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.
