…to suggest that it’s time the Royal family stands on its own feet and stops taking money from the public purse?

And why is the crown estate in the possesion of the state and not the royal family?

Because that was the arrangement made.. they handed over their private assets in return for a % of it back.

It would be like you giving your house and assets to the government and them paying you back 12%-20% of the income it produced each year, keeping the rest for themselves and then other people getting annoyed at you for getting "handouts from the government".. despite the fact that they are giving you money made from your original assets...

Of course the government could end this deal, refuse to pay you, and still keep your house/assets... But generally governments forcably taking assets isn't looked upon as a good thing.

@HappyGalentines Wowsers!

I heard David Dimbleby discussing the RF on the radio and he was arguing about transparency but I agree with him and don't think there will be a Republic as you would have to have four (?) different presidents, the UK is a kingdom of different countries so how would that work. I'm not keen on the idea of such disruption, I think we should concentrate on re-joining the EU.

As i understand it, The Crown (the title rather than the specific person) owns the Crown Estate assets and profits. The crown gives that to the state in return for the Sovereign Grant. The tax payer would only top the Sovereign Grant up if the crown estate profits fell below the level of the sovereign grant, which i don’t think has ever happened in practice.

Suggesting we unravel this arrangement, scrap the Sovereign Grant & return the Crown Estate assets & profits back to the Crown would actually cost the taxpayer money.

Just leaving this here... https://www.republic.org.uk/

Unfortunately so. They have no moral capital to guide, lead or thank anyone.

I suppose much the same way that Trump and the Republicans will traipse round public places? And still get elected. There are very few seats that could realistically change sides - especially as Trump is changing electoral boundaries - a process started before he got elected.

I do beg your pardon @Tutorpuzzle. I was actually referring to a post by @Katyppat 19.59.

That is utter nonsense. They do not own the crown estates. They belong to the crown, not the royal family. The crown is part of the state and owned by the state. If we get rid of the royal family all the income from the crown estates goes to the treasury.

Did you mean to quote me @whereisitnow ?! I’d be happy to see Andrew locked up tomorrow and the whole sorry lot off them packed off to Sandringham…it’s big enough! But my point is that a managed ending of a monarchy (unlike the Brexit fiasco) would probably be better in the long term.

Couldn’t agree more @Baital . Although I personally believe discontent with the Windsors is much wider than the Epstein repercussions. This may die down, but the deference has gone, and there’ll undoubtedly be another scandal coming along in a few months. Probably another tax avoidance one. A managed ending of the monarchy would be the most satisfactory conclusion. I don’t think W&K would be too bothered.
And do we need an elected head of state in addition to the PM? I don’t think so.

But what do they actually do @Tutorpuzzle? Yes they turn up and open things and glad hand people. They make small talk. Some people like that kind of thing, but do they feel the same now, when those in front of them have in effect done nothing about a likely paedophile and possible thief from government in their midst? We know that AMW passed info to Epstein. We know that one woman was paid off for no reason apparently, and another young woman (girl?) was lying under him in a recent video. The public isn’t stupid. He went to Epstein island. He lied, endlessly and publicly. We see the picture here. How can people who know what AMW was like come traipsing round public places where people from schools and others have done good work, and thank us?! Think about that.

I agree. How many of us would like numerous threads on MN about ourselves, our lives and our families, let alone all the other stuff.

Certainly.

Let's hope the elected representatives in the USA finally get the courage to discuss the potential wrong doing of their elected head of state as well...

Because at the moment Europe - both elected and hereditary heads of state - seem to be doing quite well about accountability with regards to Epstein.

Which suggests accountability doesn't sit in any one specific style of head of state?

I would have completely agreed with you @Katypp , until a few months ago, when politicians of all sides, journalists, constitutional ‘experts’ etc etc, were repeating ad nauseum about how it would be a constitutional impossibility for Andrew to have his Prince title removed. And then, bang, overnight it went (apparently after Charles had been heckled on a walkabout.)
Your post is measured, but I do hope some people in the corridors of power are at least thinking about how a bloodless revolution could happen, because even I don’t want to see heads on pikes…and at the moment the fury against Andrew (and by association his family) is only growing.
A good start would be allowing our elected representatives to finally be able to discuss the RF in the House of Commons.

A sensible post.

Especially as there seems to be more accountability right now in the UK than with the elected head of state in the USA.

It comes down to no constitutional set up being perfect, it's a work.in progress to improve

I've been a Republican since I was about 12 (much to my parents and my grandmother's horror) but I do wish there could be a sensible discussion about getting rid of the royal family without resorting to lazy tropes along the lines of they do nothing, they're lazy, can I have my money back etc.
I also wish a sensible discussion could be had during 'business as usual' times when there is not high emotion regarding eg AMW or Prince Harry.
To say they serve no purpose is not correct, nor is to say they have never done a day's work. They clearly do serve a constitutional and diplomatic purpose, the question is, are those purposes value for money for the UK taxpayer? I personally think not.
FWIW, I don't think the high-profile royals have a particularly easy life living in the public eye the whole time and being judged for everything you do or don't do. It's OK saying they have plenty of money and staff but they can't just pop out like the rest of us do, so the loss of freedom must be terrible.
I think we should get rid - but it's nowhere near as simple as some seem to think it will be as our country's whole set-up is based around the royal family - our constitution, laws, everything. It would take longer than Brexit to unravel everything.
I think on balance we should open a discussion about getting rid - but it will be a long, drawn-out road to do so.

It is really the flavour of the moment that the looney left wing media think it is right to destroy our cherished institutions in pursuit of wokeness. The Royals are above the law and in the past when a royal abused little boys in Ireland, sold government secrets to foreign agents for a bribe, had affairs with criminals, killed women of the night or even sided with Nazis against the country, the secret service did it’s job properly to keep the mystique of the divine right of kings. The social media world and young people in general now have no reverence or respect for the pillars of Britishness and our culture and society.

Of course but it won't happen ever.

Surely that's the case for any billionaire? No one can create that much 'added value', it can only come from exploitation?

Yabu and have no comprehension of what exactly the do for the country. It’s not just tourism

We shouldn't be funding their lifestyles, paying for their security detail, paying their £12million hush money to protect a man like AMW.

They are estimated to have £1 billion pounds in assets. A number they laugh off. Well, they've denied a fair few things of late haven't they?

After everything about Prince Andrew and the fate of Virginia Guiffre, I'm done with them - I choose her every time. They are an anachronism and a rotten institution.

Everything they have has been stolen at some point. The fact we still hold these people up in such high esteem represents everything I hate about this world.