How do we get rid of them?

[fairy]

Well there is always the good old method of "storming the Bastille"! (would that be the tower? Or rather the ministry of hhm..defense doesn't make sense, in our times they wouldn't need gunpowder but money, so perhaps H.M. Treasure? Yeah, that'll do fine).
And I am almost 100% sure that Kate would humour us with a modern day Marie Antoinette: " They don't have bread? They shouldn't eat those carbs anyway" (perhaps in exchange for a Jenny Packham Giftcard?)
In a way, I truely wonder if the royals would not really breathe a sigh of relief: Chuck and Millie would go into the country and continue to produce, incredibly expensive and exclusive honey, candles and BIO-veggies. Willie would become a fulltime chopper pilot-in-reserve, Katie would either paint her beige rooms herself or like others go down to the local pub and find a handyman who is doing it outside the books.
Harry would do just fine and the others wouldn't even notice a big change.
As to Andrew, well life is a bitch.

[diamond]

Sometimes it's just "better the devil you know than the devil you don't"

[Roman Patrician]

The original point of the thread was a "What-if?" rather than what we think will happen IRL soon. An alternative world where the BRF are no longer tolerated.

But I think people are confused so I guess the thread is unnecessary

[cordtx]

America has been just fine without them.
 I don't understand what is the big scary deal if they weren't there? Thet don't actually impact your real day to day life, anyhow, right?
Your elected politicians do.

[Sparky]

ITA. Plenty of countries have gotten rid of their royal parasites - China, Germany, France, Russia, Korea, etc...... and they have managed just fine.

Most people under the "better the devil you know than the devil you don't" are just indifferent/can't be bothered taking action or have Disney Princess Royal Family delusion fantasies.


I think it is going to take a F-Load for people to actively get rid of the RF because sleazy Andrew managed to get away with using underage sex slaves, plus lots of other crap and scandals for the RF have happened but have been brushed under the carpet (which would have been permanent career and reputation killers had they not been royals). It says a lot about how far and immoral their PR is willing to go and how indifferent the public is in general. Plus, there will be a lot of resistance from the aristos and 'titled' people because they know if the RF goes then their Duke, Duchess, Earl, Lord, Lady, etc... crap will go as well.

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As for what will happen - it will start out like any law, a bill being submitted and people voting for or against it. A government wanting to get rid of the royals will be smart enough to do it fast and cleanly as possible so the RF doesn't try to make a comeback, squirrel things (that aren't theirs) away and drag things out. No way will the royals be fine with loosing their titles, free money, wealth and prestige - no matter how 'alright with everything' they may appear to be to the public.

I'm guessing then the government will decide what would belong to the soon-to-be ex-royal members and what would belong to the government/public. A date(s) will also be established to de-royal them like when to cut off their tax payer allowances, when they can no longer style themselves as HRM King, HRH Princess or whatever, when they have to move out and move their stuff out of government/public owned buildings, etc....  I really can't see the UK getting rid of their RF and keeping all the aristos and the rest of the system.... so all their titles will go too.

Of course, all the staff like the personal chiefs, bodyguards, PR greymen, personal assistants, footmen and other workers for the royal family will have to go unless the ex-RF decide to pay for them out of their own pockets. The government will probably want to keep workers like the gardeners, cleaners, drivers for non-RF owned buildings and items once the ex-RF moves out and don't have claims of usage for certain things (like the VIP armored transport cars, etc...). I guess it is similar to a workplace closing down or being taken over, some workers will be made redundant and some workers will be given opportunities to continue with a different owner and employer.

If the Commonwealth countries haven't become republics by then, then they will all shortly follow after the UK becomes a republic. I can't see AUS, NZ, Canada, etc... wanting to keep 'their' RF and remain being subjects of a monarch without the UK.

[MidnightDiamond]

ITA. Plenty of countries have gotten rid of their royal parasites - China, Germany, France, Russia, Korea, etc...... and they have managed just fine.

Most people under the "better the devil you know than the devil you don't" are just indifferent/can't be bothered taking action or have Disney Princess Royal Family delusion fantasies.


