Ah yes, the wonderful NHS hospitals and dentists. It's a shame however that David cameron is cutting back on them vigouresly.
Haha, but to be serious I don't get why people are really obsessed with the Queen. I know it's part of your history and everything, but I just don't get it. Maybe because I'm an American, but I still can't believe how much of a big deal even in the US the royal wedding was a year ago.
I would say history is part of it. But also our Royal celebrations are the one thing we can genuinely say we can do better than anybody else. It's quite nice, even when your sports teams are losing, to be able to do something (a royal celebration) that nobody else can do quite like it. Even if it does cost rather a lot of money.
Trust me, I am just as clueless as you. Almost everyone in this country seems to think we live in the times when our monarchs called themselves the Emperors of India.
Despite the increasing growth of the Australian republican/independence movement here, and our strongly nationalistic culture, people here have been rather positive about it all. You'd be surprised how many Australians don't realize that Australia is still a constitutional monarchy, and that the Elizabeth is our queen, and head of state. Edit: I think I might make up a thread on the Australian republic movement sometime.
Damn, wish I hadn't been late to this thread. I second the comments at the beginning about the Commonwealth of England though. Alas, what might have been...
YAY! The queen is 800 years old! Quick! track down every terrible British musician and fly balloons as we ride boats down the Thames.