AIBU to wonder if it's time to abolish the monarchy?

[MyBeloved]

Having grown increasingly tired of their shennanigans, I think the monarchy should be abolished. AIBU?

Because an elected President would be much better... Having seen what's going on in British politics recently, no thanks!

Because an elected President would be much better

Would very much depend on the role of the Head of State especially with regards to a written constitution.

Yes, it's very much time. I'll be nice and say I'll wait until QE2 has passed as I do think she's done brilliantly, however, no more.

@IncognitaIgnorama, but there’s no reason why an elected president would be a politician, if the role has minimal political power and is mostly ceremonial. In Ireland, presidential candidates have included a suicide charity founder, a disability rights campaigner who organised the Special Olympics in Ireland, the founder of a charity to help people affected by the Chernobyl nuclear explosion, journalists, entrepreneurs, academics. The poet Seamus Heaney was approached, though he didn’t proceed, and the artist Robert Ballagh was also in the ring in 2011.

All you have to be is an Irish citizen of 35 years or more, and be nominated according to the rules.

It would be up to the UK to figure out what powers an elected HoS would have, length of tenure, salary etc if it decided to replace the monarchy with something less repellently undemocratic.

I have long wanted an end to the monarchy. However I had always felt that we should wait until the end of the Queen's reign, that as she has devoted herself to the role for most of her adult life it seems cruel and churlish to push her out of it after all this time.

These days I am not so sure though. If a thing is wrong now it should surely be brought to an end now. We can still ensure the Queen is treated with courtesy and dignity in the process of ending it. Never mind what is fair to the Queen; is the current situation fair to any of us?

However, I don't think we should end it until/unless we are sure what we are replacing it with is substantially better; otherwise we could end up with something worse (Brexit springs to mind). And how are we to get to that better place? Do you trust the current leadership of this country to secure it for us?

I’ve always supported the idea of the monarchy despite knowing logically it is anachronistic. I do think it is increasingly under threat especially with the PA situation. I imagine Charles will streamline and make some fairly significant changes.

I think on the principle of it yes we should have a democratically elected head of state, not just for us subjects but to release this family from their gilded cage.

I’m sure they’re nice enough people (well, most of them) it’s just the principle of a hereditary monarchy I disagree with.

The queen did fuck all to stop the prorogation, or didn't you notice?

RAther the royal family than a president which is the other option can you imagine President Blair, , Cameron, Corbyn or Johnson?

Hmmm. President Obama or President Mandela or President Thunberg or President Attenborough for eight years, or King Andrew for sixty?

Nope

Yes. I’d be for that now, although I would not have agreed before.
I put forward Baroness Hale as a potential head of state.

I don’t have a problem with them but they need to cost less. I want special needs children to be supported in school, I want kids who are carers to get more support the list is endless really. I don’t want to foot the bill of 2.5 million and counting for frogmore cottage. I don’t want to have to pay for Andrews lavish pervert lifestyle.

The elevation of one family to live off taxpayers backs is a complete nonsense. The very idea that any family (let alone the current dysfunctional Windsor's), should be able to live in unparalleled luxury without any accountability is abhorrent in a modern democracy.
We can have a Head of State - we choose the rules they live under, the term of office and the accountability. We don't have to copy existing models.
Look at the shambles we have now - Charles, serving the longest apprenticeship known to mankind whose stated ambition is to be a tampax 🙄. Philip - an out an out racist who insults everybody he meets while representing our country. Andrew - friend of paedophile Epstein, complete liar, arrogant and entitled buffoon. Edward, workshy fool, William, yet to prove ability at anything and looking set to serve another endless apprenticeship and Catherine, who has not shown she can earn her own living - (skills = wearing a few dresses and breeding).

These people are living off the state and shamelessly think they can stick their hands in taxpayers pockets to satisfy their every whim and fancy.

We need rid of the institution once and for all.

Why can’t I be head of state? If the Queen gets to be it because some somewhere a long time ago said her family was royal why can’t I be?

We could all take turns like jury service!

I want to keep the monarchy for 4 main reasons:

1. I love the tradition and sense of history, and I admire the Queen and her devotion to duty;
2. They are a unifying force for British people and above politics;
3. They are a major international draw;
4. Their charitable work is amazing and their loss would have a devastating impact.

Yes please.

So funny, I was just saying to my husband how absurd the whole English monarchy thing is these days... thankfully Harry and Megan are throwing it off course. Very strange tradition to me (having grown up in another country).

Charitable works are not the preserve of royalty. Charity workers who actually do the hard work should be praised far more than a royal who puts their name to something and chucks in a few appearances. Funny how charity volunteers aren’t praised as much.

Bit wouldnt we end up with a president? Trump, Berlusconi etc?

And I certainly don’t find them a unifying force for the British public. I’m utterly disgusted with some of them and their predilection for hanging out with child rapists. Not just Andrew, Charles was great mates with the odious Savile. It’s embarrassing that they represent us.

I resent taxes going to fund air heads like Beatrice and Eugene jetting around the world, if it is defended as providing "security" only.

Yeah time for the royal family to disappear. We are a country of food banks and lots of homeless people. I think the queen does a good job but that's it. Watching Andrews interview and the car crash Meghan and Harry South Africa tour almost made me throw up. Meghan telling us how hard it is being a new mum (fake soap opera eye welling up) whilst she's just spent days with some of the poorest most deprived women on the planet. It's a big pantomime and I think we're all growing tired of it. I expect a big backlash from this but I don't care.

The system in Ireland of an elected president with very limited powers works well.

@Rosehip10 totally agree. We call people like them "hingers on" in Scotland. grasping the dregs of fane and taking all the privileges. They are truly awful and add no value to this country.

@Alwaysrainsonme "Unifying force for British people?" really, in what sense other than for mad royal watchers who camp out in Windsor to watch hangers on like Eugenie get married at not inconsiderable expense to the taxpayer?