To think the royal family should end at the queen

[Letshaveablackcelebration]

I have respect for the Queen’s sense of duty but I do genuinely believe that it’s time for a conversation about the royal family. Honestly, who cares about the coming King Charles- is that really right? People mostly respect the queen but not the rest of them.

I read this article and I was one of those who thought their interview showed up some horrible stuff- there are clearly issues with the royals

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/may/13/prince-harry-royal-family-like-being-in-the-truman-show

Apart from all of the drama, I don’t think that we should be funding a royal family with tax payers money when the country is in such a state & the queen is literally one of the richest women in the world. I know royals in other countries are funded differently. The fact that the tories are mooting the idea of spending millions of public money on a ne boat to remember Prince Philip is a classic example.

Aibu?

Imagine the cost of actually dismantling the monarchy? Stamps, Royal Mail and money needing to be redesigned just to name a few of the issues that would crop up (not just limited to the UK but other commonwealth countries also). Despite no longer being monarchs, the cost of their security would still apply. The costs of maintaining royal residences, the tourism factor.

Who's going to get the job of redesigning ceremonies such as the opening of parliament? The honours bestowed on people for their charitable efforts, a letter from Boris isn't going to be quite the same on a 100th birthday.

The UK is famous for its royal family, the history (the scandal), between Brexit and a badly managed pandemic I don't think it's time to afford to do without them.

Crown Estates and Private income are two different things. No need to get so abusive

You went in hard yourself without understanding it. Expect to get it back.

Disagree. No. way do I want a President Blair, Johnson,Corby etc,

Money won’t necessarily be saved as the prescient will cost

The RF pay a large amounting tax, quite correctly, they contribute lots to tourism, they do a lot behind the scenes with the commonwealth countries etc

YABU to read an article in a newspaper from a spoilt petulant man child who should no better. It’s one side of the story given by someon3 who knows the RF cannot respond

@TheKeatingFive

But she would take her private assets

Yes she would take her private assets.

She wouldn’t take the crown estates because they don’t belong to her as a private individual.

And the British people get £12bn, and the royal family keeps its personal £500m or so

Who's going to get the job of redesigning ceremonies such as the opening of parliament? The honours bestowed on people for their charitable efforts, a letter from Boris isn't going to be quite the same on a 100th birthday.

The honours system is a joke, most people don’t get gongs for charitable efforts.

No. way do I want a President Blair, Johnson,Corby etc

Why would you get those kinds of people though? Have you seen the people elected to the Irish presidency? I think most people would be happy with them.

"Crown Estates and Private income are two different things. "

Yes they are.

The revenue from the crown estate goes to the Treasury. From that, the family receive the Sovereign grant which pays for the royal families official business. The Queen does not own the crown estate and if the Windsors decided to up sticks and leave they would have no claim over this money. The Crown estates are owned by an independent business who manage it and this arrangement would continue if the Monarchy were abolished with the money still going to the treasury. Once again, the Queen has NO legal right over this money AT ALL.

The Queen's personal wealth is her own. She pays tax voluntarily on it although she is not legally liable to do so.

@TheKeatingFive

Crown Estates and Private income are two different things. No need to get so abusive

You went in hard yourself without understanding it. Expect to get it back.

I'm not rude and I don't pointedly name call from behind a keyboard. The difference is you are abusive, and use abusive language

@ispepsiokay

Imagine the cost of actually dismantling the monarchy? Stamps, Royal Mail and money needing to be redesigned just to name a few of the issues that would crop up (not just limited to the UK but other commonwealth countries also). Despite no longer being monarchs, the cost of their security would still apply. The costs of maintaining royal residences, the tourism factor.

Who's going to get the job of redesigning ceremonies such as the opening of parliament? The honours bestowed on people for their charitable efforts, a letter from Boris isn't going to be quite the same on a 100th birthday.

The UK is famous for its royal family, the history (the scandal), between Brexit and a badly managed pandemic I don't think it's time to afford to do without them.

"It's tradition" or "we'd new stamps" are shit reasons to keep the monarchy.

I'm not rude and I don't pointedly name call from behind a keyboard. The difference is you are abusive, and use abusive language

Report me if you think I’ve broken guidelines

I agree but it won’t happen.

"It's tradition" or "we'd new stamps" are shit reasons to keep the monarchy.

These comments - 'lets get rid of the monarchy' are a bit like let's just have a quick vote on whether or not to stay in the EU- no planning, not bothering to consider the implications, not consider the cost or the negatives no consideration of a close vote , should there have been a different options on the voting form etc etc etc etc
Because look how well Brexit has gone / is going - no probs there!!!!
There should be a rule on these discussions that glib unthought through snipes and moans should not be allowed- instead valued comment and debate is needed otherwise they are just boring and repetitive.

