To think the monarchy will end with the death of Queen Elizabeth 2

[Gingertea2020]

As an Aussie am curious to know if British monarchy can really prevail beyond life of Queen.

Recently there has been the biography of Megxit and details, intricate, of the fall out between the two Princes and their wives.

Added to this there is the Prince Andrew saga.

With all that is happening in world, will it really continue ?

I can’t imagine a Prince Charles.

I genuinely wonder why the British bother with it all.

William looks the reserved sort to me. In fact both him and his brother only ever look animated when you saw them with any kind of vehicle. William was showing the Queen and the Duke around a helicopter once and he was smiling and laughing and actually looked happy : same with Harry as a young boy on top of a tank for a photo shoot . I would bet money they were at their happiest in the forces and not treated that much differently ( so we are told anyway) to anyone else there.
I think he'll struggle with being King , but if his dad lives as long as his own parents have it will be a long time to wait anyway!
The Queen has done a good job of keeping the brand going through many disasters and bad press too. Clever really.

It’s a shame they will all be male heirs in my life time. Would have like to have seen another queen. They seem to be able to do it so much better.

I have thought for a long time that if he has any sense, for the sake of the whole monarchy, he should refuse the throne when the time comes and pass the title graciously onto William. But I doubt he will do that. Ego, probably.

He's now in his 70s, 72 this year, he will not be King for long and a short reign will give William the chance to learn the role, he is the one who I think will have a great modernising influence.
The RF have had problems before, the Diana debacle and the abdication in 1936, for example yet they survive still! Harry will return, alone, and eventually become a great support for William after a long period of rehabilitation. You read it here first.

I hope it ends after Liz pops her clogs.

I have no personal problem with the royal family, but the bottom line ism that they are parasites living off the taxpayer at huge expense!

I have thought for a long time that if he has any sense, for the sake of the whole monarchy, he should refuse the throne when the time comes and pass the title graciously onto William. But I doubt he will do that. Ego, probably.

No actual monarchist would ever say this or act on it. It defeats the whole purpose of monarchy, which is that you get the next in line, regardless. Divinely appointed and all that.

LOL she didn’t actually do any of those things

Of course she did, usually at someone else's expense too. At the wedding I couldn't understand why George Clooney etc were seated in the choir with the RF yet Harry's mother's family were sitting in the cheap seats! I'm aware that normally those choir seats would have been occupied by her family but as she didn't invite anyone other than her mother then the Spencer family should have been there.

I actually think that given everything you’ve said derxa I'm not sure I said anything against William. I quite like him. I was pointing out that 'King of England' doesn't exist. As I usually do on these threads.

The money they cost us all always crops up on these threads but then someone in the know will say ' ahh, they don't cost us that much and make more than for us in tourism and Charles has income from the Duchy and he bought Highgrove house himself ' etc etc.
All things I wasn't aware of before I was a 'mumsnetter! ' ( other things too that have made me think )
I've never bought into the whole ' costs a penny a taxpayer for them all ' but the Queen does pay taxes now where she didn't once before so that does help a lot I'm sure.
A referendum on them would be interesting.. I think most people would vote to keep them in the UK , but that will never happen!
I do like a royal thread though.

Sorry derxa wrong poster. It was the poster before you I think. santaclarita who was saying he’s had a life of such bowing and scraping and adulation that’s you’d have to be superhuman to overcome it. I was just saying I think he comes across quite well despite all that.

It hasn't killed her yet and she has to go sometime.

I think the RF generate more income for media outlets than “tourism”. I’ve been visiting the UK over the past 30 years for various reasons, and I’ve never actively planned to visit a site associated with the RF (apart from V&A Museum, Science Museum, Natural History Museum). Haven’t been to Tower of London. Only took my kids to Princess Diana’s playground in Hyde Park after reading glowing reviews here on MN (yes, it was indeed amazing). Sure, I walked around Queens Park and St James’s Park but not to actively gawk at, or take photos of, Buckingham Palace. I’ve stayed in Windsor twice (in the town), but haven’t toured Windsor Castle. The castles I visited in Wales and Scotland were part of the National Trust/ Scottish National Trust (and were chosen primarily for having great kids play areas!).

Do they? All those people on furlough? I also give you Chequers and Chevening. And I thought William and Kate owned Amner Hall

Furlough payments are enough to cover staff and home tutors? Well there's a scandal in the making...

Chequers and Chevening are perks available to and at the discretion of the elected head of government. Key word being 'elected' and therefore publicly accountable.

I'm not sure what your point is re. Anmer. But it must have been lovely to escape there while £4.5m of public funds were spent renovating their other digs at Kensington Palace.

