I don't want to be 'reigned over' anymore

[Yubgftr]

While I totally respect the Queen and how she served the country, I think it's now a good time to end the monarchy as I think modern society has outgrown it.

Just the idea that someone inherits the job of head of state through birthright and reigns over us peasants is crazy in this modern age. Then all the ceremonies, titles, line of succession are remnants of a completely different era and tbh remind me of episodes of The Tudors or Game of Thrones, it's just so archaic and out of place.

I think having to bow and curtsey to people just because they were born or married into a special family also seems ridiculous. Why should I have to curtsey to any of them? Not saying I'd be rude or disrespectful but having to bend my knee to a set of people as if they were deities, it's just insane! I think I'd actually feel humiliated.

I also don't get the fawning and crying outside the palace - by all means be respectful and recognise her contribution but crying about someone you've never met? To me it's OTT

Back in medieval times when there was little education and religion was used to manipulate the masses, I can understand why all the peasants went mad for their sovereign and saw them as annointed by God etc etc but we're much more enlightened now (most of us!) so we need to make way for a new way of doing things.

Even a new national anthem - why is it all about the king or queen and god saving them? Why not about the people, the nation as a whole?

That said, I also hate the idea of someone like Boris Johnson being head of state and I bet that's a role he'd go for if we were a Republic. Swings and Roundabouts!

YABU - God save the king, monarchy forever
YANBU - time to end the monarchy

Sure, it's a question of whether you want a Head of State at all.

So a better system is the oldest child of a certain family? Really? Really?!!

I just cannot fathom how anyone can think this is a rational way to choose a head of state.

I think most of us have a hell of a lot to do when their mother dies, probably a lot more than a man with over a hundred servants, and I'm sure Charles's speech had been written well in advance (and probably by someone else)

Well said, @TarasHarp55 .

Imagine how bad-tempered he'd have been if he'd had to clear 30 years-worth of hoarding out of his mother's house, a 3-hour drive away, while being hassled by the council because they wanted to relet it, and having to register the death, arrange the funeral, close bank accounts and all the other stuff, like I did!

It nearly broke me.

I never heard the Queen use "like" as it is used today and I for one like that very much, like.

Hi @Yubgftr - about the anthem. It isn't about God 'saving' the monarch as in giving them special treatment. It's about asking God to preserve the monarch and grant a long, happy reign - to the benefit of the people. The nation wants a long, happy, victorious reign because the alternative historically was tumultuous and strife-filled.

What difference would it actually make to the general public? The Roysl family don’t have any say over anything really. Government make the rules. So to the average person it wouldn’t make any difference at all.

Also you don’t have to bow or curtesy even if you were ever to bump into them which is highly unlikely!

Rubbish! Research has shown they do ZERO to increase tourism, we have less tourists visiting the UK than France who are a Republic and less than Germany who also lack a monarchy. Do you honestly think tourists turn up thinking they'll bump into Prince Charles walking the corgis in Hyde Park?

Do tourists visit Royal residences? Yes but despite propaganda from Royal supporters they are not that popular. One of the pinnacles of the Monarchy, Windsor Castle had 2 MILLION less visitors than Chester Zoo, so it seems a provincial zoo and it's collection of painted dogs and meerkats is more enticing to visitors than a famous Royal residence. Actual figures are notoriously difficult to track down because Visit Britain seems to think any visit to a Royal residence or anywhere with a Royal connection is the "Royal family attracting visitors to the UK", I visited the Tower of London for the history not for the Monarchy, I'm a Republican, people will still visit it whether we have a Monarchy or not.

I am no one's "subject" and I don't understand the deference shown to anyone who's achieved nothing more in life than popping out of titled vagina.

It’s a powerless figurehead that brings tremendous wealth and power (soft power) to the UK.

