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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

492 replies

Gingertea2020 · 27/07/2020 17:43

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.

OP posts:
halcyondays · 27/07/2020 18:35

There's no reason why Charles should abdicate.And I don't think there will be too many who will object to Charles and Camilla when the time comes.

SantaClaritaDiet · 27/07/2020 18:36

Please let us not have a referendum about the RF!

why not? Surely we could at least hope for the majority to have a say. I am not sure the majority would make the right choice (that would be new...) but at least the Monarchy would be a choice.

Coldspringharbour · 27/07/2020 18:36

There are many people who have no interest in the monarchy. You make it sounds like we have a choice as to whether we have one. Personally I wouldn’t pay any of them in washers.

UmmH · 27/07/2020 18:38

There have been far greater royal scandals and threats to the monarchy in the past than those you describe, OP. Unless we have a revolution I expect everything will continue as usual.

WanderingMilly · 27/07/2020 18:38

The Queen is a steady presence in the royal family.
However, I do hope Charles has his turn, I personally quite like him and think he will be fine as a king.

William and Kate need to be older, they have a young family to deal with right now.

Harry and Meghan need to do their own thing as they wish, I don't believe everything I read in the press but it does seem as though Harry has a chip on his shoulder and they need to grow up a bit.

I can't get over-excited about it all to be honest, but I like having a royal family and, given current options, I can't think a republic would be any better....probably a lot worse than we have now.

Viviennemary · 27/07/2020 18:38

I disagree. I think William is proving to be a wise pair of steady hands and Kate is quite suitable for Queen. A few years ago I might have agreed but not now.

formerbabe · 27/07/2020 18:38

A referendum now on the rf would just be a waste of time and money...it would be overwhelmingly to keep them.

Might be a little more interesting to have one after the Queen dies but I'm pretty sure the result would be the same.

lyralalala · 27/07/2020 18:40

@x2boys

What would happen to them though ? I'm not a royalist ,but I don't have any strong feelings either way about the royal family ,would they just live a quiet but luxurious life🤔tbh ,even if they do get rid of the monarchy I think there's to much public interest in them for them to disappear completely.
They would likely live similarly to other deposed royals. They're wealthy so they'll still live in nice places (The Queen owns Sandringham and Balmoral personally rather than them being Crown properties), they'll still attend other royal weddings and the likes, they'd likely still use their titles just as King Constantine of Greece and his family, Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and various Russian and Romanian deposed royals do. They'd still be in the gossip mags, just as celebs.

They wouldn't vanish, in fact I think we'd actually see more of them because there's a lot of photos and stories published abroad that aren't published here.

itsgettingweird · 27/07/2020 18:40

@pussycatinboots

The alternative would be a currency with Boris on it.
Yeah it's a tough competition for the lesser of 2 evils!

I'd like William to be King.

Anything else and I agree it'll die a death.

I've always liked the Monarchy. But lasts past few decades it's gone downhill

Raimona · 27/07/2020 18:40

"they" got lucky with Meghan too
The only lucky thing is that she decided she wanted out and buggered off to LA.

timetest · 27/07/2020 18:41

I don’t think I’ll see a republic in my time, mores the pity.

SantaClaritaDiet · 27/07/2020 18:41

Might be a little more interesting to have one after the Queen dies

you are absolutely right.

The fact that so many people fawn over William and Kate - who really haven't done anything is a bit of a worry for the future.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 27/07/2020 18:41

There won't be a republic when the Queen dies; given her age it's too late for that, with all the unpicking which would have to be done

However some of us believe that a few years of Charles will take the gloss right off, hopefully leading to Canada and Australia going and the start of the disintegration of the whole mess

pepperycinnamon · 27/07/2020 18:42

I'd rather have the royal family than any of the current bunch of politicians as President.

