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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think the British royal family has had its day?

289 replies

Ladybugpolkadot · 13/12/2022 02:16

I had a lot of respect for the Queen, may she rest in peace… But now she has passed away I just feel like the UK Royal family/ establishment should just be abolished.

The younger generations are not the same standard as Queen Elizabeth was. There’s so many rumours and so much scandal in recent times. And what have these people really done in order to justify leeching of UK tax payer money to fund their privileged lifestyles?…

Am I the only one who thinks the members of the Royal family should give up their royal roles and get real jobs and earn their own living like anyone else in the country?

OP posts:
PurpleButterflyWings · 13/12/2022 22:14

@Glassofwhatever

Totally agree, I've got lots of different friendship groups and have literally just one quite vocal anti monarchist friend. She sticks out so much as very unusual. We range from 40-70 years old.

I know 2. Out of multiple dozens, maybe 100 people. (Family/extended family, inlaws, my friends and their partners, (and their children and partners,) colleagues of mine and DH's, neighbours/people from my village, and a good number of acquaintances.)

Just 2 who are very anti-Royal. ..... A colleague of DH's, and someone my DD's boyfriend's cousin is dating. Neither of these 2 are very bright. They don't even know WHY they don't like them.

As you say, in real life I rarely meet anyone who hates the Royal family. Some are just fairly neutral, and don't have an opinion either way, but most think they're OK, or they really like them ...

Mix of upper, middle, and working class. Aged mid teens to 90. Varying political views. Unlike some people on mumsnet, I don't have a 'social circle' that includes ONLY my own class and political views. So this is not just 'boomers' TORIES, or working classes! Hmm

SpicyFoodRocks · 13/12/2022 22:18

I am not a fan of the RF. Didn’t see the appeal of the Queen. Or the others. If it goes, I reckon a decade’s notice would work.

However it isn’t the right time now. Change is expensive and there are other priorities.

shamalidacdak · 13/12/2022 22:20

StoneofDestiny · 13/12/2022 21:53

Absolutely had their day and should have been abolished with the Feudal System.
We need a model of an elected Presidential System that suits the UK. One person, no extended family and endless offspring to support in the grandeur they have been accustomed to. One residence, no endless palaces and mansions laughingly called 'cottages'. No bowing and scraping, no courtiers, ladies in waiting, butlers etc. Tight control of budget and the end of the bottomless clothing allowance.
Charles talked a good talk about 'reducing the size and cost of the monarchy' then spent billions of taxpayers money on his mothers funeral and simply renamed 'ladies in waiting' as 'ladies of the palace' or some similar title, with no staff reductions.
Giant piss take.

Lol Meghan is that you?

Novella4 · 13/12/2022 22:28

I haven't RTFT but i saw a few of the weak ' but we are constitutional monarchy - he need the royals' arguments

It's nonsense
The queen died . The sky didn't fall in .

There is no need for this family of dimwits to be heads of state . We actually don't need a head of state.at all if we don't want one .

The royals do nothing with their unearned power but look after their own interests . They make sure they avoid paying tax as much as possible and decide which laws they rather ignore .
Meanwhile you can go to hell but they'll wave at you if you are lucky!

There are already moves to get rid of the house of lords and to codify the constitution.
The uk royals were just lucky to have survived the turbulence of previous centuries and have been busy since the early 20th century using the media to prop themselves up. It has worked well . Up to now .
Starting to unravel thank goodness

LadyVictoriaSponge · 13/12/2022 22:36

PurpleButterflyWings · 13/12/2022 22:14

@Glassofwhatever

Totally agree, I've got lots of different friendship groups and have literally just one quite vocal anti monarchist friend. She sticks out so much as very unusual. We range from 40-70 years old.

I know 2. Out of multiple dozens, maybe 100 people. (Family/extended family, inlaws, my friends and their partners, (and their children and partners,) colleagues of mine and DH's, neighbours/people from my village, and a good number of acquaintances.)

Just 2 who are very anti-Royal. ..... A colleague of DH's, and someone my DD's boyfriend's cousin is dating. Neither of these 2 are very bright. They don't even know WHY they don't like them.

As you say, in real life I rarely meet anyone who hates the Royal family. Some are just fairly neutral, and don't have an opinion either way, but most think they're OK, or they really like them ...

Mix of upper, middle, and working class. Aged mid teens to 90. Varying political views. Unlike some people on mumsnet, I don't have a 'social circle' that includes ONLY my own class and political views. So this is not just 'boomers' TORIES, or working classes! Hmm

Same with my varied social circle, but like on here, the republicans are very cross, very loud, very vocal, (though don’t actually do anything to change the current system or even really understand it) the majority are either ambivalent or supportive of the monarchy.

DdraigGoch · 13/12/2022 22:38

SnoozyLucy7 · 13/12/2022 06:17

When tourists come to this country I am pretty certain that 99.999% never see of any of the royals. Yet, they still come in droves.