I think it is going to take a F-Load for people to actively get rid of the RF because sleazy Andrew managed to get away with using underage sex slaves, plus lots of other crap and scandals for the RF have happened but have been brushed under the carpet (which would have been permanent career and reputation killers had they not been royals). It says a lot about how far and immoral their PR is willing to go and how indifferent the public is in general. Plus, there will be a lot of resistance from the aristos and 'titled' people because they know if the RF goes then their Duke, Duchess, Earl, Lord, Lady, etc... crap will go as well.

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As for getting rid of the RF - it will start out like any law, a bill being submitted and people voting for or against it. A government wanting to get rid of the royals will be smart enough to do it fast and cleanly as possible so the RF doesn't try to make a comeback, squirrel things (that aren't theirs) away and drag things out. No way will the royals be fine with loosing their titles, free money, wealth and prestige - no matter how 'alright with everything' they may appear to be to the public.

I'm guessing then the government will decide what would belong to the soon-to-be ex-royal members and what would belong to the government/public. A date(s) will also be established to de-royal them like when to cut off their tax payer allowances, when they can no longer style themselves as HRM King, HRH Princess or whatever, when they have to move out and move their stuff out of government/public owned buildings, etc....  I really can't see the UK getting rid of their RF and keeping all the aristos and the rest of the system.... so all their titles will go too.

Of course, all the staff like the personal chiefs, bodyguards, PR greymen, personal assistants, footmen and other workers for the royal family will have to go unless the ex-RF decide to pay for them out of their own pockets. The government will probably want to keep workers like the gardeners, cleaners, drivers for non-RF owned buildings and items once the ex-RF moves out and don't have claims of usage for certain things (like the VIP armored transport cars, etc...). I guess it is similar to a workplace closing down or being taken over, some workers will be made redundant and some workers will be given opportunities to continue with a different owner and employer.

If the Commonwealth countries haven't become republics by then, then they will all shortly follow after the UK becomes a republic. I can't see AUS, NZ, Canada, etc... wanting to keep 'their' RF and remain being subjects of a monarch without the UK.

I think most of the stuff is personal property of HM, so they can't just take it they can only take the crown stuff.

[Sparky]

I wouldn't put it past someone like Sea Biscuit when he is King to try and nab some goodies or hide things before he is booted out, he is already dodgy enough as a mere heir Prince.

[rosella]

Only the Queen and Prince Philip are paid directly by taxpayers. The Queen also has Duchy of Lancaster money. Prince Charles has funds from the Duchy of Cornwall. Those arrangements are centuries old, but I'm not going to give a lecture on the constitutional arrangements going back to King George III. William, Harry, Kate are only subsidised by Charles when they go out on royal engagements. They do not get allowances from the taxpayers.



The Royal family have many antiques, paintings and jewellery which are entwined in some cases with their roles as members of the royal family. That should keep constitutional lawyers busy for about twenty years!

They also own private property, so, in spite of some hoping the BRF will be beggars, their jewellery alone will make sure they will be able to live very comfortably.

The history of the royal family is ingrained in the history of Britain, the Elizabethan Age, Georgian and Regency period, Victorian era, etc.

Only a week ago there was an article in the paper that, according to real estate agents, people in England are prepared to pay a premium in order to live in a street that has Royal, King, or Queen in it. Doesn't sound as if Brits are ready to storm Buckingham Palace at any time soon!

A bill to get rid of the royal family will never be introduced into Parliament as the future of the monarchy is never debated in either House, an arrangement which each government has kept to, Labour, Conservative and coalition alike. So that route is out. It is constitutionally impossible.

Poll after poll taken since the 1990's show the British population wants its monarchy to remain as well. It remain in the 75% range. Republic, the main organisation of Britain numbers its members in the 40,000 range. If the British wanted a republic, as I've posted before, then they would do something about it.

[Crawler]

If a way can not be found to do it Constitutionally then it will happen in a bad way for the Windsors because one day enough people will get fed up with it.

Anything the BRF has gotten for Centuries has never been earned and should not be considered private IMO.

[Sparky]

ITA Crawler.


Interesting how the RF can definitely keep what they have stolen over the many years but for ordinary plebs, they have to return what their ancestors/friends/acquaintances/seller nicked off from others and/or have to fight in lawsuits for it (like valuable things stolen in WWII, WWI, etc....) 