To quote a previous poster:

Royal Family costs us £100 million a year and we got Elizabeth (loved by the vast majority)

The last US Presidential Election cost $14 billion dollars...for sleepy Joe (half of whom hate him)

Not powerless - change laws to suit themselves . 'Powerless' to do any actual good for the people - yes I agree with you

All your examples are Constitutional Monarchies!

Japan has been a Constitutional Monarchy since the 1868 Meiji Restoration which ended the reign of the Tokugawa Shoguns which ruled Japan.

Canada is another vibrant country with a Constitutional Monarchy.

https://www.republic.org.uk/thetrueecostoffthe_royals

Even a new national anthem - why is it all about the king or queen and god saving them? Why not about the people, the nation as a whole

It's certainly time that the English football and rugby teams stopped using the British national anthem for their matches.

It's been suggested that the reason, or one of the reasons, the football matches were stopped this weekend was because certain clubs won't respect the anthem. Well I don't blame them, really - it is misused. England uses Jerusalem for the Commonwealth Games and it should be used for other sporting events involving England until a better solution is found.

What difference would it actually make to the general public?

This person represents our country internationally.

If it’s so irrelevant who it is, why does it have to be a certain member of that one family?

You totally ducked my point about how the monarch is chosen.

We should be angry. Viva La revolution! All men and women are created equally!

Ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, the Queen told a well-wisher outside Crathie Kirk, close to her Balmoral estate: “Well, I hope people will think very carefully about the future.”

The comments followed a poll putting Yes in the lead for the first time. Better Together campaigners considered the Queen’s comment to be helpful to their cause.

According to Lionel Barber, former editor of the Financial Times, the Queen’s warning was part of an orchestrated plan to boost the Unionist case.
"I can tell you that down in London they panicked," the journalist told The Sunday Times.

www.thenational.scot/news/19403303.platinum-jubilee-queen-said-scottish-independence/

This is how I feel. There would never be a vacuum. Even in a republic there seems to be some sort of 'figurehead'. Why?

The idea of somebody bombastic like Boris plopping into a vacant role makes me feel quite ill.

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The posters saying 'off you pop', do you realise how thick-witted you sound? This isn't your country, it's ours, so grow up, do.

Isn't that tautological?

@TorringtonDean God Bless America is a WW1 song by Irving Berlin, it's not the American National Anthem, which is the Star Spangle Banner. And you can sing any lyrics (or any tune for that matter) instead of God Save the King, there's no laws regarding the UK National Anthem, or just stick your fingers in your ears if you don't like it. It wasn't created as a national anthem and there's been debate over replacing it for many years due to the use of religion and war as well as monarchy in the lyrics. There's also been call for a specifically English National Anthem (mainly for sporting events). One day we may come up with something new and God Save the King may then be used on royal rather than national occasions only.

On the contrary, the rebellious Scots verse was never an official part of the UK National Anthem.

Have you ever heard it sung officially in the last 70 years, never mind 300?

No. It wasn't until close to the 19th Century that God Save The King became our National anthem and the lyrics standardised as a result. The rebellious Scots verse has never featured in it since it was adopted as the Anthem.

"The words of the National Anthem are as follows:

God save our gracious King!
Long live our noble King!
God save the King!
Send him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the King.

Thy choicest gifts in store
On him be pleased to pour,
Long may he reign.
May he defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the King."

www.royal.uk/national-anthem

I vote for Jerusalem for England if the WI will let it go.

One gave us The Queen. The other, Boris Johnson and Co. Not to mention how many PMs and MPs who have had to resign?

I'm not sure why you think your argument is a good one.

I’d just like a republican to explain to me why in this time of economic uncertainty a revolution would be helpful?
where’s the money going to come from for the reform?
and who would that adversely affect the most?

I feel like no-one here actually knows how Presidentia; democracies generally work....you don;t make the PM president. There's no need to have a politician or an MP or whatever as Preident.

Their evasion of inheritance tax is another key point. Most families with a very modest house in the South East are hit by that tax now. It’s the No1 thing stopping wealth trickling down the generations. But the richest family in the land pays none. Outrageous!