I live in the Republic of South Africa.... We have a royal family too...
Have a read here.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9557111/New-King-Zulus-whisked-away-public-unveiling-chaotic-scenes-South-Africa.html?ito=native_share_article-masthead

The Daily Mail isnt my media of choice but I cant really find much wrong with this article.
Charles and co are not so bad

@ispepsiokay

Imagine the cost of actually dismantling the monarchy? Stamps, Royal Mail and money needing to be redesigned just to name a few of the issues that would crop up (not just limited to the UK but other commonwealth countries also). Despite no longer being monarchs, the cost of their security would still apply. The costs of maintaining royal residences, the tourism factor.

Who's going to get the job of redesigning ceremonies such as the opening of parliament? The honours bestowed on people for their charitable efforts, a letter from Boris isn't going to be quite the same on a 100th birthday.

The UK is famous for its royal family, the history (the scandal), between Brexit and a badly managed pandemic I don't think it's time to afford to do without them.

Stamps and bank notes? Not the most convincing argument I've ever seen to keep the RF

And as for the UK being famous for its RF, we are also famous for having terrible teeth, being repressed and our miserable weather. The reverence that the rest of the world may have had for the RF is slowly slipping away, our RF are a laughing stock to many. Times have changed. The RF may survive a few more decades but it will not be around forever.

I honestly don't understand the 'tourist attraction' argument. It would be easy to keep places like Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle etc open as tourist attractions (like the many, many castles and palaces already operating as such) without the RF in residence.

Versaille hasn't been a royal residence since 1789 yet still receives millions of annual visitors ...

@Letshaveablackcelebration

Not nescessarily the Prime Minister *@Quincie* but we could look at other models where people are elected like in Ireland or France (obviously not advocating for guilotines to get there though)

No harm to France or Ireland but urrgghhh Fucking Boris is a bad enough thundercunt as PM - President - no thanks. And before anyone accuses me of Party bias - I feel exactly the same about Tony bastarding Blair. The great thing about our monarchy is they are free of association with party politics.

No harm to France or Ireland but urrgghhh

Do you actually know anything about the Irish model?

Sounds like you don’t.

But sure, she can barely afford a Twix on that

Indeed. Who even cares where she is on the "richest person" list? That's not 'real world' perspective - it's a rich and privileged person's problem.

"Oh where are are you on the List? Hmm, how lovely. I'm richer than you then but only by 1m. Try to catch up, will you?!"

The fact that she's on that list even if she's the last person and is worth hundreds of millions in personal wealth means she's not "one of us", as many like to say. Most people couldn't even dream of such. She's one of the elites - you know those people we love to hate. But because she's Queenie, it's played down as "she only receives [a meagre] % of blah blah", as if 25% is £25. That 25% is hardly a "shitty end of the stick" compared to what her subjects have to live on and it's quite insensitive to expect them to feel for her "meagre" millionaire's income.

But it's her right by blood and being born into the right family to "earn" that amount of money so it's very well deserved.

@jaguarsearlobes

I honestly don't understand the 'tourist attraction' argument. It would be easy to keep places like Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle etc open as tourist attractions (like the many, many castles and palaces already operating as such) without the RF in residence.

Versaille hasn't been a royal residence since 1789 yet still receives millions of annual visitors ...

Quite.

The Forbidden City doesn't do too badly either...

I think France and the US are the most visited countries in the world. What do they have in common I wonder?

@Letshaveablackcelebration

Realistically too- if Scotland becomes independent, Ireland reunifies and Wales do too (I am welsh and support independence) then there isn’t going to be much of a kingdom to rule over - lots of the commonwealth moot independence too! It has always bothered me that we have a Prince of Wales!

Well, Athelstan to Elizabeth I ruled over just England for nearly 700 years, so it shouldn't be a problem.

My theory is that the Queen is respected for her longevity; the same sort of way rock veterans receive honours and are revered even when their voice has reduced to a whisper and the last decent song they penned was in 1968.

Heredity is a ludicrous, anachronistic basis for a 21st century developed country calling itself a democracy. My objections are not personal - as an almost lifelong republican I'd take the same stance were those holding these positions the most benign, wonderful people in the world - but the Windsors have hardly been good custodians.

All that obscene privilege - and I don't just mean the monetary kind - and all they have to do in return for that is be neutral, smile, and perfect the art of small talk. Plus have once-weekly meetings with our democratically-elected representatives, the contents of which we the electorate are not allowed to know. They are the only citizens of this entire country exempt from the FOI - an privilege extended to every member of the family. They pay tax at a rate they think they will, that we are also not allowed to know. We're fed the line that they don't have power. That is demonstrably untrue.

In return for all this, they can't even make a pretence of civility to one another in public. Or, in the case of the Yorks, keep their grasping hands off any coffers they see open to them, and as for the company some of them keep, we won't even go there.

I'd vote rid. One day, I still hope this country will have a National Anthem I can actually sing.

I'd vote rid. One day, I still hope this country will have a National Anthem I can actually sing.

It will probably have Chinese words.

@Smashingorbs

Ooh err - voting has reached 50%-50% now!

If it is 50/50 on MN then the general public will vote for the monarchy to remain. No need for a referendum!