Abolishing the British Monarchy

[Whyayeman]

I don't (or want to) know about them either, but that is a very rich fantasy life.

Me neither!

 

[Desk trauma]

It's been 151 days and Kate's still missing. Another day another lie. I'm betting on a clone or divorce. I forget how long it takes to make one and not inclined to look it up but most public figures have them.

~bella

42 years plus nineish months for the pregnancy is how long it would take to get a clone to match her as she currently appears.

 

[Arcangl86]

It's been 151 days and Kate's still missing. Another day another lie. I'm betting on a clone or divorce. I forget how long it takes to make one and not inclined to look it up but most public figures have them.

~bella

There is no known case of a successful human clone. And even if there was, this isn't sci-fi where you can produce a mature adult subject in a condensed time frame. Cloning still requires a natural birth and normal aging. So what you are suggesting is not even scientifically possible,

As for a divorce, such a thing would be a matter of public record.

Of course, the simplest explanation is simply that she is fighting cancer and thus spending as little time in the public eye as possible, and because they are very rich, she doesn't ever have to leave her residence.

 

[Michie]

The divorce rumor is ridiculous. Next we’ll be hearing she is shedding her skin according to David Icke or the conspiracy rags.

 

[o_mlly]

What do you think?

My wife is a Brit.

She thinks the monarchy is the biggest welfare case in the world.

 

[Arcangl86]

My wife is a Brit.

She thinks the monarchy is the biggest welfare case in the world.

Which is interesting since the Government gets more from the royal family then they provide.

 

[Whyayeman]

Which is interesting since the Government gets more from the royal family then they provide.

You don't know how rich they are. Nobody does. The Royal Family does not depend on the civil List (the annual grant from the Treasury) for its private expenditure. The Civil List is mainly payment for their considerable public expenses and contributes to much of the ceremonial duty which they must perform.

The Duchess of Wales is also the Duchess of Cornwall. That duchy is enormously rich and there is no tax paid on it by the Prince of Wales/Duke of York. They are not welfare recipients; they are extraordinarily rich.

They may be lacking in individuality and character but there are no cloned Royals at Buckingham Palace, or anywhere.

 

[Arcangl86]

You don't know how rich they are. Nobody does. The Royal Family does not depend on the civil List (the annual grant from the Treasury) for its private expenditure. The Civil List is mainly payment for their considerable public expenses and contributes to much of the ceremonial duty which they must perform.

The Civil List no longer exists. Public duties are now paid by the Sovereign Grant, and in exchange the country keeps the revenues of the Crown Estate. The Sovereign Grant last year was 86M pounds. The revenues of the Crown Estate were 442M.

The Duchess of Wales is also the Duchess of Cornwall. That duchy is enormously rich and there is no tax paid on it by the Prince of Wales/Duke of York. They are not welfare recipients; they are extraordinarily rich.

A good chunk of the revenues from the Duchy of Cornwall are used to pay for official expenses for the Duke. And I don't know about William, but Charles voluntarily paid taxes on the portion of the Duchy revenues that he didn't use for official expenses.

Granted I'm an outsider so my view really doesn't matter. But I think while there are valid reasons to want to abolish the monarchy, claiming the royals are a drain on the public purse isn't a good one.

 

[Whyayeman]

The Civil List no longer exists. Public duties are now paid by the Sovereign Grant, and in exchange the country keeps the revenues of the Crown Estate. The Sovereign Grant last year was 86M pounds. The revenues of the Crown Estate were 442M.

A good chunk of the revenues from the Duchy of Cornwall are used to pay for official expenses for the Duke. And I don't know about William, but Charles voluntarily paid taxes on the portion of the Duchy revenues that he didn't use for official expenses.

Granted I'm an outsider so my view really doesn't matter. But I think while there are valid reasons to want to abolish the monarchy, claiming the royals are a drain on the public purse isn't a good one.

I don't dispute any of that. The Sovereign Grant is no different from the old Civil List except for the little detail of it being revised (upwards) every year whereas the Civil List was fixed for the lifetime of the Sovereign. And while the Duchy of Cornwall's revenues are tax exempt (like all Royal Income) the previous Duke, now King voluntarily made a contribution as described.

As King, however, Charles pays no taxes at all. His immense wealth is not the same thing as the Crown Estate; his private wealth is unknown. Wills in this country are normally public documents but nobody can see the late Queen's.

But I agree that the Royal finances are irrelevant to the republican argument which is very similar to republicanism everywhere.

 

[Hans Blaster]

The divorce rumor is ridiculous. Next we’ll be hearing she is shedding her skin according to David Icke or the conspiracy rags.

Finally! A "royal" doing something interesting.

 

[Whyayeman]

Finally! A "royal" doing something interesting.

Nah, they all get divorced. Staying together is the exception.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Nah, they all get divorced. Staying together is the exception.

I meant the shedding thing. ("V" was documentary, right?)

 

[Malleeboy]

Aren't nearly all senior US politicians related, they are just as likely to be lizard people.

Where I grew up we had "regularish" mice plagues, we could have kept them feed and happy, and they could have thinned the plague levels. Win/Win.

 

[Gene2memE]

Aren't nearly all senior US politicians related,

No. Not even by stretching the word 'senior' beyond all recognisable measure.

There are certainly familial political dynasties in the US - the Kennedies, the Bushes, the Roosevelts, the Rockerfellers, the duPonts and so on. A lot of these families have intermarried - particularly those from the North East and those from the Great Lakes area.

However, if you look at the current US Cabinet I can't find a single familial link between any of them.