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family recently, and I'm just wondering if there could ever be a referendum to decide whether the idea of a monarchy is outdated and unnecessary?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?

@SilverySurfer

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.

100% this. ^

I am a big fan of the Royals, and think they should go on forever.

I hate the Royal bashing, but tend to ignore it, as it's always the same kind of people doing it.

What with The Royals continuing to flourish, Boris Johnson as PM (soon,) and Brexit still happening; the far left ranty brigade (on here AND on Twitter,) must be on the verge of a meltdown.

ok get rid of the queen but then she keeps her money .she will be a lot richer

Sandringham, Windsor, Kensington and Buckingham Palace are all open for the public to visit now so I'm not sure why that will be such a marvellous innovation come the republic, And as someone said, the taxpayer will be paying for the upkeep! And who are the 'hangers-on' that 'we' pay for? I'd love to know.

can't understand why we don't have a referendum about it

Realistically, there's little point in pressing for one while the monarchy has approval ratings above 70%. IMO this is largely down to our very experienced, fairly circumspect queen, though what may happen to that % if we get a pettish, self indulgent and meddling king is something else again

Which is at least some comfort to republicans like myself

And who are the 'hangers-on' that 'we' pay for?

I'm often curious about that too.
As far as the evidence suggests, the only.people being paid from the sovereign grant are people that do work on behalf of the country or the Royals. These are usually engagements with the public or on foreign soil to aid foreign relations and diplomacy.
No where have I read that they chuck £££ at Duke Knobhead From Cockshire to sit on his ass playing with his croquet mallet and the skullery maid.

I think they need to tread carefully. Monarchy worked when the population thought the royals were 'better' than us. Now we are aware of their extra marital affairs, dodgy friends, questionable financial dealings etc and they seem out of place in a modern society. The public mood is that people have to be valuable to society to deserve support and can that really be argued about all members of the royal family?
William and Harry have a lot of public goodwill on account of their mother. Public feeling is that she was treated badly and because the boys lost her at such a young age and in such awful circumstances, there was a lot of sympathy and good will towards them. But if it turns out that they cheat on their wives or otherwise behave badly then I think that good feeling will wane.
The monarchy can't afford another generation of fuck ups.

I don't buy the tourism argument either - people still go to France on holiday!

I think it won't last beyond Charles. The gloss is long gone. Assets like the royal art collection and the duchy of lancaster will revert back to state ownership and senior royals will be pensioned off. Shame I'm too old to see it happening.

It hasn’t always been there and I doubt that it will last forever. However there is a lot of old law that will need to be reformed fairly easily through acts of Parliament in the lead up to becoming a republic (e.g. the crown owns all the land) and constitutional matters (royal perogatives, the separation of powers-in particular the balancing of powers in particular) which will need to be fully reformed. This isn’t quite so straight forward because the queen plays an important part as a governmental and parliamentary check in the British constitution. The whole system will need to be carefully examined and debated (as opposed to merely copying other republican structures). It would also be an excellent opportunity to codify the most important areas of the constitution.

crazyasafox Well it's what my AIBU was and it seems to have gotten a discussion going so...

I can’t see the UK becoming a republic any time soon. The deferential, forelock-tugging mentality is just too ingrained, particularly in the English.

The monarchy is backward, undemocratic and pathetic, but the plebs seem to love it, and the tabloids thrive on selling royalty as a soap opera. Panem et circenses...

Can't believe that people are wanting a referendum, do you learn nothing????

I'm with the band that don't like them I'm afraid! I especially don't like it when they take the "I'll take the perks but not the responsibility" attitude. They aren't like The Queen and Queen Victoria anymore where they did want all of that and worked hard.

I'm with the band that don't like them I'm afraid! I especially don't like it when they take the "I'll take the perks but not the responsibility" attitude. They aren't like The Queen and Queen Victoria anymore where they did want all of that and worked hard.

It's nothing personal - I could say a lot of good things about the Queen. It's just an outdated institution.

It's also worth noting (not that many would believe it ) but for most of her early reign - up till the 1860s - Queen Victoria was intensely disliked and the republican sentiment of the country makes todays "republicans" looks like Royal fanatics.

I would vote to abolish the monarchy now - I don't share the sentimental view that we should wait until after the present Queen's death.

No constitutional system lasts forever and ours has been creaking under the pressure of Brexit but I would be surprised to see it go in my lifetime.

I don't think people grasp what a big change it would be. You can't get rid of the queen without changing our entire system of government. Do people trust our politicians to deliver that having seen what has happened with Brexit? Do you want Boris or Corbyn to draft our constitution?

Trying it would be very messy, especially now we have a history of referendums not being respected. I'd be interested to see how involved the Royals would get in the debate. It would be uncharted terrority. How can Her Majesty's Government bring forward her vote on toppling Her Majesty when their legitimacy derives from the Queen?

Queen Victoria didn’t work hard at all. She became a recluse for years after Albert died when all she did was weep, wail and wallow.

I don't feel strongly but broadly prefer having them to voting in a president (president Farage for example). However, if the Queen porouged Parliament to allow a prime minister to avoid the checks and balances of Parliament id change my mind pretty quickly.

Can’t wait to see President Ann Widdicombe in the state coach.

My history teacher once said that no country which has abolished its monarchy, has ever been replaced by a better system.
Can anyone name good examples where this has happened?
He also predicted the fall of Yugoslavia many , many years before it happened and that involved untold violence.
Abolish the monarchy and you get an American style presidential system ( no thanks).
People will transfer their adulation onto someone else and who else would that be? Politicians? Pop stars? Football players? Tv reality stars?
Seriously I cannot imagine anyone replacing the monarchy.

I do have a serious issue with how people have acquired wealth by doing nothing more than fighting on the winning side, be it the side of the reigning monarch or the opposition to the reigning monarch. Then passing this vast wealth onto their legitimate male heirs.
Perhaps we should look at levelling the playing field for all children and removing wealth at death. Not a popular opinion but just as valid as abolition of the monarchy.

Abolish the monarchy and you get an American style presidential system ( no thanks).

Not necessarily. A lot would depend on how the role of Head of State was viewed and what powers the role would exercise. Also you could include some checks and balances into a Presidency. My first suggestion would be that anyone who had been an MP was automatically excluded from running. Plus a system which ensured election for President was mid-parliament (or vice versa).

And who are the 'hangers-on' that 'we' pay for?
Harry and Meghan to start with. They’re completely superfluous now that he’s 6th in line and will never be King.

Harry is the Queen's grandson! Hardly a hanger-on.

Harry is the Queen's grandson! Hardly a hanger-on.

She has eight grandchildren. Five of them are married. Four of them have children of their own.

If the standard is going to be that all grandchildren of each monarch get funded and housed in high style, we'll end right up back in the situation of 100 years ago. Awash with princes and princesses stuffed into grace and favour palace aparrments.

I really like the royal family but I was disappointed to hear about the renovation money. There is just no justifying that. Especially when they are essential minor royals (as in line to the throne). Surely at some point you have to become not royal enough to justify the spending etc.?

It would be a shame to get rid of them though, and I adore the queen.