The Golden Jubilee may be a great excuse for a party, but children aren’t sure they understand the point of the monarchy. Children’s Express discussed the importance of the event with a group of Plymouth schoolchildren and asked them what the Jubilee means to them and if they feel it is important.
For 12-year-old Vicky Palmer the Golden Jubilee gives British people the chance to thank the Queen for 50 years' service. But for Hannah Hemsley, 13, the monarchy is 'insignificant'.
Such contrasting views are what you get when you sit six Plymouth youngsters around a table and ask them to discuss today's monarchy.
Do you think the Jubilee is important?
Vicky Palmer, 12: To me, the Jubilee is a time we can celebrate the long, successful reign of the Queen. It’s one way we’d like to thank her for doing it - making good changes to the country and being a strong leader.
Hannah Hemsley, 13: I don’t really think it’s that important. It’s not like the eighteenth century where the Queen’s the ruler. I think it’s just a reason to skip a day off work.
Ben Wildman, 12: Yeah, she doesn’t actually rule the country. She just sits on the throne all day.
Adam Barnard, 13: She doesn’t, cause she’s got to pass new laws, open Parliament and she can make new rules. Whatever she says goes.
Hannah: No, the Queen’s not a major part of the country - she goes around visiting places and gets loads of money.
Ben: She gets paid a lot. Her mother died and she doesn’t have to pay inheritance tax, and she hasn’t really done anything special except visit old people’s homes.
Anne-Marie Palmer, 10: I think the Queen is important because she opens lots of things. A few years ago she opened the Tamar Bridge.
So what does the monarchy stand for?
Adam: I think the monarchy symbolises our English family; they have to get through hard things as well. The Queen had to get through her sister dying and then just a month later her mother dying and I think the monarchy symbolises strength. A lot of English people could learn stuff from the monarchy.
Hannah: I think the monarchy’s insignificant. Everybody has their own sort of hardships but you get through it.
Jake Powell, 12: I don’t think royalty means much to younger kids. They haven’t been around for 50 years to care that much. I’ve grown up in an age where it’s the Prime Minister that really rules the country. But it’s a good excuse to have loads of parties and concerts.
Adam: My family taught me about it and I think other families should talk to their kids about the Queen. My Nan and Grandad, they remember when she first became Queen and she helped a lot of people. A lot of people were having problems back then but she visited a lot of cities and made the country a lot happier.
Ben: So for them to think they’re not in it alone they have to have a visit from the Queen? What about their neighbours?
What will you be doing for the Jubilee?
Hannah: We’re going camping for Jubilee weekend but that’s because my mum says there’s going to be nothing on television and she doesn’t really support the Queen.
Adam: My family and neighbours are trying to arrange a street party, but getting planning permission for it is harder now than it was for the Silver Jubilee. We can’t really set it up like we would twenty-five years ago.
Do you think it matters if children know the importance of the Jubilee?
Vicky: I think it does. It’s something they can pass on to their children - what happened and what it was about.
Ben: But what’s there to tell? The Queen’s been on the throne for fifty years. The end.
Adam: My Mum passed it on to me about the Silver Jubilee, and how everybody celebrated, had street parties, and everybody was happy.
Hannah: If television talked and discussed it more… because the BBC are just advertising the Jubilee 2002 and saying all these pop bands are coming and that’s the only way they’re going to get teenagers interested. But if there was more of a discussion about it a year ago then maybe more children would be interested.
If I was the Queen/ King...
Adam: I’d change the Government because I don’t think they’ve done anything. I’d also try and make new laws to get crime down, and I’d make the Government put more money into the NHS so it was better.
Hannah: If I was Prime Minister, I’d probably never send troops into Afghanistan. If I was the Queen I’d probably have more to say with the country’s running than she does right now. I’d also change the school system - I would probably make sure there are less public schools because I don’t really think that those are fair.
Jake: If I was the King I’d make school uniforms just optional so you could wear your own clothes because that gets kids annoyed. On mufti days people seem to work a lot better.
About the team
This roundtable discussion was chaired and edited by Michael Roberts, 16, with Stephanie Chapman, 12, and Robert Parnell, 10. It was published by the Plymouth Evening Herald.
