Future of the Monarchy

Whitewavemark2

butterandjam

@SORES
*Andrew never actually DID anything did he, never put in. I know he served his country in the Falklands.

He served in the Navy for 22 years.

Apparently unfortunately for those he worked alongside.

Yes, I know some of them. However, he was courageous in the Falklands.

We are quite capable as a country of choosing our own model for a head of state. One person.

Allira

Whitewavemark2

butterandjam

@SORES
*Andrew never actually DID anything did he, never put in. I know he served his country in the Falklands.

He served in the Navy for 22 years.

Apparently unfortunately for those he worked alongside.

Yes, I know some of them. However, he was courageous in the Falklands.

The other thing is - he will not be penniless. He will have been able to draw his RN pension which may be around £20,000 pa plus, shortly, his State pension.
A single man with paid-for accommodation should be able to manage on that, I would think.

Yes, I know some of them. However, he was courageous in the Falklands.

That’s not a get out of jail free card is if? Or are you saying all ex -Fslklsnds service people can behave like this?

Tuliptree

Yes, I know some of them. However, he was courageous in the Falklands.

That’s not a get out of jail free card is if? Or are you saying all ex -Fslklsnds service people can behave like this?

🤔
Nice to have you back 😂

Tuliptree

Yes, I know some of them. However, he was courageous in the Falklands.

That’s not a get out of jail free card is if? Or are you saying all ex -Fslklsnds service people can behave like this?

Not sure how you read things that other posters don't write.
Is it a special power?

Make your mind up Allira - either his service in the Falkland’s was exceptional ( which it wasn’t) or he was like many others who carried on being good men afterwards unlike him. His war service is completely irrelevant

I’m sure Andrew will have pots of money stashed away in overseas accounts. No way has he ever just existed in a navy pension.

StoneofDestiny

The monarchy needs to go. It is a massive anachronism.

It's appalling to think that anybody, simply by being born into a particular family, can find themselves subsidised by the taxpayers in an extraordinary position of wealth and privilege for life, and can guarantee the same for their children.

The extraordinary battery of financial privileges they are given comes with an ability to hide their wealth from the taxpaying public. The Queen/King and their partners can pass on their wealth free of inheritance tax. They can keep their Wills private. No other member of the public can do that. As for the number of these independently wealthy multimillionaires paying peppercorn rents for mansions - outrageous, and all happening in front of us while we complain about the state of public finances, the decline of the NHS, the underfunding of schools, the in-repaired potholes etc.

The sheer arrogance of the royals saying 'never complain, never explain' is exactly why some of them have been able to get away with the offensive behaviour they have. They have nothing to complain about and everything to explain.
The problem is our media are so keen to get a picture of Kate in her latest dress they feel obliged to keep silent about certain things so as not to be expelled from the press pack at events.

We watched Philip turn up to every public event he looked pained to be at, only to insult the people less privileged than him or from a different culture or country. We were expected to tolerate his obnoxious behaviour with 'that's just Philip's way'. He was a national embarrassment.

We are now watching sheer royal corruption exposed by the Epstein Files. Look at the lavish lifestyle Andrew and Fergie enjoyed without a job between them. Look at how we had to pay excessive amounts in security to watch his daughters globe trotting at our expense.

Look at how little Kate and William actually do. Yet, as soon as his future lifestyle is threatened, he has become animated and 'concerned'. Why did he not speak up before? Why didn't Charles? Why didn't the Queen? No - she just came up with £12 million to silence the victim of her son. Shameless.

Where was 'all equal before the law', 'the law must take its course'? They are only saying it now because their positions are at risk, because the group 'Republic' made an official complaint to Thames Valley Police. The royals have enabled Andrew by their silence.

I'm tired of hearing about their 'duty', how 'Andrew served in the navy', 'Kate has had cancer', 'the King has cancer'. So have many of us had or have cancer, lost children to cancer, served in the armed forces, worked all our lives in public services, volunteered for good causes as well as working. The difference is non of these ordinary citizens are rewarded with jobs for life, endless mansions, servants, chauffeurs, Nannie's etc We just have to dig deep, and when ill with cancer get back to work before our sick pay runs out.

Nothing has changed in terms of tourism when a royal dies and no job is left undone. In many of our lifetimes, The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Princess Diana, Prince Philip,The Queen died. Nothing stopped running, tourism didn't drop off, the clocks didn't stop.People will visit whether the royals are here or not. Many of us have been to Versailles not expecting to see a Queen or King and many similar places across the globe.
We can still have pageantry without the royals - other countries do.

The country can run without Kates new dress display, Williams latest tantrum, the dilemma of what school his kids will go to, the saga of their dogs or what Meghan and Harry did next.

Well Said

butterandjam

@SORES
*Andrew never actually DID anything did he, never put in. I know he served his country in the Falklands.

He served in the Navy for 22 years.

22 years too long according to real serving officers.

