How will the Royal Family end?

[JoyousGreyOrca]

The Royal Family will end. Not yet obviously. But within the next generation.

People often assume institutions like this fall slowly and gradually. We see a bit of that already happening with the reduction in "working" Royals, far less favourable poll results than when Queen Elizabeth reigned, and the willingness of the media to be more critical of the Royal Family.

I have seen people commenting assuming this means the Royal family will end soon. I think they misunderstand what is happening.

But society is changing and the deference that Queen Elizabeth attracted can no longer be taken for granted. Colonies are no longer happy for the Royals to carry out cosplay colonial tours on their soil, and increasingly they will remove the King as their Head of State. But I think when the end comes it will be sudden and unexpected. Similar to the fall of the Soviet Union. A clear weakening of the institution, but then a sudden, and shocking fall.

The aftermath will be very messy though as the Royal family try and fight for as much of the states wealth as they can, using the courts if they need to.

Its not working brilliantly. We pay for these mansions to be maintained, but have no access to most of them.
A deal could be worked out with the NT.

I’ve told this story once before. I lost my job when I was pregnant with my second child and really struggled to pay for suitable work clothes for interviews and a new job. I didn’t know about Smart Works at the time, but that charity would have really helped had I been aware of it. It wasn’t until Meghan did her capsule collection with them that I learned of who they were and what they did. They could have really helped me at a vulnerable time but I wasn’t aware of them until the Meghan link.

Perhaps it's all the medals they award themselves?
(that is, within the family.)

Yes, Dumfries House. Very interesting how that came about. Charles is very much one for the favourite projects. (Dumfries House, Poundbury)
Before I get flamed, I think Dumfries House is a good thing, it has provided locals with employment. And at least it is open to the public, and can be hired as a wedding venue.

More of the royal properties should go down that route instead of having them all closed off to the public. (Kirstie Allsop's craft christmas series came from Dumfries house!)

The Scottish Government contributed to its purchase, along with other entities and the 'bags of cash' was supposedly for paying off the purchase of Dumfries House.

Well the Royal family will disappear, so they will have to think about how they engage with charities.
I note Harry and Meghan not being "working" Royals does not appear to have led to less publicity. On the contrary, we all know every single thing they do.

I used to be quite pro but now my friends and I believe that we are groomed from birth to just accept that we have to give these really rich people some of our money. My adult children and their friends are quite anti and agree with Stacey Solomon and don't see the point of them and their 'work'. Both William and Kate seem to have been quite lazy for years - they put their names on things but so what? We also have been groomed by the press to accept Camilla as our queen not consort as previously agreed - a woman who has apparently never worked in her life.....?
I've said previously that it is bonkers for them to flounce around in helicopters to which we have contributed whilst the NHS air ambulances are run as charities.
Once the press turn on them, they're finished but that's unlikely as then we might start askIng questions about the whole class system in the UK.

No other Monarch has ever 'stepped down' so their 'adult child/next in line' can take over. Why should Elizabeth II have done this? Why should Charles?

Why should William be forced to 'step up? '

Why do you think William is 'kicking his heels?' You know nothing about him.

What is wrong with Camilla and Charles ruling? They're only their 70s, they're not 109, and on their deathbeds! And who says Camilla is unpopular! I was fond of Diana - but she has been dead almost 30 years now. Get over it.

Daft suggestion. Daft post. And ageist!

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@DoloresODonovan You are assuming William will step up.

@JoyousGreyOrca is that a statement as my applied scenario is retrospective

It is totally not a 'daft suggestion'

There's at least 4 abdications of other monarchs in Europe in the last decade or so. The speeches made by both Queen Margrethe and Queen Beatrix were very moving. And the sense of it was handing it on to the next generation.
Not sure why that is 'daft'

And I will edit my post as you were changing yours as I typed.

It's not ageist. Charles has cancer and apparently Camilla's health is poorly. I can't think of a better reason.
Queen Margrethe had an operation on her back and wanted to give the responsibiity to the next generation.

We also have been groomed by the press to accept Camilla as our queen not consort as previously agreed
How is this idiotic misapprehension still a thing?

The wife of a king is always Queen Consort. Kate will be Queen Consort. Diana would have been Queen Consort if they'd never got divorced. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was Queen Consort before she was QM. Etc, etc.

It is because the Royal family said Camilla would never be called Queen.

I looked at that chart that someone posted earlier in the thread. William's work in recent years can be compared to that of other family members. I wouldn't call him a slacker.

@JoyousGreyOrca You mentioned Harry and Meghan. I would hardly call their actions on 2025 especially highly unselfish and charitable. But maybe my views are skewed by US tabloids.

Another daft post.

We are not talking about Monarchies in other countries. Why even mention that? Your argument is so weak that you are pulling out irrelevant nonsense now!

No Monarch in the UK has ever stepped down so the next in line can be Monarch.

And you ARE being ageist, because you intimated that Charles and Camilla shouldn't be King and Queen Consort because they are 'elderly' and 'set in their ways.' You never mentioned their 'health' in your post I responded to. Nice attempt at backpedalling. You're not making yourself look good here.. Maybe you should think before you post. You're embarrassing yourself.

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@BemusedAmerican Whether you like them or not, Harry and Meghan have supported many charities without being working Royals. And yes everything they do gets lots of publicity.

The late Queen herself announced that she wanted Camilla to be Queen. A lot of people heard Queen Consort as a title for the first time in that statement and have continued to insist it's different from any other wife of a king and refuse to accept correction.

Er… we all pay for them !

Should nothing in this country ever ever change? How weird to think like this! I knew about the abdications when they happened, I read or heard their speeches at the time. I like to keep abreast on what is happening in other countries as well as our own and I have a connection to the Nettherlands. No idea what you're on about with THAT hole. Odd comment.

You keep editing and keep changing your posts. Which makes it very frustrating to reply. It is meant for spelling mistakes not rewriting.

That is not true, Queen Consort was being used at least in 2021. There are articles explaining why Camilla will never be called Queen. I am well aware though that she is Queen, whatever she is actually called.

Why Prince Philip wasn't King, and why Camilla will never be Queen | Royal | News | Express.co.uk

@TulipTiptoer Sorry to disappoint you hun, but things won't change purely because YOU want them to. The Royal Family are here to stay for a LONG TIME, and Charles and Camilla ain't abdicating anytime soon. Get over it.

And it was in 2024 after Queen Elizabeth had died, that it was announced Elizabeth was happy for Camilla to be called Queen.
Lets face it, Elizabeth was not alive to disagree with that statement.

www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1863663/queen-elizabeth-camilla-queen-consort

But they’re still using their royal titles to do it. I couldn’t really name many charitable acts from Meghan when she was just plain old Meghan Markle.

But anyway, I thought you previously said that charities only want money?

Let's face it, the haters aren't going to believe it are they?

@PrettyFlyforaMaiTai Nobody cares about the titles. That is the mistake the Royal family made with Princess Diana thinking removing her title would reduce her popularity. It made no difference.
Titles can help people get initial attention, but after that it is down to the individual. Sophie and Edward have titles and yet the public pay pretty much zero attention to what they do with charities.

And you ARE being ageist, because you intimated that Charles and Camilla shouldn't be King and Queen Consort because they are 'elderly' and 'set in their ways.'

What on earth are you on about. I've never said this. You've got the wrong poster.

Nice attempt at backpedalling. You're not making yourself look good here.. Maybe you should think before you post. You're embarrassing yourself.

Maybe you should read who posts what more carefully. You are the one embarrassing yourself.