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I think unless there is a massive culture change (or the RF are smart enough to reinvent itself into something wanted with the times) then the desire for getting rid of the RF will gradually increase. Previous and older generations in general were raised to respect/admire the royals and are afraid of the unknown without the royals, since the RF are like a icon of the ages for them. Nowadays the youth don't care about history as much and see the royals as irrelevant in their everyday lives. Things will get interesting once Generation X dies off/looses influence to the younger and newer generations.

For people to actively want to get rid of them earlier, then the RF need to do a major F-up (as I previously wrote), something so screwed up that no PR media spin, government and powerful figures can sweep under the rugs.   

[lellobeetle]

It would be a monumental foundational change for the British people to move to a republic. I really don't see it happening any time soon.  I would be more likely to see Australia, Scotland and even Canada go republic than to see GB. Don't get me wrong, as an American I'm republican through and through - it's the winning combination of self rule, imho. But, I am also a royal fan and while I hate the "vaginal lottery" as it's called, I do think it would be a pity to lose hundreds of years of history to experiment with a republic when it's probably not the overwhelming will of the people. For a country like Belgium, it's virtually the only thing that unites the warring factions of the country.

[Roman Patrician]

If a way can not be found to do it Constitutionally then it will happen in a bad way for the Windsors because one day enough people will get fed up with it.

Anything the BRF has gotten for Centuries has never been earned and should not be considered private IMO.

ITA 

[Talika]

Unfortunately, I don't think it will happen in the coming 100 years..

[Antevorta]

Sometimes it's just "better the devil you know than the devil you don't"

This.

I have to say, I don't believe the average British citizen gives a toss about the RF.  The family have just always been there and no one really cares that much about what happens to them - whether they stay or go.  I will happily go out on a limb and say the average British citizen is rather apathetic to the family as they do not impact our lives in any real way daily.  They are simply a part of our history and our identity and everyone knows a Brit likes themselves some good old fashioned history with their tea.

Now, I try to stay out of debates where people spout poll numbers and say everyone loves the RF or specific members but in truth...the majority do not care either way.  Take Harry and Megs' wedding for example.  All over the board people are stating how excited everyone is and how coverage of the wedding shows how popular Harry is and Meg by default.  That's not actually the case from what I have seen and heard; plenty of people that I know or come across could not care less. Because covering the wedding is just what we do - they are our RF and it would be strange to not cover it. Now, give us a bank holiday and people would be out in the streets singing Harry and Megs' praises - just like we did with William and Kate. 

Finally, to get rid of the RF in Britain, would require more effort from the British public than I think anyone really wants to put in.  You will always have strong factions of monarchists and strong factions of republicans.  That's just the way it works.  However, the strongest faction in Britain will always be the ones who could not spare a single f*ck about the Windsors.

[evilgrapefruit]

I'm definitely average (!) and I would like to see an end to it. I don't mind the Queen, Charles, Camilla actually but the thought of William and Kate being monarchs one-day has definitely pushed me over to the Republican side. Just the sheer entitlement of him and her being such a poor role model for any woman in the 21st century and the way they carry on seems to be a regression to a prior age.

I think the problem is that we are all brought up (brain washed) in to thinking its normal and they are our history. They aren't really, they are the descendants of invaders, who have successfully maintained power over the natives for 1000 years. The whole class system and the aristocracy is them and us. They didn't intermix. I think it is a recognised fact that the families that came over in 1066 and took land and money still own most of that land and have an advantage, to this day. My family roots are Welsh/Irish and my relatives certainly still don't like that the English came along and took land and oppressed people but those 'English' were actually the aristocracy (for the most part) aka the Norman invaders aka the Vikings.

Britain had a rich culture and heritage before the Royals ever came along, we don't learn about that, we have lost the knowledge of our celtic and pagan roots, they don't teach us about the ancient Kingdoms and all that came before. So I think people just blindly accept it because they don't know anything else and they get told that these people represent our history, when they don't. We ought to learn more about the history of real people. Once you realise that hardly no one had a vote until the latter part of the 19th Century it makes you wonder about all the things that these aristocrats did in our name but without us having any say at all.

We get told the Monarchy brings in lots of revenue and that is a reason why lots are in favour, but frankly I don't think we should be pimping ourselves out as a country sized Disney-esque theme park for foreigners who want to live out some royal fantasy for 2 weeks. Tourism is not a good enough reason to maintain a particular system of government.

Having said that, if they didn't exist, I wouldn't get the enjoyment of being able to read this Board!