h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It will be your last Jubilee. It´s too anachronic to go on. So, enjoy it! both to critizise it or to get excited with those colourful dresses, feathers, music, and eccentric hats.

Although being British folks so inclined towards pompous celebrations... one can´t be sure. But I can´t imagine the picture in a Post-Everything future.


Our monarchy is declining. Republicans now have adopted an elephant as a symbol

::
This is the field of jwf, but... I´ll take it for a moment:

The word jubilee comes from Hebrew and means the ram´s horn. It was blown to announce a big event related to free slaves and that it happened every 50 or so years.
For Christians, a Jubilee year means that you get "plenary indulgence" For instance, if you do the Camino de Santiago during a Jubilee Year, you´ll be forgiven of everything.


I like the meaning in Spanish of júbilo: a great joy that makes you shout.

Paulh <>

Well, except for the ones in 1977 and 2002.

Deb

...and 1935.

When we say 'The Queen works hard', yes, she performs her duties as a head of state. But does she work any harder than the chancellor of Germany or President Hollande?

"Well, except for the ones in 1977 and 2002."[Deb]

The 1977 was a Silver Jubilee. There was also movie by that name in that year. 2002 was a Golden Jubilee. Sorry. I didn't realize that all the comemmorations were called jubilees. I was thinking of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887 as the last golden jubilee before that of Queen Elizabeth. Does that make things any clearer?Or does it really matter?

I'll be enjoying the extra day off I have to say

Can't say I give much of a monkey's either way about the Royal Family though. Don't hate 'em, but don't really care about them either - the Queen seems the best of the bunch - but of course she is careful to never let her private thoughts get made public. If the Duke is an arse, she is married to the guy remember.


Icy North, you'll have to enlighten me as to how any of those photos in the Metro you linked to are funny
Or was I missing a link somewhere to another gallery.

(It was interesting to see Prince Andrew looking like one of the Osmonds though - I guess it wasn't just Barry Gibb and Donny Osmond who could do pearly white teeth back then )

There's a street party going on that I might swing by: I like the rarity of it all but otherwise I'm unmoved. Don't get the benefit of an extra day off as it's during half-term.

Perhaps it is the distance we enjoy here in the colonies
that allows us the freedom to ignore or to engage with news
of the Royals at our whim. It is our general opinion here
that they fill some 'king shaped hole' in our lives and we
would be the poorer for not having them to gossip about.
And who doesn't like a good marching band and big guns
being fired in a peaceful and celebratory way.

But I am somewhat saddened by the energy being expanded by
those who deny the importance - whether social, emotional,
political, financial or historical - of the Monarchy.

I'm with deb on this one.

As they said in 'Beyond the Fringe' it gives the people
something to wave at.


~jwf~

Reply to #1

Not a sausage really.

I'm not a keen royalist and think the thing'll be a bit of a farce when Liz departs and we get the mug-eared loon.

It's a day off work and not a lot else.

>> It celebrates a form of government which isn't based on power of the people.. <<

If that were true I might have to agree, but the history
of the Monarchy *is* the history of the people earning and
working toward fair and democratic government. It begins
with Magna Carta, and with the natural ups and downs of
life as determined by individuals both regal and common,
it follows a progression to our present day where we can
enjoy the freedoms and pleasures of our modern whirled
with little fear that we live our lives only at the pleasure of
a despotic elite. It provides a sense of tradition and ritual
that connects us to our tribal roots thru centuries of so-
called progress.


~jwf~

<<it follows a progression to our present day where we can
enjoy the freedoms and pleasures of our modern whirled
with little fear that we live our lives only at the pleasure of
a despotic elite.

Mr Fulton, You are being ironic, aren´t you?

When we say the queen works hard - Does the head of state in Britain work harder than the heads of state in France, Germany, or the USA? If she does, it would be nice to be able to elect her and thus give her the credit she deserves.

This is the sound of the shofar, Maria:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKxDROoOiyY&feature=endscreen&NR=1

Highly appropriate for a jubilee, though I doubt we'll hear it.

Nada. Zilch.

And I'm owed the day off anyway having worked 29th February for free.

PP

Fur Goat Shake Rudy!! that sounds is appropriate almost for anything!

I´ll get a horn like that to call my students back to class,or the family to have the dinner, or to announce that finally we, the people, have get rid of the Mafia-Market!!!

Love it!

Just to show that the views of h2g2 are not at all representative of wider British society -

http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/2973/Support-for-monarchy-is-at-all-time-high.aspx

"With Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this weekend, the British public’s support for the country remaining a monarchy is at a record high level according to Ipsos MORI’s special Diamond Jubilee poll. Eight in ten (80%) British adults favour Britain remaining a monarchy compared to 13% that want to see it becoming a republic."

Why am I not surprised that support for the monarchy is at a record high level, this year of all years?

But you have to admit, "80% of British adults *voted* for the monarchy" - that would be pretty hard to argue with.

Someone said: There are truths, lies and statistics.
For this occasion I want to add what for me is a very accurate sociological guide to understand British folks:

From: http://youtu.be/rAaWvVFERVA

Dennis the Peasant: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.

Arthur: Be quiet!

Dennis: You can't expect to wield supreme power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!

What the jubilee means to me? Well as I'm as old as the queen has reigned then I guess I'm having a jubilee myself this year..