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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How do we stop being a constitutional monarchy??

121 replies

Griefmonster · 19/09/2021 15:26

Inspired by another thread.... What steps would need to be taken to stop having a monarch as our head of state?

Does it need to be a referendum and then declare a republic? how would a law be passed? What are the steps? And when was the last time we had a reliable poll on public opinion? And any mid-point steps between what we have now and no monarchy at all?

OP posts:
Lockheart · 20/09/2021 15:57

@MimiDaisy11

It suits their interest to blur the lines between private and public. So when it comes to paying for repairs and upgrades it’s the public purse who should pay but when it comes to receiving income it’s their asset.
Do you have any links? The only things I'm aware of paid by the public purse are those assets owned by the Crown Estate e.g. Buckingham Palace and Frogmore House.

Repairs to Sandringham two years ago were funded privately, as it's not a Crown Estate property.

TheKeatingFive · 20/09/2021 15:59

I don’t think the public has paid for any private property repairs.

The blurring of lines though is absolutely exploited by them, but more with respect to ownership of the Crown Estates and keeping that nice and wooly in the public mind.

CiaoForNiao · 20/09/2021 16:03

@TheKeatingFive

And even if they aren't, what would happen to them if we dissolved the royal family? I mean they're hardly likely to house the homeless in them.

They’d be state assets and we could do whatever. Open Buck House up fully to the masses like Versailles for starters.

Yes sorry. I know that's the most likely outcome. But, realistically, What difference does that have? Surely the money raised visiting them would go towards the upkeep. So they wouldn't be massive money makers. Or maybe they would.
TheKeatingFive · 20/09/2021 16:06

So they wouldn't be massive money makers. Or maybe they would.

Like anything, it’s what you make of it.

Rent out Holyrood for corporate events. You could charge loads for that.

But taking back the sovereign grant and the duchy income would be the easiest way to feel a benefit.

CiaoForNiao · 20/09/2021 16:08

Thanks @TheKeatingFive. I'm gonna have to have a Google. As I have no idea what the sovereign grant and duchy income are Blush

Hont1986 · 20/09/2021 16:09

It'd be like giving up your own car as well when you have to return the company one.

It would be more like having to return your car which you thought was legitimately owned when it turns out it was stolen.

Bollocks do I think they 'own' Sandringham and the rest as their personal property. They are the descendants of warlords who pillaged and plundered to get what they have now. They legitimised it by claiming they were given the right by God. The modern world doesn't have to keep up the pretense, just take it back off them.

Hont1986 · 20/09/2021 16:10

Of course, if it lets them go quietly then let them keep a palace or two. They'll flog it off as soon as possible once they get the first roof repair bill.

TheKeatingFive · 20/09/2021 16:11

Thanks @TheKeatingFive. I'm gonna have to have a Google. As I have no idea what the sovereign grant and duchy income are

It certainly takes a while unpacking all those income streams 😆

TheKeatingFive · 20/09/2021 16:13

Bollocks do I think they 'own' Sandringham and the rest as their personal property. They are the descendants of warlords who pillaged and plundered to get what they have now.

Well sure, but stripping the private property is proper communist territory and would have implications for all private ownership so personally I don’t think we should go there. 😆

CiaoForNiao · 20/09/2021 16:22

@Hont1986

It'd be like giving up your own car as well when you have to return the company one.

It would be more like having to return your car which you thought was legitimately owned when it turns out it was stolen.

Bollocks do I think they 'own' Sandringham and the rest as their personal property. They are the descendants of warlords who pillaged and plundered to get what they have now. They legitimised it by claiming they were given the right by God. The modern world doesn't have to keep up the pretense, just take it back off them.

But that's the thing isn't it. They are privately owned because their ancestors stole them from someone else. But they aren't the only family to have assets which were originally acquired in a less than savory way. So how far back in history do we go before we say "actually yes. That's yours"? 4 generations? 5? 6?

And I know it sounds like I'm arguing for keeping the RF. Actually I don't really care. I suppose if I had to choose I'd keep them because deep down I love the tradition and pomp and ceremony. I'm just wondering how we'd even begin to unpick who really owns anything.

cabingirl · 20/09/2021 16:26

It's complicated and would take a lot of work. Our constitutional monarchy is bound up in lots of aspects of life - parliament, laws, armed forces etc. Whoever decided to dismantle it would have to amend all the different laws, rules, traditions to remove (and possibly replace) the role of the monarch with a different head of state, or something else (?)

It would be years of work - and probably considerable cost so the political party which goes for it needs to be sure there's enough public support for it otherwise it will be political suicide.

Also, for the PP who said would the Windsors decamp to Ottowa - very unlikely - their lives would probably get a million times easier - they'd just be able to retreat to the homes they already own - Balmoral, Sandringham, Highgrove etc. And just get on with enjoying all their private wealth.

