LONDON -- It seems like a nice idea in theory: cleaning up the country so it looks nice for a big birthday party.
But when the guest of honour is a monarch who lives in more than one palace, it turns out that people really aren't keen on the idea.
The chief executive of the "Clean for the Queen" campaign, Adrian Evans, has started doing the media rounds to encourage people to pick up litter in Britain and join clean-up events ahead of the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations in April.
Along with news that communities minister Marcus Jones wants to raise the fines for littering to £150, people on Twitter thought the whole thing was a load of rubbish.
#CleanForTheQueen began trending on Saturday, but not for the reasons its creators probably intended.
Republican sentiments were bolstered
.@cleanforqueen An far better way to build team spirit is by being part of a functioning modern democratic republic. #cleanforthequeen— Nigel Whitfield (@nigelwUK) January 2, 2016
Instead of #CleanForTheQueen, we should clean up our democracy, ridding it of its hereditary and unelected positions once and for all.— Republic (@RepublicStaff) January 2, 2016
Your campaign is trending, but only because it's reminded us how much we really need to stop putting off that revolution #CleanForTheQueen— Aileen McGibbon (@aileen_mcgibbon) January 2, 2016
Peasants! Serfs! Don't look after your environment for your own sake do it for the biggest benefit claimant of them all. #CleanForTheQueen— Lesley Bremner (@mrs_bremner) January 2, 2016
#CleanForTheQueen Naw! How about we keep the country clean for us?! And start by ridding the rubbish royals?— Amanda (@amandac3112) January 2, 2016
And general contrarian sentiments were brought out
#CleanForTheQueen I always bin my trash but THIS patronising piss makes me want to empty my wheelie bin out on the street — Carolyn Wilson (@samlovesalfie) January 2, 2016
If you see me not dropping litter please do not assume I am doing it for the queen #CleanForTheQueen— Hannah (@hnnhclln) January 2, 2016
There were more than a few references to the budget cuts
It's a shame that #CleanForTheQueen is catchier than the more accurate #StopSavagePoliticallyMotivatedCutsToCouncilBudgetsForTheQueen— David Schneider (@davidschneider) January 2, 2016
Sure I'll #cleanforthequeen, for a living wage, when she tells her govt to collect tax the rich should be paying & restore public services.— Susan (@marthasydenham) January 2, 2016
And others thought it was a joke.
When you find out #CleanForTheQueen isn't a shitty joke pic.twitter.com/IZaLDtwWeP— Robin Son (@geekuneek) January 2, 2016
Here's hoping the other party preparations go more smoothly.