I am not very good at British history, but it was really funny to learn that the royal family changed their name to "Windsor" in 1917 - before that, they still had the name "Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha"....

I always thought this was a lot longer ago...

I have always known, that the royal family have German roots...but didn't know they were so closely related.

A girl I met on Flirtbox (that lives in London and comes from the German town Coburg), once pointed out that Andreas Prinz von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha...the guy who lives here:


(in Corburg, Germany)

had the same ears as the Prince of Wales...

The royal family often come to Germany and travel around...My brother's girlfriend showed them the castle near my hometown recently...a "private" tour around the castle and the park. Prince Philip seems to be a really funny guy...he made jokes all the time.

So I don't quite understand why so many people in the UK are anti-german, especially after football matches...it is more or less the same "family"

Yes, but all of them who were responsible or contributed in some way or other have already died.

My grand-father was 5 years old in world-war II...and I don't think you can blame 5 year olds.

And the ones who suffered from WW II in the UK have also died...mostly.

And drunken 20 year olds from the UK ....that were born 2 generations after the worldwar has ended, for example, have no reason to be angry at anyone who has also not been born until WW II has ended.

I really haven't met anyone in the UK that was "anti-german" as such...just some idiots that were anti-everything...basically everything they didn't know or understand....and everyone of my friends who has brought the car to the UK had it smashed at least once...broken windows, doors...rear mirrors etc...not only after football games also just "for fun" because it had a German number-plate.

It's an ingrained grudge, logic doesn't really apply.

Hence the chants of "two world wars and one world cup" largely from people to young to have seen even the latter.
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70 years is a long time....the ones that were 10 are 80 now....although many get 90, 100 or even older - the majority of them have already died.

I also don't think you can blame 20 year olds....maybe 30-40 year olds...so they are 100-110 now.

I found a current picture of the remaining "Coburgs"...the royal family.



Princess Stephanie, Prince Andreas, Princess Carin, Prince Alexander, Prince Hubertus...

Bit off on a tangent but may be of some interest.
I sometimes had German students on clinical placements with me when I worked in the NHS with people who had learning disabilities and they would tell me that they didn't have any people like we were working with back in Germany. The reason being that Hitler's superior race ideals ensured that they didn't survive.
Seemed like a few generations of people with learning disabilities (and may be those with mental illness too) were missing in their modern day history.
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I think alot has changed in more recent times. In 1988 i knew a german adult student here (in his 30s) and he was from East Germany and he told me that at school he had been taught that auschwitz etc. had not existed, that it was British propaganda to discredit germany. I do believe, especially since the fall of the wall, times have changed.
I think bygones should be bygones as much as possible, as Toby rightly points out, our monarchy are practically german, and greek, and.....sadly football hooligan types will ALWAYS find something somewhere to jeer at anybody their team are up against.

I have to admit that I loved that famous Faulty Towers episode, but that is as far as it goes for me.

I think forgetting WWII is out of the question (for both sides), but I think it is a little sad about german people having their cars trashed when they come over here.

When I think of Germany, or their people, I don't automatically think about war, I just think of it as another European country just like France.

I am interested in WWII though, it is something that I will probably never have to go through myself in my lifetime (hopefully).....


And, back on topic..... Royal Family? My interest in them spans to about 66 pence.....

Yes this is all right.

The best royal is Prince Phillip.

He is a real nazi, and he makes me laugh.

I like him.

BTW Germany is good, I love the country and have spent many great times there in various parts of the country.. and I'm coming back soon (in October) wwweeeoeoeoeoeeeoooo

Prince philip certainly doesn't bother to stand on ceremony. He seems about the most down-to-earth, if not relaxed, at least he has the balls to say what he thinks without worrying about what people will think.