The Royals jumping ship...

[Wolfgirrl]

A virus pandemic breaks out in the UK. Everyone is essentially on house arrest bar a few essential occasions. Businesses and workers facing going bust. People dying every day. Hospitals overwhelmed. Surely this would be a great moment for a morale boosting message from our beloved royals, who we pay to keep in the lap of luxury? Oh wait, a little recorded message has been deemed a health risk to the Queen (allegedly).

Oh well, they can always volunteer Buckingham Palace as a makeshift hospital or hub for supplies, etc, as I'm sure they want to do what they can for their beloved citizens, especially now theyve legged it out of London. Oh wait.

Seriously what are these people for and why do we pay for them again?

I don’t even know what the bloody question is any more.

@alsohuman

What are they actually doing to help the country in its time of need? (Internet posts do not count)
And if nothing; what is the point of them? Outline what their duties are and how the money is better spent on them, rather than for example 2700 new nurses etc.

Please actually answer the question directly.

I’m done. Any answer anyone gives is picked apart. Enjoy your evening.

@alsohuman

But nobody has given me any answers

If you answer it directly, I will be as objective as I can.

On reflection: as my user name suggests, I'm British but live as an expat in, well ... not a monarchy!

There are many things I sometimes miss about home - but the forelock-tuggers and insane obsession with the head of state most certainly don't make the list.

Now, Switzerland, where I've been for the last 5 years, is a bit of an "opposite extreme" case in that the position of head of state rotates every year. Many people around here wouldn't even be able to tell you off the bat who the current head of state even is.

But it works amazingly well. During the current crisis, it's the ministerof the interior who seems to be wearing the hat of national crisis manager in chief. And he's not even the guy currently on the "head honcho" rotation.

I wasn't much of a monarchist when I still lived in the UK. Nor after I left. But seeing a government without a significant figure head in action during a major crisis over here and comparing it with just how little benefit the UK seems to reap from having one (and their whole clan) has put me firmly in the republican camp.

Wolfgirrl - I've answered your questions but because you don't like the answers you just keep adding more.

@mamamia456

It's not that I dont like them. They are insufficient, you only answer in part or just by using opinion 'well if that did that they would be criticised' with no proof. Please can you give it another go, answering the question directly. I will be very objective when I read your reply.

The Queen is our Head if State, which is a constitutional role. A few other European countries also have a monarch as head if state such as Denmark, Sweden, etc.
The Queen issued a message several days ago,
Prince Charles has CV19,
Prince William issued a video on social media of his children clapping NHS workers ( I don't follow them, so don't know who else is included).
Fergie and Princess Eugenie have been delivering care packages to NHS staff. They were not promoting themselves, but recognised by a member of the public.
I understand that Prince Charles paid for Harry and Meghan's wedding. The taxpayer paid for the security. If no one bothered to go and stand watching them drive past, there would be no need for security.
The Queen is currently at Windsor Castle, which I always understood to be her main residence (where she considers home). Buckingham Palace is more the office and afaik she is usually only at BP during the week and usually at WC at weekends. Obviously, she returned to WC early and is having her weekly audience with the PM by telephone.
I am not a royalist and don't really have much time for any of them and definitely don't want a video message.
(Well, I would not watch it, just as I don't watch her speech at xmas).
I thought the clapping was a bit pointless, and have no idea if anyone did so in my road, as I had better things to do.

So the queen needs a 775 roomed palace just as an office?

Wolfgirrl - You are funny, you sound like a bloody school teacher. There's no factual answers to most of your questions, so of course it will be opinion. I personally think that if the royal family only cost me £1.24 a year or whatever it is, then that's good value for money as they say.

@mamamia456

Thanks 😂 I just got told I'm funny IRL 5 minutes ago so there must be something in it!

Well I would want facts as to why the 60 million is well spent, but if you're happy to go on hunches and guesses I suppose you actually cant answer it.

Let's leave it there.

I personally think that if the royal family only cost me £1.24 a year or whatever it is, then that's good value for money as they say.

How is it good value, compared to say, the money being used to pay for another 2000 nurses or 2000 more police officers. I’d really love to know. £1.24 is a huge amount of money off all of us, so why say “only”?

in other words despite having 20million he gets others to dip in their pockets?

I've fortunately not been at any of them so can't actually know, but biographers have written of numerous social occasions where those who've already dug deep to meet the prince are expected to cough up much more after some "persuasive" speech

There's also the issue of links with any number of tycoons from Russia, Asia and the Gulf, useful for the odd cheque no doubt, but not always free of grubby reputations or even outright criminality

All that said, I'm more than happy to accept that Charles has done the lion's share of the actual work to raise however many millions for charity, just as long as there's independent, audited proof

Don't all rush at once ...

@Alsohuman - you got told. Op, excellent points. Well done for having the patience to educate people. The royals cowardice shines bright in these dark days. Do not let them off the hook.

Y’all should read up on Andrew’s Pitch@palace scheme. Well dodgy.

@Haplap thanks!

I think part of the problem is acceptance of the monarchy is so entrenched in the British public they are unable to step aside from their bias and see them objectively. I think people defend them without quite knowing why, because their feelings of subservience make them feel they cant question the royals. It's all baffling and a bit sad.

To think Kings used to be on the battlefield and actually take personal risks all the time.

... and that is the reason why most countries got rid of their monarchies when their members became expensive to keep show poodles.

@motherofalldilemmas show poodles! I like that

Just to rub salt in the wounds, there is an article in the Sun today complete with photos to show us the huge house and acres of grounds that PW and family are enjoying in isolation.

Quote: 'While many Brits are confined to planning their one form of outside exercise a day during thecoronavirus outbreak, with acres of grounds, Prince George, six, and Princess Charlotte, four, can explore all day long without getting bored.
And the young tots can also take a dip in the royal residence’s swimming pool or knock around some balls on the private tennis court to keep active in the sun.'

I'm sure that will cheer the public up no end as they isolate in their flats

Excellent points OP.

Y’all should read up on Andrew’s Pitch@palace scheme. Well dodgy

I already have, Burney - it stinks, and that's before you even get to the issue of what Andrew's been creaming off it

And the young tots can also take a dip in the royal residence’s swimming pool or knock around some balls on the private tennis court to keep active in the sun.

It all sounds absolutely horrendous,OP.

Yes, he generates £80 million for good causes

Hmm, actually money for good causes and charities are raised by incredibly hard working fundraising teams, members of the public and a stream of volunteers. Having a member of this pathetic family as patron is nit helping the charity sector at present who are looking at a reduction in income by about 20% because they have to cancel the big fundraising events, like Race for Life and so on. For a lot of smaller charities this will result in them having to close - no amount if videos by some prince who lives in a palace will be able to replace income generated by hard working members of the public by hard working and often poorly paid professional fundraisers.

Have read the entire thread and frankly I'm embarrassed for monarchists and their pathetic attempts to justify continuing to pay for a bunch of layabouts.

That article re the children are we meant to feel happy for them
People in flats sighing with relief that the royals can roam
Bizarre

If the fore lock tugging masses can read a story like that and feel pleased the mind boggles.

@marshabradyo
@Leighhalfpennysthigh
@Lifeisabeach09
@Puzzledandpissedoff

And we havent even started on the undemocratic/elitist/class divide side of it...