Would the UK be better off without a Royal Family?

Question

All they do is spend all us tax-payers money to use private jets and go on ski holidays

What are your views? Best answer chosen as always:p

Answer 1

They might holiday a lot etc but people come to visit Britain for the history which includes the Royal family lets face it, tourists don't come here for our weather or cheap prices!!
Then there would be the nightmare of having to change everything with the Queens head on like money. The government would manage to find a way to make it cost billions of tax payers money to have new designs that no-one likes to change it again for another billion. In the mean time it would have been more cost efficient to keep the Royals and get some tourist trade revenue out of them.

Answer 2

I am not exceptionally Pro-Royal or Anti Royal, but I get really sick of people wining away about how the Royal Family cost the UK a fotune in taxes, they are good for nothing layabouts who do nothing etc etc.

First of all I am sure the Royal family generate at least as much wealth as they spend, probably more. They have publicly volunteered to leave if the public want them to. How sad. The UK is one of the few countries that still has a Royal Family. They didn't ask to be born Royal and they have very difficult lives. They can't do any of the things normal people can do. The media constantly criticise them. And this depressing British habit of knocking anything that is deemed to be 'better than what I've got', is shallow, blinkered and ignorant at best. Its not surprising that British Society is in such a mess.

The Royals get my support, not just because I think they bring value to the UK, but because I refuse to agree with the growing bitterness and misdirected ignorance of 100's thousands of quite frankly stupid Britains.

Answer 3

If we did away with royalty in the UK what would the benefits be?
We already know the benefits of having royalty, our heritage being the prime benefit. As I understand, I'm no expert, the Queen has no power. What she does is a carrying out of traditions, she say's what she has to say because history dictates it so. The UK is already being controlled by a government. I don't see a financial gain by not having them. This is because they would have to be replaced, probably by some-one who would end up being a megalomaniac. History has a way of repeating itself.
I'm not a royalist, I don't think the older royals are in touch with reality, but I don't think any of the upper class are.The younger royals will probably bring change, be more active in the important issues that need addressing in the world, like starvation and the inhumanities that are carried out all over. Maybe one day the royals of the world will unite and do a royal aid day who knows.
So in response to your question....... No, I don't think the UK would be a better place without the royals.

Answer 4

No. They're an actual asset to the UK.

The Queen is a respected member of the Commonwealth and is often consulted by our Prime Ministers on various leaders views on matters concerning commonwealth issues. Don't forget she has been on the throne since 1954...a lot longer than any prime minister, and has a wealth of knowledge to draw on.

Phil The Greek...a bit of a liability but still good at promoting trade around the world and often gets deals done for the UK because of his status.

Charlie...bless him...talks to trees and spouts off about saving gardening whales and all that stuff but, like his dad, does secure trade agreements for us all. Again because of who he is.

Although the Government does supply money to the Royal "purse" but the amount , really, is a pittance and is only given to The Queen to contribute to the upkeep of Royal households but the rest comes from her own estate income, as does Charles' allowance.

And, don't forget the tourists that come here because of our Royal Family. So, having a Monarchy is FAR better than then UK turning into a Republic, without a permanent head of state, even though she has no power over how the country is run.

I'm all for, the Monarchy and I hope it runs for a good many years to come.

Answer 5

Royal Family = UK

Answer 6

For My own two pennies worth. It is great we do have a constitutional monarch a good controlling consistent force over the government who can advise and suggest things to some (I doubt if Blair listens to anyone!) they do generate a lot of revenue for the country in tourism and friendships, yes they do cost a bit, but if you consider what they used to cost, it is a lot different now. As for the ideas of skiing holidays etc, quite often especially in the case of the Princess Royal, Prince Charles and there families they pay for themselves out of their own funds made by yes there allowance but also upon the banks interest on Property, etc.
Thinks of how much money they do make for the country, think of the good causes they support and fund, think of the goodwill they bring. These trips they make to foreign countries is not just smile and wave, quite often you will find they talk to trade delegations, presidents, kings, etc about the benefits of working with the UK and buying from us.
It is just a shame that the most successful item the royals used was scrapped. A New Royal Yacht should be commissioned from them, the conferences alone paid for its upkeep!
So NO I do not think we would be better off without them, the tradition of 1200 years should not be abolished.

