Is the royal family tacky? (I got in trouble for suggesting this)

I've written a blog entry about my experience with bringing this idea up around British people at work. They really were yelling at me for around 5 minutes for my unmitigated gall in suggesting this.

http://expatclaptrap.com/is-the-royal-family-tacky/

Isn't "good taste" basically a bourgeoisie invention? Royalty/nobility has no reason to aspire to anything, their status is based on birth.

My husband is completely anti- royal and so is his family. So that's one Brit that would have had your back lol.

I'm no monarchist, by any means.  But I'm not sure 'tacky' is the word I'd go with.

Tacky, to me, implies cheap, false and/or overly ostentatious.  The tiara on the right is definitely tacky, because it's about 3x bigger than her face, and is almost certainly made of rhinestones/glass/plastic.  If it were genuine, I'd say 'gaudy' or 'garish' would be better descriptions.

I wouldn't say that the Queen's tiara (in this photo) crosses that line, though.  I mean, she is the queen.  Surely, if anyone can wear something like that un-ironically, it's her.  Besides, it's reasonably-proportioned, and fits a particular context.  Now, if she popped it on for a run to the shops, or to muck out the barn, I'd say it's a bit odd.  (Though, at her age, I'd say screw it; she's allowed to be 'eccentric.')

I mean, I know what you're getting at.  It all does seem a bit much.  I want to call it pretentious, except that, strictly speaking, I don't think it's possible for a royal to be pretentious.  They're the ones that set the bar that pretentious people strive for.

But, at any rate, I don't think tacky is quite the right description.

They're the ones that set the bar that pretentious people strive for.

Excellent turn of phrase and spot on!

There is a lot of tacky around but I wouldn't accuse the Royals of it -- except maybe Fergie. (but then, is she really Royal?)

I thought your blog post was quite insightful, especially with the photos comparing the Royals to gypsies. I think your co-workers were just feeling defensive precisely because you're an "outsider." There are plenty of British people who think the royal family is an outdated, expensive, tourist attraction. But the royal family also symbolizes an allegedly uninterrupted line of rulers from the very beginning of time as English people know it. That's probably quite powerful for a society that can takes pride in being old, and not necessarily powerful or important anymore. For Americans, we revere the Constitution as that thing that almost never changes but that defines our country and which created the very concept of an "American." For Brits, it's more about blood lineage, ancestors, etc.

But the royal family also symbolizes an allegedly uninterrupted line of rulers from the very beginning of time as English people know it.

/James II raises hand at back of room....

/James II raises hand at back of room....

Charles I momentarily thinks James II is waving at him and briefly waves back, before he embarrassedly puts his hand back down.

The picture of the queen next to Katy Price is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.  I won't be sharing this article or mentioning this to my British co workers because they'd be really angry. 

However, I can be smug in the knowledge that the British will eventually end up with Katie Price as the monarch for the same reason we'll get Trump as president.  It's inevitable.

Watch the movie Idiocracy if you don't believe me


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I will never, ever forget the fury I sparked in a few people at the pub one night a few years back. I have no clue who they were, but they happened to notice I was American when I was ordering drinks. They asked the usual million questions about how I came to be in the country, in their town, what I thought of it, the queen, etc. I merely answered by telling them how I don't feel that happening to be born into a specific family in what happens to be the right birth order is a huge accomplishment that merits being treated like you are better than other humans. People are born every day... I was given a furious blast of 'how dare you speak of our queen that way...' and other comments that let me know I should have maybe lied and said she was fabulous. 

... I was given a furious blast of 'how dare you speak of our queen that way...'

Hh...I can almost guarantee that would never happen here in the west of Scotland!

Hh...I can almost guarantee that would never happen here in the west of Scotland!

Hahahaha. Wouldn't happen in Wales either. I don't think they dislike them, they just don't seemed to be bothered about them in the least.


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Hh...I can almost guarantee that would never happen here in the west of Scotland!

I wasn't sure if it was because I was an outsider, if they were just drunk, or if they were serious about it. Most people I talked to in my time living there, or on any visits before and after, seem to have a 'can take them or leave them, don't really care' attitude toward the royal family, or are anti royal. This particular group were a different story though.