Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Abolishing the Monarcy.

880 replies

Helendee · 17/02/2021 12:45

Good or bad idea and reasons for your opinion?
I don’t feel strongly either way but I am curious about what aspects of becoming a Republic are more beneficial than the UK’s stable current system.

OP posts:
CathyorClaire · 20/02/2021 11:41

The FBI have no right or jurisdiction to interrogate British citizens on British soil

There is nothing stopping him from volunteering an informal discussion. It's not like he doesn't have the time and it could even be done remotely from the comfort of any of the many palaces he's free to skulk in.

thereisonlyoneofme · 20/02/2021 11:45

@Sloth66

They are unelected, unaccountable and seemingly, able to manipulate the law. Remember Prince Philip’s car accident a few years ago, when he hit another vehicle, breaking a woman’s wrist. The explanation offered was that he didn’t see the car because of the sun. He surrendered his license, but was not prosecuted. Try that defence yourself, I doubt you’d get the same result.
Most people arent prosecuted for a car accident unless they are under the influence of drink, drugs etc or driving dangerously, which no one has said he was
CathyorClaire · 20/02/2021 11:47

The RF have been criticised as 'not being good role models' and here we have a woman being just that by being a good mother who is loving and trying to protect her son.

She could have done that in private instead of sticking two fingers up to the plebs by riding out with him at a norious pap haunt a few days after the interview then having him riding shotgun going to church a short while later.

merrymouse · 20/02/2021 12:07

his really dodgy deal selling Sunninghill (or whatever it was called) to some some ME guy for an inflated price (it had fallen into complete rack and ruin)

He sold it to Timur Kulibayev, the son in law of, Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Kazakh president from 1990 to 2019. Kazakh is run as a dictatorship and has never had free and fair elections, but Prince Andrew has tried to act as an intermediary for his Kazakh connections on several occasions.

Timur Kulibayev is believed to have skimmed vast profits from state infrastructure projects.

www.ft.com/content/80f25f82-5f21-4a56-b2bb-7a48e61dd9c6

Even if you think Prince Andrew is just a bit thick, the Queen's need to find him an important sounding role put him in a position where the conflict between his sense of importance and abilities made him an easy target for corrupt individuals who require 'royal' washing.

The potential for corruption is a feature, not a bug.

CathyorClaire · 20/02/2021 12:22

notorious

the Queen's need to find him an important sounding role

Heirs and spares are an ongoing issue for the royals. Something William and then George are going to have to think about. Assuming the whole thing isn't abolished by the time they get to the reins of course.

VinylDetective · 20/02/2021 12:22

Remember Prince Philip’s car accident a few years ago, when he hit another vehicle, breaking a woman’s wrist. The explanation offered was that he didn’t see the car because of the sun. He surrendered his license, but was not prosecuted.Try that defence yourself, I doubt you’d get the same result

I think just about any 97 year old (as he was then) would get exactly that result. All the police are interested in is removing the dangerous driver from the road.

Lalliella · 20/02/2021 12:25

Abolish. It’s an undemocratic, outdated, pointless institution.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 20/02/2021 12:47

You can add Pitch@Palace to that long list of Andy’s dodgy business deals

Quite right; I forgot that one, just as I forgot the award mummy pulled out of the hat when he lost the "Trade Representative" thing

And this is a woman who folk insist is possessed of excellent judgement ...

Pedallleur · 20/02/2021 12:56

Sticks in my throat but doubt he will ever be interviewed. Maybe, in private at a time/place of his choosing and in the presence of his barrister. But no one has the appetite for it. He has married off the daughters to money and he can now lie quietly out of the public glare.

Roussette · 20/02/2021 13:04

I doubt it will go anywhere also. The RF have very powerful influence. But we have to wait... Ghislaine Maxwell, his bestie, and who procured the girls for Epstein (she is in prison in NY at the mo, bail denied) ... the court case for her is coming up. She might go for a plea deal and dish the dirt on him.
Now that will be very interesting as to how the RF deal with that, and for once they won't be able to use Harry & Meghan as a convenient foil for Andrew's tawdry behaviour.

