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Carl Court / AFP - Getty Images
British Union Jack flags hang along London's Regent Street on Friday, in preparation for the royal wedding.
By F. Brinley Bruton, msnbc.com
LONDON – Are you dreading the royal wedding?
If so, you’re not alone – plenty of people won’t be wrapping themselves in the Union Jack to celebrate the marriage of Catherine Middleton to Great Britain's second-in-line to the throne Prince William next week.
Richie Turnbull, a musician and house-painter from Scotland, has invited friends and friends of friends to collectively thumb their noses at the royal family during a special gig in East London on April 29.
"Instead of sitting around and complaining, we're going to celebrate being anti-monarchy," said the 51-year-old from Scotland, which, he said, was "conquered, raped and pillaged by the English."
"The party is for fun, for people to have a laugh," he said.
The signs for the party have a picture of the happy couple with the words emblazoned on the top: "Not Wanted, Dead or Alive." Attendees will listen to electronica and are encouraged to wear costumes.
Quite a contrast to the thousands of block parties around the country where people will eat frothy cake, play soccer and compete in crown and tiara competitions, all the while watching the big event live on TV.
Turnbull isn't the only one to want to try and have a bit of fun at the royals' expense. A song entitled "Dreading the Wedding" by The Headlines making the rounds on the Internet starts off with:
"I'm dreading the wedding
I don’t know what to do
I think I'll leave the country
Or take up sniffing glue."
Sounds of vomiting and pictures of "B-list celebrities" accompany the cheery, if somewhat risque jig.
Others have a more serious take on the nuptials, however.
"There is this idea that they are a benign institution, that it is just a bunch of people in a big house," said Graham Smith of the anti-monarchist organization Republic. "It is actually a political institution."
Courtesy of Lydia Leith
Royal wedding sick bags designed by Lydia Leith.
Republic contends the monarchy is unaccountable to the population, expensive and, thanks to the lack of a written constitution, allows politicians too much power.
To add insult to injury, the royal wedding also embraces unsavory monarchs from around the world.
"The king (of Bahrain), who has reportedly received a personal invitation to the wedding from the queen, has violently crushed the pro-democracy movement in his country," Smith wrote in a recent article in The Guardian.
Smith contends that most Britons are at best indifferent to the royal nuptials, although the jury is out on that. According to a recent poll by Ipsos MORI, three-quarters of subjects support the monarchy, compared to 18 percent who would like the country to be a republic.
Talk of despots and democracy aside, Republic will try to get in on the fun in its own way by holding its own street party in central London on the day of the wedding. There'll be stalls selling merchandise – including "I'm not a royal wedding mug" mugs. People will be able to sign a card for the happy couple that says, essentially, "Good luck with your married life but don't assume you will be King or Queen."
"We're doing something quite fun, actually celebrating republicanism in a positive way," he said. And the anti-monarchist organization has good reason to celebrate – membership has jumped by half to 14,000 since William and Kate announced their engagement in November.
A few have found themselves cashing in on the wedding inadvertently.
royalbreakfast.com
SLIDESHOW: Wacky royal wedding memorabilia
Artist Lydia Leith, 24, designed the Royal Wedding "sick bag" in time for Valentine's Day. She's sold about 8,000, each personally signed, to people in countries as far away as Lithuania, Japan and Brazil.
"Before this happened I was quite poor," she said. "Now I've made quite a lot of money, hopefully enough to set up a business."
But Leith is adamant that she isn't anti-royal and is just "having a bit of fun."
"I made it to entertain myself and never thought it would get this popular," she said.
A bit like the main event itself, then?
Related links:
Kate who? Chinese factories cash in on the royal wedding
For all things Royal Wedding-related, read msnbc.com's Windsor Knot blog.
Leave a Comment:
Freeloading baggage which the Brits should not carry any more. What makes them any more special than plumber Joe and why should plumber Joe's taxes go to support the 'royals'? The public is brainwashed in all aspects of society.
It's as useless as the American presidential innauguration. Just a giant expense and logistical hassle on the people's head.
