Yes a good recovery Diana.
As a child born 1937, I can vividly remember the bombing and devastation ( real proper devastation not the broken nail variety) Christmas 1940 especially when Manchester was bombed and all around us whole rows houses bombed into just piles of rubble overnight.I can hear the planes now.
The target was two giant gas storage tanks,gasometers, erected by Germans in the early 1930’s ,they would have the plans so how they were not hit is a miracle ,our house was directly opposite the gas works gates!
I think the devastation would have been unimaginable had the bombers got the targets .
As a result my sister six and a half and myself three and a half were taken asap to Dad’s relatives in Shropshire. We spent the rest of the war there.
They were complete strangers to me but at least not to Dad, think of the anguish other parents felt ,putting their children in a train to where? With whom? When would they see them again if they ever did?
That King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and the two Princesses stayed in London when Canada had offered safe refuge is something I will never forget,.in my childish simplicity I felt they would look after us .
I am a Royalist , I don’t envy the wealth because I have enough ,I would hate all the duties, The Red Box ,every day of their lives, The Queen and other Monarchs have to deal with whatever is in it ,matters of state etc.
No thanks.
Compare with others , I have mentioned elsewhere other people,dictators who have led to millions of deaths through their egotistical desires.
War,famine ,suffering unimaginable to us ,and I am very glad we have much more reasonable people up there.
The Monarchy have no control over our finances ,but elected people do , Rishi Sunak is a billionaire yet his government decide on our financial affairs ,I’ll bet whoever decided to make pensioners pay for TV licences did not have to make other sacrifices like heating etc to pay .
Leave well alone .
An old saying from Africa, when the Mau Mau were causing trouble in their efforts to govern themselves and the old tribal way of life was almost gone ——
“ Before you destroy something make sure you can replace it with something of value”.
That was the title of a much acclaimed book , a riveting read “ Something of Value”.
We have the gear, buildings , traditions,etc ,and are very lucky ,we would not be one penny richer if the a monarchy went, as has been stated much revenue is gained through visitors and trade spin offs.
Long Live The King ,well he is seventy plus but will do a good job ,especially with his influence in environmental matters, William and Kate will also do a good job.They have not put a foot wrong.
Putin must be green with envy, no one in those vast crowds had to be forced or threatened so they would attend!
It bears thinking about.
Viktoria.
