Should the Royal Family be slimmed down

I think they will be "slimmed down" anyway when Charles takes over.

I'd rather they went altogether but that's not going to happen anytime soon, realistically.

I'm hoping that Anne will identify as male to get into the line of succession. She'd make a great queen.

I thought this was ironic!
Three have gone in the last few weeks.

I think that is what Prince Charles is hoping for in the future and the process has already begun; I think Andrew kept looking for rôles for his daughters but Charles has refused.

However, as long as charities, clubs and societies ask for their patronage, there will be a need for the services of some members of the RF..

The Duke of Kent, at age 84, still carries out many duties and travels as President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, of the RNLI, of The Stroke Association, of St Mungo's, of Endeavour, of sporting associations including The All England Tennis and Croquet Club, in fact 140 charities and associations.

Just because we don't hear reports of what other royals do on a daily basis doesn't mean they are not carrying out this work and attracting funds for the causes they represent.

These charities and associations may have to look elsewhere for their presidents and patrons in future.

The Telegraph newspaper has a Court Circular every day. You can see what they are all doing. Some of the oldies are working away without making a fuss. H and M could take note of this.

I think that’s a very important consideration Callistemon, the funding that is attracted to charities by royal patronage. I also think Harry will continue to support Invictus Lucy, I’m not sure about the mental health though because William and Catherine are also involved with that. I also think that Edward and Sophie do good work, and I admire Princess Anne greatly. Apparently she supports herself by running Gatcombe Park as a business eg The British Eventing Horse Trials every year in August. This enables her to take no monies from the crown or public, and she only has security when she is engaged in royal duties. She is an extremely hard worker.

Diana dropped most of her charities and they did lose support

I thought Prince Charles had intimated that only five in line to the throne (and their direct families) should be considered senior royals and be financed. The rest should be self supporting as Princess Anne is. And as Prince Harry hopes to be. It doesn't affect their patronages.

yes and also the earls, dukes and barons etc who inherited their titles together with land they took from the peasants of old

Harry could do the same as Anne, stay in this country and run a working estate.

He could have done that Annie, but I’m not sure that country life was exactly what she had in mind when she married Harry.

Sorry, I meant Meghan had in mind......

I suppose that court circular is behind a firewall? Sigh.

You can read all about it here www.royal.uk/court-circular

Ooooh, I like that. Thank you Lucy I’ve added it to my iPad home screen!

When I first heard the announcement from H&M, I understood that they wanted a reduced roll, much like some royal cousins. Why not? I don't think it is a selfish request, especially given the history of Harry's mother and the misery caused by being so much in the public eye. The royals do much good with charities, and there is no reason that cannot continue.

It seems the palace is forging out a solution, and I feel badly for the young couple and the hubbub the British press has had with them.

We are unsure if our government will chip in for their security while living here. I'm sure there are plenty of discussions in Ottawa at the moment. I know many here will be proud that they choose to make Canada their part time residence.

Wow, Lucy, that is interesting. Looking at this document in plain black and white shows clearly, to me at least, why royal life wasn’t up Meghan’s street. Meghan wanted to be a star, a Hollywood type star. A quick look at this document shows the exact opposite to stardom, just day by day dedicated slog. Of course, the riches and fame should have compensated for Meghan, but they didn’t, because she appears to want stardom and wealth in return for nothing. Meeting people who she didn’t know at receptions etc well obviously it was not at all what Meghan wanted. Over the last few says I’ve become convinced that Meghan is a selfish woman who only wants what she wants.
What Meghan wants, Meghan gets! Indeed.
Poor Harry.

The Queen only has 4 cousin's still living, all the grandchildren of a Monach. I have no idea if they receive any money, due to their royal status but, if they do, I can see no point in changing that at this stage in their lives.
I do think that things have to be different from the Queen down. If and when Charles becomes king, I would have Charles and Camilla, Anne and her husband, Edward and Sophie, William and Catherine, George, Charlotte and Louis and Harry and Meghan on the balcony as senior working royals. No one else would get anything.
I do think Prince Andrew would have to continue being maintained to a degree and obviously Harry and Meghan may have chosen not to be a part of it at all

They are on the balcony for the Queens official birthday, surely she can invite her family to her birthday .

Are Harry and Megan senior royals ?

Primogeniture is as good a way to enroll a monarch as any other, barring mental disability.

As long as the more distant relatives of the monarch are doing good public service and thereby earning their keep they should hang on.

I don't think Tim Lawrence carried out official duties on behalf of the RF. I could be wrong.

Neither do I think that Royals like the Kents receive anything from public funding.
I'm sure no-one would begrudge the expenses involved in carrying out duties on behalf of the monarch if associations and charities request it.

Or would you prefer the charities to pay their expenses out of donations?

Ah! Looking at what Tim Lawrence does it looks as if he could be lined up to take over some of the charities from the Duke of Kent as he is his deputy, particularly for charities and associations with a maritime link.

I'm sure Andrew made enough from the links he made as Trade Envoy to sustain a decent lifestyle.

Yes most definitely. Now.
And we could cut down on what we pay them.

craftyone totally agree.

So let's get down to specifics. Which of them would you slim off, and how would you do it?

Have them all vasectomised or spayed, so that there are no more of them bred? Neither humanitarian or practical.

Ban them all from serving on any charity boards, or from opening any new bridges, museums or whatever? The charities would complain about taking away their freedom, and you'd get random would-be celebs cutting ribbons instead, is that an improvement?

Stop protecting them against assassination attacks ? That would get rid of the unpopular ones - or the ones that terrorists think it would help their cause to kill off. If you have a President, he/she and family have to be protected anyway.

Cut off supplies of money? Which of them does the tax-payer support NOW? Without knowing that you can rant all you like, but if you want to slim down where your taxes go, you need to know who gets them.