To wonder if Britain will always have a monarchy...

[DrinkSangriaInThePark]

... Or if not, how/when will British people get the opportunity to disband it?

I'm not from England, I'm Irish living in Ireland by the way, and I don't have very strong feelings for or against the British Royal family. But I seem to be hearing a lot of criticism of, and annoyance at, the Royal family recently, and I'm just wondering if there could ever be a referendum to decide whether the idea of a monarchy is outdated and unnecessary?

Again, I'm totally unbiased one way or another, but just wondering if the monarchy has to stay forever, just because it has always been there. With a democratic government, will be there ever be a time when it's deemed an unnecessary cost?

IMO it's infinitely more favourable than having, for example a President (war criminal) Tony Blair or President Boris Johnson.

what practical difference would it make to have a President Tony Blair to a Prime Minister Tony Blair?

Basically, none.

Oh that's all right then, if she only gets 34 million a year. Fuck, I know some people are a bit out of touch on here but really?

I know that 34 million isn't much in governmental terms but this is going to the upkeep of ONE FAMILY. Why don't my family get 34 million a year to live off?
Even aside from that, it's the principle of the situation. Unless you believe in the divine right of kings then you must be aware that these people are no more deserving of this than anybody else.

You will never get a balanced view on MN because its predominantly left wing.

Jesus how far right do you need to be to think MN is left wing?

I know that 34 million isn't much in governmental terms but this is going to the upkeep of ONE FAMILY. Why don't my family get 34 million a year to live off? That really isn't what happens! But is the comparison that many people make.

No wonder people get angry about it. Tabloids deliberately feeed this misinformation!

Unless you believe in the divine right of kings then you must be aware that these people are no more deserving of this than anybody else. I think the current monarch was the one who did away with that notion and placed the royal family on a similar tax footing to everyone else. BUT they are still the keepers of vast swathes of properties that they DO NOT own as well as the woneres of lost of other properties. THAT is the confusion that various media outlets enjoy promoting by blurring the distinction, or just not making it at all!

I don't have any real objection to them on a human level, but in this day and age the idea that some are born better than others is pretty gross. I'd vote 'get rid' if ever the opportunity arose:

@DrinkSangriaInThePark

As someone who lives in Ireland you would have no say at all.

Our queen has outlasted 5 ( I think )USA presidents.
And that is the alternative....can you imagine boris as our head of state? At least we know who our head of state will be 3 generations hence.

Let's try to be a bit intelligent about this shall we...

Imagine a corporation called "Da Royals"

"Da Royals" voluntarily pay taxes to the tune of £200 million a year.
All they ask is that they get back 15% of them to help maintain their massive and incredibly publicly faced business.

Which way is the country better off?
receiving £200million minus 15% or receiving £0

That's basically how it works with the Royals.

Or what? You think their lifestyles.would change just because they weren't called 'Royals'?
All that would happen is they'd become private citizens, shift their accountings and money off shore and the country would lose several hundred million in taxes every year not to mention the palaces and the and the assets held in trust would then likely become public owned and need massive amounts of tax input to upkeep them all.

Yeah real clever that. One family sorts it all and pays us to do it, or we sack them, they keep their cash, property, lands and tax and we have to start paying the upkeep on huge buildings and hundreds of staff..

People always say they pay for themselves via the amount they bring in from tourism but surely if that was the case there wouldn’t be stories today saying how they have cost the taxpayer £67m in the last year?

I think keeping the royal family is fine if they stop taking money from the taxpayer and run within the amount generated by tourism.

And if you want to look in depth at some of their finances, they make quite a lot of the info public of you can be arsed to actually research instead of listen to The Sun.

www.royal.uk/royal-finances-0

Imagine a corporation called "Da Royals"

Which you can't join, only be born into. Sorry, my "intelligence" stopped there. It is 2019 after all, not 1019.

Which you can't join, only be born into.

Say that again Meghan?

Say that again Meghan?

Meghan can't be Queen. Her child could (hence "born into")

Last Royal we appointed was/were William of Orange/Anne. All royals since have been born

I repeat the point that the Queen is our Head of State - quite a serious role in some countries. We didn't chose her, nor will we ever chose her successor.

@MonkeyToesOfDoom, it’s pointless trying to use facts in the face of the massively disproportionate republicanism of MN. Yes, let’s have a referendum - because the last one went so well - in which 70% of the population will vote to keep them.

yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2018/05/18/who-are-monarchists

What is the AIBU?

if that was the case there wouldn’t be stories today saying how they have cost the taxpayer £67m in the last year? No! Please don't believe the tabloid hype, they only print the parts of ay story that casue such knee jerk reactions. There really should be other publications about the finances of the Royal Corporation.

No.. wait... look

Have to agree. You would have to be very naive to think Mumsnet is not left wing. There are many very left wing posters, and they are very anti-royal.

Still, no forum is perfect huh?

Durrr.. Meghan joined the royals.
Don't have to be queen to be part of the company. Look at the engagements Kate has to do, Meghan has to do etc. Prince Phillip has had a lifetime of public engagements and he joined da firm.

I know it's complicated, I know it's hard to grasp, but "The Royals" isn't just "The Queen" she is merely the figure head.

@DrinkSangriaInThePark

As someone who lives in Ireland you would have no say at all.

Of course I wouldn't. Why on Earth would I? I live in a totally different country!

That's why I repeatedly stressed in my OP "I'm totally unbiased one way or another".

crazyasafox My AIBU is "Am I being unreasonable to wonder if Britain will always have a monarchy or if you should/could have a referendum on the matter.

I'm wondering if that's an unreasonable proposition for English people. Would I be challenging a very "sacred" institution, I suppose... As a non-English person I'm not sure how people feel about having a monarchy these days.

Do they really bring tourists to England ? I can't imagine that many tourists come because they think they'll see a Royal. They come for the palaces , the history . I don't think they come for the actual people .

Well no-one is unreasonable to wonder ANYthing.

It’s ironic that most Brexiteers who bang on about democracy are probably staunch royalists who don’t want to reform the House of Lords.

I’m a British republican, but reckon there’ll be no appetite to abolish the monarchy until the Queen dies, once she does it will probably become a much more open topic.

The tourist argument always makes me raise an eyebrow, as long as we don’t burn all the palaces to the ground we should be fine. You could even argue that being able to open up the palaces if there were no royals living in them would bring in even more tourists.

JustAnotherPoster00
Jesus how far right do you need to be to think MN is left wing?

About half an inch from the centre. I don't know how long you've been using MN but any thread of a political nature is massively skewed to the left. There are countless threads about the evils of the Tory Party. There are anti Corbyn threads but that's personal, not because he is Labour.

Tbh i like the queen. The people that follow her that worry me and the hangers on. Maybe time to rethink this but really dont want the usa mr trump thing.