How do you justify the royals ?

[slippe]

So their ancestors were essentially the biggest bullies and managed to get what they could and have now passed it on.

They're people, just like us, but get to 'rule' over us.

How do you justify this ? It's just so wrong and outdated. Please tell me your reasons why you Support this, I am genuinely interested in whether I can change my mind about it all.

😂

The Royals are better than the alternative, which is to have more even politicians with even more power. I'd rather have a head of state who is born to the role, with no choice in the matter, than someone who actively has ambitions to be head of state.

On the other hand, Scruton wrote.
"Monarchs are, in a very real sense, the voice of history, and the very accidental way in which they gain office emphasizes the grounds of their legitimacy, in the history of a people, a place, and a culture" The Meaning of Conservatism

Abbey Heffner is yet another student of politics and in particular misuses the concept of power. I wrote about this during my stint studying politics @ uni. I took a view contrary to that given to me by my tutors who were also converging politics with power.

I think this is what you have to weigh up.

If they think their role is with keeping they have to engage with the public and sell themselves.

I think what's notable in the last two days has been comments about how the Queen and Charles do a lot of listening in a way that's become unfashionable and have gone out of their way to chase up on individuals who have had a hard time or are otherwise forgotten. Stuff like ringing an MP after they've just lost their cabinet role or chasing up on the progress of someone they've met recently who has been very ill.

Its an attention to detail that politicians don't do and its an awareness of the need for almost pastoral care that doesn't exist with a political framework.

Its difficult to quantify this.

The idea of President Johnson I find far worse than King. There has to be deference (and its easy to see it) but also the Royals can't stray too far out of their lane without becoming political and that causing upset.

What BuildersTeaMaker said!

The monarchy is part of my cultural heritage. There are many elements of history that would no longer be acceptable but the RF has evolved and I would rather in its current form than an elected presidency that someone can buy. I love the pomp and ceremony of the monarchy which is something unique to us. I like how it brings a spirit of togetherness throughout communities in such a divisive world. The international response goes to show this even more so.

The monarchy costs approximately £1.50 per person per year. As a lump some it adds up to a lot but actually in the grand scheme of things that money would disappear to the ether. I can be outraged at squandered PPE contracts and how this government pisses money up the wall but I can see value in my £1.50 and whilst I was previously on the fence I am more pro than I ever was.

We would have a President as well as a Prime Minister.

Thats the model in ROI and it works extremely well there, so I'm not sure what your point is?

One aspect is the tourism and positive PR. The Queen was held in high esteem by most of the world.

But primarily I don’t want an elected ultimate ruler/ head of state. The monarch should be the safety stop, unbiased, with the power to dissolve parliament and unable to buy votes.

An elected head of state is the last thing we need. You could end up with people like Johnson and Truss. Or worse.

The monarchy costs approximately £1.50 per person per year.

Sterling work by the PR guys there 😂

We could break all costs down like that to make them look smaller, but oddly it's only the royals where we do this

The BBC costs a lot more than the Royals.

That’s because, for example, if you told those of us without kids how much we’re paying for education we’d revolt! Our local authority breaks the costs down every year and the amount we pay for services we don’t use is eye watering. The £2 a year I pay for the monarchy is miniscule by comparison.

As a Scottish person I have to be ruled by people in power that we didn't even bloody vote for either so all this 'oh but we don't vote them in' nonsense is irrelevant.

The money they bring into this country, the work they do for charities and throughout the country as well - they do far more for the country than many individuals here do. The queen literally was working a duty two days before her death. You can see in her last picture taken how frail she was and yet she still got up to carry on with duty.

Well said.

I don't think you can 'justify it' but at the same time, it's doing no harm, in fact, as a nation, it's doing us a lot of good. They must bring in billions each year in tourism and they highlight really important causes - the Prince's Trust for starters. In effect, the elected politicians run the country and the Royals just rubber stamp everything. I have no issue with it all and actually, quite enjoy the pomp and ceremony.

Why would you revolt on education? Surely you’d see the benefits of education on society?

Don't forget certain benefit claimants.😅
How much money do they generate and what value do they add to the country?

That's not a fair comparison. Education is in everyones interest, without a functioning education system the country would go to shit, surely everyone knows this. The monarchy isn't in anyones interest except their own.

It’s not a comparison. It’s an example of a service that costs me ££££ every year and from which I derive no benefit. I used it as an example to illustrate the financial insignificance of the cost of the monarchy. 🤷‍♀️

You do benefit from it though - you’re in a society of educated people. So the people serving you in the shop can read, your postman can find your address, your doctor’s receptionist can use a computer.

I’ve honestly never heard anyone say they derive no benefit from a funded education system.

Arguable we get a lot of soft power and tourism from the Royals. The soft power probably can't be monetised. US Presidents want to visit the UK for a state visit in a way they possibly wouldn't otherwise.

I think going forward that's the thing to look for with Charlie, the Commonwealth and particularly with reference to Climate Change.

Just because its not obvious doesn't mean it's not money that's not benefiting us indirectly. Is it money that could be spent in better ways is a different question.

You have now. 😉

😂 It’s a shame you feel that way though, having an educated society is a brilliant thing.

Well, they could put a cat in there I suppose, but good luck getting the cat to stay.

readingatdawn In my opinion they do benefit us a society. It is not comparable to education though and that's fine. I don't feel like the current monarch is self-serving and I can't see that it's a life that many would actually choose.

I agree. I'm happy to keep the monarchy and for it to cost me the small amount it does.