The Brits are not the only ones tired of hearing about this stupid royalty and the upcoming wedding; so are a lot of Americans, but the media is determined to shove it down our throats. Of course, they also think we want ot keep hearing news about that turd Charlie Sheen. Thank God for the remote mute button!
because the Jock Bastards wouldn't stay north of the wall the Romans built to keep them up there
Who knew there were bitter un-hip douche bags like Mr. Turnbull still around. I used to think the counter culture in Great Britain was cool. Looking at them now they just appear to be a sad mockery of themselves. God Save The Queen!
Well the Scottish did a pretty good job of raping and pillaging the Irish in their own right! Where do you think the term Scotts-Irish came from. Come to think of it I can't think of a single race or ethnic group that didn't rape or pillage somebody! If you can't think of one let me know.
Hell, even the American Indians were warring and wiping out neighboring tribes long before Columbo arrived!
And we've all seen the movie Shaka Zulu by now!
This wedding should have been on a smaller scale at this time.
The Security alone is massive, and expensive. The wedding will cost $60,000,000; plus 33 per cent of all Brits will pay for the Security in taxes.
Maybe some in this bad Economic time in Britain are willing to pay. I say Buckingham Palace should pay for all the expenses. Wonder what the Middletons are pitching in---
They were honored a few days ago by meeting the Queen of Eng. for a one hour lunch. In the end, they have given their daughter away to a secret society. Wonder if they will ever see her again.
Maybe they think this was meant to be---The Queen still has her quirks, as well as Prince Charles.
After the couple has been together for 10 years, they are basically married. The wedding is just a formality.
To Phil673730:
Are Bannockburn and Culloden north of Hadrian's Wall? What right did a Roman Emporer have to divide lands between a native Celtic people and Anglo-Saxon invaders from northern Germany who came and invaded long after Hadrian's Wall was built? Your comment is pure mind-babble.
I always wondered what the hell the deal was with the king and queen. I thought that they were benign as well.
You misunderstand the Brits. The issue is not really about the "Royalty" or sense of privilege of royal family. It is about whether they are worth more money to the country than they are spending to support them. So far, the conclusion is that they bring in more money than they spend. Of course, it is also a sense of national pride. Plus, they do love the Queen. Not sure what will happen when she dies. It might survive if Charles abdicates in favor of William. But....
Hey these "Royals" are doing what they are paid to do, act royal. In recent history the entire world has been able to see the results of royal families acting all "uppity" when their closets are just as full of skeletons, as ours. Of course there is the piles and piles of jewelry, and other ill gotten booty, these born to wealth, society types have hoarded from one generation to another.
Okay, I'll admit, when I see a bride in front of a church, I crane my neck to see her dress but that's about it. There is something exciting, seeing a new couple starting out in life together. But we all know, Wills and Kate are never going to know the perils of saving for a home or worrying about the bills. They will not have to worry about getting laid off or living from pay check to pay check. I really think their marriage would be stronger if they had to actually work at it. Kate will be pregnant within the year and then we will have the honor of seeing new little royals, ready to be trained to do nothing with their mundane, albeit first class lives.
As long as the British people continue to allow these free loaders, to live the life of luxury, for for being born to the "Royals", so be it. For me, I would want more for my money. But who am I to talk, we have celebrities, athletes, wealthy heirs, and politicians to adore. Quite frankly, I would rather have the money.
If I want to see a real class act, all I need to do is go to the nearest, fire station, hospital, police station, a school, you name it. Real heroes are everywhere and although you cannot see them, they have halos not tiaras. Their marriages will never be front page news but I would be willing to bet, there love for each other is just as binding, at a lot cheaper cost.
I wonder; Can Miss Middleton HONESTLY wear a white wedding gown; or has Willie been feasting on the "goods" already? Get real; everyone knows the answer to that one. The white gown is no longer a symbol of virginity and is not taken seriously by ANYONE. It's all a farce. "MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING". Shakespeare. Even all the "virginal" brides on The Jerry Springer Show show up in white.... what a laugh. There is no difference other than living in a castle instead of a trailer park. The Brits are really stupid for playing this mind game with themselves. "Let them eat cake". Marie Antoinette...... just not the wedding cake. We came to America to get away from all that condescending crap. Remember???????
Hmmmm, she was French not British. Also, she never spoke those words. At least no one ever wrote them down as having heard her say it nor did she ever say that she had said it. Jaugue Roussoue wrote those words in a book he called Confessions. Antionette was but a child at that time.
