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

When I was in London for the first time, I was told that if someone wants to talk against the royal family in Hyde park corner, they can, but need to bring a box to stand on, so they don't do it standing on queens land.
Is it true?
If yes, the requirements shouldn't be harder on Mumsnet, so the only question is, whether the internet is King's land, if yes, whether starting own thread is good enough box, or whether we need a diagram of the OP standing on a box.

So everyone who dosn't want the monarchy should leave the uk? Er....right.

I do like Charles but you have to hand it to the French....they have more balls than we'll ever have and they still have more tourism than we do despite being a republic.

they still have more tourism than we do despite being a republic.

Well, yes, but that’s probably got something to do with the fact that they have the whole package, from amazing climate, though to ski fields + food, wine and culture.

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

But that is exactly what would happen in a Republic. Sure you'd be able to vote for the head of state, but you would only be able to choose from a short list of possibles, chosen by your leaders, ie politicians. Is that what you want ? Someone like Boris bumbling around as your head of state ?

Well, let’s compare like for like. Paris and London both had c 19m tourists visiting in 2021. That’s despite Paris having no royal family for tourists to bump into during their visit.

Trump? Do keep up dear 😂

Spot on 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼

I'd rather have a King to a president Truss or Starmer. The problem with a referendum is unless it's clear cut there's always going to be people calling for another one until they get the result they want. We've seen it with Scotland and Brexit and after so many referendums and elections the past few years I don't think people can be bothered with yet another one.

That’s right. Because France has a lot more than just a monarchy to draw tourists.

The argument being made was that they’re a republic - so (bizarrely) shouldn’t be competitive in the tourism stakes.

France doesn’t need a monarchy to draw tourists because it has a lot more to offer.

Remove the monarchy, and the UK doesn’t have anywhere near the same sort of pulling power as France.

I agree with you op. Their very existence is an obscenity in a country where there is do much poverty. Time for it to end now

Am amazed at those that say leave if you dint like monarchy op. They made me rulers but this isn't their land. This land belongs to those that toil. The farmers that turn the soil to feed us. The teachers that shape future minds. The nhs healers. The postmen and women. The cleaners and binmen.
Oh and there I was, thinking this country is a democracy where op and everyone can voice their opinions even about the "leadership" without being run out? Turns out you can't? No wonder its finding affiliation with Rwanda whose leader does the same

I agree with you OP. I quite enjoy some of the pomp and history associated with royalty but they’re basically nothing more than a very rich, privileged family with whom most of us have nothing in common. The years of scandal and upset (admittedly some of it whipped up by the media) clearly show how flawed and misguided the whole Royal mythology is. The Queen dying is pretty momentous but the deference, fawning and angry sentimentality (Move abroad if you don’t ‘feel’ this particular set of emotions!! Wtf?) is being exposed in a fairly hideous way.

Oh and there I was, thinking this country is a democracy where op and everyone can voice their opinions even about the "leadership" without being run out?

Nobody’s actually being ‘run out’ of the country for voicing their opinion though, are they?

YANBU

What I find unfathomable is that so many seemingly rational and intelligent people go along with it all and just don’t question anything.

I do kind of get the show pony for tourism thing though but it’s just so strange to see people getting so caught up on it all.

….Personally, I will never get over the Andrew/Epstein scandal. Why do people want to sweep it all under the carpet? Yes the queen was a total icon but the rest are really not that great tbh.

No tourist is going to spend money to see Charles or William lol. What a disappointment that would be. QE2 was special, everyone else … pretty underwhelming

Paris has the Louvre, the most visited museum on the planet (thanks largely to having the Mona Lisa).

It also has the reputation of being the city of love that draws in couples all over the world.

It is also much more accessible being on the continent and not on an island (a large reason why Disneyland (Paris) is located there).

Given these factors (among others), for London to match Paris is pretty damn impressive. The Royal Family is a huge reason for this parity.

Shakespeare, The Beatles, James Bond, Harry Potter, Beckham (Premier League in general, as the most watched sports league on the planet)...The Royal Family PLC. is every bit as much of a selling point as the rest, in fact it’s the bedrock of Britain’s soft power status. There’s a reason why the RF featured so prominently in the Olympic Games opening ceremony (via the Queen jumping out of a plane with Bond)...that skit was as popular as Mr Bean.

The money the RF generates is unquantifiable, and tourism is only a small slice of that. Every single head of state, foreign dignitary, business leader etc. the first person they want to meet when they come to England is the Queen (now King). The Royal Seal of Approval exists for a reason. A business having a Royal Warrant status exists for a reason. The RF has a gravitas that is a goldmine to the UK economy and the general status of the UK (as a soft power) worldwide.

The UK has (by pure chance) fallen on a system that is as ideal as it gets. A powerless head of state (bar formalities of accepting the new PM, opening Parliament and reading a speech written by the ruling party), one who is non partisan (meaning the vast majority of the country can get behind, as opposed to a partisan elected head of state whom roughly only half the populous support, the rest despise), one who doesn’t get involved in politics but, is a figurehead, who can do feel good stuff (Christmas speeches, parades, Knight people, hand out trophies at sports events, open stuff, host foreign dignitaries/CEO of blue chip companies etc.) while the elected leader (the PM) gets to do all the actual dirty stuff of daily politics and takes all the hits.

The idea of ditching The Royal Family PLC, a goldmine to brand Britain, is right out of the same school as the KLF burning a million quid.

@Newdawnnewdog88 Yes of course I have but times have changed since Richard the Lionheart. Therefore I did not know how this transition would be managed in current times.

I was thinking of two much more recent monarchs whose lives and accession to the throne have been well documented factually and fictionally - Queen Victoria and Edward VIII who was never crowned but was King.

For me, it's not the royal family as such, although I'd like to see it shrunk.. it's the aristocracy generally. The Dukes and Earls etc who still own huge swathes of the country because one of their ancestors was nice to William the Conqueror or whatever.
The Duke of Westminster, for example, owns large chunks of the West End and when the last Duke died, the new one didn't pay a penny in inheritance tax on something like nine billion.
It's archaic and monstrous and I have no idea what could ever be done about it.

The royalists on this thread are like brainwashed sherp. There literally is zero purpose to the royal family. Tourists don't come to London to meet the royals. They come to see Buckingham Palace (and millions of other things).

sheep*

I totally disagree with you OP.

Ah it will never happen as once the monarchy goes the house of Lords will be next in the firing line but where would MPs shove all their friends then?

I'm not a royalist but I do think more should be done for the environment and I take my hat off to Charles who has done a lot there for it and who has also set up some great charities such as Princes Trust which has helped disadvantaged children and young adults. At least the royals do a lot of charity work where as BOJO and his cronies who are suppose to be the representatives of the nation, chosen by the masses are utterly self serving

And I am not a brain-washed sherp or sheep

The Duke of Beaufort owns Badminton estate in Somerset which is 58000 acres and is bigger than Liechtenstein. How is that right in this day and age? Make it a national park or something.