Prince Charles gave the Queen's speech this year.
Usually it's Queen Elizabeth who gives the speech to the new session of parliament
but she had to pull out because of some mobility problems, thoughts and prayers.
Now he was speaking in the House of Lords and his speech outlined
the Queen's government priorities including housing and cost of living.
Now that those are perfectly fine topics, I'm glad that it's being addressed.
It's just that if you're gonna address those issues,
the optics might matter a little bit.
What am I talking about?
Take a look.
>> Her Majesty government's priority is to grow and
strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families.
Her majesty's government will level up opportunity in
all parts of the country and support more people into work.
Her majesty's ministers will continue to support
the police to make the streets safer and
fund the National Health Service to reduce the Covid backlogs.
In these challenging times, her majesty's government will play
a leading role in defending democracy and freedom across the world.
>> We the Royals believe that if you come to us for a second helping of gruel and
you say so can I have some more, we will consider it.
But first,
we will guild more of our furniture because that is our top priority.
Like Dude, I mean look, the message is totally fine but
like man look at that gold.
>> Like did you see the met gala hold my beer.
[LAUGH] Like I think we can get a little bit more ridiculous than over the top.
And by the way like, that might be worse than Trump.
Like these are people who, it's not even cool anymore.
Like it's not even like, that's really fancy.
And look, that's a hot mess right there.
It just happens to be a hot mess that's gilded at the same time.
And like, is that outfit really doing him any favors?
Just get him in like a sensible sport jacket or something.
I feel like people will be more receptive to your message.
>> Like does he have to wear all the metals and like pins and things like that?
No, but it's your right.
The pomp and circumstance.
The environment, I mean the optics do matter especially
if you're addressing something as serious as inequality.
Like, whatever you say is going to seem pretty hollow given the optics, right?
>> Yeah, well, I would say I specifically wanna take issue with the pump.
I'm okay with the circumstance.
But they've gone way overboard with the pomp and
something needs to be done about it.
Come on UK rise up.
>> But by the way,
I mean that room kind of looked like an Armenian immigrants living room.
I'm just keeping it real.
>> [LAUGH] Come on.
>> You all know, it's true Persians you too.
>> I'm gonna need you to take some pictures.
[LAUGH] >> But not second or third generation.
I'm specifically talking about like newcomers, they're like hell yeah,
we're living large.
We're in America now.
All gold everything.
[LAUGH] >> I think I can put one more golden
pheasant on there.
>> By the way,
I say this as someone who particularly enjoys brass fixtures in my home.
Like, I love gold.
But I'm not decked out in gold everywhere obviously, anyway.
And I'm not giving speeches on inequality.
As a member of the Royals who, by the way,
like I know that their role is mostly symbolic.
But aside from the environment in which he decided to give that speech,
it's also the history of the Royals and all of that, right?
Everything the Royals represent, not just within the UK, but also around the globe.
And I think you probably saw that story about Prince William and
Kate going to like Jamaica and getting protested there and
they were just like, I do declare, like the, yeah, yeah.
That's what happens when you colonize people and they feel emboldened enough to
speak out about the history and I'm glad to see that.
>> Yeah, honestly, like, I don't know if you're in the UK don't get mad at me or
whatever.
It should be fairly obvious our positions on this, but we don't get the monarchy and
sure that makes us the same is pretty much every, every American,
most Americans don't really get it.
Although, the Meghan Markle and
stuff got some people into it with the magazine covers and everything.
But as much as it's always bothered me that there is this, like,
to me weird veneration of the rich.
It almost bothers me a little bit less now because I think that
there is a far more cringe e stupid version of it.
Like with the monarchy, okay?
It's been there for so long.
There's tradition people have been growing up and it's always in the news.
So, they end up weirdly idolizing these people.
But like we've got weirdos that love Elon Musk here and
honestly he's way more pathetic and cringe E than any of these Royals.
The Royals are on social media all day long posting memes.
>> Our president had a gold toilet.
Like no, we're no better.
Let's just anyone in the UK who's offended,
please don't be offended in a lot of ways were actually worse.
Like, I mean at least you guys have health care,
at least you guys have certain like social safety net programs that like
we couldn't even dream of here in the United States at this point.
And we are now taken over by right wing theocratic authoritarians.
>> Yeah.
>> Like you should cry for us.
Don't feel offended by us.
>> We will be taking over.
>> Let us make fun of your monarchy.
Like just give that to us, please give us something.
>> [LAUGH] We'll see,.
Why don't we ask, let's start up a pole and twitch for
our UK viewers specifically see if they'll give us that allowance.
>> [LAUGH] Our UK viewers are super kind.
I'm sure they will.
Just a few details here to give you more contacts.
So, Prince Charles wore an admiral's uniform decked out in jewels as
you could see sitting on a throne and surrounded by gold plated everything.
Now the state Opening of Parliament is an event of huge pomp and pageantry which
traditionally sees the queen traveling to the assembly in a stage coach,
escorted by mounted soldiers in ceremonial uniform while the Imperial State Crown and
other regalia travel ahead in a carriage of their own.
I love the word regalia.
And of course, you have journalists who are also
trying to make the same point that we did on the show,
including Derek Thompson who said the optics here are exquisite, no notes.
And by the way, yeah, the issue that's being addressed is a serious issue.
Apparently, the US isn't the only country that's dealing with
incredibly high inflation when it comes to basic necessities like housing.
UK average house prices increased 10.9% over the year to February 2022,
up from 10.2% in January 2022.
The average UK house price was £277,000 in February
of 2022 which is £27,000 higher than this time last year.
So, yeah, things are pretty bad all across the world when it
comes to housing prices and things like that.
So, if you want to be sensitive to those issues, totally fine.
I definitely commend people who wanna do that,
just do it in a way that looks better than sitting in a gilded area.