New series on the royals with Dimbleby

[MeNotMyselfAndI]

Anyone watching? Just watched Ep 2 on royal finances - it’s unbelievable. Greedy greedy fuckers! 🤬

There's a eye opening book by a former housekeeper to Charles and Diana. She said they were given huge amounts of gifts by companies, designers etc. Anything they didn't want was burned. She said it was almost enough to make her a republican.

Slightly different point, I am not advising that the royals eat selection boxes given to them by members of the public!

What would you like people to do exactly? Riot through the streets? In their hometown or collectively outside buck palace? Millions of us? How would that work then? Or stage an intervention? Or write to the PM? What do you expect people to do? You can't excuse millions of Brits who are too busy working, looking after their kids, trying to hold their lives together who don't do anything to overturn the royal family?

Yes I read that book too. It’s a bit of an eye opener.

That’s what they’re counting on.

Well yes but exactly what is your solution? Or do you just want to criticise others for not doing something.

It’s hard to know what the individual can do. Not watch Royal events on TV. Not buy Hello magazine if they are featured. Don’t go and watch them in person. Don’t tune in to the Kings speech. Lobby your MP to raise issues about their tax , start petitions ? God knows really. They’ve got us where they want us, we are powerless.

It's a good documentary, so far I've not learned anything new except the investigation into how they came to establish Charles is a billionaire.

Its time the Royals were no longer above the law. It's appalling they can say laws do not apply to them.

Something not mentioned in the series so far: did you know the Duchy of Cornwall is exempt from many planning regulations? The next time you admire Poundbury, remember this.

I would like to see a full, in depth, and unforgiving audit of the Royal finances. Including those which are classed as private wealth, because their private wealth came from royal wealth, the Crown and us, through favours, sycophancy and theft.

It's imperative we do this because I forsee a day when we become a Republic, not through revolution but through consensus and we should ensure that the private family which walks away does not leave with assets that should belong to the country and to the people.

I have nothing against the royals as invidiuals, most of the seem like decent, good, people. Its also good to see some of the decisions they make in the management of their affairs,but we shouldn't allow them to be unaccountable simply because they haven't exercised those powers for harm.

You only have to look at recent governments (Boris) or across the pond, to see the harm - and evil - that can be done and the right eroded simply because someone wicked ascends to power.

You’re right to an extent, although it would be interesting to see what would happen to politicians’ views if the Mall was empty at the next royal event? It won’t happen but it would be fascinating. The BBC are also dreadful in their royal coverage - the yellow not my king flags are now at every major royal event but watch BBC news and you won’t see any sight of them - just a breathless sycophantic voiceover about how wonderful our leaders are. Maybe more balanced news would help?

The royals are actually very tuned in to public opinion - Charles stripped Andrew of his styles and titles because one protestor shouted at him.

Urging your MP to take action and large public demonstrations would be very effective.

The Queen ignored public opinion for decades.

I really don't understand why people are bothered that the Royal Family are wealthy - it's hardly big news. All royal families across the world are, or have been, rich.
Frankly, good luck to them, because I really despise the "politics of envy" - jealousy is incredibly unattractive.

Why would you imagine I, or anyone on here, is envious or jealous? Nothing could be further from the truth as far as I'm concerned.

That's a lazy argument. I have far more problems with the Monarchy than just their eye watering wealth.

Depends how it's displayed. Overt displays and discussions in Parliament which threaten their privileges, lifestyle and wealth? They take those seriously. The Royal Family has been careful to adapt just enough to ensure their preservation ever since the Restoration.

When it's stolen wealth, its not envy - it's justice

What an odd take. As PP said, it’s unjust. No envy.

And.. you are singling out the RF for their financial situations when there are lots more people in similar financial situations, but not acknowledging them.

Does that mean we just ignore the taxpayer funded Royals because there are other rich people in the UK?

Doesn’t bother me how wealthy they are,
no more than it bothers me how much money anyone else has.
There’s footballers being paid millions for kicking a ball around. The Duke of Westminster has billions. There’s criminals out there rolling in it. There always will be.
Such is life.

Actually, I for one think we need a redistribution of wealth from the super rich to the poor and lower middle classes.

However, yes the Royal family should be singled out, because the position they occupy is entirely different. The monarch is the head of state and the head of the Church of England.

I don’t fund them. They’re not in positions of power - they don’t get to literally write their own laws removing their tax liabilities. It’s surely not hard to see the difference?

Nope, I don’t buy the argument that some people are rich and some are poor and that’s just how it is. That is to ignore and deny the whole apparatus of a modern functioning state with a progressive tax system and public services. People can have great wealth, but on that wealth they should pay the tax that is legally due.

And the great difference with the RF is that it’s OUR bloody money! I don’t care if we have a RF, but not with taxpayer funds. They can pay for their own lifestyle with not a penny from the Treasury. One day I hope this will be the case. And we can spend that money on public services.

Apparently so 🤷‍♀️. Baffling. I don’t understand the whatabouttery at all. These people are in a unique position of power - the queen and Charles have used this power to line their own pockets and yet people respond, “footballers earn a lot”. 😳 This is why the royals get away with it.

Yep. All this.

If you're talking about the countless other rich people then I agree this is precisely the point, MeNotMyselfAndI ... it's really not about the royals' wealth per se, but the unique exemptions and privileges they're handed along with it

Some may not have known before the Dimbleby piece that even the much vaunted taxpaying - which isn't the ancient thing they like to pretend but started with George VI - is done on a pureply voluntary basis, which is nice work if you can get it