Prince Andrew to give up all honours and titles

[hearlady]

As I recall...
The once 'Poster boy' of the media

has suffered from the consequences of the passing of time.

The media came up with the title "Randy Andy" taking advantage of the young Prince having an eye for the ladies and publicising if not promoting his virility.

Yeah, he's charming with a dash of ick..... IMO

 

[Lewkat]

Well exactly it pertains to the UK because the thread is about a British prince

Well exactly it pertains to the UK because the thread is about a British prince

Yes, and that is so sad. Now, history tells us that Andrew is far from the worst prince to come down the pike, but, it all the salacious chatter that has gone on with this. It is actually about his shady business deals with Epstein and others that is behind each scintilla of this story. There is so much more involved here, that he and Fergie would best fade into distance and let most of it die out. The same applies to the other 2 who see fit to besmirch both their families, which I find disgraceful.

 

[Irishdude]

It will vary from person to person.

For me - the royal family is part of our legacy. It's our heritage. It is part of being British. Many people around the globe only know the Royal family, and they represent our country.

Undermining the royal family is undermining the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom without the Royals is a misnomer.

The royals cost the UK public £510m a year. They bring in, including tourism etc, £1.76bn.

But more, they are part of our tradition. As such, they're vital.

Understood. A thoughtful answer, as usual. I think my point of view is closer to Hollydolly's but I see where you're coming from.

 

[Magna-Carta]

This is an honest question for all Brits and Commonwealth folks. Is the royal family considered an asset or just an embarassing relic of the past?

I think If you were to ask ten Brits this question, you would probably get twelve different answers.

Personally, I don’t see the Royal Family as a burden. Much of their businesses, property, and land were handed over to the government centuries ago. The government keeps the profits from that and finances the Royal Family with it. One example is Ascot Racecourse, founded by Queen Anne on land she owned in 1711.

The revenue from all of that goes to the "Crown Estate", which is surrendered to the government. A percentage of that goes into the "Sovereign Grant", which is used to pay the Royal Family. Last year, the Crown Estate made £1.15 billion in profits, and the Sovereign Grant paid £86.3 million to the royals.

Other costs exist too, such as security and local council expenses during royal visits. An anti-monarchy group has estimated the total cost of the Royal Family at £510 million per year, though this includes indirect and speculative expenses and is considered an exaggeration by others.

Bur even if we take that figure at face value, the Treasury receives £1.15 billion from the Crown Estate and pays out £0.51 billion (£510 million) to the royals. Financially, it seems to me that it's not a net loss to the country, far from it.

While I don’t see them as a burden, I do find some of them a national embarrassment -- perhaps even an international one in some circles.

 

[Rakaia]

My view from Downunder is that the British monarchy is an irrelevant anachronism, and that Andrew is a sweaty nonce.