To To be appalled at all the royal palaces.

[purplehazed]

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.

What an enlightening contribution to the debate. Please do let us know where we are going wrong

What i need to know is whether mysteryfla left out a comma or mistyped a letter. It has a bearing on my response.

Honestly, these threads are ridiculous. If you announce that the royal family have to give back all their own wealth, what about everybody else? Fine, stop funding them and let them just be a normal super wealthy family but Unless you are advocating the creation of a communist state with no rights to inherited wealth then stop whining about them giving back land they own eg the prince's duchy of Cornwall. Because I sure as hell expect my children to inherit what's mine. So will Charles.

RudeElf this is light relief compared to the mouse butcher thread! I don't think mystery will be back. Which is just as well because I will get no sleep at all otherwise

I'm shamefully quite interested in the royal family and like to read the odd story about them, while actually thinking we should be a republic. Not because I hate them, just that I think monarchy is an outdated concept and isn't a good example of fairness and equality in the modern world. Given the system we have, they do an alright job of it.

As for the palaces, they would make great tourist attractions if fully open to visitors. More money could be made by hosting events etc. They could definitely be put to good use when not used as homes.

Actually Working Charles doesn't own the land in the Duchy of Cornwall. He has rights to the income generated from it (that's why it was created in 1300ish, to generate income for the sovereigns eldest son). It's not a company so pays no corporation tax. Charles voluntarily pays income tax on the income less "expenditure". He doesn't have to and could stop at any time. It isn't audited by the NAO.

The legal status of the duchy also gives it rights that are elsewhere reserved for the Crown. The one example I know off the top of my head is that if you die intestate in the duchy, the assets pass to the duchy. It has quasi governmental powers.

That's what I and many other anti monarchists object to - the privilege that isn't afforded to us mere mortals. You can't chose whether to pay tax on your income before its passed down, but Charles can.

Perhaps we should nominate a different family every four years to be "Royal"and throw loads of money and palaces at them. Ridiculous idea?yes it is, just as ridiculous as what we have now.

I think we should at least try out that idea. In the name of scientific research, obviously. I selflessly nominate my family...can't say we never do our bit

Ill vote for you Hellesbelles, you can vote for me when you've had your stint please.

Deal

I'm with you on the disgusting fawning. I'm always thankful to be Irish when threads pop up about the RF.

It's the principle that bothers me, in terms of inherited entitlement and the imbalance of wealth in this country. As such they represent the very worst of 'British values'.

Agree with this - they are at the pinnacle of the class system which values privilege rather than merit and puts toffs like Dave and Boris in charge as well as keeping a glass ceiling over the heads of many who don't have the right accent or background.

But I do find the ostentatious display of wealth (be that of the royals, aristos, multi millionaires of UK and overseas extraction) pretty distasteful in the age of foodbanks and the continued oppression of the working poor.

^ this too.

However I did think that Harry and William came across well and that Diana would have been well proud of her boys. Maybe they will revolutionise the monarchy in some way .

Because I think it could exist without the ostentation, and be put to good use in terms of - as people have said - doing a lot more for the homeless and disaffected for example. If a wing of Buckingham Palace was opened as a centre for the homeless I would have more respect for the "Royals". I think this kind of thing is totally feasible. Why not?

Maybe football stadiums could be converted too. Such a useless activity. :)

I don't see, nor would necessarily want for national heritage centers to be destroyed for homeless centers. What is suggested would be done to the furniture?
Even the homeless would probably prefer more suitable accommodation. Not those large weirdly decorated rooms.

The Royal's PR team are indeed doing an amazing job.

They tell a story constructed in a certain way. There's nothing about Charles' interference in government, being briefed on high level
Government matters, having someone to squeeze his toothpaste for him.

Or Harry who seems to be painted as some sort of humanitarian hugging African children, caring fur the animals (although ex SA girlfriend rather enjoyed shooting them) or William carefully constructed as family man and helicopter pilot.

Obviously Andrews children do not have same PR and are content to be permanently on holiday, globe trotting with the eurotrash crowd in between short lived stints 'working'

I have no time for them hut people like these stories and want to believe I suppose

I don't see, nor would necessarily want for national heritage centers to be destroyed for homeless centers.

I don't see why anything would have to be destroyed. They have a lot of unused space and there are a lot of people sleeping rough. Not sure where football comes into it in terms of converting stadiums which are used all the time? Though footballers' wages are also ridiculous and questionable.

I don't see, nor would necessarily want for national heritage centers to be destroyed for homeless centers.

That was meant to be in bold.

YABU - a documentary about the achievements of a fantastic charity and that's what you take from it.

YANBU

I dislike the royal family soooo much ( not as individuals but as an institution). I REALLY can't stand the way people fawn over them. They are no better than anyone else just because they happened to be born into the family. It's such an outdated institution and one that has no place in modern society.

I'm not suggesting that we hang the lot of them at dawn but I think they need a massive massive downgrade in their importance.

Unfortunately the people who could do achieve this the most effectively would be the Royal family themselves but there appear too self important and too comfortable to do anything about it. It doesn't help that many of the royals are not very bright despite their stellar educations.

YABU - a documentary about the achievements of a fantastic charity and that's what you take from it.

Maybe it was the stark contrast between the worthwhile charity and its work & the ostentatious backdrops and weird fawning behaviour that struck OP most forcefully?

It is unusual for documentaries about charities to be full of gilt and obsequiousness.

YANBU OP. Such oppulence and wealth while there are millions of people in the same country having to use foodbanks to survive. It is obscene.

YABsoU.

Most of the palaces/houses ARE open to the public, and are also used for state entertaining and events.

Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Sandringham, Windsor Castle, Holyrood. All worth a visit and a bit of research before you start pontificating on here.

I don't see why anything would have to be destroyed.
Do you really see palaces as suitable accommodation as they are?
As for football stadiums they sit unused most of the week. Surely most big city teams could share.

I specifically planned a trip to Paris to visit the palaces - Versailles, Fontainebleau and the Louvre.
I didn't give a crap that there is no current incumbent. I went for the history.
I'm pretty sure it's our monarchy in a historical context that's far more interesting to tourists than the current bunch. Opening all palaces fully to the public (as with the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and Osborne House on the Isle of Wight) would still be a tourist draw.

I can't see why we can't follow the Dutch model of monarchy.

YANBU, they need to be opened up as tourist attractions like the palace of Versailles etc and the money put back into the UK.

Not necessarily saying that we need to chop all their heads off first. I think give them the option to leave quietly before resorting to that