DGRossetti · 20/02/2021 13:07

@Puzzledandpissedoff

You can add Pitch@Palace to that long list of Andy’s dodgy business deals

Quite right; I forgot that one, just as I forgot the award mummy pulled out of the hat when he lost the "Trade Representative" thing

And this is a woman who folk insist is possessed of excellent judgement ...

... or who can afford to surround herself with people who are of excellent judgement.

Which makes the whole Prince Andrew incident more interesting. Was she acting on or against advice ?

Puzzledandpissedoff · 20/02/2021 13:27

Was she acting on or against advice?

Who can say? Then again, would anyone fancy trying to offer her advice where Andrew's concerned - at least, anyone who wanted to keep their job?

As so many of us have said, she could have "supported" him privately and nobody would ever have known her position on this, but instead she chose to flick the Vs to the entire nation by doing it very publicly ... and somehow I doubt that'll be forgotten any time soon

Roussette · 20/02/2021 13:49

No, it won't be forgotten.

I read an interesting article once... about how Andrew came to be the favourite son. Him and Edward were almost a second family, Andrew being born 10 years after Anne. She may as well felt some guilt with the hands off approach she had with Charles and Anne... she went off on a commonwealth tour for 3 months when they were babies.

So along comes Andrew and he gets away with murder. Apparently he was quite the practical joker, turning the TV off when the Queen was watching racing, putting bubble bath in the heated palace pool etc etc so the Queen indulged him and just laughed, which ended up with him turning into an entitled twat

Fast forward to the paedophile friend and all of that... and he is still favourite son who can do no wrong. So not only did she support him in private, she sent out a message saying that whatever he does, she will always be on his side, because in her eyes he can do no wrong.
Bet she was beyond shocked at the backlash against that interview which she gave her blessing to. In

LakieLady · 20/02/2021 14:36

@VinylDetective

Yup, all different *@Roussette*. I’ve seen various senior clinicians awarded CBEs and knighthoods and without exception they’ve been quite giddy about their visit to the palace. The same when they get garden party invitations.
But someone who is not pro-monarchy would be unlikely to accept an antiquated honour that has its roots in aristocracy and imperialism.

And they'd be a hypocrite if they did.

Iamthewombat · 20/02/2021 14:41

We never find out who turned one down: like the palace are going to make that public!

The CEO of one of the businesses I worked for turned down a CBE. He “couldn’t be arsed with all that nonsense”, particularly because the honour was offered for his work on increasing poorer kids’ chances of accessing good university courses and well paid careers. He certainly saw the irony of bowing to someone wearing a crown!

Roussette · 20/02/2021 15:00

This made me laugh.

WARNING... do not click on this if you are a rampant royalist. You will really really not like it.

'A life of public service'

twitter.com/PhantomPower14/status/1362800464308408329

LakieLady · 20/02/2021 15:12

@JoanWilderbeast

Can we nationalise "their" assets as well please?
Oh yes please!

The royal art collection is worth billions. While some pieces are on more or less permanent loan to UK galleries, there is so much that is rarely, if ever, seen - Breughels, Canalettoes, Rembrandts, Michelangeloes, Vermeers - much of it never seen by the public.

There's lots of applied art, too - the Faberge is well known and much of it was displayed at the V&A in the 70s, but there's wonderful furniture, ceramics, clocks, jewellery, textiles - and hardly anyone gets to appreciate it.

It's such a waste. And I believe it's held in trust for the monarch and their descendants. If we abolish the monarchy, it can become the property of all of us, displayed in galleries across the UK and we can all enjoy and appreciate it.

Roussette · 20/02/2021 15:21

Oh yes. And the RF could set up Galleries all over the UK, not just in London to display some of this. Giving back to the people.