The Palace of Versailles and Lourves, for example, are one of the most visited palaces the world and yet the monarchy there was abolished in 1789. The tourists will always come.

Show quote history

There are far more benefits than mere tourism. Soft power, the Queen was a better diplomat than anyone in the FCO.

Novella4 · 13/12/2022 22:39

Support for the monarchy has been falling by 10% per decade
It's sitting at roughly 62% now
( royalist posters were delighted with that figure - they are foolish - the unelected need to be much much more popular than that )
A majority of young people want rid

Novella4 · 13/12/2022 22:41

@DdraigGoch
( the queens gone)
3 men in the role if they last that long
Charles takes bags of cash and William is a cold cold fish

ThatshallotBaby · 13/12/2022 22:44

I think we shouldn’t have a Royal Family. I’m 54.

Glassofwhatever · 13/12/2022 22:47

Novella4 · 13/12/2022 22:39

Support for the monarchy has been falling by 10% per decade
It's sitting at roughly 62% now
( royalist posters were delighted with that figure - they are foolish - the unelected need to be much much more popular than that )
A majority of young people want rid

If there was a referendum though (god help us) 62% would be a healthy yes for the RF staying though. Be careful what you wish for, as I suspect Brexit has shown us...

darisdet · 13/12/2022 22:52

Yes, I agree, OP.

No place for an unelected head of state in a modern democratic society.

Blossomtoes · 13/12/2022 23:00

A majority of young people want rid

Not according to the latest poll. And overall just 22% of those polled wanted an elected head of state.

PurpleButterflyWings · 13/12/2022 23:18

Are you actually British @Ladybugpolkadot ? Wink

I can't imagine anyone in the UK referring to our Royal Family as the British Royal Family. We just say the Royal Family! Confused

I also noticed on another thread earlier today that you seem to like Harry and Meghan. So you have selective disliking for the Royals then? Hmm And they ARE still Royals because they keep referring to themselves as such. They want the independence in America away from the UK and the Royal Family, but STILL want to keep their Royal titles. Funny that eh? Hmm SELECTIVE, like your opinions of the Royals!

PurpleFlower1983 · 13/12/2022 23:20

I was a Royalist but I tend to agree. I don’t have the same respect for Charles, I know far too much about him and his private life from all the relentless press coverage in the 80s and 90s. The Queen was the last of her kind.

PurpleButterflyWings · 13/12/2022 23:51

Re: all this 'the Queen was the last of her kind' type of view... I bet that is said every few decades, with every monarch that has ruled for some years and died. I bet millions of people said that about Queen Victoria, and many others before her.

MardyHa · 14/12/2022 06:34

It’s interesting how different my feelings are towards Charles vs the Queen. I can’t imagine calling him just ‘the King’ which perhaps is because he was not the King for far longer than he ever will be. But somehow the Queen was something more. I didn’t meet her but would have been honoured too, while I’d really be indifferent to meeting Charles. So maybe that’s it’s too. We had ‘The Queen’ but I don’t really feel
that we have ‘The King.’

magicthree · 14/12/2022 06:47

We can choose the model we want and can vote them in and out.

Just like you do with your government then. How's that working out for you?

Blossomtoes · 14/12/2022 07:08

Precisely. If the last decade, particularly the last six years, has taught us anything it’s that democracy is highly over rated. Or that the British public isn’t to be trusted.

Livingtothefull · 14/12/2022 08:00

magicthree · 14/12/2022 06:47

We can choose the model we want and can vote them in and out.

Just like you do with your government then. How's that working out for you?

Not very well with our antiquated first past the post voting system. As already stated we need comprehensive constitutional reform.

Blossomtoes · 14/12/2022 08:43

The Brexit vote wasn’t first past the post.

Itsjustlikethat · 14/12/2022 08:55

For better or worse I think that the UK does “aristocracy” well. It’s not only tourism revenue, but also the whole industries around British education (here and abroad), entertainment (a lot of distinctively British content - movies, books, theme parks), luxury fashion brands, etc. In my opinion, monarchy a key part of this identity, and the UK brand won’t be the same without it.

Few countries have soft power to export such things successfully and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Mirabai · 14/12/2022 10:05

Blossomtoes · 13/12/2022 17:45

Show quote history

I read the Guardian not the Daily Mail - MN’s favourite.

darisdet · 14/12/2022 10:59

Not very well with our antiquated first past the post voting system. As already stated we need comprehensive constitutional reform.

Yes quite!

username8888 · 14/12/2022 11:04

What's the point of a head of state/president? We have a prime minister

Pismascrescents · 14/12/2022 11:20

The Royal Family is more popular than ever. Pages and pages of gossip and articles in papers, now they are on Netflix not to mention the merch.

Will Charles strip Harry of his title?
Will he invite them to the Coronation?
Will Meghan attend and make a snarky remark?
Did William have an affair?
How does Kate stay so thin and cheerful?

These guys aren’t going anywhere.

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