4 ms·

Are you saying the upper class in UK eg the royal family actively avoids flying private and making their own breakfast and doing their own laundry? Or is the ro

by j7ake 3y ago

Are you saying the upper class in UK eg the royal family actively avoids flying private and making their own breakfast and doing their own laundry? Or is the royal family not classy? Would be happy to hear examples of upper class UK people who still do their own laundry and flies coach.

dagw 3y ago
Class and wealth are entirely separate in the UK. There are lot of of upper class class people without a lot of wealth. Most of them don't have butlers and private jets and many of them no doubt do their own laundry and fly coach.
denton-scratch 3y ago
The royal family is rather an extreme example; they are classy as well as being powerful and wealthy. They royals are the epitome of aristocracy; people descended from kings and peers of the realm are a small minority of the upper class. Sometimes classy people fall on hard times; so yes, they make their own breakfast. But they don't lose their class. Flying coach is also an extreme example; anyone who can afford business class avoids flying sardine-grade. And it's mostly business people that zoom around in private jets; those denote wealth and power, not class. You can "upgrade" your class, sometimes; a commission in a "good" army regiment can get you upgraded. They train their officers in how to behave in classy company. Public schools serve the same purpose, but are less effective. I'm not familiar with the domestic arrangements of any upper-class people, so I can't give you examples you asked for. But for the most part, they're not famous, so you wouldn't have heard of them anyway; after all, famous people can trade their fame for wealth. I've known quite a few people of class who had to work for a living, e.g. as teachers. [Edit] OK, well-known example: Princess Diana (Diana Spencer). Until she hitched up with the Prince of Wales, she was a nursery teacher, and lived in shared accomodation (i.e. no servants). Of course, she was never stuck for a penny or two; the Spencers are a wealthy, aristocratic family.
- erik_seaberg 3y ago
  When Americans see “public school” we think of what you would probably call a “state school,” funded by taxes and not at all targeting elites.
  - denton-scratch 3y ago
    Yeah, I know; but I don't know a better word. In this context, it's not about education you have to pay for privately; it's about a group of institutions designed to train the ruling class, particularly the colonial civil service. You do have to pay, though...

by j7ake 3y ago

dagw 3y ago

Class and wealth are entirely separate in the UK. There are lot of of upper class class people without a lot of wealth. Most of them don't have butlers and private jets and many of them no doubt do their own laundry and fly coach.

denton-scratch 3y ago

The royal family is rather an extreme example; they are classy as well as being powerful and wealthy. They royals are the epitome of aristocracy; people descended from kings and peers of the realm are a small minority of the upper class. Sometimes classy people fall on hard times; so yes, they make their own breakfast. But they don't lose their class. Flying coach is also an extreme example; anyone who can afford business class avoids flying sardine-grade. And it's mostly business people that zoom around in private jets; those denote wealth and power, not class. You can "upgrade" your class, sometimes; a commission in a "good" army regiment can get you upgraded. They train their officers in how to behave in classy company. Public schools serve the same purpose, but are less effective. I'm not familiar with the domestic arrangements of any upper-class people, so I can't give you examples you asked for. But for the most part, they're not famous, so you wouldn't have heard of them anyway; after all, famous people can trade their fame for wealth. I've known quite a few people of class who had to work for a living, e.g. as teachers. [Edit] OK, well-known example: Princess Diana (Diana Spencer). Until she hitched up with the Prince of Wales, she was a nursery teacher, and lived in shared accomodation (i.e. no servants). Of course, she was never stuck for a penny or two; the Spencers are a wealthy, aristocratic family.

erik_seaberg 3y ago
When Americans see “public school” we think of what you would probably call a “state school,” funded by taxes and not at all targeting elites.
- denton-scratch 3y ago
  Yeah, I know; but I don't know a better word. In this context, it's not about education you have to pay for privately; it's about a group of institutions designed to train the ruling class, particularly the colonial civil service. You do have to pay, though...