AIBU in thinking that King Charles' passing will devastate Britain?

[monrymeadows73]

If you remember back when Queen Elizabeth II died, how upset most British people were and how it caused some social insecurity as many British people saw her as a sense of strength and a rock due to her continuity and longevity, but with her gone, they weren't sure how Britain would fare. Hence, the large crowds of mourners and a lot of upset.

King Charles III - though not as admired as Queen Elizabeth was - also has longevity and a sense of continuity in a different way: not as monarch since he's only been in the role for three years, but as a royal figure, i.e. he has been in the spotlight since the 1940s and conducting royal duties since the 1960s. When he dies, will Britain finally feel as though the older generation of royals - who for so long have provided reassurance and comfort to the British people - have gone?

Will this lead to a lot of soul-searching about where next Britain must go and perhaps cause social tensions due to the insecurity of identity? Who will the British look to to guide the nation from then on? Who will be their new rock?

Then they should stop expecting the tax payer to fund their lives.

I believe Charles became a billionaire in no small part thanks to the then PM, Sir John Major who, in 1993 introduced a series of special arrangements which ensured that assets passed from a reigning monarch to their successor would be exempt from inheritance tax.

Now even I as a 99% Republican can understand the tax exemption to maintain the value of state assets eg the Crown Jewels and Buckingham Palace, but what I can’t understand is that private assets such as Sandringham and Balmoral were also included in the arrangement!

The primary justification at the time was to prevent the monarchy's assets from being gradually diminished, or "salami-sliced away by capital taxation," across generations, potentially compromising the institution's financial independence and ability to perform its official functions.

But of course they are also funded by the British tax payer to do their job!

The other reason was because the RF can’t accrue wealth through work like ordinary people! (No but they let off-shore accounts and trust funds shoulder that burden for them!)

To be strictly fair, any assets QE2 left to anyone other than KC3 were subject to the standard 40% UK inheritance tax rules.

And these exemptions were part of a wider arrangement where QE2 voluntarily agreed to pay income tax and capital gains tax on her private income, which were put in to place after the Windsor fire.

Nonetheless, overall, Charles's personal net worth is estimated to have increased by an estimated £640 million since becoming King, almost double his mother's last reported personal wealth. According to three Times, this was largely due to the inheritance of private estates and the performance of his inherited investment portfolios.

So imho it’s high time the question is asked whether financial exemptions designed to protect state assets, should also personally benefit the monarch to such a huge extent?

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I'm the same. I'm in no way in favour or a fan of the monarchy but I still think like everyone else they have a right to keep their medical information private if they wish.

I'm also in absolutely no way defending how they are financed and think the amount we fund them through tax is a disgrace but I still don't think that means we "own" them and can demand they release highly personal details of their medical history or somehow make them personally responsible for raising awareness of early screening of which there is already a lot of work and awareness about.

As far as announcing medical matters; I don’t think we have the right to know every detail, but I do think the public should be informed if an illness compromises the monarch’s ability to carry out their duties.

I agree with that last post, to me it’s like being a colleague in a workplace. I just want to know if they’re going to be in or not to work. It’s been quite clear so far whether the King has had duties that he can’t do or can do, so that’s all fine then. That’s all we need to know. Anything more is just nosiness and not public interest.

People whoever they are are always entitled to medical privacy.

There is a lot of pressure on William to get things right that’s for sure.

On the positive side he spoke
about change in his recent interview.

And it’s reported by Lownie that he doesn’t get on with his father, to the extent they don’t stay in the same house when visiting Balmoral at the same time, hence the need for an official summit between the two of them.

So perhaps the latter indicates that William will do things very differently?

On the other hand, PW has opted not to be as transparent about his finances as KC3. (Not that KC3 is that transparent tbh) but W is even less so!

So the jury is out atm!

In what universe is he a rock to the population? Ridiculous.

Thank you for that.

I read Norman Baker's book which gives a very good insight into their wealth, tax avoidance etc. Definitely worth a read.

There won't be any huge reform until the government of the day get their noses out of the Royals a**es and insists on transparency. That they follow all the laws of the land around taxation, that there are no grey areas or changing of their minds whether things are private or public money to suit them.

I get the feeling William doesn't believe the public have a right to know anything and I think it might be his downfall.

I don't agree we need to know every medical detail. I do think disclosing the type of cancer would help raise some awareness given their platform.

The primary justification at the time was to prevent the monarchy's assets from being gradually diminished, or "salami-sliced away by capital taxation," across generations, potentially compromising the institution's financial independence and ability to perform its official functions.

I remember that being the reason for no IHT Monarch to Heir. But the thing is... money grows money, they will be accruing wealth enormously day by day. It will never ever be the case that they are broke. Why could they not pay a reduced IHT dead Monarch to new Heir.

I get the feeling William doesn't believe the public have a right to know anything and I think it might be his downfall.

💯agree. I think W will be a completely different kettle of fish and not for the positive. I think he wants to hide away in his 150 acre forever home doing exactly what he wants to do with no scrutiny.
At least Charles discloses the exact amount of tax he pays on Duchy income (£5million last time I believe). W chooses not to. If he is not following what his father, the King does, that means he has something to hide.

