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.

This is because it isn't happening! It's like spending millions on Brexit decades ago.

We are stuck with them. We can only hope they wither and die (not literally of course)

I agree. Some people have no ambition for our country

could you tell me what Charles has actually done to benefit the country and what are the ajustments he has made

Thank you.

I agree with article 1, that was unacceptable.

Article 2 says they were separate for most of the time but met each other up at bottlenecks due to spacing and timing, and otherwise they were separate.

Article 3 states that they went on a tour at the behest of the government and you were only allowed to travel between zones for essential reasons. The government decided that it was essential travel, therefore take that up with the government

Article 4 isn’t about breaking Covid rules, but about William making a joke before lockdown became a thing in Italy, nevermind UK.

I do think you need to check your articles before you post them, I noticed that with other articles you have posted. You seem to fall for click bait a lot.

TBH it was pretty impressive to find those so quickly and even one breach of the rules is too many.
What's your opinion on him breaking the rules in the first link and what do you think should have been his punishment as he was not abiding by the law?

@PrettyFlyforaMaiTai I knew article 4 was about making a joke.
Article 2 the families were seen walking together. Even if they entered at different times, the rules were you stayed apart.
Article 3 - the Scottish government told them not to come. They still did. People in Scotland were furious.

Would you like to set out your ambition for the country, and how/what things will improve under your model for the material betterment of its populace?

There was also an overheard joke about a member of the Royal family at an event spreading covid. I can not find the article at the moment.

If you read my post, I said it was unacceptable.

I think they will become more low key like some of the royal families in continental Europe.

I am ambivalent about the royal family but quite interested in what other people think about them.

This idea that William and Kate are lazy that gets trotted out regularly, where does that come from? Are people actually carefuly checking all the public engagements and totting up how many each person does? Are public engagements really the only signifier of work being done?

I suspect it's just received wisdom with no evidence behind it.

As King, like the Queen before him, he champions charities and supports people and organisations who try to make life better for all of us. So continuing his work as Prince of Wales, but dialling back on the more political aspects which are no longer appropriate.
The "soft power" is real. Having the King as patron is a big deal - I work for a charity which has just won the King's Award for volunteers, and we are thrilled because it helps to raise our profile and give our volunteers well-deserved recognition.

In terms of tone, it is subtle, but the royals now are clearly not as formal as when QEII was alive. Charles is much more relaxed in speeches, and when meeting the public, than his mother was. (And that's not a criticism of QEII, she just reflected her generation). Other family members are now much more likely to hug, take selfies etc. Even state banquets (super formal) have lost a course and now allow more time for guests to mingle and chat.
All these are tiny things on their own, but add up to a gentle shift in approach.

I don’t think they will. Looking forward to William and Catherine being King & Queen - they will be fabulous.

I think this tells us all we need to know.

The cost of our Monarchy compared to other Royal european houses. The lowest cost Royal house is in Spain and is £9 million.

We are £147 million. And everything in between. We are more than triple the next one down.
(I am only explaining this in case the pic doesn't come up quickly)

Just obscene and how this can be justified I do not know

Edited to add it is in Euros not £

Are people actually carefuly checking all the public engagements and totting up how many each person does?

The media does that for us.

Do they? I've never seen a comparison like that. And people actually care?

What about the idea that a tally of public engagements is a complete and balanced picture of how much work anyone is doing? Doss anyone really think it's that simple?

Okay, so I’m ambiguous about article 2 but I will agree with your argument for the purpose of this post.

Article 3, unfortunately that’s how the government work, they tell them to do something, Scottish government disagree but English (?) government overrule them and deem it an essential visit. That’s on the government, not the royal family.

Im actually happy that you highlighted Charles going to Scotland, I’d never seen that before. And the two families walking together. It’s disappointing to see, especially when I think of the Queen (and so many of us) sitting alone at funerals and being isolated.

Yet, these infractions were exposed. The media didn’t try and hide them, they exposed their wrong doing as per your links. Yet they (and again especially William and Catherine) are still very popular despite this. I wonder why this is? If this type of ‘scandal’ didn’t bring them down, but practically brought Boris Johnson and et al down, it makes me think that they are destined to be with us for the long term.

I think a good idea to ask is why do so many people like them/find them favourable, rather than what’s going to bring them down?

Yes, they yearly publish the number of engagements each Royal has done.

I would say it really is that simple given that in the Court Circular even a telephone call is logged as an engagement. And they all have very many Aides, private secretaries, digital experts and so on. Those are the people who do the prep for the engagements. I don't think Charles or William are burning the midnight oil preparing for a long day ahead at the coal face

so what do you think his punishment should have been or do you think it's fitting that he appeared to be above the law? ( which he is now obviously and madly)

Well, @JoyousGreyOrca when the glorious day you seek happens, we'll all see how exprince Harry and exduchess Meghan take it. Inspired by your comments on other RF threads.

(After the Russian Revolution, the Cheka referred to deposed aristos as "exprince [whatever]" Father of a friend of mine was an exprince, seen the evidence.)

Whatever the punishment was at the time? I’m guessing a fine, as per Boris et al?

What are you expecting me to say. Gullitone him? 🤣

I don't think they are either. Just find a bit odd that Anne is automatically seen as the hardest working because she's shown up at more things. I would have thought waving and chatting to a few people would be the easiest bit of any royal work.

I don't think any of them are doing anything particularly onerous. Just seems odd to me that anyone thinks they have any genuine knowledge of how lazy any one of them is in comparison to another.

Well the true measure of value for money for the UK is our RF v the costs of a republic. A general election costs around £150m (based on 2019 election costs on the government website). We'll have to elect a president every, what, 5 years? On top of that, we have to house them (in BP?), pay for the upkeep of their accommodation, pay all their costs, travel security etc, pay for their staff (which I imagine will be at least on par with the staff a PM has), pay for all the state occasions they attend and host. Also paying them a salary? Will we save money with a president rather than a monarch?

I’m so glad you mentioned Jimmy Saville, it gives me the opportunity to re post what I said on another thread.

I was pondering the thought of a President of the UK over my lunch and I had this realisation, if we had had a republic in the 80’s I think we could easily have had that National treasure, working class lad done good who worked tirelessly and selflessly for the sick and underprivileged and raised vast sums of money for good causes, who mixed with ordinary people and the great and good alike, President Saville.

The republicans went ballistic, saying it would never be allowed to happen, yes without any irony at all! That’s the whole point of a republic! The cognitive dissonance was a sight to behold.