The Royals

[Indecisive12]

I was bought Finding Freedom for Xmas and have just finished it.

It’s an utterly bizarre read highlighting to me the difference in British and American culture as it is written for the American audience.

Anyway after reading it I just can’t see how sustainable the Royal Family are. The Queen won’t have long left to reign. There’s loads of hate against Camilla in the world,even though I quite like her, so I can’t see Charles as King being a success. Then William and Kate are losing popularity because of the fallout and that’s basically all there is.

I quite liked the royals but I’m feeling a bit meh about them and wonder if they’ve run their course. Their behaviour of fleeing to nicer palaces in lockdowns hasn’t bought them any favours in my book either.

YABU - they will carry on as they have
YANBU - Charles reign will see significant changes and their role diminished further

I don’t think Charles will be hugely popular, but rather like Edward VII, I can’t see him reigning for long. I think Camilla will try and keep a low profile.

I think Kate will keep it going; she’s hugely popular nowadays even if Wills isn’t as much, and I really like her. People like the Royals and stability, I can’t see anyone making a move to end it; they may just slowly wither and become less tenable as an institution- but it’d take decades, if not centuries. Provided they have a popular wedding and babies every twenty years, that seems to keep people keen.

I wouldn’t say they fled to nicer palaces; they have multiple homes in rural areas and sensibly isolated at them - I think the Cambridge’s see Anmer Hall very much as home, so why not go there? I would in their shoes.

The Royals have weathered far worse storms than the Sussexes throwing in the towel. It’ll be water off a ducks back within a few years. Sad for Harry as I think he’ll come to regret it, and miss the U.K; but he’s made his choice.

I’m not a monarchist, but I’m a huge fan of the Queen. It’ll be awful when she’s gone: a Britain that barely exists anymore will go with her. And it won’t ever come back; we’ll only realise what we’ll have lost when it’s too late. Tale as old as time.

I think Harry will regret it too. The thing I took from the book is that they both have good intentions but are both impulsive and impatient. It’s sad, when they were finishing their final duties Harry was describing as incredibly sad by it all.

I too suspect Camilla will keep a low profile, I had a google of her children the other night and saw some photos of her children and grandchildren on the streets watching the trooping of the colour and thought it a bit sad how the monarchy is so rigid on things. Why can’t they be a blended family as so much of the U.K. is but I imagine the backlash if Camillas children and grandchildren are included will be horrific. They might not even want to be included, probably not but I gather they’re quite close with Charles and William and Harry.

I think for me with the lockdown was the advice to stay put, not go to second homes and yet that is what they all did after the announcement. I know many people would if they could but as figureheads they shouldn’t IMO.

I wasn’t sure if Kate was as popular now as she’s been pitted against Meghan so much, I gather in many areas of the world it is very much a team Meghan thinking. When the

Oops. I’ll continue

when the Cambridge’s made an announcement at weekend about racism it was met with so much backlash for not making a statement when Meghan was a royal.

I would take anything in that book with a grain of salt.

I think Harry and Meghan have done the rest of the family the world of good - they have shown how reliable, solid and dedicated the more senior royals are. Charles is very aware of the public purse, hence there will be a more streamlined monarchy in future.

Those two have really shot themselves in the feet with their impatience, grabbiness and wanting to be centre of attention.

@Maskedcrusader

I would take anything in that book with a grain of salt.

It was very pro Meghan with Harry in the background so a completely one sided view but she’s now admitted she’s did collaborate on it so I believe a lot of the stuff whilst accepting its from Meghans perspective.

The monarchy is not a popularity contest. It won’t end just because people don’t like Charles as much as they do the Queen.

It always makes me laugh when I read people saying ‘The monarchy should end when the Queen dies’, as if it’s a simple as her pegging it on Friday, being buried on Monday and on Tuesday we’re a republic. This sort of thing could take decades to change. Look at Brexit - we’d only been in the EU for 47 years. Imagine unpicking hundreds of years of constitutional structure. Also, the Queen could die tomorrow or live to be 110 - are these days saying it really doesn’t matter if the monarchy ends in 15 years or 15 days, as long as the big switchover happens before Charles is in charge?

I think they'll be around for a long time yet, and I'm pleased about that. They're a symbol of a Britain that is sadly being forgotten.

I think Charles will actually be quite well liked, he's very concerned about the planet and hopefully will do some good.

I personally don't like Megan at all and feel terrible for Harry. I saw that he is having his military honours taken away from him and that must be truly devastating for him.

Yabu

Anyway after reading it I just can’t see how sustainable the Royal Family are. The Queen won’t have long left to reign. There’s loads of hate against Camilla in the world,even though I quite like her, so I can’t see Charles as King being a success. Then William and Kate are losing popularity because of the fallout and that’s basically all there is.

This sounds like how Americans perceive the Royals to be, it's utter poppycock.

The Royal Family won't be gone in our lifetime they are too popular and too powerful.

I also don't think Camilla is that unpopular anymore. I think she's fantastic...then again I don't think Diana was the saint she was right wing media made her out to be

Oh don’t get me wrong I don’t think the monarchy will be abolished anytime soon. I just think tolerance of them will reduce and their popularity diminish and so they will have less of a role in future generations.