I have always wondered how the hell they get away with having so many palaces, mostly at our expense. Why do we put up with this obscene level of privilege for fundamentally lazy people who continue to amass personal wealth at the expense of tax payers? And don’t get me started on the benefits enjoyed by wider family members …

I'd agree with this.

That said I think health and medical details are the only matters that should be free from disclosure unless the individual chooses.

It's high time we had open and accurate information on how both time and money is spent.

I think there are a few reasons.

Good PR.
Smoke and mirror playing by the palaces.
QEII and the respect for her longevity.
A generation of now older people who were much more deferential, who also went through wars.
The government being totally sycophantic even up to the current day, if slightly less than say 10 years ago.
The government not rocking the boat so they curry favours from the royals, i.e. knighthoods, peerages etc.
The House of Lords, hereditary peers, life peers, none will rock the boat as they believe in this inequality, they live it.
People who believe in all the MBE'S, CBE'S OBE'S etc.
Picking and choosing of the laws of the land to ensure public outcry is kept to a minimum i.e. QEII decided to pay some tax.

Norman Baker’s book is on my Christmas list!

*There is a lot of pressure on William to get things right that’s for sure.

On the positive side he spoke
about change in his recent interview.*

The only change he spoke about though is changing how much less he was going to do than his father! So he said he wasn't going to do any ribbon cutting or handshaking and was only going to be bothered with his pet projects- Earthshot (Spending more money on glitzy dinners and celebs than prize money), ' homelessness which will apparently be solved by him building social housing that he will charge local authorities top dollar for, hence making a hefty profit for himself and 'ending the war in the middle east ( not sure how he'll do that!) Not a peep about taking less money or paying more tax!

On the positive side he spoke
about change in his recent interview.

We have been getting so much puff from tame journos about how W is going to shake things up.

I really wish one of them finally had the nuts to try and pin him down on detail.

And mine!

And I meant to add to the list above. The MEDIA! They need to stop doing deals with the palace on what is or isn't disclosed to the public. If the royals don't like it, tough.

The BBC should have rolled itself in sugary sprinkles when QEII died, it was vomit inducing.

Agree it’s very unclear about how PW will proceed.

I do very much agree with you about his homelessness crusade. It’s good he highlights the issue, and I am sure he means well, but there’s definitely a credibility issue given the number of palaces he will inherit!

And homelessness is caused by a complex set of political and societal problems that one man alone cannot solve; so I find his pronouncements about it rather naieve.

Well... he is building 24 homes in Cornwall on Duchy land specifically for homeless people. We heard about this nearly two years ago, they are still being built. The idea is to roll this out elsewhere but I'm afraid the Royals are always going to roll out ideas and then we hear nothing.

Great list!

Totally agree about the British public being let down by utterly spineless MPs! With the exception of a tiny minority, no one dares to challenge privilege or rock the boat.

And I’d add one more item to the list;
public apathy! I honestly think we are like voiceless sheep in the UK. When times are good economically we stand in the Mall and wave flags and don’t ask too many questions. And when times are bad we have other things to focus on.

I'd love to know to whom KC3 will leave his assets in his will. I realise there is a more or less automatic legacy from Monarch to next Monarch - tax free. I don't believe that includes his private wealth though. Open to correction.

So will he leave the residue to Camilla only, or share it amongst Camilla, William and Harry (I hope he doesn't disinherit Harry). He might leave a trust fund for the grandkids. There might be a trust fund already in existence from QE2.

We will never know since the wills are sealed. We can't do that, and that annoys me intensely!

And it’s reported by Lownie that he doesn’t get on with his father, to the extent they don’t stay in the same house when visiting Balmoral at the same time, hence the need for an official summit between the two of them.

Does William get on with anyone?

I get the feeling William doesn't believe the public have a right to know anything and I think it might be his downfall.

I think William just wants to be a rich aristocrat that has a minimal public face.

I also think he believes he's entitled to anything, and has no real thought or empathy for others. Take his new forever home, I doubt he had any reaction to 150 acres being cordoned off, other than well, they've got plenty of other space in the Park, they can walk there.

He doesn't strike me as having inherited his mother's warmth.

It's the fawining in the media that really gets me, the Mail has a whole section on their antics and the comments are equally hilarious and concerning. People worship Kate (though they hated her when she was "waity Katy" and vilified her when she had H G which in DM world is just a bit of sickness) and think William is handsome, talented and wonderful and the kids are angels on earth. I have noticed that even on that site, criticism is creeping in about their wealth and what they actually do. Once they lose the Mail I think it will be over, well in my dreams!

I dunno, I dared mention on the Royal board section that Kate wore 12k earrings at her concert and it was a bit out of touch to those they preach to about homelessness etc. Did I get shot down in a blaze of glory.

I spent half the day justifying myself, that I wasn't a Sussex Squad member, I didn't just hate Kate for no reason, while the point of my post was ignored.