They'd lose the Duchy incomes presumably but then again they wouldn't need to staff the palaces, or the Crown estate properties or run them in any form as they'd be all run by the government. Or sold off?

Andrew and Edward's families and the Queen's older cousins would need to find somewhere else to live. Everyone else has their own privately owned residences.

They'd probably all keep their titles too - unless the political party who goes for getting rid of the monarchy decides to take away all inherited titles and that is VERY unlikely considering how rich, politically influential and powerful a lot of the people with titles across the country are.

I think the far more likely scenario after the Queen dies is the British Royal family slim down the 'working members' return a lot of the big properties over to more public use (Charles apparently has suggested Buckingham Palace could become a public museum) and we'll end up with something much more modest like the constitutional monarchies of Belgium, Spain, Netherlands etc.

Charles is a bit of a spender though so I don't think his reign is going to be popular - I can see William achiveing the slimmed down version though.

CathyorClaire · 20/09/2021 16:33

At least we know they have the country’s best interests at heart and put charity and duty before all else

They have their own best interests at heart. What passes for duty is heavily interspersed with unaccounted for days and weeks and 76% of charities haven't seen their royal patron's mug even once in the previous year.

Hont1986 · 20/09/2021 16:34

But they aren't the only family to have assets which were originally acquired in a less than savory way. So how far back in history do we go before we say "actually yes. That's yours"? 4 generations? 5? 6?

No, but they are the only family that has codified institutional power. I'm not aware of any others in the UK.

If any other rich old families start making the same claims about fundamentally owning all the land or being the sole creator of law then I would also be happy to reconsider their private property ownership too.

Whinginadeville · 20/09/2021 16:34

Put me in charge. The immediate Royal Family (Liz + kids + grandkids) would get a £1m 'redundancy payment' and a nice reference letter. Everyone else is cut off entirely. All property and savings returned to the state, including their 'private' property.
Will you and your family also be giving everything up?

CiaoForNiao · 20/09/2021 16:38

@Hont1986

But they aren't the only family to have assets which were originally acquired in a less than savory way. So how far back in history do we go before we say "actually yes. That's yours"? 4 generations? 5? 6?

No, but they are the only family that has codified institutional power. I'm not aware of any others in the UK.

If any other rich old families start making the same claims about fundamentally owning all the land or being the sole creator of law then I would also be happy to reconsider their private property ownership too.

Fair enough.
LizzieW1969 · 20/09/2021 17:15

Charles is a bit of a spender though so I don't think his reign is going to be popular - I can see William achiveing the slimmed down version though.

I agree with this. I can’t honestly see Charles achieving a genuinely ‘slimmed down’ version of the Monarchy, though he might set in motion steps to achieve it after his death.

He may not have a very long reign, though. His mother might well have a few years to go yet.

Barbadossunset · 20/09/2021 19:21

Bollocks do I think they 'own' Sandringham and the rest as their personal property

Hont1986 So you would just seize private property?The USSR would’ve suited you down to the ground.

TrufflyPig · 20/09/2021 19:45

When you say you’re game for storming the gates what will you do to the place residents when you’ve stormed them?
Guillotine or firing squad?

Guillotine for sure. Andrew first.

LouiseBelchersBunnyEars · 20/09/2021 19:50

It would be a very long process and would cost absolutely millions, probably billions.

We’d need to implement an entirely new legal system, as there’d be no more royal assent etc

People, like me, just don’t care that much, it’s probably cheaper to keep them tbh, I don’t fancy a revolution, I’m too busy trying to keep the roof over our heads 🤷‍♀️

Mumoblue · 20/09/2021 19:54

No idea how it would happen, but I am in favour of it. Seems ridiculous to have a monarchy in this day and age.

Barbadossunset · 20/09/2021 19:57

Guillotine for sure. Andrew first

Would you guillotine him before you guillotined his children or after?

TrufflyPig · 20/09/2021 20:00

Would you guillotine him before you guillotined his children or after?

😂 There's always one who won't let you have any fun isn't there?!

TrufflyPig · 20/09/2021 20:08

In all seriousness though I agree with previous posters about having to bide our time. The Queen will not live forever and Charles does not have the public support he thinks he does.

Possibly a generational thing too, I don't know many people my age who actively support the monarchy. Mostly quiet indifference or passive acceptance.

RealBecca · 20/09/2021 22:05

Doesnt the monarch have to rubber stamp all laws? Even with a referendum i cant seeing the queen signing over that power!

Endlesscleaning · 20/09/2021 22:16

Hey guys, what a great idea. Let’s get rid of Britain’s dignified and dutiful Queen who is loved and recognised the World over.

Let’s replace her with a Trump or a Biden 👍

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