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.

It may well be that there is a JV formed between the Duchy, the charity and any commerical builder (plus possibly a future strategic partnership with Homes England) The JV would consider how best to sweat assets in perpetuity - so not just renting the land.

@myrtleWilson but that is your guess, there is nothing in public about this?
We know they rent out land to public services for a lot of money.

I know that there are JVs relating to Poundbury so it wouldn’t be unexpected for one or more to be set up in this situation.
But yes, we are both guessing at the moment, perhaps the 2025 annual report will give us some clarity.

Him observing his obligation is surely not something to criticise - I'm sure we're all obligated to act in ways we sometimes wouldn't if given the choice.

He has a choice. He just doesn't exercise it.

And while he's at it perhaps he can explain why it costs many more millions than the headline £5m prize awards to stage Earthshot.

Have you not looked at the accounts @CathyorClaire ?

The answer to that is very simple - the awards show is just one of the things that the Foundation spend money on each year. There has been an annual Innovation Summit held annually for the last three years, plus they they also have set up and fund a Fellowship scheme for the finalists each year. This is aimed helping all the finalists scale up their ideas and involves bringing them together for seminars annd workshops to introducing them to funding opportunities. In 2023 this was over London Climate Action week, and in 2024 it included a five-day retreat in Cape Town in the week leading up to the Prize Awards.

The most recent annual report is here, by the way. It has quite a bit of detail about income and expenditure.

https://earthshotprize.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Trustees-Annual-Report-and-Accounts-2024.pdf

Part of the housing problem in Devon and Cornwall is caused by the same issue that we have here in NYC. Many places are second homes for non- residents. Landlords make more money on short-term rentals to vacationers. This reduces the amount of affordable housing stock.

Of course.

Lots of waffle and very little actual detail.

They look how charity accounts used to look until the Charity Commission intervened and said they should not be PR documents, but financial and accountability documents.

Yeah it couldn't be more obvious that the team at William and Kate's foundation have been asked to make their annual reports as imprecise and vague as possible

The Earthshot accounts look absolutely normal to me. Which particular bit of the financial information being vague and imprecise are you complaining about?

So hard working William is on holiday again.

Don't be mean, it has been 6 whole weeks since the last holiday, no wonder he needs another one. Poor duck.

AND he made a recorded speech for the BAFTAs last night. His nose is well and truly to the grindstone.

yes you are quite right. I apologise unreservedly.
No excuse but I was having a bad day and lost the plot.

i wonder if they will do anything between this holiday and their next one at easter.

Easter is really late this year so William and Kate have a big window but, of course, their DCs get a month off from their school, time for another holiday or a debunk to Norfolk for a month! @Samcro

Other than planning it 😆

Agree completely with this.

The monarchy is 1000s of years old. We had been part of the EU for what 50years. Undoing this constitution would be massive and would throw the country into chaos.

That's not to say there should be greater transparency and accountability.

If Brexit taught us anything we need to be very careful what we vote for.

There are also many Russian hostile agents looking to further destabilise our country. Social forums are a key way they try to generate division.

Agree completely with this.

The monarchy is 1000s of years old. We had been part of the EU for what 50years. Undoing this constitution would be massive and would throw the country into chaos.

That's not to say there should be greater transparency and accountability.

If Brexit taught us anything we need to be very careful what we vote for.

There are also many Russian hostile agents looking to further destabilise our country. Social forums are a key way they try to generate division.

Would those be same Russian agents that Andrew was leaking information to ?

The Windsors are a threat to national security.

And as for their habit of befriending pedophiles - and worse in the files- what decent person is not repulsed by the Windsors and sick of their lies and obfuscation?

The 1000 year claim is laughable The Hanoverians were what - about 65th in line ? Nevermind all the fudges and breaks in the line before and after. The history will still be there just not the corrupt leaches we tolerate at the moment

I'm reading politics on the edge, by Rory Stewart, he also mentions he secured funding from the princes Trust in the rebuilding of parts of Afghanistan, notably me turned the craftsman turned banana seller who was able to put his craft skills to use and pass them on.

In theory, I fully agree though this was around the time of Diana's death, Charles and camilla were HUGELY unpopular. Which makes me now think that was the real reason for TLQ not abdication than the one we were sold.