A British subject advised me that the Brits pay about $1.00 per person per year to maintain the monarchy. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the Americans spent the same amount to maintain the president and his family?
If the British populace is getting an overload on the wedding the press has no one to blame but themselves. First they create the overload and then report on it. What's up with that? Silly press.
grump, that is the most insane statement I have read this morning. We are paying much more than a "$1.00 a year" to maintain the occupant of the White House, and the current occupant is spending (sucking from the treasury) much more than most. Who do you think pays for all of the "working vacations" to distant, costly locations?, Who pays to support and make possible all of the lavish White House entertainer performances that go on virtually every week since he has been in office? He said he was going to "open up the White House" ... he opened it up all right ... to any major entertainer who would speak well of him and would impress Michelle.
Regardless what the number is, there are far more taxpayers, paying far more money to support our "King Obama" than what goes on in Great Britain to support their silly monarchy.
Texan. You're truly a dope! You just reiterated what grump was saying, and you don't even realize it! You were probably taught English by a Mexican, so I guess it's OK.
Nice tirade stex. Now go back and read the comment you didn't quite read the first time.
STexan- you need to reread that, Grump said that the Brits were spending $1.00 annually to maintain the MONARCHY and wouldnt it be nice if Americans could as well. I think we all know we are paying much more to maintain a government who would take money out of other peoples pockets and pay them selves durring a shut down rather than the men and women fighting their battles. I know if i had the choice i would pay $1 to the government as a whole.
STexan, like other presidents have never done that too. Since "Texan" is in your name, I'm going to assume you're a Bush/Perry lover, and so your blindness to the truth of presidential spending is completely understood. You just can't help it.
It was actually 1 British Pound (Why a brit would translate costs into American Dollars is beyond me), and that particular study was in reference to the Queen herself, not the entire Monarchy of England.
STexan: If Obama were white and Republican would you have a problem with him running to Crawford six or seven times a year to "clear brush?" Bush actually spent more time on vacation than any other president, including Obama. But you are from Texas, so facts be damned, you must be right.
Also, and more importantly, you guys missed the whole point. Citizens being taxed to support a political non-entity. There is no comparison in the US. We pay for our current political leaders support. If we were paying to support the Kennedy or Bush families, then we would have something to compare it to.
Thank you everyone. I laughed so hard I got tears in my eyes. That was quite a twitch there STexan and thanks for all the fun.
Leave it to a Texan Republican to manage to get a shot in at the sitting President on a board discussing a British Royal wedding. How much hate can you carry around?
daryl,
What does being white have to do with owning your own property that you didn't have to purchase using the help of a criminal scumbag like Tony Rezko with how much it costs the American taxpayer to support President Obama and his wife Michele and children to fly all over the world since they'll only get one chance to see the world without having to use their own money?
STexan Why is it that all you red necks bigots didn't seem to have a problem when "W" dragged us into a war we didn't need to be in and set up all of his rich buddies to rip the US treasury off with all the scams that his VP Dick Cheney ran past us in the form of contracts to his old company Halliburton? This is a guy that is all about the money and could have cared less if many of the son’s of Texas ended up getting killed or sent home with life changing injuries to a VA systems that was broke and almost seem to go out of its way not to provide these returning heroes with the real care that they deserved. The eight years those two were in office, will remain as a black mark on our country’s history because of all the bad things that happened on their watch. Actually I blame Cheney more than I do President Bush because the guy is evil and had no business being in a position of power in our government. So my friend before you start in on President Obama, think about all the dead or wounded young men from your state and around the country who gave their all for this place we call home not knowing it was for profit and a lie and ask yourself how we ended up in the mess we are in now. Oh, wait a minute I know President Obama did this to us. Leave him out of all that went wrong because he is not the responsible party. And stop trying to make him out to be the problem because he is part of the solution.
I think people are exaggerating a little if they think the presidency alone costs taxpayers more than $1.00 per person per year. That would be in excess of $300 million dollars. I know Obama flies around a lot and takes a lot of vacations, but $300 million ... - I am no supporter of Obama, but come on now.
