Is anyone else here a Republican?

[Cmack88]

I am agasint the royal family and the way that they get our tax money! and th obviuos benifits they get just for being "royal" the queen is desended from bloody germany! wat are ur views?

[Wraith]

I'm not sure where I stand on the royals. I was born into a monarchy and have never given much thought to changing that. I wonder Cmack88 to help me make an informed decision could you answer a few questions:-

 

1. How much of our tax money do the royal family receive?
2. How much money does the country make through tourism because of the royal family?
3. Is the Queen descended only from German families or does her family history stem mostly from Britain?

 

[tartanwiz]

In a modern democracy, the monarchy is outdated. Some people say we could modernise it, but I say get rid of it. What would be the point of having a king or queen that lived in a council semi or princes / princesses that worked in Tesco's? Never mind reforming or modernising monarchy, just end the monarchy altogether and have a republic with an elected presidency. The monarchy is part of our history, but not our future. Tourists will still come to visit Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, etc.

[Ewood27]

"They get our tax money", do they?  Those who say such things conveniently forget that in 1760 King George III instituted the system which is still in force today, whereby the Crown surrenders all the surplus income from Crown Estates to the government in exchange for the Civil List monies.  As you can read at http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page361.asp the Queen is surrendering �176.9m this year for a Civil List allowance of �7.9m.  Not a bad bargain for the Treasury.

 

If we didn't have the Royal Family we would have to have another head of state, presumably a President (wouldn't Tony and Cherie love that!).  The President would cost the country at least as much as the present Royal Family to maintain his/her state at a suitable level.  There would be all the current expenses for State occasions, aircraft, cars, residences, security etc. etc. with no savings.  Besides, our dear "Brenda" has been doing the job for some 50+ years and knows quite well where money can be saved.

 

We would need Presidential elections every so many years.  Do you really want us to go through what the US is suffering just now?  And what about the many voters who don't vote for the winner?  They still have to call "the wrong man" the head of state.

End of Part One.

[Ewood27]

Part Two (it was too long to be accepted all in one go).

 

Our armed forces and others swear allegiance to "the Crown", an abstract concept representing Britain, Britishness and all our values and way of life.  This is personified in the Monarch, currently Elizabeth II.  Take her and the Royals out of the picture and we will need another focus for our loyalty, something that is above party politics.  A President won't do.  How can I swear allegiance to a President, as embodying Britain, when I voted for the other chap?  We would need to venerate our flag, perhaps, as the Americans do - except that it's probably illegal to venerate the Union Jack!  The Scottish saltire, maybe?



I'm a Royalist.  I think the Royal Family do us very well, and are far preferable to the alternatives.  You're just jealous, Cmack - and you can't spell.

[archbishop]

I'm a Monarchist and second everything Ewood27 says.

[littleoldme]

I must admit, I'm no fan of the royals. As for those who say the alternative is Blair as president, I was under the impression that he already thought he was.

 

One thing I will say in favour of HMTQ though - at least her continued existence is keeping that lunatic, jug-eared son of hers and his pet rottweiler Camilla off the throne. Gawd bless yer, Ma'am.

 

[mullein]

i am also against them i have had two occasions in my life when i could have sat down with princess diana i refused,didnt fancy sitting through a meal with her,and another occasion where i was asked to let my daughter present flowers to princess margaret i refused on principle..we dont need them and yes our tax does go to keep them .every year they produce the civil list of what they cost us..their are more scandals and cover ups in buckingham palace,,they soon get flustered if any leak to the press. i object to having to curtsey and address them as maam, no way would i do such a thing they are no better than the man on the street, they are just people that were born into that household.,that doesnt make them special they recieve privlidges courtesy of us mugs paying for them, and no i dont want tony blair as president perish the thought, mullein

[beale]

'Fraid allen that ewood's paragraph explaining the funding of the royal's is correct and they didn't "steal" their money off us poor types. I don't bother about them much either way but feel most of the arguments for abolishing them are out of date (maybe like them, who knows?). They are no longer the lynchpin of a heirarchical society that keeps the likes of us in our place. They are simply window dressing for the nation, a grand soap opera and certainly are preferential to a sodding president. The idea of a politician as head of state is pretty disturbing to me.

[bernardo]

They do not get our tax money.  GSTQ

[beale]

Erm, from the Civil List. Or do you mean prior to 1760? In which case I assume it was from taxation plain and simple.Or do you mean ultimately where has the money that makes up the Civil List come from? I guess from the people who pay rent on the land owned by the Royals. I don't quite get your last question.  I'm not even opposing your position on this, I was just pointing out that a lot of republican arguments are quite stale and sometimes incorrect.

 

And anyway my name's Kenny.

[beale]

And no need to be so rude to bernardo. He's funny.

[Ewood27]

Allen, I refer you again to http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page361.asp which explains that the money the Queen surrenders in exchange for the Civil List is chiefly the surplus income from the Crown Estate - the lands that historically belong to the Crown.  They are let out as farms, generating rent, or produce income in similar fashion.  I have just taken my dog round Virginia Water, which is at the extreme end of Windsor Great Park and is Crown Land.  Preparations are being made to shoot some scenes for the next Harry Potter film there.  Some of the last one was shot there too, and presumably the Crown Estate Office receives payment for the use of the location.  That's the kind of thing.

[mike1222]

Parasites, every single one of them!!  Get rid of them!

I

[iainoncemore]

You people who are so ignorant as to say the royals steal our money have nothing to back it up. Have you no pride? No passion for your great country? Listen to Brian May in her highness' golden jubilee playin God Save The Queen on top of Buckingham Palace and you'll soon feel the patriotism. Without the royal family, we'd just be like any other european country.

I also feel the Monarch should have more power, as strong democracy does not achieve much in my opinion. Remember we have already abandoned the monarchy before, after the civil wars. Wasn't long before the monarchy was reinstalled. Must have been reason then, and there would be in the future most likely.

They are what we live, fight and die for, the embodiment and symbol of our great nation and great people. Long live the Queen!!

[Ray the DJ]

Tourist flock to the UK to see the Queen - Rubbish.
Other European countries get more tourist than the UK without a Royal family.
The Royal Family live in a world where everything they want, they get usually for free.
Everywhere they go is clean and smells of paint.
Everyone around them are bowing an scraping to them.
What good has Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew and all the other hangers on, done for this country? 

[Ewood27]

Ianoncemore, bravo.  Hear hear.  Beale, bernardo, archbishop, I don't think we will change the closed minds of those who just see privilege and don't see the duties and service that make up the other side of the coin - the "politics of envy".

 

As for having German blood, we're all a biological stew.  Britain has been invaded by Celts, Romans, Saxons, Danes, Vikings and Normans.  It has welcomed immigrants and refugees for centuries.  Even our language originated in an obscure part of mainland Europe.  It works the other way too.  Queen Victoria had relatives in just about all the Royal houses in europe.