Should royalty be banished and be done away? isn't everyone the same in God's eyes? these aren't the middle

Question

ages anymore...why is a royal baby any more special than a normal, average baby born in an ordinary local hospital? The royal family in england haven't done much for the society around them for all these, many years. They used to live luxuriously on tax money; infact they may still do - in england. what good is it to the average, hard-working person if the royal family live in large castles (mansions are too small for them), throw lavish banquets and attend upper-class gatherings and ceremonies etc? I wouldn't shake the queen's hand if she was standing before me. would you? i would ask why she doesn't do more for society? why doesn't she do more? i would also ask her if she could possibly move out of her castle into a normal 4-bedroom house in lower, east London, while the castle is transforned into a hospital for long-term sick children? I know, I know..I'm a dreamer, but what if?

Answer 1

Speaking as an American, I think you guys obsess about your royal family way too much. It looks to us like a harmless, if quaint, tradition. There's no real human rights question or philosophical urgency surrounding royalty anymore--at least not in the UK. I just don't understand why both the pro-royal and anti-royal factions get so worked up about it.

Oh, and as for everyone being the same in God's eyes, ironically the historical justification for royal rule was that they had been specially annointed by God to hold that office.

Answer 2

The Queen is Head of State, what you rather have? A political president? I rather have an inherited Head of State whose first loyalty is the nation than another lying politician who's first loyalty is to his/her political party.

Tax money - the Royal family bring in far more money in tourism than they get from the public purse, that's excluding of course the Crown Estates which the Queen signed over all monies from to the Government at the beginning of her reign - they alone bring in far more than she gets as the Civil list.

Her personal possessions are taxed just like any other family and is she was evicted from Buckingham Palace (as it is state owned) she owns Balmoral and Sandringham in her own right (not as Head of State).

Refusing to shake her hand is rude and ill-mannered.

Answer 3

In addition to the four (so far) really excellent answers already posted here, please think about your lack of knowledge on this subject.  You say the royal family haven't really done anything  for society around them.  What would you call highlighting all the charities they head up?  It may only be as a figurehead (because they have hundreds and hundreds of organizations calling on their time) but there is no doubt at all that having royal patronage helps the charities get press interest involved, and thus gets their information out to help others, as well as getting people to be interested in their causes and donate time and money.

You show, I'm afraid, a real ignorance when you say they are "living luxuriously on tax money".  You may be referring to the Civil List, an allowance voted by Parliament each year for certain royals (not the Queen).  The present Queen has drastically reduced the number of family members receiving any benefits at all, and has made it crystal clear that they are expected to work for these, i.e. head charities, etc.  Some years ago she VOLUNTEERED to pay tax on her income, which she now does.

The Prince of Wales lives on the income from his own private property, the Duchy of Cornwall, which he has managed superbly to where it is immensely profitable, which it certainly was not when he received it.  He's done this not by building industrial factories, but the hard way -- by advancing organic farming techniques and traditional village building, consulting all along the way with the people who lived there.  He has advanced the ideas of organic farming so much that it is now a common thing - that's thought and hard work, you know, not just "living luxuriously", and it wasn't popular at all when he started talking about it.  

What do you mean by "upper-class banquets"?  The banquets given by the Queen are for visiting heads of State of other countries -- usually duly elected by their people! -- or for people who have won awards for charitable work, risen to the top in their fields including literature, the arts, music, science, etc.  What they have in common is that they have all worked hard to improve themselves and life for other people, each in their own way.  If you think she just gives parties for dukes (of which there are only ten in the country), you're the one living in the Middle Ages, my friend.

The present Queen is the most hardworking person of that family.  In her eighties, she travels, studies, gives speeches, and works tirelessly as an ambassador for the whole nation.  Before you complain, please get your facts straight.  I am not a monarchist, but I don't like to see any people branded incorrectly -- that's a form of prejudice, just like your silly refusal to shake the hand of a woman who's done more good in the world than most people.  What have you done with your life so far?  

Would the Queen be pleased to shake hands with you -- as she does every day to regular people who have worked hard in their industries, for charity, and to help others?

Answer 4

Tourists still visit Versailles, although France is in its 5th republic, so they would also probably still visit Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace if the British people sent the monarchy packing as well.  Indeed, for many tourists,  the royals are way down the list of tourist attractions.

However, one of the traditional arguments for the monarchy that has nothing to do with class or status is that it performs the executive branch's ceremonial tasks whereas in republics like the United States, the President must perform both ceremonial and executive tasks.  This also allows the Prime Minister a relatively private life while the public focuses on Prince Harry's next girl friend.  

Yes, the royals lead very pampered lives from birth to death, but they also aren't as free in many ways as the average middle class  British man or woman to do as they please.  For now, I don't believe that the monarchy will disappear, but it will probably become more like the monarchies of the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Would I shake hands with the Queen? I would be honoured to do so just as I would be pleased to shake hands with the President of the United States or the British Prime Minister (whatever his or her politics).  After all, isn't it something to tell your grandkids?

Answer 5

Please tell me how your life will be improved by the removal of the British royal family and advise how the likes of the Greeks ( no offence intended to anyone) lives were improved by the removal of the Greek Royal family. Economically nothing has changed in the least, over there

Answer 6

real life mate   who would run the hospital then? where would the money come from ?

yes the royals get money from our taxes,

but the government gets more from the queens land & property that she gives over to the government,

so who is geting  done by who?

not the government thats for shure,

Answer 7

The royal family is a tourist attraction, say you get rid of the monarchy, tear down the old mansions and or turn them into hospitals or  subdivisions.  So what is England's attraction now? its certainly not the food.. Big Ben..the Tower of London?  no that would have to go to that is connected to royalty.

You spend money to make money.  It's not like your royal family runs the country that's Parliament now.  

All heads of states have 'lavish' parties that is when deals are done  and there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of people employed to make the food, set up the the tables and do the tables, cleaning, landscaping, the driving of dignitaries, the flowers, etc.  You would put all those people out of work so they wouldn't be able to feed their families.

The few countries that actually have a monarchy do so because it works for them and  again it brings in tourists who spend money in their country.  

Banishing all different types of governments because you personally don't like it is silly. And to not shake her hand that is just rude, she didn't chose to be born into the situation but she does do it with class, which is another thing sadly lacking in most countries.