I am sick of hearing about the royal wedding. I like some of the BBC programming, but am getting so sick of the commercials for their wedding coverage it is getting very hard to watch. It is not like this event is going to have any impact on my life or on the world in general. The wedding of someone who might be king of England in about 30 or 40 years is not a major world event to me. The way things are in England, who knows if they will even still have the monarchy in 40 years. And even if they do, the monarchy really has nothing to do with the governing of England. The royals are ceremonial figureheads, they do not make policy decisions.
STexan - W took 879 days on his ranch in Crawford (breaking Reagan's record for vacation days). He and Laura Bush also entertained many celebrities and billionaires @ the White House, with longtime and wealthy and powerful friends invited over 250 times to Camp David. Here's the thing -- in both Bush's and Obama's case, you are talking about the Leader of the Free World -- no matter who it is, they are going to have wealthy, powerful, and influential friends -- they are going to entertain dignitaries and heads of state. What about this do you not understand? Geez.
Hey STexan, do you know how to read? Or is people from Texa is to stupid to read. This is not about OBAMA. This is about the Royal Wedding. Probably something you are not use to. Like in getting MARRIED. you Know George W. bush has kept one promise when he left office. He kept his mouth SHUT. Take a hint from him. Shut your MOUTH.
Of course some of the Brit people don't like the Royal wedding. Those type of probably can not chew gum and think at the same time. But to a lot of them it's a big deal. Something that come don't around that much. I wish the Royal couple the best. Just sad his mom won't to watch her son getting married Friday.
To all you Royal Nay-sayers on here.... If the public spends $1 per year per person to support the Royals, do you have any idea how much the return on their investment is? Do you think tourist would flock to London if there weren't royal palaces to tour, horse guards, etc??? England has a rich and hugely interesting history full of traditions. I say keep it going guys. Obviously by all the marriage coverage/excitement from the US, means we will keep going to visit.
wives fan,
You are exactly correct. It would be the same thing if the French took away the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, or the Egyptians removed the pyramids. WTF would want to go there? I think the ROI is much greater than the investment. Myself, I could care less. But there is a crap load of people all over the world that are so into POP culture that they are blind to anything else and will spend their money on the cult of personality. If there weren't how do you explain Obama being elected President? :)
The only sad thing about this entire hilarious string of vines is somebody just HAD to inject race into it. Silly Rabbi...Kicks are for Trids.
It's really pathetic watching people get way too excited for someone else's big day. Someone you don't know, won't ever meet, and who doesn't give two craps about you.
JohnnyInSNJ well said friend,
On the slimmest of chances, if and when the average commoner does happen to meet a royal, it is incumbent upon the inferior mortal to bow low in degrading subservience to the majestic monarch, regardless how sleazy such a regal person may be.
I also think you are far too generous in your appraisal of "two craps". In reality, royals don't even give half a crap --- even if such an amount can exist, which it does, when one considers that two half craps make one royal.
Irish writer Oscar Wilde was spot on when, in reference to the lounge-lizard nobility, he described the fox hunt as nothing more than "the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable"
Off with their heads
Who the hell cares? It's the biggest Non News ever.
My thoughts exactly. Who cares what the British royals do they're social parasites. I certainly don't seeings that I'm not a British subject and have no desire to visit, buy, or sell anything British. I wish that the morning talk shows here would stop their incessant caterwalling over this farce.Our country has fought two wars to get away from those non exceptional, unattractive, morally bankrupt people.As have the ancestors of many people in this country from around the world. There are very many more things going on in the life of this country that deserve our attention than this publicity stunt. See how the last one that they staged turned out.
I agree with you totally. There is no other place on Earth, right now that is exhibiting a penchant for 'Publicity stunts" than the U.S. The various 'Oscar award' winning attempts to appear as a Country which could now be called 'Arrested Development', or 'Puberty Forever', are now being regularly demonstrated, daily almost, & is on show in all forms of the U.S. Media.
But if 2 Billion + people are expected to watch the Wedding Proceedings, & I personally suspect It will turn-out to be even more than that no., (upon exit calculation), If there is some in the U.S. who'll watch next Friday, William & Kate getting hitched, that will leave approx. 1 Billion & plus enough more than the entire population of the U.S., who'll be watching the Wedding, rather than the 'Publicity stunts' always on show in the U.S.A.
