Word: royals
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...palace has not denied the authenticity of the tapes, but others do, including veteran royal biographer Brian Hoey. His chief point is that the conversation is supposed to have taken place around 11 p.m. on New Year's Eve, when the Queen Mother's annual party, from which no one is excused, is in full swing...
...survive stormy sessions with Charles' parents, who supposedly would love to see Diana go but resist any concessions. For instance, if a divorce were to occur, they would want her to give up her public work, which is genuinely dear to her. If she were to remarry, the royal family would want her to leave the country and her boys. It is doubtful that either the mother or the reputation of the monarchy would survive that gambit...
...Church of England -- even if the church's critics accuse it of "moving the goalposts" to keep the monarchy and its own traditions alive. The deterrents, however, are formidable. Philip Ziegler observes that if the couple were to divorce, "it would be damaging, and a great asset to the royal family would be lost or eliminated." For the moment there remains some effort at peacemaking. After her return from South Korea, Diana released a statement aimed at Morton's new chapter, saying that the Queen and Prince Philip had always supported her -- which was read as confirmation that the circumstances...
That is not all the crown costs. The government maintains royal buildings and grounds, the yacht Britannia with its crew of 256, the train and the various planes and helicopters that the family use. It all adds up to more than $100 million a year. Commentators like to bring up Scandinavian monarchies, which cost a fraction of that, but Britons revel in pageantry, elaborate parades and huge royal weddings -- and no one in the world puts on a better show...
...monarch at all, or could the nation do just as well without? There are a few obvious advantages. The country profits from an enormous tourist trade, an $11.5 billion industry in 1990. London is one of the top destinations for traveling Americans, and the quaint ceremonies that surround royal life are a major part of its appeal. Then there is the less easily measured factor of the tradition and continuity that the crown represents, something to be proud of in the post-World War II decades when Britain has had to settle for considerably less wealth and power. Finally, many...