I think I'll suggest it to Charles for when he takes over

Puzzledandpissedoff · 20/02/2021 15:22

Makes perfect sense to me, Roussette, but the issue is what it looks like from someone in the Queen's position. However it seems she doesn't care, since no-one's going to be removing them in the near future and certainly not while she lives

I do wonder what Charles's approach to Andrew will be though, and more to the point William's in time. With Charles I've always believed they have too much dirt on him to make themselves touchable, but I'm not so sure about William - especially if Andrew's also gone by the time his turn comes

BTW does anyone know what the hell's happening to this site today? It keeps going down here, and looking at one of those "website checker" things it's certainly not just me

ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia · 20/02/2021 15:22

Treasonous mutterings amongst our chattering peasants!

Still slightly neutral but finding it increasingly challenging as it seemingly appears this extended family are just rulers and owners above the law. To all intent and purposes they pragmatically are of course as they are ruler owner and demi gods.

Are we common subjects (or otherwise known as the plebs) complicit in acknowledgment and passive acceptance of many of their evil criminality and hypocrisy including very close connections and best mates with even more authoritarian rulers, monarchs, ultra high net worth types with known inhumanity legacies etc?

I am one for evidence and facts but sometimes by deduction of existing material facts or omissions (especially secretive protected shielded avoidance) is evident as to their continued disregards for others as it is right to conclude they are above the law untouchables.

Is it our place to request equality, fairness, justice or a share of the loot built up over centuries. If not billions on paper their assets including realty and chattels globally as well as some of the finest treasures sourced globally from the planets bounty tend to suggest they may be jewels in the crown but those jewels are obtained not on merit but by birth right.

This once in a hundred year global pandemic may be the great reset for most of us but for the most über privileged it is business as usual and do as we say not as we do or off with your head. Extended family members are even actively commoditising the brand al la Hollywood exile working at a new palatial home benefiting from funds originating from the commoners while hypocritically preaching charity and various humanity and ecological issues but joining the greedy celebratory crowd selling their preferred versions of their soap operas to the highest bidder for prime time media connected to their new cronies and mates with the right media networks giving a new type of royal Disney or Netflix. A reality television royalist version of keeping up with whoever.

A close French friend says you British may talk the talk and do the walk on Brexit but are not hardline revolutionary when it comes to national treasures and legacy undemocratic issues as we (French) have equality liberty fraternity enjoying our national shared (not personal ownership) heritage of Château de Versailles et al. Your Bucks House state housing will always be pay as you go ticket only when the one and only permits when outbid town.

Would we Brits and colonial commonwealth still be taken in by all those good behaviour awards stickers of antiquated "honours" to give continued credit and respect to deep rooted aristocracy and imperialism? British Empire badges anyone? The "Lords and titled would have none of this talk of double or multiple standards". The royal sate mafia jobs and titles will remain. God save these life long posts of all you can eat super deluxe imperial class all inclusive! And no we don't pay taxes as we own you and you play us for our housing needs! Now where are those pesky servants and what is this working at home nonsense! What's all this media chatter and what is all that American chats show thing about as we don't do CIA or any other Americans especially not when it does not suit our needs. Perhaps we need to get our people to censor that treasonous nonsense too?!

We are not even the Windsors but more Battenberg Windsor Hanover Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha as Del Boy would say Rodney Charlton Trotter you plonker!

Puzzledandpissedoff · 20/02/2021 15:26

Sorry, that last post was in reply to yours at 13.49 - the thing's moved on a bit by now, but I missed it with the website crashes

Roussette · 20/02/2021 16:09

8ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia*

Great post and food for thought Smile

MsTSwift · 20/02/2021 16:32

Lakie you are absolutely right and I know they are really not keen on displaying their treasures to the rest of us 🙁🙄

VinylDetective · 20/02/2021 16:49

@MsTSwift

Lakie you are absolutely right and I know they are really not keen on displaying their treasures to the rest of us 🙁🙄
That may change with the Queen’s death. Putting it all on display and charging to see it could certainly help with the debts accrued over the last year.

I’m really hoping the monarchy modernises significantly when there’s a change of occupancy of the throne.

CathyorClaire · 20/02/2021 17:07

I'm wondering if Andrew's still retaining his £1K an hour extradition expert.

As for turned down honours I read somewhere BP has a policy of asking potential recipients whether they'll accept them in advance so unless said potential recipients go public with the turning down we'll never know.