Should King Charles abdicate?

[catspyjamas1]

His health.
Harry and Megan back in the UK.
The book from Diana's brother.

Should the King abdicate?

William, or “sources close to the Prince of wales”? Because we heard for years that when Charles became King, he’d slim down and modernise the royal family. This was often trotted out when the royal family were being criticised, I heard/read this regularly from the late Queen being in her 70s. It was very much with the hint of “don’t push the old dear for change, unfair to make her oversee changes at her time of life, but don’t worry, the family have heard your complaints and her son will modernise when he becomes King.”

and yet when Charles became King, he carried on pretty much as before and we’ve started getting hints that when William becomes King, he’ll slim things down/modernise.

(You’ll know you’re getting old when you start reading that sources close to George say when he becomes King, he’s going to modernise things/slim down the royal family.)

Totally agree on Charles and the slimmed down Monarchy. Load of old codswallop. Royalists say 'but look! He only had 2,200 at his Coronation but QE2 had 8,000!'
Yes, because they built tiered wooden benches for those 8,000, total fire hazard not to be repeated for Charles.
And this ridiculous charade cost US the British taxpayer £72million!
Pay for your own frigging party you royals!

Charles has slimmed down nothing. The sovereign grant has doubled to £99.9million why not call it £100million and be done with it. We're not stupid
It's all beyond a joke but didn't Kate look beautiful in purple at the regular PR Tom Cruise helped me down some steps bash 😂

She did look lovely, yes. That dress was an amazing colour.

Anyway, at least the poll results are in so we can all stop wondering.

Yes, he should abdicate: 10%
No, he shouldn’t abdicate: 90%

No thoughts on the doubling of the SG or the imaginary slimming down?!

I voted NO he shouldn't abdicate because I think William will be worse!

Well the slimming down has sort of happened naturally - the people who were in line to be slimmed were presumably Harry and his family, as they were the only working royals of that generation who weren’t in the direct line of succession. They chose to leave, and then as a bonus AMW was kicked out. Seems pointless to go through the faff of getting rid of the very elderly ones now, so there’s only KC3, William, Anne and Edward plus 3 spouses, unless I have missed anyone. Of those four, only William is under 60, so I can see why there’s no more slimming happening at the moment, given his children are still young. It will be interesting to see what he does about Charlotte and Louis but it makes sense to me for now. Harry did them a favour really, by removing himself and his children.

Re sovereign grant - I’m glad it’s going back down by ~£40M now that the BP refurb is coming to an end. Also glad they reduced the % when there was a sudden jump in profits and now don’t mind the % going up again. I get that the core funding has risen by nearly ~£30M since 25-26 (so not really doubled) but the reasons seem to make sense. As I understand it, none of that money goes into the RF’s personal pockets, and they don’t decide the amount, so if I did have a problem with it I’d be lobbying the PM / Chancellor of the Exchequer, I guess.

Good way to reduce even further his public role…..

Yes, less working royals should equal = less SG.
That does not happen.
What an extravagance it's going to be when the old guard dies off. And we are still at £99.9million then
And yes I have written to my MP before now

I imagine W will be cutting a few more ceremonial duties. Heaven forbid he has to work hard and do the amount of engagements that his 77-year-old ill father does

Well if they ever need anyone to demonstrate how to find orbs then they have the very man.

He even points to them in a helpful manner.

And again.just don’t ask him to find sausages.

If you ignore the very old ones (ie QE2’s generation) they have already gone from 11 to 7 working royals in the last few years as far as I can see. (Having lost QE2, AMW, Harry and Meghan.) So there’s been a bit of slimming.

I think the extra ~£28M is earmarked for specific things - £11M to replace the heating at Windsor for example - rather than being a reflection of the number of working royals but it’s possible that security costs have also gone up. I guess those costs fluctuate depending on what they’re doing, eg George will presumably need a 24/7 detail of his own now during term time, so that’s an additional cost. Hopefully Harry will continue to pay for his own, although I guess that might come out of the police budget rather than the SG. Overall if you accept that we have a RF, they need security and the buildings need maintaining, then it doesn’t seem outrageous, doesn’t feel fraudulent or anything like that to me. Anyway, I think the accounts are published, so can be checked?

