The fact that they are apolitical makes them much more endearing to other nations I think tourism is the tip of the iceberg in terms of benefit. It's the fact that -- from other nations' perspective, not from our cynical selves -- they impart our failing little country a perceived air of decency and status which we don't deserve.
We can all see that we don't make anything any more, our streets are full of chundering hags and fighting charvers of a Saturday night -- yet if you walk into a Chinese business (as I have done), you will be immediately taken for a decent gentleman if you are British. You get an advantage. I believe that 'branding' (horrid word) is due to many subtle factors, and the Royal Family is almost certainly one of them.
When the royal marriage happened last year, newsstands across the globe, from Japan to Alaska, were emblazoned with simple, innocent images of love, tradition and decency (which people do latch on to), from a couple who were not fighting for re-election of hiding an agenda. You just can't put a price on the power of that positive message! My friend Kirby, a Filipino programmer living in Malaysia, says his wife's village held a party and got a big TV out to watch the event, and adorned it with British flags. My colleagues in Singapore -- a city state developing 100 times faster than ours -- all expressed an envy of all things British. Do you think they would they have done that for the wedding of a German statesman or even the US president? I personally doubt it.
I used to be very cynical about the Royal Family, but the more I travel, the more I see how it affects the way the way the world interacts with and regards our failing nation. I believe they bring us value and status it's simply not possible to measure.
If they were't there, we'd have an elected nobody who'd change every four years after politicking his way around the world -- who no-one would give a shite about -- and we would gradually begin a descent until we found our true place in the world's pecking order -- right down at the arse end of it.
(,
Wed 30 May 2012, 0:26,
archived)
We can all see that we don't make anything any more, our streets are full of chundering hags and fighting charvers of a Saturday night -- yet if you walk into a Chinese business (as I have done), you will be immediately taken for a decent gentleman if you are British. You get an advantage. I believe that 'branding' (horrid word) is due to many subtle factors, and the Royal Family is almost certainly one of them.
When the royal marriage happened last year, newsstands across the globe, from Japan to Alaska, were emblazoned with simple, innocent images of love, tradition and decency (which people do latch on to), from a couple who were not fighting for re-election of hiding an agenda. You just can't put a price on the power of that positive message! My friend Kirby, a Filipino programmer living in Malaysia, says his wife's village held a party and got a big TV out to watch the event, and adorned it with British flags. My colleagues in Singapore -- a city state developing 100 times faster than ours -- all expressed an envy of all things British. Do you think they would they have done that for the wedding of a German statesman or even the US president? I personally doubt it.
I used to be very cynical about the Royal Family, but the more I travel, the more I see how it affects the way the way the world interacts with and regards our failing nation. I believe they bring us value and status it's simply not possible to measure.
If they were't there, we'd have an elected nobody who'd change every four years after politicking his way around the world -- who no-one would give a shite about -- and we would gradually begin a descent until we found our true place in the world's pecking order -- right down at the arse end of it.