Originally posted by Jasvox I'm sorry, but the Queen's job is to dress up like a Muppet and observe protocol. Anything else isn't her job, merely a privilege of her celebrity.
Jason
No her job is to run around visiting heads of state, acting as an ambassador for her country, and to appear at hundreds of functions every year. The woman spends more time "working" than just about any other old woman alive. You think not? For one year read the UK papers and check the Queen's website daily. Make an actual list of how many places she visits, how many charity events she appears at, how many hospitals she visits, and how many other similar things she attends in her function as Queen. I bet the sheer number would really surprise you. Yeah, she takes time off sometimes, but sometimes it's 2 or 3 appointments daily. That's a lot for an old woman to handle.
She's not just sitting in the palace all day filing her nails and petting her dogs you know and unlike most of us she doesn't actually get to retire when she's ready. She's 86, and she's still on the job like she's 25. My Dad is her age and he's lucky if he can get up to going to the store once in a while on his own. He'd fold in a heartbeat just trying to keep up with her schedule. All that parading around dressed like a Muppet? It's WORK, and if you don't think so? Well, all I can say is you clearly have no idea of the scope of the woman's job. Because it is a job, and a darned demanding one at that, and at 86? I just don't know how she does it myself. I'd have probably abdicated in favor of an heir 20 years ago if I was her.
But she's not the only one. Charles and even his kids, they spend a lot of time on the road and in the country doing similar things. That despite the fact that William actually has a side job as a rescue pilot. (Do he and Kate even have the time to make the required babies?) Harry isn't exactly the lay-a-bout either. He's over working in Afghanistan trying to ignore the target that's practically tattooed on his head. That he's even allowed to go there is surprising. I think it's rather dangerous for all involved but I also admire the fact that he actually wants a military career, a job outside his duties at the Palace, which he doesn't just get to shrug off, btw, because he's a soldier. When he's not on active duty he's also doing charity type work.
Sometimes the Windsors I think they're absurd. The Queen's husband flashing the world just totally embarrassing and stupid. (The old man must be losing it mentally or something. He has been ill a lot so maybe that explains that, or maybe he's just an old pervert who knows?) But I will never say they don't do their jobs because they really do. Yeah, they still get paid ridiculous sums to do it, but they do actually have a job. They do the same job that any ambassador does pretty much plus plenty of charity/social work besides.
Walk in the shoes of QE or any of her children for even a month and I think you just might get a very different perspective of who they are and what they do in terms of their "jobs" because they are hardly the "idle" rich. Far from it actually.
From a website describing a typical day for her...
The Queen's working day begins like many people's - at her desk.
After scanning the daily British newspapers, The Queen reviews her correspondence.
Every day, 200-300 (and sometimes many more) letters from the public arrive. The Queen chooses a selection to read herself and tells members of her staff how she would like them to be answered.
This enables Her Majesty personally to see a typical cross-section of her daily correspondence. Virtually every letter is answered by staff in her Private Secretary's office or by a lady-in-waiting.
The Queen will then see, separately, two of her Private Secretaries with the daily quota of official papers and documents. This process takes upwards of an hour.
Every day of every year, wherever she is, The Queen receives from government ministers, and from her representatives in the Commonwealth and foreign countries, information in the form of policy papers, Cabinet documents, telegrams, letters and other State papers.
These are sent up to her by the Private Secretaries in the famous 'red boxes'. All of these papers have to be read and, where necessary, approved and signed.
A series of official meetings or 'audiences' will often follow. The Queen will see a number of important people.
These include overseas ambassadors and high commissioners, newly appointed British ambassadors, senior members of the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces on their appointment and retirement, and English bishops and judges on their appointment.
Each meeting usually lasts 10 to 20 minutes, and usually The Queen and her visitor meet alone.
The Queen may also meet a number of people who have won prizes or awards in a variety of fields such as literature or science, to present them individually with their prize.
If there is an Investiture - a ceremony for the presentation of honors and decorations - it begins at 11.00am and lasts just over an hour. The Queen usually meets around 100 people at each Investiture to present Orders, decorations and medals.
The Queen will often lunch privately. Every few months, she and The Duke of Edinburgh will invite a dozen guests from a wide variety of backgrounds to an informal lunch. Occasionally, the guest list may consist of far fewer people, such as a newly appointed or retiring Governor-General and their guest.
If The Queen is spending the morning on engagements away from her desk and other commitments, she will visit up to three venues before lunch, either alone or jointly with The Duke of Edinburgh.
On a regional visit, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh lunch with a wide variety of people in places ranging from town halls to hospitals.
Okay, she has people to handle a lot of the mail but the rest sounds like a pretty heavy day's work to me, particularly when you add the must appear at social functions at night to all the appts she takes per day. 10 hour days sound pretty normal for her. I couldn't find anything for 2011 but in 2010 according to the UK news she took 444 engagements outside the work she does at the Palace, 57 of which were overseas trips. So add it up. She spends several hours a day doing paperwork and seeing various people, then she has at least 1 if not 2 or 3 appts outside as well. She makes at least 50 diplomatic trips a year? I'd say she was pretty darned busy for an 86 year old woman....
Last edited by magkelly; 09-17-2012 at 05:03 AM.