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AIBU?

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Original poster

To To be appalled at all the royal palaces.

279 replies

purplehazed · 04/01/2016 22:26

I've just watched Ant and Dec with Prince Charles. The sheer opulence of those numerous palaces. Just how many do they need? So so wrong imo.
Surely in these times of massive hardship for so many it is time they were scaled right back.

OP posts:
Flossyfloof · 04/01/2016 23:05

I would have liked to see the programme but I can't bear those two talentless fools.

CandOdad · 04/01/2016 23:06

And I think we are missing the point that the prince receives no income from us directly. He has the Duchy of Cornwall for his income.

Eve · 04/01/2016 23:07

I watched and thought what amazing good the princes trust has done for those it helped.

Some incredible success stories.... The street artist now head of global marketing for Coca Cola ( or something like that)

SilentlyScreamingAgain · 04/01/2016 23:08

I'd hate to see anyone on the streets, so I'd be perfectly happy with the family keeping Buckingham Palace, apparently it has 52 royal bedrooms and 188 staff bedrooms, so no one would have to slum it.

The rest on Air B&B, I'm sure that £55M could be doubled every year.

KERALA1 · 04/01/2016 23:08

My sister comes across them regularly through her work. She is really not impressed especially with the queen. I met princess anne on a train. Really ordinary. it's smoke and mirrors.

Oldsu · 04/01/2016 23:08

Would you do the same for me lorelie9 I help raise money for charity as well but the difference between you, me and the POW is that he can get celebs and business people on board just because of who he is - can you? - I cant.

Met Anne once she was awesome

Original poster
purplehazed · 04/01/2016 23:09

In 2014 visitors to Royal Palaces directly brought in 55 MILLION POUNDS,
That doesn't justify it. Most tourist attractions make money. If it was turned in to a theme park it'd make more. Legoland makes on average £170 million.
Where does it stop, I have a spare room? The royal family have hundreds of spare rooms, it stops right there with the royal family. We aren't talking about ordinary families, why would they have to give up a room? Confused There's no other family in the country that inherit numerous palaces through birthright, whether they own them or not. It's wrong.

OP posts:
Palehorse · 04/01/2016 23:09

What are the royals supposed to do?

abdicate

Griphook · 04/01/2016 23:11

Of course the royals bring in tourists
But it not necessarily the live ones, people visit Hampton court palace because of the history, not because the queen. People would still visit Windsor castle if the royal family was abolished.

SilentlyScreamingAgain · 04/01/2016 23:13

The Palace of Versailles brings in a good few tourists.

MumOnTheRunCatchingUp · 04/01/2016 23:13

There's only one queen to 'abdicate'

If they sell the palaces off they would be wrong! They can't win

Original poster
purplehazed · 04/01/2016 23:13

missing the point that the prince receives no income from us directly. He has the Duchy of Cornwall for his income.
One way or the other it's taxpayers money. The profits from the duchy of Cornwall are huge. The prince should have no rights to them. It would all revert back to us if there were no royals.

OP posts:
lorelei9 · 04/01/2016 23:14

Oldsu - without outing myself, many ordinary folk doing voluntary work can and do get celebs on board to raise awareness and money - hence why I have met some Royals.

And as I said in another post, many celebs get other celebs, business people etc - but they don't get given palaces funded by the taxpayer.

the birthright to numerous properties is what is being questioned here. Whether or not they are lovely as individuals is not the issue and their charitable activities aren't that hard to do considering who they are and what else they have to do i.e. not much

MumOnTheRunCatchingUp · 04/01/2016 23:15

Ha a op you are so naive..... Of course it wouldn't 'revert back to us'

Oh this thread is so funny

Palehorse · 04/01/2016 23:16

cdtaylornats
For the most part the examples you cite are democratically elected MP's appointed to serve the people of this country.
Who elected the royals?

felinewonderful · 04/01/2016 23:16

yanbu, it's outrageous

KERALA1 · 04/01/2016 23:16

Also aren't their staff notoriously low paid?

lorelei9 · 04/01/2016 23:17

purple - isn't the Duchy of Cornwall a private inherited estate though - I mean it's not part of the Royal estates so to speak?

I am the sort of person who would also move government out of the Houses of Parliament. The amount they are about to cost us is obscene - due to repairs, maintenance, making it fit as an office.

So I would simply plonk them in a suitable space - it would probably be cheaper to convert some Westminster buildings into the necessary form - and then keep HoP open as a tourist attraction while spending minimal money. Obviously it would have to pay for itself but any profits over and above could go into welfare.

SilentlyScreamingAgain · 04/01/2016 23:18

Oh this thread is so funny

Not as funny as a grown-up like Charles Windsor wearing a load of medals that his mummy gave him.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 04/01/2016 23:18

No it wOuldnt, it would be broken up into smaller properties, sold privately and they would keep the income.

mmmuffins · 04/01/2016 23:18

I don't believe for one minute the myth that the royals bring in tourists
As someone who is from North America, I can promise you that you are very, very wrong.

Lweji · 04/01/2016 23:19

I think, more to the point, how did you expect the palaces to be like?

As they are at the moment they are national treasures.

Griphook · 04/01/2016 23:19

Also aren't their staff notoriously low paid? they had staff on zero hours contract I believe, a real share share the Wealth attitude

SilentlyScreamingAgain · 04/01/2016 23:20

As someone who is from North America, I can promise you that you are very, very wrong.

The French make more from tourism that the British do. I think that, as a percentage of GDP, the Irish do too.

Original poster
purplehazed · 04/01/2016 23:21

And what do you mean about Paris? People visit paris for all kinds of reasons, and visiting Versailles is not necessarily top of everyone's list.
It's the number one tourist spot on earth, that's what I mean......and they got rid of their royals centuries ago.

OP posts:
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