Abdication?

Niggly, their life style is not being a part time air ambulance pilot, as for being a devoted husband and father? Does a man need to work 40 hours of work a month but no more to be a devoted husband and father? Men in the armed forces, on oil rigs etc who are away for weeks or months cannot be so? Men who work a full week and overtime to put food on the table and a roof over the heads of his family cannot be devoted husbands and fathers, sorry but this is rediculous . Adore them if you wish but accept many do not .

I'm certainly with you here gettingonabit. It's just so unbelievable that all this fawning goes on in this day and age.
This party today has apparently cost folks £150 a head (why?) and an UNDISCLOSED
sum is being paid to Peter Philp's company-publish the accounts I say!

We'll just have to agree to disagree-isn't that what democracy is about?
It would be interesting to see the result of a referendum about keeping the monarchy wouldn't it

Well.the crowds seem particularly happy today!

Newquay, those who had to pay £150 to attend were invited guests from charities ! There was no tender for organising the event, it was handed to the queens grandson and costs are not to be disclosed , he also works for a bank !

Interested to know as this topic crops up now and again and usually get's cemented views.

Can somebody who is in the a Republican Camp point me to a country, anywhere in the world that they belive is how we should be governed.

The reason I ask is I see other countries that are governed by Presidential/Dictatorship/ Supreme Leaders/ Premiership etc. etc and I don't see one I can think of that if you dig deep enough does not probably cost the population more than our monarchy, suffers from some sort of fraud or feathering the nest of those at the top at the expense of the countries population.

I am genuinely interested to know what country has a model of governance that the Republican posters believe we should adopt their model.

Yes all the trappings mentioned in earlier posts are enjoyed by the leaders of other countries. I don't think by ridding ourselves of the monarchy we will improve anything. I too would be interested in which model people would choose.

I imagine that the inference here is that the Queens grandson is acting fraudulently, after all he works for a bank! That should certainly clinch it!! At least he works!!! Like POGs I too am genuinely interested to hear what republican model we could adopt and from which country?

I think any model adopted here would have to reflect our history. I don't think it would be helpful to look towards other countries because we have no history of anything other than monarchy (not really, anyway, and certainly not in recent times).

I think I'd keep the Queen (or her equivalent). When she dies, her heir should succeed her. She would be able to veto some things, call Parliament back and declare war. A bit like now, really. But she should not interfere in the business of everyday democracy. That should be up to elected politicians.

Her children should not be royal. Her husband should be simply that-her husband. She would be allocated one home which should also serve as her office. The homes she currently has should be managed and owned by the state, as should be the Duchy lands.

We should not be subjects, but citizens. The Queen should be tested and declared "fit for purpose" once, say, every five years.

She should be given an income on which she should live comfortably. If she is unhappy with this arrangement, she has the entitlement to step down.

We keep the Queen as figurehead, but with greatly reduced riches.

Fraud niggly? You do have a vivid imagination . He works for a bank, doubt he is a cleaner , it would have been fair to give people who only have one occupation a chance . So not fraud - simple case of nepotism ,I am sure there are firms without Royal connections who could have done the job

Keep the monarchy as a head of state but not a family with at least fifteen properties to pay protection for. Not extended family living in state apartments , not five months holidays a year. One palace is enough, William has his country home at Sandringham, his town house in KP and his office in St James Palace

nigglynellie Thank you. I agree. I'm thankful that the Queen continues to give some a number of us a reason to feel proud to be British.

In said inference ab! Why mention it but to sow the seeds of doubt?! How can you have a republic and keep the monarch?! Either one thing or the other surely. Obviously no other country's system appeals!!

The queen gives a number of people a reason to feel proud to be British , a joke surely?

Anniebach My goodness. You must have a very nasty chip on your shoulder.

I almost feel sorry for you. Anyway, time for a G&T and read the Sunday newspaper. Goodnight all.

No, not a joke. It may be a unbelievable to you ab but she does make a lot of people proud to be British, I think that's born out by the crowds and flag waving whenever she is out and about. I for one am very proud of, and grateful to her for all the years of dedication to this country and the Commonwealth. She makes me proud to be British. Thank you soop too.

I agree that the royal family are an outdated, quaint anachronism but so are lots of other harmless things. Like Arthur Ransome's stories about the Swallows and Amazons, for example; when I ordered one of the books from a book shop the shop assistant said: "Isn't it a bit dated?" I replied: "Yes, but that isn't the point! It's a good story."

A lot of people love the 'show' and the 'story' of the royal family. The show and the story do no harm.

I thought the queen's grandson withdrew his business connection from the charity lunch when people complained.

No thatbags, it was said in the news how he has worked on this for months and worked through the the night last night .

Niggly, I thought the crowd were there to celebrate her birthday not to help them feel British. I have respect for her but she doesn't make me feel British, I am British because I was born here not because the queen is British

They probably are thatbags, but we have to have a head of state, and I think they are and will be thinned out quite a bit as already Prince Edwards children are not Prince and Princess, nor are Princess Ann's whereas once they would have been. Over time others will marry commoners and cease to have a royal title and become more like Scandinavian or other European royals, probably no bad thing, but let's have evolution not revolution!
Incidentally I loved Arthur Ransome!

If you Google it you can find out exactly what Peter Phillips role and interest was in the celebrations. He did stand down as a trustee of a charity that will distribute the funds to quash any perceived conflict of interest.

ab, I said the Queen made me and others feel proud to be British, not that she made me British, like you I'm British because I was born here.

.niggly, I am pleased for you, I cannot share your pride because I am not comfortable with the word. I am not proud or ashamed to be British, I just am British , I am not proud to be Welsh, I am Welsh . I love my country with a passion but love isn't pride is it . Wish there was a word to use instead of pride

So far I am thinking there is no reply to my post of 16.27 forthcoming.

If you think the reply to Republicanism is to keep the Queen in place then I'm sorry but that is so laughable it just rings like a comedy sketch.

"You what Walt, the Brits want to topple the Queen and put in a President, why?"

"You what Walt they think a President will save them money. Do they know know how much Obama costs".

" You what Walt, the Brits think the monarchy and palaces don't attract tourists. Them Limeys never have understood commerce"

"You what Walt, the Brits think the Princes are lazy sods, Jeez Walt what do you have to do in the UK to make people happy, fight for your country in a war"

" You what Walt, the Brits have exiled Wills, Harry, Kate and the kids, Jeez Walt I'm getting a petition up for them to come to the US, Harry can lead our team in the next Invictus Games"

Anniebach

"I love my country with a passion"

Yes that is pride in your country.

Anniebach

Did you not make some derogatory remarks on a thread before about the Queens grandson last year when he was given the job. Can't be bothered to bump it.