The royal family is famous not only in the United Kingdom but also worldwide. They bring many tourists to England to see things like Buckingham Palace, this brings countless sums of money to the country. People respect and look up to them. Secondly they are also highly valued for what they are, it makes our country who we are, it gives us identity. They are good for the nationality of England, there were thousands of people who turned out for the Queen’s Jubilee. This enhances our country’s nationality to the rest of the world. They have ruled over us for many years making them traditional and different from other countries. The Royal family played an enormous part in the country’s history, and maybe without them there wouldn’t have been an England?
The Royals are also a tremendous target of the press, millions of people worldwide read about them everyday. It brings glamour into ordinary citizens’ lives, some one for them to look up to and honour. Further more abolishing them could lead to all sorts of financial problems. It would mean replacing sterling, notes, post boxes and the national anthem, and what would we do with all the Royal Palaces?
On the other hand some people might argue that the royal family aren’t needed anymore and a lot of other countries survive as republic. Now they are old fashioned, out of date and not in touch with reality. They receive the money from the government and do barley any work for it. They get what they want and when they want it. They use un-measurable amounts of the country’s money for their places, presents and pearls and then turn up at charity events. This seems very hypocritical, as there are thousands of homeless people all over the United Kingdom and they have themselves eight palaces to live in. That’s more than one different house for every day of the week!
Secondly the royal family doesn’t really do anything. I’m sure all the work they do could be done by someone else. They give the odd occasional speech and bit of charity work. The Queen doesn’t even sign the letters citizens receive when they reach their hundredth birthday. My cousin’s grandma received one only a few months ago and it was printed. The main thing the Queen is famous for is her wave as she passes by in her limousine.
The Royals receive their money from the taxpayers of their country. It costs fifty million pounds a year to keep them. Twenty million of this is spent on running their palaces, seven hundred and sixty six thousand pounds is spent on their phone bills and five hundred and twenty-nine thousand pounds is spent on their electricity bills. Would you not like to see you money better spend elsewhere? Say a new hospital or go towards a charity?
Further more the Royals are not respected as much as they used to be despite them being watched by almost every eye in the country they can be seen to set bad examples and many views of them have changed. In my mother’s opinion the royal family used to be highly valued and regarded but now they are less so due to their recent mistakes and mishaps. They take up the front pages of our newspapers where as more important issues don’t even make the front page at all. They are becoming poor role models and not a good example of how to live your life at all. Prince William was caught underage drinking and Prince Harry using drugs. There have also been many divorces in the family, incest and affairs. The more distant members of the family also make them seem less important, do you really care what the Queens cousin’s sisters aunt did last week?
Lastly The Queen does not have any political power any more, the government and parliament do all the political jobs. The Queen must remain disinterested in all matters.
In conclusion I think that in the twenty first century we don’t need a royal family. The main loss with out them would be the money loss of which they bring in through tourism but we would gain the fifty million pounds out of the taxes that goes to them. The palaces could also be opened to the public, which would still bring tourism in, maybe more? The reputation of the Royal family isn't what it used to be, they have no political power any more and the country could do without them.
