Abdication?

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

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

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!!

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.

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

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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 !

Well.the crowds seem particularly happy today!

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

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!

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 .

niggly everyone has a different take on history, depending on their point of view. My point of view is every bit as valid as yours, and I'm perfectly well read, thanks.

At best they are an outdated, quaint anacronism.

gettingonabit. I suggest you read some history, then you will see that there was much more to the royal family's past actions as described by you than just suiting themselves. I am however surprise ab that you find being an air ambulance pilot offensive! ditto being a devoted husband and father, but there you go! Not quite sure what this devotion to duty would entail either - sounds a bit grim to me!!

Niggly, do explain how one can dislike a person they have never met? I have no reason to dislike them , no reason to think they are chocolate, i do think they should do more for the country , I think Anne and Charles have a sense of duty as do their parents . I think their life style is offensive , empty apartment in KP which cost four million to tart up and all the homeless on the streets

We could keep a monarchy but not living the life style this bunch choose

The Royal Family is just a giant publicity machine. They changed their name to suit themselves, and distanced themselves from Edward 8 when it suited them. They tried to come across as "normal" but when they looked like idiots, they withdrew again. They distanced themselves from Diana, using her shamelessly and then discarding her. They distanced themselves from the Czar and his family when they could have done something to help.

They're just like any ordinary dysfunctional family, really.

No, I think people come to this country, particularly Americans, to see, if they can catch a glimpse of any of the royal family not the Princes in particular. They come to see the changing of the guard, look round the royal palaces, particularly Winsdor. Buckingham Palace can be visited, and is! Prince William donates his salary (for his work as an air ambulance pilot) to charity which no doubt will be scoffed at, but for the life of me what else can he do? How do you want him to be?! Prince Harry the same. What do you want him to do? Go around opening things and looking grave all the time?! I know you think his charity work is rubbish, presumably his mothers was too! I think you just dislike them, it's as easy as that.

Niggly, I said K P , which cost the tax payer four million to update for
William and Kate, the defence from Buck house was they would live there for many years. The following year queenie gave them the house on Sandringham estate

Do you really believe people visit this country just to see William and Harry? Even the Tower of London has more visitors than Buck house

Well, we'll just have to agree to differ ab. You're entitled to your point of view as I am to mine, but even you must agree that they do draw the crowds, (yes even childish lazy old Prince Harry!) particularly foreigners, which in turn = money for the countrys coffers!! Almost certainly more than an elected head of state ever would! So it's not all bad! I think you'll find that Amner Hall was a wedding gift from the Queen (she owns the Sandringham estate, passed to her from her father) to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and not provided by the state. Prince Harry lives I think at Kensington Palace, though whether it is state owned or a crown property, I'm not sure. I'm sure somebody on here can tell me!!

Because niggly, they live in properties owned by the people, have security paid for by the people , what money they have is spent on their choice of life style. And what charity work of Harrys ? He does little charity work compared to his seniors

Well, I'd far rather support the Queen and her family than read about overpaid, overblown celebrities who flaunt their money and couldn't give a fig for one other person. How can Prince William and Prince Harry grow up?!! They've both been in the armed forces, Prince William works as has been stated, Prince Harry is extremely popular amongst the charities he works for. Neither of them have an income from the state except for official duties which as ab pointed out are not that many. They have more than enough money to support their life style courtesy of their mother, any other support is from the Dutchy of Cornwall via their father, so what's your problem, those of you who have one? Bearing in mind they're self sufficient, whether they're lazy and childish (which they're not,) is frankly none of your business.

I think there's far less support for the Monarchy than the Government says. In fact I think the celebrations we're funding enduring at the moment are so extravagant BECAUSE of this. It seems that every time there's a crisis, out comes Queenie.

Remember the chaos of the 70's? The anti-Queen sentiment? The Sex Pistols? Answer: throw a party for the Queen!

Remember 1981 and the rioting, unemployment and unrest? Answer: a Royal Wedding! A real-life fairytale with a Prince and Princess so much in love!

And when that Princess tragically died so young-let's wheel out the Queen to tell us all how, as the nation's granny, sorry she is.....

And now? Hey, what a wonderful old lady! 90 years old. Let's party! Forget your zero hours contracts, your diminishing labour returns, your worries about your care home, your kids, your knee, your teeth, your bills! Let's celebrate this wonderful woman!!