SantaClaritaDiet · 27/07/2020 18:44

Raimona
Why? Meghan was a breath of fresh air - first has a clue what the real world looks like. She might have been an actress, but she didn't come from an uber-priviledged family.
She wants to have a voice and clearly struggled to just smile and wave and basically be a trophy wife. Great example for many young girls nowadays.

Most important of all, she is absolutely not beneath any of them simply because she wasn't born upper-class. The fact that still people believe in that rubbish is the most shameful of all.

wanderings · 27/07/2020 18:44

Adding my voice to those who say:

WE DO NOT WANT BORIS AS PRESIDENT.

It was bad enough that we might have got megalomaniac Bliar as president of Europe.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 27/07/2020 18:44

The fact that so many people fawn over William and Kate - who really haven't done anything is a bit of a worry for the future

It is, yes, and that'll be why both royalists and the couple themselves work so hard to keep their image "clean"

With Charles a busted flush, they're about the best hope the monarchy has for a future

AnneOfQueenSables · 27/07/2020 18:44

I don't think the monarchy will end. There have been numerous unhappily married Royals and trashy books about them. They have weathered them all.
I'm not a monarchist but this country doesn't seem to have the gumption to make any big changes. The current pandemic was the perfect opportunity to reconsider everything from transport to community from business to education. Instead, everyone is rushing to maintain the status quo ... so there will be no urge to move away from the monarchy. imo it will change to resemble the Scandinavian RFs - less members, more active.

formerbabe · 27/07/2020 18:45

"they" got lucky with Meghan too, shame some haters took her as an easy target and pushed her young family away

Yes I agree she had a dreadful time in the press which was undeserved.

The thing is Kate's role is clear. Look lovely, produce lovely children, toe the line, smile, shake hands, don't be controversial. Let's be honest, she left uni and pretty much waited around for William to propose. Meghan was a successful actress, independent, used to her freedom. Since her and Harry's wedding, I think her role was not clear. Was she supposed to toe the line and behave or was she meant to be this empowered feminist not scared to share her opinions on things?

midsomermurderess · 27/07/2020 18:45

It would be an elected President who would replace the Monarch as Head of State, not the PM. God, people here are so dim. And to decide it purely on current personalities because they are too dim to discuss it at any other level.

SantaClaritaDiet · 27/07/2020 18:46

I'd rather have the royal family than any of the current bunch of politicians as President.

what do you think would be different exactly? What do you think will happen if Boris is called a president instead of a Prime Minister? What do you think will really happen if we scrap the pompous ceremonies involving the Queen?

We might need to find another design for our currency, we probably don't need the face of the current politician on it, but apart from that...

verypeckish · 27/07/2020 18:46

@pepperycinnamon

I'd rather have the royal family than any of the current bunch of politicians as President.
^ This. Many, many times over.
Divoc2020 · 27/07/2020 18:46

I think the same people who have taken to the streets for Extinction Rebellion/ BLM will march for abolishing the monarchy.
There will be some civil unrest and some royal statues will be toppled and some royal institutions will have graffiti painted on them.
The police will let this happen.

It will all entrench the view of the rest of the country that anti-monarchists are nasty rebels and it will garner even greater support for a new, slimmed down, more accountable monarchy.

William and Kate will continue to represent the modern, but traditional, face and Harry and Meghan will provide the trashy populist stories for those that read Hello! magazine.

Some of the corgis will be re-homed.

hollieberrie · 27/07/2020 18:47

Charles and Camilla are my favourite royals! I think they will be great. William and Kate too and yes it looks like that they will pare the whole thing down.

I love the Royals Grin I dont think we'll become a republic any time soon.

GilderoyLockdown · 27/07/2020 18:48

@minipie

for the sake of the whole monarchy, he should refuse the throne when the time comes and pass the title graciously onto William

Picking and choosing would defeat the whole (stupid) basis of the monarchy. It has to be done on succession, not merit or popularity, or it isn’t monarchy any more.

Yeah, that's just odd. If people support a monarchy then that's how it works. If you want to pick your head of state on the grounds of suitability not succession, that's something else entirely.