I don’t get the “doubled” thing. Do you mean that the percentage has gone up from 12ish - 20ish? I think the amount in actual £££ is probably more helpful, so the SG overall is reducing by ~£40M now that the BP uplift is going, core costs going up by ~£28M for specific projects.

@noonames
The core annual funding for the UK Royal Family through the Sovereign Grant is officially set to nearly double to £99.9 million by 2027–28, rising from £51.8 million in 2024–25.
The BP reduction is irrelevant, we all knew about that.
A lot of dosh for new boilers at Windsor Castle
Quoting George and security costs is very funny! Security costs are not part of the Sovereign Grant and we have no idea how much they are, very many millions that is for sure. Extra to the £99.9M. And often falling to cash strapped Councils when a royal visits.
All security costs are billed directly to the government and the taxpayer.

£99.9million PLUS security costs not outrageous?
I think it is totally obscene

@OneMauveEchidnaLLM
I think you are on the wrong thread. This thread is entitled should Charles abdicate. It's nothing to do with Harry. There are plenty of threads to post what you have done elsewhere

Oh sorry, I thought security came from the SG. So it doesn’t go to the RF at all? Just pays for the infrastructure - buildings / staff etc?

Surely it’s more useful to quote the figure it’s rising from, ie the current figure rather than 24/25? So it’s going up from £78M, the core funding for 25/26. I mean, I could say how outrageous that it’s tripled since 2011 but that’s less meaningful than it’s currently x and is going to be y.

I suppose there’s an argument for getting rid of the palaces and buying / renting accommodation and office space instead but who would buy them? Opening them up more to the public and generating more income is probably a better idea and I think that’s the plan for BP?

I’m not on the wrong thread. Not if other posts are anything to go by.

You are right in that the thread is about whether or not the king should abdicate. A resounding no on the poll if I recall.

Not about costs, not about others ‘working’ (did the obligatory quotes there for those who like them) and not about AMW.

The costs will remain unless the monarchy is abolished. It starts with the letters a and b but it isn’t the same.

If others are chatting about William and Catherine, walking in heels, gaudy hats and everything else?

Then the crotch pointer is fair game.

For me? Telling people when and where they can post doesn’t hold weight when they themselves are also meandering. 🤷🏽

A fair point…I was wondering what tractors high heels , grass and William had to do with a thread about Charles abdicating!
either all “meanderings “ are acceptable or none are ….you can’t pick and choose.

I can pick and choose if I like. Doesn't mean to say anyone has to take any notice. Which of course they won't

There are many posts about the monarchy needing H&M’s help because the RF is now sparse.

If H could conduct himself with dignity and decorum and be relied upon to keep his questionable opinions and comments to himself? I’d say go for it.

But this is not someone who should be allowed to be free range.

Most would prefer a slimmed down monarchy if a republic is not forthcoming for them. Great. I’m all for that. It’ll be a lot slimmer than most anticipated after the wedding of H&M but we are where we are.

And yes people can pick and choose to say what they like. Others can choose to ignore it if they feel some are being hypocritical or pay heed if they think some have a point.

So guess whatI’ll be doing.

as can everyone else!! And if you don’t want people to take any notice why post then?

I just found it weird someone posted pictures of Harry when he is not a working royal and is just a private citizen. And we are on a thread about the Royal Family
I'll post what I like thanks and I keep it within talk guidelines
I didn't say I didn't want anyone to take any notice, I just imagine they wouldn't.

That is correct - he is not a working royal.

But some would be forgiven for thinking he is desperately trying to be.

It is sometimes helpful to point out exactly why he should not be afforded that courtesy.

I’ll happily stop meandering if others do too.

Indicated to whom?

Well can you explain how high heels and grass are relevant?
neither of those things are “working royals “ .

They were about Kate as well you know. Inanimate objects are not members of the Royal family 😂

People post about harry and Meghan because they find the other royals boring.