Is anyone else thinking the optics are off: royals in a golden coach whilst the UK is in a cost of living crisis?

[MsPinkMarshmallow]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11456933/Prince-Princess-Wales-greet-South-African-president.html

People are struggling to heat their homes, feed their kids and pay their mortgages but the royals are in the Mall in a golden carriage and giving state banquets.

Can't we just get rid of the lot of them?

@SomePosters which royal family was eaten by its subjects?

Maybe we could also get rid of footballers- they run around kicking a ball for vast amounts of money while people sit in cold living rooms watching them.

At the end of the day, it's all entertainment.

@topcat2014 that’s a strange comment. I wouldn’t want to be PM. It’s a ghastly job and I earn more doing what I do now 😂

As a Brit, I’m not happy with the optics and grandeur displayed today. It’s galling to see whilst there’s hardship and deprivation for so many!! Today I’m ordering a desk and a lamp for a local boy whose family doesn’t have any table or flat surface for him to do his homework and schooling and education is absolutely a path out of poverty!! So I’m feeling particularly tetchy about the tiaras, coaches and soldiers on horseback.

State visits happen all the time all over the world, not just here. The King is the Head of State so is obviously going to be the person to greet and entertain another Head of State.

Taxes don't pay the wages of the football players though do they? If people have no interest in football then they don't have to fork out towards the players wages.....The RF get tax payers money whether we like it or not.

Recent foreign state visit. Not just the U.K. who has them.

www.theweek.co.uk/news/world-news/europe/958169/swedish-and-dutch-royals-meet-for-glamorous-state-visit-in-pictures?amp

Imagine a State visit from South Africa, hosted by President Johnson or Blair. What would be done differently?

the carriage used wasn't the one used for coronations, it was one that was built in Australia and completed in 2010

And was a gift from Australia IIRC.

Yes, please get rid of them all. Awful institution.

Good to see some clear thinking critics in this thread.
The gold coach just looks comical in 2022 . The royals and their supporters will be the last to see that however .

I know it's gilt paint ( it's a good metaphor for the royals actually) but the blood diamonds are real
They are draped in them .
THAT is what is offensive . Not just their looted origin but as others have said the UK is an increasingly poor country . There is no need for this ridiculous pantomime . And what are Kate or William or Charles going to say of any substance ?? They are not terribly bright and very uninspired . So they stand there showing off their unearned medals and ribbons and sashes . Just stand there and be photographed. It's shallow .

So that's what they show the UK now is :
One uninspiring family with huge ( and increasing ) unearned wealth , waving from their gold coach , while many subjects are cold and hungry this winter.

Wave your flag ! Bend your knee !

I've just checked and at least one coach IS gold . Gold leaf .
Disgusting .
They'd have solid gold if they could .

And please can someone put a permanent note somewhere

1. A president would cost a tiny fraction of what the greedy royals cost us .
2. Tourism has nothing to do with the royals - they have little impact - in fact tourism may well increase once their palaces can be properly visited .

I'm just finding it all so glaringly ostentatious and embarrassing. MSM reporting on which tiara Kate, Sophie and Camilla is wearing.... each one worth hundreds of thousands like...what??

It's all out of sync with what's happening in this country and the world.

I feel uncomfortable with it

I thought it was the Irish State Coach that was used yesterday. According to Wikipedia it was built in 1911 after the original one was very badly damaged in a fire. It was refurbished in 1989 and has been in use since. Apologies if I've missed anything and it was a different coach that was used.
Last year I visited the Royal Mews and saw all the coaches up close. The Gold State Coach is really like something out of a fairytale and the work in it is amazing. As someone up thread said they are all apparently quite uncomfortable to ride in. It was amazing to see them and hear about all the occasions they've been used in.

And what are Kate or William or Charles going to say of any substance ?? They are not terribly bright and very uninspired . So they stand there showing off their unearned medals and ribbons and sashes . Just stand there and be photographed. It's shallow

The royals are doing this because the govt wants to impress SA and get it on board with trade deals - a state visit and a banquet says that SA is important enough in that respect to want to impress them. It's called diplomacy.

A president would cost a tiny fraction of what the greedy royals cost us

You really think, do you? got some costings for that?

it is bad optics, I agree.

@MrsDanversGlidesAgain
Re state visit - your response is irrelevant . State visits do not require gold coaches and mute women laden with diamonds .
And who says they are impressed ?? They could well be thinking 'which one of those baubles were taken from our land?'

Re costs .
Are you seriously suggesting that a president ( if you have one - there is no law saying you must ) will cost anywhere near the 350 million annual cost of the royals ??
Plus the Duchies and palaces will be wholly owned by the state so there is a huge revenue advantage of the state taking back ownership .
All the heritage remains and in fact would be open to the public - not as it is now 'get orf my land '

By the way- you can still have a king . Just get him away from the seat of democracy/ power and cut the flow of money .
Royalists can stand at the end of his drive and wave .

The Irish president receives around 250,000 euro a year . I think he's entitled to more but didn't claim it .

Agreed, terrible optics.

All the heritage remains and in fact would be open to the public - not as it is now 'get orf my land '

Novella
Would that apply to all stately homes and privately owned places of historic interest or just those owned by the royal family?

@Roussette
It's all out of sync with what's happening in this country and the world. I feel uncomfortable with it

You must feel terribly disappointed in Harry and Meghan's decision to live in such an ostentatious house (14 bathrooms?) whilst preaching on environmental issues and equality

Re state visit - your response is irrelevant . State visits do not require gold coaches and mute women laden with diamonds

🙄

I don't think you can compare footballers with royals. I hate football, but they get to the top by being good at what they do.
the royals do very little. no real talent, yet get to live in splendour.
always been the same but we have small children dying because of damp. and the rf swanning about , crazy

were H&M there? I missed that.

Oooh well said 👏👏

I'm only concerned with the monarchy .
Though getting rid of the House of Lords is also important .

Btw, you aren't comparing like with like . Much of what you may think is 'owned ' by the royals , isn't . It is owned by the crown as an 'idea' . Yes a confusing fudge .
So anything owned by the crown should really be owned by the people in full.

@Readinginthesun

Not well said I'm afraid

Are we funding Harry ?