DEBATE: Should the monarchy be abolished?
Zaki Cooper, Co-Founder of Integra Group says NO
The Royal Family have an enduring importance in Britain, in our lives and our hearts. Every day, they champion important organisations at the heart of our communities. The family is an ancient institution which has adapted subtly over the ages and must continue to do so to cater for the needs of today.
Over the last year, the Royals have been a key point of leadership. “We will meet again,” was the Queen’s message of hope in the first lockdown. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge donned masks in an effort to get Brits’ across the country do the same.
Their role is charitable and international. It is thanks to them we have the Duke of Edinburgh Award and the Prince’s Trust, two key charities who play a vital role in Britain.
The Queen is head of the Commonwealth and is an important figurehead for the 54 nation bloc.
Abolishing the Monarchy would damage a key centrepiece of modern day Britain which provides us with solace, reassurance and guidance.
Nadine Batchelor-Hunt, political correspondent at JOE.co.uk says YES
British establishment has been left reeling following the bombshell revelations from Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah. The explosive allegations, including Royal Family members asking how dark the couple’s children would be, were disturbing for all manner of reasons.
The Royal Family are increasingly becoming an anachronism within modern British society. Whether it’s the interview with Meghan and Harry, or the Prince Andrew affair, or the growing awareness of the wrongs of colonialism, with which the monarchy is inextricably linked, they are becoming increasingly out of place in contemporary society.
There is also the very real question of what are we paying for? The Royal Family does not come cheap. A report from the Sovereign Grant, which funds the Queen, shows the monarch cost the taxpayer £69 million in 2019-20. Yet, it increasingly fuels toxic public discourse and makes Britain vulnerable to scandals such as the controversies swirling around Prince Andrew’s involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.
The time has come: let’s abolish the monarchy.