Answer 7

I think it is good to have a royal family because it brings money into this country. ok we tax-payers pay towards them, but would you want every move you make judge and always been watched? I would not want to be them, always being in the public eye. Yes they are very rich but so are a lot of other people who are not watched the entire time.
Americans love the Royal family, I heard more on the Royal family in America than I hear here. They are also an interest, stately events are quite interesting, like the Queens birthday parade, Wedding and Funerals are often seen all over the world.
If we lost our Royal family what would happen to the common wealth countries, because there would be no head of state. One of the attractions of this country is the Royal family, The Queen is a very powerful person but she never uses her power in a negative way. She appoints all the governors of countries like Bermuda, who would do it if she left?
If we got ride of our Royals we would end up as a Republican and we might get some dictator, because we would have a president instead, and they hold more power than prime minsters, because if the Queen didn't like the Prime-minster she could get rid of him. Who would get rid of a terrible president?

Answer 8

but people come to visit Britain for the history which includes the Royal family lets face it, tourists don't come here for our weather or cheap prices!!
Then there would be the nightmare of having to change everything with the Queens head on like money. The government would manage to find a way to make it cost billions of tax payers money to have new designs that no-one likes to change it again for another billion. In the mean time it would have been more cost efficient to keep the Royals and get some tourist trade revenue out of them.
Asker's rating & comment

Answer 9

No, I don't believe we would be better off.
Just look at the alternative - a President who goes off on junkets with a huge retinue and tons of 'security', enormous motorcades (that's largely for status purposes) etc. all paid for by us mugs taxpayers.
Said president would almost certainly place themselves above the law (on some pretext or other like Mr Prodi has), actually Retire at some age (or get voted out) and live in the lap of luxury and privilege until they die even though they're no longer "working" for us.

It would cost more than the royal family in fact, AND we'd have more blathering empty headed electioneering every 4-5 years.

Sorry my friend, I know that there's much that could be mended about our royal institutions but at least they're seen to work for us (if you look hard enough, they do actually do a lot as well as skiing) and they do send their children to war too (remember Andy in the Falklands?).

They are popular, amusing (sometimes they give us a bit of colour amonsgt the drabness of politics), they bring in £M's from tourism, they pay income tax (even the Queen does and I bet that "President Tone" would find a way to dodge that one) and, through their management of Royal Estates, have saved a huge amount of our countryside from developer damage - and most of it is open to the public too (e.g. Windsor Great Park).

As for spending taxpayers' money. The Royal Estates comprise a large number of working farms and are self-supporting (that's why they pay tax).
You're thinking of the Civil List (about £8million). This is to pay for the Official Functions such as entertaing foreign dignitaries, official travel (not holidays) and maintaining the staff (get rid of the Windsors and you'd still have to pay Dole to the thousands of workers - they're not all 'flunkys' either).
I suggest that £8million is already very close to what the present Cabinet spend on 1st class travel and 5* or 6* hotels per year (they do travel that - Prescott has even bragged about it). Why would a President be any cheaper?

Actually, I say give the Queen more political power. As an independa
ent (politically neutral and not vote-hungry) Head of State, who's own welfare is bound up with the country, she should be allowed to curb some of the crackpot excesses which various governments inflict on us for dogma reasons instead of the Good of the Country (e.g. privatising public transport, Id cards, car trackers, and suchlike).

Sorry it's a bit of a ramble but I wanted you to see my point of view.

Answer 10

No it would not ,this country is a nation of jealous people, I don't really know
why because I think it is "The Greatest Country In The World". Reason I
say this is because we hate to see success, in the private sector or anyone
that has possibly got a lot of money. I can't stand Americans but they do love
to see people achieve.the population here seems to think that they deserve
everything without contributing anything. Possibly due to the welfare system,
What would you replace the Royal Family with, possibly a President and
knowing what is happening around the world, you would probably get
someone that would possibly be skimming a lot for himself. Stop whinning
about an institution, that was here before you and I were and will be after
we've gone. Concentrate on more pressing issues like the sudden rise
in gun crime. Another thing they are not gambling with peoples pensions,
and if you were offered the opportunity of a skiing holiday I bet you'd be there
with your boots black