due to some inherent special quality. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/3 "2017-06-10T15:45:37Z")
In Thailand, it’s the law. You’re in thrall or else. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/4 "2017-06-10T15:47:15Z")
\m/ Long Live King Diamond \m/ ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/5 "2017-06-10T15:57:39Z")
Yanks are often enthralled by visiting royalty, studying up on forms of address and the like. We also have a lot of fun playing games, such as participating in the Society for Creative Anachronism, where there are local Kings and Queens. But we would quickly become restive if we actually had one in power. The opposition would grow, swiftly rather than slowly, until a “Glorious Revolution” forced them out. “Simon Says” is a party game, not a basis for government. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/6 "2017-06-10T16:07:38Z")
The king of Sweden visits Thailand a lot and generally acts like just a regular guy, which confuses the Thais all to hell. One Swedish-American of my acquaintance living in Thailand interviewed him one time. The king actually came out to greet him instead of staying inside sitting on some thronelike object waiting to be worshiped, and the Thai handlers were like, “What the fuck? Who IS this guy [my acquaintance].” Prince Andrew visits Thailand frequently, but his activities are always hush-hush, and for good reason based on what I’ve heard in the news community. Randy old fellow. Personally, I think France figured out the best way to handle royalty, although I admit to a fondness for Queen Elizabeth and her grandsons. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/7 "2017-06-10T16:22:20Z")
Yeah, the French have some good ideas, royalty-wise. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/8 "2017-06-10T17:20:57Z")
Some of 'em, you just have to cut off their heads. Mary Stuart refused to learn, and kept on playing treason games even under house arrest. Fatally stupid. Some, you just sit 'em down and force 'em to sign a Magna Carta, or give them plum-cake and drum them out of town. Beheading Charles Stuart was probably not the best way to have done things, and it might still have been possible to work out a deal with Louis. Hirohito backed away from power in a dignified way. You can get a hell of a lot of mileage just by arresting them and showing them the guillotine. The smart ones get the message. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/9 "2017-06-10T18:03:39Z")
These days monarchies represent continuity and stability. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/10 "2017-06-10T18:33:47Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Some people want an authority figure who they feel will lead them well due to some inherent special quality. And some folks think that if there’s a king, they will (somehow, magically) become nobility and will be able to order folks about without having to justify themselves. There’s always a certain subset of folks who think they’re somehow more special than everyone else, and should be allowed to interfere with and direct the lives of others. They would benefit from a monarchy. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/11 "2017-06-10T18:34:56Z")
I think that monarchy and royalty has become romanticized in a lot of cinema and literature in America. It’s probably easy to think greatly of “Kings, queens, princes, princesses” as long as you don’t actually have them in your country. Disney certainly did its part 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:** [June 11, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/12 "2017-06-11T01:45:20Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > These days monarchies represent continuity and stability. …modulo the occasional outbreak of upper-class twittery or randiness. But the centuries of custom that surround the monarchy smooth things out and blunt the effects of idiocy. I think Canada handled the whole thing well by having a monarchy but arranging that it spend most of its time in another country, which conveniently pays most of the bills. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/13 "2017-06-15T16:53:28Z")
Royal scandals are more entertaining than presidential scandals. Berlusconi tried, but he was just not in the same league as the Hanovers. Sweden is a monarchy. Zimbabwe is a republic. Where would you rather be poor? Netherlands is a monarchy. Iran is a republic. Where would you rather be a political dissident? ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/14 "2017-06-15T17:26:24Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Royal scandals are more entertaining than presidential scandals. Berlusconi tried, but he was just not in the same league as the Hanovers. > > Sweden is a monarchy. > Zimbabwe is a republic. > Where would you rather be poor? > > Netherlands is a monarchy. > Iran is a republic. > Where would you rather be a political dissident? Saudi Arabia is a Monarchy. France is a Republic. Ask your questions again… ---
**Author:** ![Rain\_Soaked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rain\_Soaked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rain_Soaked)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/15 "2017-06-15T17:29:23Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > These days monarchies represent continuity and stability. And they sometimes are your[commercial airline pilot!](https://www.aol.com/article/entertainment/2017/05/18/dutch-king-has-secretly-been-an-airline-pilot-for-21-years/22097289/) ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/16 "2017-06-16T01:31:24Z")
> [@2Bits](#): > > Why are some folks so in thrall to royalty? Even in the U.S.A. where we’re not supposed to care about such things many clearly do. So much so we kinda make surrogate kings and queens out of our famous and wealthy people. No we don’t. Not once do we allow celebrities to make laws, imprison people, or start wars unless we _also_ elected them via the regular democratic process. Never once has America said “This guy was in a really good movie, so I guess that basically makes him the supreme executive of the state.” ---
**Author:** ![Marci\_Al](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Marci\_Al](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marci_Al)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/17 "2017-06-16T01:58:26Z")
This should be a separate thread but Which non-Russian royal is closest to claiming the Russian kingship? Does Prince Henry have a shot (don’t ask why I mentioned him. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/18 "2017-06-16T02:38:49Z")
I’m happy with my Queen, and am looking forward to the distant day – assuming a particular court challenge is successful – that Canada gets to repatriate the Crown and Throne, since the line of succession will split from that of England and the other Commonwealth countries. Especially since the alternative seems to be Donald Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/19 "2017-06-16T10:38:32Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > I’m happy with my Queen, and am looking forward to the distant day – assuming a particular court challenge is successful – that Canada gets to repatriate the Crown and Throne, since the line of succession will split from that of England and the other Commonwealth countries. I understand that Prince Harry is rather popular in Canada, ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590/20 "2017-06-16T12:42:11Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > These days monarchies represent continuity and stability. But mostly just tabloid fodder, plus tourist revenue which may make up for what’s spent on them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-live-the-king-any-king-just-gotta-have-one/788590.md?page=2)