To think the royal family are a bloody embarrassment

[MariaAngustias]

Just that - why are we paying for this bunch when we could be spending the money on essential services? Let the Queen continue then after her just get rid of the whole bloody lot of them. We have and alleged paedo, a whinging multi millionaire in his 30's moaning constantly, an allegedly corrupt heir to the throne meeting dodgy russians for money....... just go, enough. Seriously - this is all Jeremy Kyle for poshos.

I hate Twitter too, to be fair. It’s the cesspit of the Internet.

@Rousette I'm going to tag you because I believe you may want to know this.

I hate Twitter too, to be fair. It’s the cesspit of the Internet.

Yes, it is.

It also has some good sides though, in that powerful people who can assert control over traditional media don’t have the same sway here. It can also work to give a voice to those who aren’t usually heard by traditional media.

I could really see the value of it when the trial of Paddy Jackson (the Belfast rugby player accused of rape) was going on. The system is stacked in favour of him, but Twitter allowed the true disgust felt towards his actions be expressed. And I know he wasn’t convicted, but the texts and the general attitude towards women was just revolting.

The flag waving numpties are just that - turning up to say 'I've seen one', they are not filling the collection pots ant more than the over pampered royals are

The usual spin offered is that a royal visit provides a huge fundraising boost and the "cause" were delighted to have them (there's always some fan who can be wheeled out to spout the necessary)

By the time they've paid out to tart places up, though, and totted up the hours spent by those better employed on other things, the position isn't always as clear ... and that's without the costs for security, transport, etc, borne by the rest of us

I was in a town last year that Princess Ann was visiting. For days leading up to her visit the police were disrupting the town center, and actually shut roads off on the day of the visit. Unbelievable the importance given to these people. The cost to that council must have been huge.

But it would cost the same even if you had elected people as head of state . Still with the disadvantage that half the population wouldn’t have voted for that person or agreed with their views. Plus all the election costs.
We could just have Boris / Nicola/ Mark/Paul(?) or but if you were charity that just had funding cut or some law had changed how could they support it or be it’s figurehead.
What would happen to the castles and historical bits. They still belong to their family.Zero benefit to Britain. I like Buckingham Palace as a palace, not an NHS hospital.

But it would cost the same even if you had elected people as head of state

Not at all. This info is readily available. The Irish spend much less on their HoS.

Still with the disadvantage that half the population wouldn’t have voted for that person or agreed with their views.

How is it a disadvantage compared to zero of the population voting for them now,

What would happen to the castles and historical bits. They still belong to their family.

Nope, most of them don’t.

i Buckingham Palace as a palace, not an NHS hospital.

Who’s saying it would be a hospital? The nation could have free run of it like Versailles.

But it would cost the same even if you had elected people as head of state

In theory, yes - even though Ireland's an exception - and this is why it's not really about the money for me despite the fact that the sheer extravagance gets a bit much

It's not even purely about the behaviour either; they could carry on like the Archangel Gabriel and I'd still have a major problem with an unelected, completely unaccountable head of state

Well if they don’t belong to them what’s the issue with that. We’ll be paying for them regardless.
No one voting for them means there’s no side in the game. They have one job to do. That’s it.

I do love the idea of an open Buckingham Palace though.

It was only fairly recently that the queen's exemption from employing people from ethnic minorities was revoked. The family is steeped in racism. The queen was exempt from equality laws which made it impossible for women or people from ethnic minorities working for her household to complain to the courts if they believed they were being discriminated against.

This exemption was lobbied for.

So no why would anyone look at Buckingham Palace and love what it stands for.

@ponyexpress22

I was in a town last year that Princess Ann was visiting. For days leading up to her visit the police were disrupting the town center, and actually shut roads off on the day of the visit. Unbelievable the importance given to these people. The cost to that council must have been huge.

I organised an official opening by Princess Anne a few years ago. No roads were closed and there was no disruption at all. Your local council are obviously fuckwits.

Here's some basic facts, to hopefully reduce the number of posters repeating the same flawed assumptions about how much this family really costs. Note the extra zeroes compared to ROI president annual cost. The part about the sovereign grant being doubled to pay for the Buck Pal refurb is curious. If she legitmately inherited 2 other massive properties why can't she go and live in one of them: why are WE paying to do up the gothic monstrosity when it's only open to us 2 months a year?!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finances_of_the_British_royal_family

@ponyexpress22

It was only fairly recently that the queen's exemption from employing people from ethnic minorities was revoked. The family is steeped in racism. The queen was exempt from equality laws which made it impossible for women or people from ethnic minorities working for her household to complain to the courts if they believed they were being discriminated against.

This exemption was lobbied for.

So no why would anyone look at Buckingham Palace and love what it stands for.

I'm genuinely shocked. On what grounds was this permissible?

I organised an official opening by Princess Anne a few years ago. No roads were closed and there was no disruption at all. Your local council are obviously fuckwits.

It wasn't my local council, was a town I was visiting. Yes I agree, total fuckwits. There's been many councils who've spent ridiculously on royal visits. Total waste of money.....just like the royal family are.

why are WE paying to do up the gothic monstrosity when it's only open to us 2 months a year?!

Because it belongs to us. We’re the landlord of Buck House.

Bosoms fairly swelled with national pride as the faithful masses finally released their awe and admiration, repressed for so, so long, in a frenzy of patriotic flag-waving.

Brings a tear to my eye just picturing the scene. Ah, those were the days, when nobody knew her brother was a total nonce.

Quote fail, that last one was about the impeccably organised visit.

I do really wonder about those people who call out "we love you" as the royals sweep past haughtily on their way to church on Christmas morning.
Shivering in the cold under blankets, with their flasks of tea, gazing at people who to them are like something stuck to their shoe.

No, we are hostages with no choice in the matter.

No landlord would pay 35m on refurbishing a palace that size for a family of 1+servants. (Her kids all have their own mansions). A landlord would redevelop into flats, or even better, bulldoze the horrible thing and build something useful.

No landlord would pay 35m on refurbishing a palace that size for a family of 1+servants. (Her kids all have their own mansions). A landlord would redevelop into flats, or even better, bulldoze the horrible thing and build something useful

And yet here we are - taxpayer landlords and refurbishing our property. So clearly they would and are.

If we are landlords why don't we profit from rental income? Instead of which we are the ones who have to pay to visit BP (around £60 per adult). Not many other landlords who have to pay to visit their own property.

Because it belongs to us. We’re the landlord of Buck House.

Landlords get to serve notice. Just saying 😂

@Blossomtoes

No landlord would pay 35m on refurbishing a palace that size for a family of 1+servants. (Her kids all have their own mansions). A landlord would redevelop into flats, or even better, bulldoze the horrible thing and build something useful

And yet here we are - taxpayer landlords and refurbishing our property. So clearly they would and are.

Eh???

I organised an official opening by Princess Anne a few years ago. No roads were closed and there was no disruption at all. Your local council are obviously fuckwits.

At the very least there would be an increased police presence in the days leading up to the visit, and all manholes along the route checked for bombs then sealed.

@HarrisonStickle

I organised an official opening by Princess Anne a few years ago. No roads were closed and there was no disruption at all. Your local council are obviously fuckwits.

At the very least there would be an increased police presence in the days leading up to the visit, and all manholes along the route checked for bombs then sealed.

She travelled 30 odd miles across the county between engagements so I very much doubt all manhole covers on the route were checked - it would have taken years! The building itself had a security scan and clearance on the day. No police presence other than on the day. And she had one security guy.