@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows I am 100% with you on that!

YABU to base your views of the monarchy on Finding Freedom...it’s like basing your views of the political landscape on the daily mail

I think there’s a certain section of the population (saint diana fans) who would love to believe the monarchy would end with the Queen so that Charles doesn’t get to be king.

I can’t see it happening though, Charles (and Camilla) have done an astonishing PR job over the last 20 years, genuinely excellent - he’s now seen as solid, dependable and actually fairly forward thinking in his environmental views.

I can see the monarchy being slimmed down massively - no one wants to see a hundred cousins, aunts, uncles etc being publically funded (we all know their royal connections get them quite enough money)

So glad to see that others weren't so taken by 'Saint Diana' too. Honestly, he death was tragic and I do believe that it was likely intentional which was wrong. But I wasn't a very big fan of hers at all.

@MythsandSparkles It’s already been slimmed down so much that I can’t see how sustainable it is when it comes to just William and his children.

The book is terrible I agree, it was so heavily biased it was insulting to anyone who isn’t Meghans number one fan. It was only really the competitiveness between households that surprised me and the (alleged) extent they go to to out do each other despite being family.

I know there’s always been scandals but it the last 40 years there’s been an awful lot, and rumours over the last few years show the cycle continuing and I’m just unsure how much patience the public will have of this. Although there hasn’t been too massive an outrage at Andrews diabolical behaviour.

I sincerely hope the royals will be discarded to the waste bin of history. No place for a host of unelected people with inherited privilege funded by the taxpayer in a 21 century democracy.

They are imploding by their own actions already. Philanderer Charles 'I wish I was a Tampax' living off taxpayers money for the longest work experience in history, Philip a rude racist who would have been sacked long ago if he had represented any other 'firm' that badly, Airmiles Andrew, my good friend is paedophile, Fergie and Sophie - I'll sell access to my royal husband at the right price, William and Kate - we have no jobs between us but live in luxury anyway, Edward - I keep my head down as I'm bound to put my arrogant foot in it. Beatrice and Eugenie - we want what all the other royals have despite the fact we have no function or role.
Can't see why Harry and Meghan have taken all the flak - they are the only two who actually had jobs.

Every time a royal drops out or dies - The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret Philip, Andrew, Diana - nothing changes at all. Nothing is missed - everything just carries on. The real work is done by others, non royals.

@Maskedcrusader

I would take anything in that book with a grain of salt.

I would take it with a whole salt mine.

he’s now seen as solid, dependable and actually fairly forward thinking in his environmental views.

He's always been way ahead of the ball on many topics, things that were sneered at are now accepted.

Meghan really isn’t liked at all so I’m not sure where that perception comes from.

Most of the world have forgotten about Diana now really, and even those who haven’t have recognised that she wasn’t exactly the saint she was portrayed in the media. I think if she and Charles had still been married she would have been universally disliked by now, and even if they hadn’t been married she would have disappeared into obscurity.

I give it 5 years before Harry comes back

No, I don't think it will disappear. It might become streamlined though I think there are some limits to how streamlined it could be.

But I don't think popularity is really the issue. Constitutional monarchy is a good political system, from an empirical standpoint they perform quite well. Tinkering with political systems when there is no pressing reason is often pretty unsuccessful, it's like tinkering with an ecosystem - often it does little good and has unexpected, negative effects.

I noticed that William recently expressed concern at racial abuse of footballers, but didn't do anything to publicly condemn the nasty racist abuse his SIL, her mother and even his own baby nephew (and that was particularly vile) received.

I also note that Megan and Harry left weeks after her name was removed from her child's birth certificate - something about which she was apparently quite upset (referring to it as making her "nameless" on her own child's birth cert). Why was her name removed? On whose orders?

It's all totally bizarre.

I can see the monarchy being slimmed down massively - no one wants to see a hundred cousins, aunts, uncles etc being publically funded (we all know their royal connections get them quite enough money)

None of those people are publicly funded now, though. If they are rich it's their own income, the same as every non-royal rich person with inherited wealth.

I think Charles wants a far more slim lined monarchy and I am all for that. I think Camilla's great. I was never a Saint Diana fan.
There was a great pic of the Queen of the Netherlands coming out of their equivalent of Lidl a few weeks ago. She was eating a hot dog and had a fag in her hand. That's my kind of monarch

They are basically nothing more that tourist attractions now anyway, I'm sure they'll limp pointlessly on.

The RF will keep going with all the silly pomp and froth we are used to. What alternative is there? As PP have said, it would take centuries and more lawyers than we have to unpick all the complex threads. However, I think the pandemic will indelibly change the scope and role of the the monarchy. They haven't exactly been front and centre during Covid and genuine heroes have risen to the forefront of our attention purely on the basis of their achievements and contributions. All the while, the palaces have all been squabbling about Sussexit and Prince Andrew and various PR blunders like that absurd train tour. I think all the current spare children will grow up to get jobs and all the silly hangers on (the Duke and duchess of Kent, anyone!?) will be quietly pensioned off. It will be discretely done but, in the end, the RF will be cheaper, smaller and drabber than it's ever been. Kate will still be grinning at everything and have fabulous hair.