I just don't think people would lose interest in St Paul's, the Houses of Parliamant, Trafalgar Square, Picadilly circus, the tower of London, tower Bridge, and Buckingham palace if those dreadful people were stripped of their titles and moved into a council block in elephant and castle. England is much bigger than the royals. Just my opinion.
I don't think they would but, for some people at least, the presence of a Royal Family adds something extra, a different context to understand those things in. Ultimately, I think if you don't agree with the concept of a Royal family, you will believe that they don't add any value. If you do agree with that concept, you will believe that they do add value.
I'm sure they add some appeal for some and you know what, maybe they do bring some cash in. That's hard to quantify either way. But they would need to add a whole load more than they do for me to think the concept is a good idea. I just don't believe anyone should be born into an officially higher station than anyone else. I don't know what they would have to do to win me over. But they're not doing it.
I think that's fair. Personally, I don't have a problem with it and don't really consider it to be a higher station as such, just a hereditary public position. I don't believe that the class system still exists in the way that many people want to claim it does. The 'common man' can work his way to riches greater than many royals or members of the aristocracy currently have. As such, the Royal family and the aristocracy are anachronistic concepts that are just a relict part of the national identity. Complaining about them is just as much part of the national identity!
And until you do that, I’ll happily accept the millions of visitors every year that visit the uk due to the royal family.
Were I to visit France, Versailles is where I would head for too. It looks like architecture at it's most extravagent. In my many visits to London, I've never bothered to look for Buckingham Palace. But tourists seem to want to, along with The Tower and The Crown Jewels. Then there are the Guards, popular for photo oportunities plus the ceromonies that go with it all. But I agree with your point that very few tourists will come ONLY because we have a Monarch as Head of State. But it seems to be something that adds to the list of things that attract foreigners to our shores. It beats me too. But then I reflect that when I visited Melborne, I was disapointed to find that John Landy was no longer Govenor General. I would happily have stood in all weathers just to see him drive past me.
Living history as opposed to dead. You know the crown jewels will be whipped out every so often (fnarr fnarr) and have their story added to. A Royal wedding brings thousands over who would normally go somewhere else to spend their money. It's like a pop star going on tour for them. It's not for me, personally, but I understand the attraction. I met Phil at a garden party and you just have to think about all the people who've changed history he'd met, and the world changing events he'd been close to. It's that weird glamour.
Some guy on Twitter "That vice admiral is among Prince Andrew's few remaining honorary titles suggests that someone in the royal household has a dark sense of humour."
Broadly my personal position too. But I have just always accepted that I live in a country where most people disagree with me. The Monarchy retains it's appeal and that's it. As I get older I can see the quaint attraction bit, but the principle is not for me. Mind, as I said earlier, some, most, probably ALL, of the likely candidates for Head of State make your flesh creep!
the grand old duke of york, he had ten thousand men,......... then he started on the women and children.
