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[Rollo]

111. I'm opposed to royalty and hereditary class distinction and all that ... however ...

I remember talking with a visiting British scientist in the mid-70's. She opined, Upper Class Twits notwithstanding, that the Royals were a positive force in the UK, because they lent a certain stability and official moral tone to the country.

Of course that was pre-Di and Charles, but still she did have a point, especially since the USA had just gone through a wrenching series of presidents: LBJ, Nixon, Ford, and finally the one man who promised never to lie, Jimmy Carter. I doubt that Nixon never would have made it to a prime minister position if we had the British parliamentary system of government. But it would have been interesting to hear the monarch's opinion of him.

So the royals, while they certainly do things they should be ashamed of, may serve some sort of purpose for the Brits. I just don't know if they will be around in 50 or 100 years. But that's for the British people to decide, assuming they haven't been invaded and subjugated before then.

As for the French proving that you don't need royals to have a thriving tourist industry, OK. But what about the Russians?