Goodness petra - you’re brave. Criticising St Andrew

Oreo

Are you a teacher or a teaching assistant or another job in a school Jane Judge as the salaries in ‘education’ vary widely.
Teachers do not require food banks, neither do nurses.

I think you’d be shocked how many do require food banks. Through no fault of their own.

Your attitude towards people using assistance is really quite appalling.

Well I must admit to be bring really confused. If A had such a great career in the RN how come he made such a bad job of being a trade envoy straight afterwards and then just of being a man when he was sacked from that? Somehow this just doesn’t add up.

Summerlove

Oreo

Are you a teacher or a teaching assistant or another job in a school Jane Judge as the salaries in ‘education’ vary widely.
Teachers do not require food banks, neither do nurses.

I think you’d be shocked how many do require food banks. Through no fault of their own.

Your attitude towards people using assistance is really quite appalling.

Not only are NHS workers, Including Nurses, having to use food banks but many NHS trusts are now setting up their own food banks for their workforce.

NHS Charities Support Food Banks for the Health Workforce | NHS Charities Together share.google/no1cV80fePUEKPRjz

Plenty of reports from teaching unions showing teachers having to use food banks too. ... Google is your friend.

And nurses and police that have lower salaries, and have to work shifts, weekends, bank holidays? Do they not merit a mention? It's disgraceful that anyone in full time employment should have to resort to a foodbank, but that has absolutely nothing to do with us having a Constitutional Monarchy.

Rosie51

And nurses and police that have lower salaries, and have to work shifts, weekends, bank holidays? Do they not merit a mention? It's disgraceful that anyone in full time employment should have to resort to a foodbank, but that has absolutely nothing to do with us having a Constitutional Monarchy.

I don't think anyone was favouring nurses/teachers they were just an example of sone people who have to use food banks to make ends meet.
Anyway, if the monarchy wasn't creaming off huge sums from the likes of the NHS, charities, schools etc there would be more to go round amongst the poorer mortals. I'd rather the £86million+ they receive from tax payers went to improving the welfare of those who are in need.

King and Prince William’s estates ‘making millions from charities and public services’ | Monarchy | The Guardian share.google/xuCTinfwhDYDwW0GT

The main reason I support the monarchy is because I don’t like the alternatives. Can you imagine someone from the government being the head of the country ? Awful thought. Having said that , I think the monarch should belong exclusively to the UK as part of tradition. In Australia most do not have allegiance to the UK these days and come from many different countries so it seems a bit silly to adopt a person as monarch from a country thousands and thousands of miles away.

I watched a documentary on Andrews time as Trade Envoy, when he was called Air Miles Andy, I am afraid the Royals knew then about his dodgy dealings but did nothing. The monarchy, a very pared down version needs to adapt now, to survive, people know more, I think William and Kate are just the people to do the job.
That picture of Andrew looking like a vulnerable wounded animal I found disturbing and I pitied him. He is alone in all this. Never liked the man or his immediate family thought he was entitled and arrogant and self centred and all this was bound to come out and he bought it upon himself and yet.

Yes, exactly, Allsorts.
Hubris.
Fallen from a great height because of the flaws in his character.
Pity is the right word.

Interesting that it’s the unions making a big thing of teachers and nurses who have used a foodbank!
They probably did a NHS survey and asked all of the NHS staff not just nurses who had ever, even once used a foodbank to get their figures.
How do posters think those on much lower incomes than professionals manage, and no we don’t all use foodbanks.Actually it isn’t easy to get foodbank use.
How many nurses and teachers are there in the UK? A huge number is the answer and most have a good lifestyle.

Get rid of the lot of them
Everything’s been said
Stoneofdestiny I agree with most of what you say
I was thinking it should be pared down to just a king and queen but the more I think of it, the more I believe that wouldn’t work either.
Their riches are an abomination
They should go or if they stay everything else should go, all their palaces and large buildings should be given to the country, all the land owned by them should be used to support the homeless, the NHS etc etc.
They should be there for the good of the country not to milk it into oblivion
However I m sure they ll stay, after all most people seem to adore them and never look at their lives and riches in any depth

Oreo I don’t think it’s as cut and dried as you say, I ve little information about teaching and teachers, but we are family of NHS workers and the conditions and work load is ridiculous. They live far, far from a well off life style, and I’m not talking about juniors either.

Junior nurses on the lowest, band 4 is £28,000 to £34,000
Band 5 is £37,000 to £44,000.
Then there’s band 7 and so on upwards.
Extra pay can be got from working nights, weekend and bank holidays ( double pay I think.)
Anyone can fall on hard times, with debts or anything else but it’s wrong to make out that certain professions are so badly paid they need a food handout.

This is just an odd family stuck in the way of our democracy making no difference, coining it in, free from scrutiny transparency they are an embarrassment.
We need real democracy in this country get rid of the Lords have an elected upper house. An elected Head of State that's accountable to the people and a written constitution.