Exactly. Who cares about the british royalty, whose asses we handed to them in the revolutionary war? We fought them in order to avoid this kind of mindless obeisance that these stupid "news" outfits want to shove down our throats. Keep the british royalty out of the news and that useless pope too.
First of all the Richie Turnbull 'musician' is Scottish, not English. They don't like England, period. Nothing else to say. Its nice that England has something to celebrate. Most of the 'English' people not celebrating the wedding are not English, they're either Eastern Europeon or Afghans!!!
Mancyank,
I thought that an "Afghan" was that cloth/blanket thingy you put on the back of your couch.
I found it funny that Ritchie Turnbull is outraged that the British "raped and pillaged" the Scots. The Scots "raped and pillaged " the British too. The British were just better at it.
Leave it to the Brits, thankfully we got rid of this nonsense a loooooong time ago. The media holds the sole responsibility for this s#$%. I dread the evening news as they seem to have an endless suplply of "NEWS" about those two.
Yeah right. While I am no fan of the royals, you people just fawn over movie stars and even worse, self-made reality stars - I must know what Snooki is up to today. Just take a look at the celebrity worship culture.
Realist 666,
Here it is!!!! Best post of the day, folks, has been made by Realist 666.
Yes, Americans have movie star royalty. I am an American and I think it is disgusting.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are wonderful.
Change channel??? or read about the wonderful Obamas. Thank goodness they didn't get an invite to the wedding. Then I actually might not have watched it either.
Actually I might watch it now since Obama will not be there giving his re-election speech.
This is not a newsworthy story. There will be people who are not happy that the English Royalty has survived. I believe it is much to the benefit of England.
This story is "not newsworthy" -- what's new? Most of what is on the internet "news" is not newsworthy anymore.
Most members of the royal family are freeloaders and crass. No need for them in modern history. After Queen E, royalty should be aboloished and if not that, at least hopefully Canada will decide to exit the British Commonwealth so Canadians no longer have to foot the bill for the Governmor General of Canada. The sun has long set on the British Empire, it`s time to get with the times.
Canada isn't really part of the British Empire. It's a suburb of the United States.
Yeah. How's those separatists who want to pull your country apart just so they can speak French? With all the other problems out there, they consider that the most important.
grump ... you are funny! Quite a cold suburb it is!
It solves the problem about whose image to put on one side of your coins and notes.
In reply to those who posted to my original post:
a) I personally don`t mind if Canada is an imaginery or a real suburb of the USA
b) The separatist issue is futile - even if they dream of annexing Quebec to France, it`s physically impossible. Canada safeguards the Napoleonic law in Quebec, the French schools and language and if anything it`s the anglo minority in Quebec which is at peril. If and when they separate, I can`t see the French language surviving in a sea of nearly 350M English speaking north americans.
c) Canada is cold but fresh air, winter sports and hockey make it bearable. Cold weather also keeps the undesirables away.
d) Queen E already looks like Ben Franklin so replacing her with him won`t make that much of an adjustment
Yawn. I don't give a rats ass about pretty much any wedding much less a royals wedding. Good for them...best of luck, hope they have better luck than his mother. might as well turn the tv off for a week as it'll be all the wedding..all the time..too bad the american press is covering it.
I will admit, it's hard to find something that I care less about than this wedding.
And 'royalty.'
Who. Cares.
Idolizing this 'class' is nothing more than media fed brainwashing.
"Look, there is a class above you that is beautiful and wealthy and knows better than you and can rule you!"
Whee.
That's the whole point isn't it? We are to try and achieve their lofty status. Impossible yes so we cheer the Royals on.
64 million dollars for anyones wedding is down right obscene. It's an insult to living in the 21st century.
It's more insulting that America's Media is all caught up into it also.
Why should we care? The Revolution was suppose to fix that!
The wedding cost - agreed. Now what about how much is wasted on the US elections by ALL parties?
Hey Obama has spent more than that in jet fuel for AF #1 in the two 1/2 years since he was put in office.
How much did W spend then?
The moment I see a mention of this so called "royal" event I immediately close the web site. You see, it is for my gag reflex!
