Gawping at the royals has to stop

[MeritocracyNotMonarchy]

They are just people - no better, worse or more interesting than any other UK residents.

They're trussed up and put on show like animals in a zoo. No child should be wheeled out like this and gawped at. They're ordinary people in a fairly mediocre, mildly dysfunctional family, just like those found on any street in the UK.

We really need to mature as a country and put the whole pantomime of monarchy behind us. It reflects and entrenches the inequality that is so damaging to the UK. And the characters in the panto look bloody miserable.

AIBU?

Most of the property IS state owned.

If we got rid of the royals tomorrow, what do we do with all those big draughty buidlings?

Given that the cost of maintenance is currently paid for through income generated by the RF.

And unpopular opinion, but Diana was responsible for Diana's death. The driver didn't need to speed up, he didn't need to drink drive.

Other countries survive in 2024 without a massive taxpayer-funded inequality-entrenching panto. So can we

Move to one of them
I'm sure the royals can have a furtle down the back of an old sofa and rustle up your relocation costs

Are you suggesting that the only alternative to Charles III is Cromwell II?
I like to believe there are other options…

They've always been there and always will be.....no matter what you say

Can't get too worked up about the Royal family tbh!

The king is my employer!

I'm afraid I can't help but find anyone that is a royalist ends up in the gullible and thick box in my head.
I try and rationalise it and remind myself it's a personal choice and different view points are a good thing but they still end up in there.

The idea that Britain would be an egalitarian society without a monarchy is nonsense.

Just look at the US, if it’s not based on birth, it’s based on money. There is still a social and economic elite and still vast inequality.

By all means, abolish the monarchy, but don’t expect much to change.

It's like a goldfish bowl.

And those poor children have no choice but to live in it.

The headlines are ridiculous.
The media obsessed when a picture of them is released.
The headlines with Harry and Meghan.

It's sycophantic obsession.

What would it actually take to abolish the monarchy? Who and ultimately how is that decision made?

I don't understand the level of fawning. Is it the escapism of it all for the every day pleb? The feeling that someone bigger and better than us is taking care of us and keeping us all safe? I don't understand it.

Don't be obtuse.

Harry and Meghan are selfish bullying tosspots. The worst of the lot, actually.

His vain security lawsuit has cost us at least 500k, despite being told no multiple times. He intends to appeal.

Above ALL other royals, Harry is the most entitled.

Also, if those allegations about prostitutes come to the fore, it's possible he'll likely be revealed to be worse than Andrew.

I think the monarchy has really only ever been based on money anyway. It’s a way of justifying and perpetuating inequality.

the celebrity cult is only another version of the same weird obsession certain people have about other certain people. Personally I admire others who have talent or intellect or a passion for a cause. Musicians, artists, writers, scientists etc etc. I’m interested in their work, not their personal lives (other than in how they might have informed their later work). I don’t admire random people for just existing.

hastalav
I always feel that they are sniggering at us when they get off the stage. What suckers they are I hear them saying. And off they go for champers and a kick your shoes off hoolie.
I wouldn’t say they’re bothered laughing at anything, Id say they’ve enough else to talk about- their kids, politics and what they have to do the next day along with the two who are dealing with cancer plus obviously all the scandal stuff. I’d say they sit down, watch tv and go ‘fuck do we really have to do x, y and z tomorrow?’

Not judgemental then
Great lesson to teach kids.

Fine. Then they can give back all the palaces and jewels and art that they hoard. They can donate all of that to the nation and go and live in normal houses and work for a living.

I'm a Republican, and would love to see them all gone. I do feel particularly strongly about the way the children are used by the family. And I am always amazed that Mumsnetters, who are vociferous in support of parents IRL who want to maintain their children's privacy are so eager for pictures of the royal children. No one not old enough to give informed consent should have to endure those balcony appearances for example.

“Have you heard of the English Civil war?
Do you know how badly this country fared during the interregnum?
Why do you think they bought the monarchy back and binned Oliver Cromwell?
The ignorance here is astounding”

Some people are ignorant of the actions of Oliver Cromwell and why people wanted to get rid of him. It was 400 odd years ago. Not all republics ban Christmas, festivals etc. There are alternatives. Plus the old “ royals bring in tourists “ line. How many tourist see the royals? Versailles get way more tourists than Buckingham Palace.

You can't take one photo and say look how miserable they are, they hated it. There's other photos where they all look as though they're enjoying it.

When I was little, we went on a big treat day out. It was a wonderful day and we all had a wonderful time. I remember how excited we were and chattering for days about how wonderful it was and begging to go back. When my dad's photos were developed I think there was one where we looked cheerful in it, the rest we looked like we were in a forced labour day.

And if you can't you just come on here and have an ill-informed moan about it

People don't understand why other like the royals, will stand for hours to see them, and yet think they are a waste of money at a little over 80p pp per annum
People don't understand why others like Taylor Swift, and will sit for hours chasing codes, tickets, swapsies, and hysteria, all for about a 1000 times more money

Judging by all of the horrific NHS posts I see on here, it seems that 80p pp could be put to better use.

The other part of the panto is the ludicrous amount of money being paid to them. Let's address that first. They are welcome to then decline to attend the panto.

They are not ordinary people. Their lives are nothing like anyone else’s in this country. So it’s understandable that people want to be nosy, like they’re in a zoo. I think it’s the only purpose that they serve. It is optional for them, not for us having to pay for them. I want my 80p back. And I don’t think the 80p includes all the excessive security costs. I’m not interested in what they all wear and who gets on with who but if we didn’t hear about this bollocks in the media then they’d be even more irrelevant.

You may have a point, but describing Meghan and Harry as "the only ones having gumption" made me 😂!
They're still royal just trying to make more money out of it than the others! Money out of others' private lives. Gumption? Greed more like.

What kids!?
Though actually I do think it's better to teach kids to not buy into the monarchy. It is a bit of a silly concept if you think about it.
They should, as we all should, question the status quo rather than blindly accept that Prince Charles etc al have some god given right to rule over us.
If we didn't question such things we would be all living as indentured serfs.