Questions about Royalty

[kelly9480]

According to the Dutch ppl I've asked about their monarchy, she isn't forced to approve all the laws presented to her, so she does have political power. She has, according to them, refused to sign certain laws the government backs, and the government has refused to sign certain laws she backs, so a compromise must be reached between the Queen and the government for laws to come into force. Don't ask me what kinds of laws aren't being approved, though, because the Dutch have recently adopted some draconian immigration rules. She's also head of some Council of State that serves as an arbitrator of laws.

[Augustus]

You're right, she doesn't have to approve all laws. That is a mere formality since plenty of laws are passed without ever landing on her desk. But to say she has power is simply not true. The power she does have though is very, very limited and very restricted by the government.

Well, technically she is the head of a lot of things, including our state. Elizabeth is seen to have more power than our Queen though.

[kelly9480]

How would Elizabeth, whose current PM just up and decides not to contact her or inform her, be seen to have more power? Do you mean informal power? EIIR is said to have a lot of informal influence, especially with the Commonwealth, but the power to warn is meaningless if the PM is determined to go his own way, regardless of the Queen and nation's opinions. Beatrix is regularly hailed as being someone her PM/MP can't ignore.

[Augustus]

Yes, I meant informal power. Of course our government is set up very differently, since it's always a coalition and therefor more fragile. Beatrix is known to have a strong opinion of her own and isn't afraid to voice it with cabinet ministers. She is hailed to be knowledgeable about quite a few topics. However her standpoints can not be taken into account whatsoever. Our PM's can't ignore her, that's true. It just doesn't mean that the government has to make any compromises to suit her, for at the end of the day the parliament still rules over her.

Our current political situation is more or less the only real time where she can influence politics directly. Our cabinet has fallen and new elections are planned in a few months time.

[kelly9480]

Thanks for telling me. The Dutch monarchists I've talked to have always portrayed Beatrix as just as powerful as the PM and basically indicated that he trembles in fear around her. They've always dismissed the British monarchs as pointless figureheads who have no power at all, and consistently wondered why they don't act like Beatrix.

[Augustus]

Well, she is the Queen after all.

[Deleted]

kelly9480 said:

indygirl said:

I wonder how well Charles will work in that capacity.

I don't think Charles is going to be able to play the moral card at all, unless the PM is a complete degenerate. He already irritates the hell out of the government with his constant interference in politics, I can see him PMs being completely dismissive of him, to the point of cancelling meetings.

I wonder if Charles will end up being like Edward VII, his great-great grandfather. Queen Victoria was terrified of what kind of King he'd make, she always thought he was an absolute scoundrel, moral-wise (although she did love him very much), but he ended up being a damned good King. Who knows?

Question-of all the royal pretenders, who has the best chance of regaining his/her throne? My opinion would be Alexander of Serbia.

[kelly9480]

Alexander has the best chance, but that's not saying much.

[Mouse]

Here's one: How popular is the Belgian royal family?

[Augustus]

mouse said:

Here's one: How popular is the Belgian royal family?

That depends on whom you ask.

The Wallonians adore them.

The Flemish are very 'meh' when it comes to the royals. Simply because the Belgian royal family is mainly frenchspeaking. They don't feel the royals are representing them in any shape or form. This was even more evident when Princess Maxima was able to speak Dutch very well in a relatively short time, even though a) she's from Argentina; b) her first language is Spanish, while Princess Mathilde couldn't even utter a very comprehensive sentence in Dutch even though she was born and raised in Belgium. Hell, not even Crown Prince Phillipe is fluent in Dutch and finds himself being ridiculed in Flemish newspapers quite often. Besides about his stiff and wooden demeanor in general.

Considering the royals are supposed to represent Belgium as a whole, including Flanders, but can't even communicate very well with the Flemish, yeah, not the most popular on that side.