Bear no real tangible ill-will towards the Royal couple, myself. However, being Irish-American, I definitely have a serious problem with how Britian has treated my Ancestry. But, I'm not so blinded by hatred/disdain as to fool myself into thinking Kate or William have anything to do with Ireland's suffering. I wish them a happy life together, and someday to see Ireland free of England's tyrranical rule.
Feel the same way myself except replace 'Irish-American' with 'French-Canadian/Acadian-American'. They certainly crapped on my people in Acadia during the 18th century. I bear no ill-will towards Kate & William either as history was harsh on most ancestral people..
It never ceases to amaze me how the British monarchy has taken such a downward spiral when it comes to behavior and morality. Just a couple of generations ago there was a king that abdicated because he wanted to marry a divorcee. Now we have a couple that has been living together before their marriage and nobody seems to mind. And this young man will be the future head of the Church of England? What a joke!! What a sad state of affairs for them and for Great Britain.
Oh come now. What's more fun then watching a family trying to deepen its dangerously shallow gene pool? They did it with Diana but then she won't just shut up and behave. So you know what happened next. Henry the Eighth would have approved.
How fortunate for royal family members to have won the gene pool lottery regarding their birth, time and place. How less fortunate for those members of the human species who feel they need to live vicariously through blue-bloods in order to make life meaningful for themselves.
Hmmmmmmmmm, It only costs $1.00 per year, per British "subordinate" to maintain the "royals." Golly gee, no wonder the royal household had to apply for a government poverty grant in order to heat the 750+ palace rooms that the royals find difficult to pay. I think British "subordinates" are just being too hard on their royal family and certainly should contribute more than $1.00 a year to maintain the monarchy to keep themselves in good standing as wonderfully benevolent "royal subjects."
Some Americans never cared about the wedding in the first place, so we are really sick of it. Nothing against the Brits, just not my cup of tea, you know. They are not our prince and princess, after all. I didn't understand the Diana hoopla in the US either. Frankly, I think it is media envy. I think the US media likes to believe we are interested because US media is so enamored of all things celeb. The rest of us pay less and less attention to them (the media that is). Look out. Your job is in danger too.
kinda like a poker hand... the Royal Flush
No one here cares about the wedding, in fact we're all sick of it too. The only reason theres so many street parties is because it gives us an excuse to have a street party. As mentioned the majority of Britain are indifferent, the monarchy stands but it doesnt do much, its more a cultural thing. On behalf of Britain, im sorry you lot have to hear about it so much in the media i can imagine how boring it is constantly hearing about it and its nothing to do with you.
BlueMeanie,
Help us settle something on this comment section. How much does it cost each Brit per year to support the monarchy?
Many thanks.
Columbo???????? LOL.......I think it was Columbus who 'discovered' America.....thinking it was China.......ah well.
Ann G.
That would be India. That's why we call them Indians. We don't call them Chinese-ians.
I really couldn't give a crap about the Royal Wedding. But our media loves that kind of stuff. Sometimes I miss the days of Brittney forgetting her panties...
Yeah, that was a great picture of her going pantyless. I still have it on my computer, LOL.
Maybe Kate will oblige us, too.
What many seem to not understand is that the english monarchy is the most wise or shrewd among all the rulers of the world. they knew how to let power go out of their hands in order to keep it.
Having said that I am from India and I have no particular love for the English since they pillaged and looted India as well. And all those "GIFTS" that they are keeping in all those damn museums all over their pirateland..... they belong to India.
PJ,
How do you feel about the system of government that the Indians copied from the British? I know it is not an exact copy and it has been changed to suit the needs of the Indian people.
Grump, things such as those prove that nothing is pure Evil. Not even the british empire.
I think everybody should relax and enjoy it. It's a royal wedding in a country with a lot of need for something to celebrate. They'll be beautiful and people can let go and have a proper holiday in the UK. Cheers, Wills and Kate!
King George I presume? Screw the British.
I am sure they Just "relaxed and enjoyed" the White House burning down during the invasion of Washington.
The Royals sure didn't have a problem exporting the beef from Ireland during the famine. They just "relaxed and enjoyed" their steaks while millions starved.
Not just Brits. Some of us Americans are sick of it too.