urban

iTrader: (1)

Why do we need a Royal family, and why do we have to pay for their property repairs.

They cost a bloody fortune, and look at the recent 2.4 million to renovate the newly wed couples house - WTF

scooby kid

iTrader: (6)

Yea this is true and they get allocated £82million a year for everything, but they bring in more than twice that.

dpb

Houses are crazy prices full stop !

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

Will the haters not enjoy the 3 days off when lizzy clocks it.

BMWhere?

What the royal family brings in tourism more than offsets their costs. They also have a huge contribution in negotiating international trade, particularly in the arms business, particularly Prince Andrew. The Queen also contributes a significant amount in taxes on her private income. Whether you are a fan of the royal family or not, their benefit to the UK economy is undeniable!

cuprajake

iTrader: (11)

i dont care for them at all, but they do more good than harm to the country,

dpb

Doesnt the world have too many arms allready ?

BMWhere?

I've only got two

But on a serious note, the arms industry is pretty much the only significant industry left in the UK where we are still world leading. In a post Brexit world both the arms industry and the royals are only going to be more important to the success of the UK!

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Hmmm, £1.24. I am sure I can live with that.

https://news.sky.com/story/the-royal...-year-11748503

BMWhere?

Don't forget, part of their costs are to perform official duties as head of state which would otherwise have to be done by a president. If we replaced the royals with a president, I doubt we would save much!

Mr Fuji

The Crown Estate gives HM Treasury about £350million a year, and then they are funded out of that, so it's a nett gain from the Royals (not even including the tourism).

You only have to look at the huge entourage that some goon like Trump drags around with him to realise that a head of state is expensive, whether hereditary or voted for! At least the Queen isn't a national embarrassment

SouthWalesSam

iTrader: (1)

Why is it that the minute anyone mentions the cost of the so-called Royal Family all common sense and reason goes out of the window?
Even the normally rational, sensible commentators on here seem to lose their marbles.

They boost our tourism? Well in that case how is that the USA (no royal family) earns 5 times as much from international tourism as the UK? How is it that Germany (no Royal Family) and France (no Royal Family and a similar sized economy to us) each earn roughly the same from tourism as the UK? *

They make good Heads of State? FFS, ever heard of Mary Robinson? Probably not. You won’t have read much about Ireland’s former HoS in any tabloid. I’ve never heard an embarrassing word about her and she’s nowhere near as expensive. None-royals can be good Heads of State too. You just have to be careful who you choose.

They great value: Really? I could do the job for half the price and give much better value. I just need to raise my boredom threshold and practice my small talk.

They’re good at selling arms? Then give them jobs in aerospace and put them on sales commission.

They do more good than harm for the country: God help us! That interbred shower underpin Britain’s class system, stifle merit-based attainment and entrap our nation in social immobility and encourage nothing more than fawning obsequiousness. But they keep the tabloids busy and prop up our titillated celebrity culture, I suppose.

The Queen/Queen Mother/DoE are/was really wonderful? I doubt they really are/were. They’re just people running a family business. I’ve lost count of the amount of ‘amusing’ anecdotes I’ve heard about the royals that from anyone else would be marked down as mindless, banal chit-chat.

And, even if you convinced me that the Queen really is wonderful, how many of you, a few good years from now, will happily strike up that first ‘God Save Our Gracious King’ without a baulk of hesitation at the thought that you’re singing about her son.

But all of that is trivia really. The thing I hate the most about the Monarchy is that it make’s me a ‘subject’. I don’t want to be a subject. I don’t want to be subject to the whim of a Parliament empowered by a Monarch.

I’m a republican. I’d like to have a constitution that’s written down. I’d like to have a Bill of Rights.

I want to be a citizen.


__________________________________________________ _____
* source: worldatlas

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

The USA is easily 10 times the size of the UK, France has far better weather, and Germany has far better wine

Alex_Rochester

You Brits with "repblican' tendencies can always revisit your own civil war, form another New Model Army........

Dr Hu

No-one does Pomp & Ceremony quite like the Brits - the envy of the world - long may it continue

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

I would seriously question that

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

Ok, slightly better wine, but better weather and lots of other stuff to see

BMWhere?

White wines are fantastic, red wines are terrible!

Mr Fuji

It mean absolutely nothing to be a subject, what's the problem? In the US, you have to swear an oath to the flag, it's just words, who cares? If we were a republic, it would not make on jot of difference to you.

However, having a president with executive power could have serious consequences. Look at what Trunt is doing in America with executive power. At least here Parliament holds the PM to account!

As for a Bill of Rights, we have one, it's still valid and has been used recently?

jaygsi

iTrader: (46)

I like it that the UK is different to rest of the world. For me it makes the UK more interesting. USA makes me laugh there obsessed with there chuffing flag.

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

edited for accuracy

trails

iTrader: (41)

They are utter bollocks...but they are a net gain to the economy through various means so despite the privileged existence they have they have a positive input to UK plc.

Torquemada

A lot of them are also obsessed with our flag, ironically. Their flag is like a holy thing to them but it's a 50/50 as to quite how fanatical they are about it.

I too will be worshiping the flag this week on 7/4 - gone proper native

Many over here love the idea of Royalty in the UK and it's certainly something many spend their $ on by visiting the UK regularly.

The Royals have their place and do indeed benefit us more than they eff us. I didn't always feel this way but then I changed my opinion a bit and saw them for the tools they are - take that as you wish, haha