@Charleyhorses

Nah. Think of the tourist revenue from the Coronation (Hopefully after the pandemic). I reckon people will cope with an elderly King. He will live as long as his parents, another 25/30 years (lost track of how old he is. So will I am will be knocking on retirement himself by the time he is actually king. I expect Oz and Canada will ditch it as head of state.

I think the monarchy is relatively popular here in Canada. No one thinks a republic solves the kinds of complaints people have about the monarchy, the example to the south prevents that sort of romanticism.

Some of the governor generals have even been fairly popular.

Charles has income from the Duchy and he bought Highgrove house himself

Highgrove is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and Charles pays market rent which by miracles of accounting recycles back into his pocket in the form of his income from the Duchy. Magic!

@CathyorClaire

It’s the reality of a whole tranche of society. Wealthy people everywhere live like this

And pay for it out of their own pockets.

People like Jeff Bezos, you mean?

They pay for it by exploiting their employees - stealing from them, essentially, and avoiding paying their taxes.

And they are free to use that money to influence politics to their own advantage.

What's more, they are lauded by many as good businessmen, upholding the values of capitalism, something to aspire to.

I prefer a system that suggests those privileged by wealth and power are should restrain their involvement in the political process and that they have a moral obligation to serve the public - that their service to the public is the only thing that justifies their privilege, in fact.

That's a much better lesson about how society ought to be structured.

I prefer a system that suggests those privileged by wealth and power are should restrain their involvement in the political process and that they have a moral obligation to serve the public - that their service to the public is the only thing that justifies their privilege, in fact

Andrew and Harry are a bit of a hard sell here and Charles has form for below the radar political meddling. He also has power of veto in the case of any legislation that affects his personal interests.

Not quite Utopia, eh?

someone in the know will say ' ahh, they don't cost us that much and make more than for us in tourism and Charles has income from the Duchy and he bought Highgrove house himself '

I wouldn't call that "in the know" since the only provably true remark is that Charles has income from the Duchy

It's not always easy to pick a way through fact, opinion and wishful thinking, but the effort can be rewarding

Puzzle, I just meant that I've had ' things I thought were true' about the royals crushed by mumsnetters who really do seem to know things ! Well, they sound genuine enough anyway ! Such as the home that William lives in was gifted and owned by the Queen ; I didn't know this because I hadn't really given it any thought before or bothered to look it up ! Just things like that really.

@av3nturin3

I think the RF generate more income for media outlets than “tourism”. I’ve been visiting the UK over the past 30 years for various reasons, and I’ve never actively planned to visit a site associated with the RF (apart from V&A Museum, Science Museum, Natural History Museum). Haven’t been to Tower of London. Only took my kids to Princess Diana’s playground in Hyde Park after reading glowing reviews here on MN (yes, it was indeed amazing). Sure, I walked around Queens Park and St James’s Park but not to actively gawk at, or take photos of, Buckingham Palace. I’ve stayed in Windsor twice (in the town), but haven’t toured Windsor Castle. The castles I visited in Wales and Scotland were part of the National Trust/ Scottish National Trust (and were chosen primarily for having great kids play areas!).

This may surprise you then

Admissions to the Royal Estate in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2018/19, by establishment* (in 1,000s)

Visitors in thousands
Windsor Castle and Frogmore House 1,652
Buckingham Palace 552
Palace of Holyroodhouse 439
The Royal Mews 196
The Queen's Gallery, London 175
The Queen's Gallery, Edinburgh 69
Clarence House 11

All in which brought a heavy 48.4 MILLON in admission fees and added to that 21 MILLON in sales

People still want to visit them and they do bring in a substantial amount of money

Excellent point Goosefoot. Not that it will cut any ice with the vast majority of MN. These threads always go the same way. The only way it would change would be if the Queen paid us and then someone would still find something wrong with it.

King Andrew or President Arden?

I just meant that I've had ' things I thought were true' about the royals crushed by mumsnetters who really do seem to know things! Well, they sound genuine enough anyway!

I know, The80s, and happily there are some very well informed posters on these threads who really know their stuff - I'd suggest a few names but that's perhaps not entirely fair
Trouble is, unless you spend a lot of time on the royal threads, it's not always easy to separate those stating real facts from others posting what they imagine are facts and are actually anything but

Best on the whole to use most posts (including mine) as a sort of trigger for your own research, if an issue matters enough to you

Christ , a Republic would be great! God knows what it'll take

Derxa

I bet you're not amongst this group of people

No I'm not and I don't claim to be. I like many other middle class people have the privilege of sitting at home and working on-line, a choice that many essential workers don't have. That's my point really. What's yours?