…to suggest that it’s time the Royal family stands on its own feet and stops taking money from the public purse?

[HappyGalentines]

The Royal family owns and has access to lots of money, land and property. So is it right that they should to take any more money away from us?

The Royal family do charity work because they need to remain relevant & visible & they need good press.

Many billionaires are philanthropists, it’s not driven by altruism.

They made pegging mainstream

Exactly, and they do it so they get paid. They might also do it for altruistic reasons and because they care, but I doubt many would do it for free. People work to get money, that’s what jobs are for. Ludicrous that the other poster thinks the royals turn up at hospitals purely out of the goodness of their hearts. I wonder how selfless they’d be if the money was cut off.

Oh yeah..fair play. That's quite an achievement to be fair

There's no good argument for establishing a hereditary head of state.

But OTOH the example of elected heads of state isn't great either.

There seems to be more accountability in the UK (hereditary) than the USA (elected) right now for abuse of process and individual criminality

The same could be send about your points an the lack of substance you are brining to the arguement so yeah I think you should leave it

My job isn't physical. I turn up, do a job and get paid for it. Isn’t that what the RF do?

Is this more satire?!

Clearly I struck a nerve!

😂😂😂😂😂😂

We get the revenue from the crown estates, they get the sovereign grant. It's a financially beneficial system for the tax payer. Whether they are good people, moral, corrupt or an old relic is another question.

😆 Not at all!

It’s a sweet way of projecting and if that makes you feel better, have it boo.

They could continue to do these things without our money. Hand the castles over to the National Trust, pay them a small payment from that if we have to.

I volunteer, why shouldn’t they?

I agree with the last bit of your post. We won't see an ounce of any money that they receive, if they were got rid off. Shame, though.

All taxes from anywhere in the world should be given directly to the RF.

Camilla should become the first female Pope.

Andrew's shoelaces could be cut up and sold as relics. Remember he suffered for your sins.

Everything they have has been stolen at some point. The fact we still hold these people up in such high esteem represents everything I hate about this world.

We shouldn't be funding their lifestyles, paying for their security detail, paying their £12million hush money to protect a man like AMW.

They are estimated to have £1 billion pounds in assets. A number they laugh off. Well, they've denied a fair few things of late haven't they?

After everything about Prince Andrew and the fate of Virginia Guiffre, I'm done with them - I choose her every time. They are an anachronism and a rotten institution.

Yabu and have no comprehension of what exactly the do for the country. It’s not just tourism

Surely that's the case for any billionaire? No one can create that much 'added value', it can only come from exploitation?

Of course but it won't happen ever.

It is really the flavour of the moment that the looney left wing media think it is right to destroy our cherished institutions in pursuit of wokeness. The Royals are above the law and in the past when a royal abused little boys in Ireland, sold government secrets to foreign agents for a bribe, had affairs with criminals, killed women of the night or even sided with Nazis against the country, the secret service did it’s job properly to keep the mystique of the divine right of kings. The social media world and young people in general now have no reverence or respect for the pillars of Britishness and our culture and society.

I've been a Republican since I was about 12 (much to my parents and my grandmother's horror) but I do wish there could be a sensible discussion about getting rid of the royal family without resorting to lazy tropes along the lines of they do nothing, they're lazy, can I have my money back etc.
I also wish a sensible discussion could be had during 'business as usual' times when there is not high emotion regarding eg AMW or Prince Harry.
To say they serve no purpose is not correct, nor is to say they have never done a day's work. They clearly do serve a constitutional and diplomatic purpose, the question is, are those purposes value for money for the UK taxpayer? I personally think not.
FWIW, I don't think the high-profile royals have a particularly easy life living in the public eye the whole time and being judged for everything you do or don't do. It's OK saying they have plenty of money and staff but they can't just pop out like the rest of us do, so the loss of freedom must be terrible.
I think we should get rid - but it's nowhere near as simple as some seem to think it will be as our country's whole set-up is based around the royal family - our constitution, laws, everything. It would take longer than Brexit to unravel everything.
I think on balance we should open a discussion about getting rid - but it will be a long, drawn-out road to do so.

A sensible post.

Especially as there seems to be more accountability right now in the UK than with the elected head of state in the USA.

It comes down to no constitutional set up being perfect, it's a work.in progress to improve

I would have completely agreed with you @Katypp , until a few months ago, when politicians of all sides, journalists, constitutional ‘experts’ etc etc, were repeating ad nauseum about how it would be a constitutional impossibility for Andrew to have his Prince title removed. And then, bang, overnight it went (apparently after Charles had been heckled on a walkabout.)
Your post is measured, but I do hope some people in the corridors of power are at least thinking about how a bloodless revolution could happen, because even I don’t want to see heads on pikes…and at the moment the fury against Andrew (and by association his family) is only growing.
A good start would be allowing our elected representatives to finally be able to discuss the RF in the House of Commons.

Certainly.

Let's hope the elected representatives in the USA finally get the courage to discuss the potential wrong doing of their elected head of state as well...

Because at the moment Europe - both elected and hereditary heads of state - seem to be doing quite well about accountability with regards to Epstein.

Which suggests accountability doesn't sit in any one specific style of head of state?

I agree. How many of us would like numerous threads on MN about ourselves, our lives and our families, let alone all the other stuff.

But what do they actually do @Tutorpuzzle? Yes they turn up and open things and glad hand people. They make small talk. Some people like that kind of thing, but do they feel the same now, when those in front of them have in effect done nothing about a likely paedophile and possible thief from government in their midst? We know that AMW passed info to Epstein. We know that one woman was paid off for no reason apparently, and another young woman (girl?) was lying under him in a recent video. The public isn’t stupid. He went to Epstein island. He lied, endlessly and publicly. We see the picture here. How can people who know what AMW was like come traipsing round public places where people from schools and others have done good work, and thank us?! Think about that.