There is a need to separate the man from the spin of the aristocratic Norman-French family that is trying to hold on to its status and privilege.

Without thought, this fellow abused his position to fly a large Chinook helicopter to a stag party. As a military officer he should have been charged and court-martialed. It was a bit of a fluke and a sign of the diminished influence of the royals that the story got to air at all. On the other hand, had it been the PM, he would have been tendering his resignation.

There is a real ugliness behind the power and patronage of the Windsors, as can be seen by the treatment given by the Queen and her family to the unfortunate people who have married in. If that doesn't demonstrate the gulf between the spin and reality, what might? The British PM looks absolutely foolish when he says that the Queen is a unifying influence. I guess he was talking about the position not the person, but even of so an elected, accountable president would be much more likely to be seen as a unifying figure.

I have no interest in making a personal attack on any of the royal family, just trying to lift HRH's hem ever so slightly to show the very fallible and sometimes wilful and unaccountable human beneath.

The republican demand is for own head of state with a proper mandate from the people. However at the same time it is appropriate to seek some accountability from the foreign queen who has a vested interest in putting the Windsor aristocrats first, then England and beggar the colony that has propped up England with tonnes of gold and troops to fight their wars.

Go along with the purple spin for Willie, never!

I agree with all the posts so far.
While I think all countries should show respect to Government officials and Royalty from other nations who are visiting their country, we should be appointing Australian born permanent resident officials for all those Government jobs that involve our country.

Prince William does seem a nice bloke and he certainly keeps many media personnel in jobs, but he should not be given a job just because he is a Windsor.
Australia is long overdue to become a republic.

No problem with the helicopter, an ex RAAF bloke had his mates make an illegal landing to say Gday near me, it happens.
Yes a republic and soon no war with England just pride in Australia.

Our political system is really bad isn't it. Regular contributors to the Forum or OLO live in fear of a knock on the door at 3 am and a short terminal trip with the secret police.
The head of our system can be held in the same fear as Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Robert Mugabe and the list goes on.
What is wrong if some idiot is prepared to be sat at the top of the political pyramid, keeping such dictators out.
If Howard and his gang can take us off to war with Iraq without any evidence of wrong doing that would hurt us, if Rudd can sign away our sovereignty to a bunch of European con artists in Brussels and still our lives go on, I don't see much point in changing our system.
Sorry, the Japanese are a major trading partner and they don't like our monarchy? You will just have to tell them to get rid of their Emperor then.
Us country yokels are not so sophisticated as you city slickers. We say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

phoenix94

Political system stays the same. We have our own elected head of state in the place of both the GG (a cardboard cut-out that costs $$) and England's queen (who doesn't support our cricketers).

Dear phoenix94,

"If it ain't broke don't fix it?"

That's just an excuse for laziness and
inaction!