Time for the Queen to abdicate?

[GreenFingersWouldBeHandy]

If the first day of our new 'Prime Minister' is spent having to do a 1,000 mile round trip to Balmoral and back, rather than sorting out immediate problems, then is it time for the Queen to abdicate and let Charles take over?

The OP was clearly thinking of the old song by The Darkness, One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back.

Which, to be fair, isn't too far of the mark of what the former and new PM have done.

It’s pretty easy to work in First Class on a long train journey. I expect Liz T and flunkeys managed just fine.

Doesn't the queen have to give royal assent to bills to turn them into acts of parliament? If she is too frail/has dementia then she can't do this. Would that not mean we can't have any new legislation passed? What if she doesn't allow a regent?

The PM mostly does not travel in economy and can perfectly well work from the plane.

Most likely, sorry

Although officially he was the longest-reigning, I’m not sure how much of it counts considering he was only 4 when he became King! If you take it from his actual coronation at 16, Liz has far exceeded him already.

then is it time for the Queen to abdicate and let Charles take over?

No, no, no, no - Charles Windsor is not a fit person - he'll interfere - his interference in matters which are nothing to do with him has lost people jobs.

If she ceases to have capacity, then the decision will be made for her.

A Regency is created by Act of Parliament, not by the (frail) monarch

Keeps Truss out of Downing St for a good few hours at least.

Why?

Oh ffs 🤦🏼‍♀️

I think if theTory party of last few years have proved anything it's how easily replacable a Prime Minister is

Dang you, Mumsnetters, and may you be struck down by fleas and pestilence. I'm going to have the Proclaimers in my head for the rest of the day ...

Get rid of the hangers on and make them more like the Swedish or Dutch royals.

I think this is precisely what Charles will do when he gets his hands on the crown. He will prune it back to himself, Camilla, William and Kate and possibly Princess Anne (though she's an OAP too). He has been planning this for years - and particularly wants to get rid of Andrew and his brood.

From what I read, he wants to do this not only because he thinks it's the way to go for the country, but frankly wants to end the ridiculous pantomime which accompanies the job and have much-reduced ceremonial duties. I'm prepared to bet that we'll end up with something like the Dutch or Scandinavian monarchies, which work really well.

I think this option is by far the best. Monarchy, when it works (which I think it has done under Liz) can be a unifying force. A president would inevitably be overtly political and would be divisive - I don't know how you'd avoid that. And it certainly wouldn't be cheaper to run...but not so interesting for tourism!

But the bottom line is, whatever anyone thinks of the monarchy, the Queen has been amazing and for goodness' sake....the woman is 96!

Is not really clear if we need a referendum or not, perhaps we could have a vote on whether there should be a referendum? 🤔

The Queen won't abdicate. Abdication is a complex process, requiring an Act of Parliament, and also makes a statement she would not want to make.

What she's doing is passing more and more of her duties to Charles and William - there is no reason why they couldn't take the entirety of the duties if needed, but presumably there are some critical ones, such as mandating the PM, that the Queen wants to hang onto as long as she can.

Gary and Phil should stick to discussing VAR

No. I love her. I might feel differently if Anne were the immediate heir but as it is, Liz has got it.

The Queen will never abdicate. It goes back to the last abdication and how her father got the role as King and the scandal the abdication created.

I doubt Charles will ever be King I think it will all pass to William

The term 'round trip' means there and back. So what you said is that same as stating that it was a 1000 mile trip there and back and back.

The problem the royals have is they know their halo and support will drastically reduce once the Queen goes.

Well also the cost of both of them travelling up there on separate flights, surely they could have gone together? as far as I was aware there was no animosity between these two?

@neilyoungismyhero its a security issue, nothing to do with any I’ll feeling. It’s the same reason why pilots on a plane always eat different meals - if something happens to one you’ve at least got the other.

It most certainly won’t bypass Charles. He’s been waiting to be monarch his entire life, that crown will have to be wrested from his cold dead hands.

You are making a ridiculous suggestion @GreenFingersWouldBeHandy

The Queen will never abdicate and she's made that very clear.

Her family was thrown into disarray by Edward's abdication if you didn't know.
She saw her father have to take on the responsibility of King to the detriment of her own early life and the stress it put on him.

The trip takes an hour-ish each way by plane.
Are you seriously suggesting that the new PM could have spent an extra half a day at 'work' rather than meeting the Queen?
Unable to read material and work on a flight?

You think it would have made a massive difference?

How can you possibly be serious?