Is the current Monarchy too costly for the UK

[WGCRider]

Any simple Google search will show that the royal family generates wealth for the country. It is our USP and just because you clearly don't like it doesn't mean we should abolish it.

That's just not true. The number of people visiting the UK specifically because of the monarchy is about the same as the number of people visiting France specifically to see Versailles or visiting the US only to see the White House. i.e. a number close to 0.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

That's just not true. The number of people visiting the UK specifically because of the monarchy is about the same as the number of people visiting France specifically to see Versailles or visiting the US only to see the White House. i.e. a number close to 0.

I never mentioned tourism.

 

[Fade and Die]

You're looking through those royal tinted specs, for those who are not royalists, it just emphasises the divide. Did you not notice Scotland barely touched the jubilee for eg, when england were throwing street parties left right and centre?

So what would be your alternative and how much would it cost? Think you would be getting a President for less than £89M?

 

[theoneandonly]

So what would be your alternative and how much would it cost? Think you would be getting a President for less than £89M?

Yes a lot less and the true cost of the royal family is at least 3 x that

 

[IanM]

I wonder what the economic benefits of the last 11 days would equate to?

 

[theoneandonly]

I wonder what the economic benefits of the last 11 days would equate to?

No idea but offset against the huge cost of the funeral probably not a lot.

Even less when you factor on the lost revenues of places that felt they had to close or were arbitrarily cancelled

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Can he actually do anything anyway? He's just a figurehead surely?

Largely, you are right. I only used rogue because that is the word Voyager used. He can get gobby, go political, cause embarrassment though. If he does those things, what can we do about it?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Accepting that the monarchy (and whatever goes with it) will be thinned down by King Charles, I remain ambivalent about such a thinned-down monarchy. I think it would still sit on the benefit side of any cost-benefit analysis…at least for the next 30-40yrs (as such are the timescales I think would be associated with changing to a Republic were it ever to happen).

In thinking President, I look to Eire and the example of Mary Robinson…for me a perfect example of what a President can be and the leadership and vision one can provide…as from across the Irish Sea I could admire her as much as, if not more than, I might admire a monarch - especially one who must not express opinions of a political nature.

 

[Beezerk]

Largely, you are right. I only used rogue because that is the word Voyager used. He can get gobby, go political, cause embarrassment though. If he does those things, what can we do about it?

I would really hope he has better judgement, but if it ever came to that it would certainly be interesting.

 

[Voyager EMH]

A new head of state, if we decided we needed one, would be elected, not repeated through accident of birth. Should one go rogue we would be able to remove them democratically, or via procedures put in place. I would also expect the position, should it be needed, to be ceremonial only, with few real powers. Tell me, how do we remove Charles if he goes 'rogue' and oversteps his role?

By appointing a regent to act as monarch - in this case most likely to be his eldest son.

 

[IanM]

A Monarchy isn't logical in modern times.

Golf isn't logical either.

Some posters on here appear to dislike both!?

 

[RichA]

I'm largely agnostic about the monarchy. They have no bearing on my life and I've got no strong feelings for or against them.
I do find it interesting though that the majority of us Brits support this family that were supposedly anointed by a god that the majority of us don't believe exists. They are where they are because their ancestors were better at plotting and murdering than their rivals a few hundred years ago.
For me it's a question of relevance and necessity rather than cost.

Switzerland manage ok without a head of state.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

I've no problem with a monarchy, i do have a problem with the hangers on who are on the take and bring nothing to the table.

Get rid of the Lords,Prince's,Duchess's etc who are there by association for a start.

And Prince Andrew should be drop kicked out of the system. The shame he has brought on the monarchy is shocking.

Whether or not he is guilty, his continued friendship links to Maxwell and Epstein after the conviction was abhorrent.

 

[jim8flog]

Without the monarchy the question comes will we still have all the cost of maintaining the properties such as Buckingham Palace the actual ownership of which is fairly vague. It is run, along with a lot of other properties, by the Crown Estate.

Is The Crown Estate public property?

The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch as a corporation sole, making it "the sovereign's public estate", which is neither government property nor part of the monarch's private estate.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I would really hope he has better judgement, but if it ever came to that it would certainly be interesting.

I would hope so too but we always have to consider the 'what if' scenario. That is one of the key things that bothers me, the lack of control we have over this group of people.

 

[jim8flog]

Doing a quick bit of simple research

How much is the Sovereign Grant 2021?

86.3 million British pounds

In 2021/22, the annual payment to the British Monarchy from the UK government, or Sovereign Grant, was 86.3 million British pounds, compared with 85.9 million pounds in the previous financial year.8 Sept 2022

Valued at £67 Billion, the Monarchy is Britain’s Greatest Treasure  Brand Finance estimates the capital value of the UK Monarchy as a business at £67.5bn  Monarchy’s annual contribution to the UK economy in 2017 is £1.766bn  Annual cost per head is less than £4.50 a year, equal to just over 1p a day

 

[Voyager EMH]

I've no problem with a monarchy, i do have a problem with the hangers on who are on the take and bring nothing to the table.

Get rid of the Lords,Prince's,Duchess's etc who are there by association for a start.

And Prince Andrew should be drop kicked out of the system. The shame he has brought on the monarchy is shocking.

Whether or not he is guilty, his continued friendship links to Maxwell and Epstein after the conviction was abhorrent.

If Richard, who is a prince and a duke (of Gloucester) were "got rid of", how would this be done? Where would he go and what would he do?
Merely removing his titles makes no difference to his relationship with the monarch.
Peter Phillips, the eldest grandchild of our recently deceased queen, was 5th in line to the throne when he was born.
He has no royal or ducal title to his name, but he is a part of the royal family. Would he need to be "got rid of"? How?
If yes to Duke of Gloucester, but no to Peter Phillips, Why?
I do get frustrated with the lack of details in some proposed plans.

 

[Orikoru]

Irrespective of whether they make or cost the country money, their very existence is a flashing beacon of privilege and inequality.

 

[IanM]

That's just not true. The number of people visiting the UK specifically because of the monarchy is about the same as the number of people visiting France specifically to see Versailles or visiting the US only to see the White House. i.e. a number close to 0.

So, all the Yanks on the Mall this week were also here to watch Aldershot v Halifax too eh?

 

[IanM]

Irrespective of whether they make or cost the country money, their very existence is a flashing beacon of privilege and inequality.

There is something in that. But tradition is a funny thing. As I inferred earlier, it isn't logical , but many folk are ok with it.

The rest of the argument becomes political, so ultra vires!