# Why didn't Sir Elton John bow? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2007, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125 "2007-07-01T15:43:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/81 "2007-07-03T01:12:16Z")
Is the average Brit aware of all this, even vaguely? ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_B.Phart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Capt\_B.Phart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_B.Phart)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/82 "2007-07-03T01:50:35Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] Is the average Brit aware of all this, even vaguely? [/QUOTE] I doubt it, (sorry I only have opinion, no GQ-worthy stats here) because it is pretty much totally irrelevant to our lives The constitutional monarchy is a typical British bodge (like the BBC licence fee, or the rules of Mornington Crescent):– it doesn’t make much sense when you try to write it down, but it works in practise so we keep it (and a lot of it is made up as it goes along but dressed up as “tradition” ) As far as I’m concerned the only relevant points are that there is a separation between head of state and the political leadership – that the Monarchy in practice has no real power over the democratic government – and that I can choose to bow or not as I see fit (I’d choose not, not that Liz is likely to invite me to chill at Buck House) - The rest is just frippery ---
**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:** [July 3, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/83 "2007-07-03T01:58:15Z")
[QUOTE=rocking chair] to forstall further musings… if diana, princess of wales out lived charles, and one of her sons became THE king, he could (and i’m sure would) give her back her title, or give another title to her, if THE princess of wales was unavailable. she would still curtsy to her son the king, and his queen, but not her grandchildren (unless they gained the throne before her death). she would or could if she so wanted, to be called “the king('s) mum” in the way queen elizabeth was the queen('s) mum. as she would not be a consort queen, she would not have queen in any title… [/QUOTE] Diana never would have been made _Princess of Wales_. That title belongs to the wife of the Prince of Wales and only to the wife of a Princess of Wales. William could’ve made her a peeress and/or a Princess of the UK (eg, Her Royal Highness the Princess Diana or Her Royal Highness the Duchess of London). William would also be able to decide who she “should” curtsy too and who curtsied to her. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/84 "2007-07-03T02:00:02Z")
[QUOTE=Capt B. Phart] I doubt it, (sorry I only have opinion, no GQ-worthy stats here) because it is pretty much totally irrelevant to our lives The constitutional monarchy is a typical British bodge (like the BBC licence fee, or the rules of Mornington Crescent):– it doesn’t make much sense when you try to write it down, but it works in practise so we keep it (and a lot of it is made up as it goes along but dressed up as “tradition” ) As far as I’m concerned the only relevant points are that there is a separation between head of state and the political leadership – that the Monarchy in practice has no real power over the democratic government – and that I can choose to bow or not as I see fit (I’d choose not, not that Liz is likely to invite me to chill at Buck House) - The rest is just frippery [/QUOTE] That sounds right. The average Yank, I think, won’t know the difference between a senator and a congressperson. At least not without thinking about it a second. Your lot does make some awfully good TV, though. Speaking of the BBC. Thank you, PBS, who brings it to us. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/85 "2007-07-03T03:02:22Z")
[QUOTE=rocking chair] THE duke and duchess of polycarp have a son, polonius of polycarp. [/QUOTE] All Hail the Duke of Polycarp !!! ( I’ll have you know that this color is identified as " Royal Blue " ) What?? I’m just angling for a small wooden townhouse inside of the city gates. 45 years of selfless service, it’s the least can hope for… 😉 The Lowly Serf Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/86 "2007-07-03T05:32:54Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] I think **Liberal** is saying that if we don’t even bother to maintain the pretence that they are our superiors any more, how come the whole charade doesn’t fall apart? [/QUOTE] Sort of like the _Emperor Wears No Clothes_. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/87 "2007-07-03T06:52:37Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I mean Jesus. Why not pat them on the ass? [/QUOTE] Most likely, because David Furnish (Elton’s partner) would object to that. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/88 "2007-07-03T14:31:03Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] For the record, **acsenray** ’s strange theories of political science to one side [/quote] :dubious: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/89 "2007-07-03T16:44:25Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] For as long as I’ve been here, I’ve made no secret that my personal preference, if I had my own choice, would be a libertarian monarchy… [/QUOTE] If you haven’t already done so, I’d love to see a thread in GD explaining the how and the why of _that_. And speaking of protocol, am I guilty of some kind of _faux pas_ by not using Verdana when I quote you? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/90 "2007-07-03T18:21:13Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] If you haven’t already done so, I’d love to see a thread in GD explaining the how and the why of _that_. And speaking of protocol, am I guilty of some kind of _faux pas_ by not using Verdana when I quote you? [/QUOTE] Me too. What I’d like to see is a socialist society that works. Oh wait, there are some. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/91 "2007-07-03T19:50:19Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] If you haven’t already done so, I’d love to see a thread in GD explaining the how and the why of _that_. [/quote] I would love to accomodate you, Sal. Unfortunately, in my old age and diminishing health, I’m just not up to the inevitable pile-on from a very few people who seem to hate my inoffensive philosophy of noncoercion with the passion of a thousand burning suns. One poster in particular will drop in to raise scathing innuendo about some perceived 7-year-old slight when he allegedly asked an unanswered question. Another will come in to post a list of old threads he has saved in which he feels he resoundingly beat me about the head and shoulders. There will be one who hypothesizes a mean old man who owns everybody’s land, but who will not allow me to hypothesize an off-setting kind man who assists them. There will be one who comes by late, after several pages, and without reading the thread will re-engage a settled issue. There will be other odds-and-ends, but those I’ve enumerated are downright dependable. What’s more, they will post fast and furiously to the extent that response becomes impossible, and then they will complain that they’ve been ignored. It is far, far easier to toss out random questions and hypotheticals than it is to answer them. So I do apologize, but I just don’t have the vigor anymore. ☹ > [@](#): > > And speaking of protocol, am I guilty of some kind of _faux pas_ by not using Verdana when I quote you? Oh lord, no. I like it. But that doesn’t mean you have to. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125/92 "2007-07-03T20:03:52Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] So I do apologize, but I just don’t have the vigor anymore. ☹ [/QUOTE] Do you, at the very least, have a newsletter to which we could subscribe? 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-sir-elton-john-bow/410125.md?page=4)