Doesn't it make one proud to be British?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....AF-march-Windsor.html

[boxtops]

The Queen looked brilliant, good on her.

[missnemesis]

Nope. Load of self congratulating claptrap.

[emmie]

I would rather the Queen than a president any day of the week. She may not have power as such, but as a figurehead and Ambassador for Great Britain she has done an outstanding job.

[THECORBYLOON]

Why were the rifles put on the ground?

[jd_here]

How many nurses could have been employed for the cost of this parade?

[New Judge]

It’s strange. Virtually every American I have ever spoken to dislikes their president. Most of them, like daisy, say they have never liked him. So how do they get elected?

Also, every US President I have known “could not possibly be worse than the last one”. And then he confounds everybody by being considerably worse. It’s a funny old world.

[emmie]

I like Obama, if he was allowed any leeway perhaps he could be a good one.

[China Doll]

It looks like a fun parade if you're in to that sort of thing. I'm afraid I rather wonder where the money is coming from for all of it given the countries current financial climate.

[Arksided]

Very proud to be British, I'd be yawning though. sorry but its true, and I have great respect for our service men and women.

[New Judge]

How many nurses could have been employed for the cost of this parade?

None

There would be no virement of funds from the defence budget to the health budget if this parade had not been held.

[Philtaz]

THECORBYLOON.

In an attempt to answer your question, it was in all probability because there was going to be a 'three cheers for her Majesty the Queeen'. When this happens, those on parade bearing arms place them on the ground in order to replace their head dress properly, which will be removed and extended into the air during the cheers.
When using the old SLR rifle it was placed between the legs, butt on the floor whilst replacing head dress but this is not possible with the bullpup design of the SA80.

[emmie]

how many nurses could be employed if if we didn't have to pay out for the like of Abu Qatada and Abu Hamza, plus their families and so on.

[ludwig]

No.

[THECORBYLOON]

Ahh that makes sense, I seen a clip of the three cheers later in the day but at the time there seemed to be a long time when the rifles were on the ground for no reason. Cheers Phil.

[Ann]

Yes it was wonderful - especially the flypast, the red arrows are our favourites! I took photos of the TV coverage and was amazed how well they turned out!

[askyourgran]

Very proud to be British, we have an identity with our history, we have Royalty and pageantry. I thank God that I was born here and not under the rule of some dangerous potty petty dictatorship like Mugabe, ayotollahs, military juntas and president elects. There are very few nurses working in favourable conditions in those places.

[nungate]

Just to hear the roar of those merlin engines in the Lancaster and the Spitfires is enough to make anyone proud to be British.

[andy-hughes]

I am not proud to be British, neither am I ashamed of it.

I regard my Britishness as a (fortunate) accident of birth, and i have done nothing to deserve my place in a free democracy other than to pay my taxes - which is the same for the majority of other British citizens.

I find jingoistic displays like this uncomfortable, because I abhor the waste of the defence budget, but that is purely a personal viewpoint.

[chaptazbru]

em10 18:57 Sat 19th May 2012 - WELL SAID !!!

[pdq1]

The Queen should have retired at 60/65 and let Charles have a go. Maybe she has shares in the glove company.