The way the general public views the Royal Family has shifted in the last 50 years or so. They have evolved into some form of reality TV show where we are kept up to date with relationships and blunders, of course fed to us by every red-top magazine in the country on an almost weekly basis. This tells us that the concept of a family that were once seen as having no dark secrets has been blown apart in a frenzy of mass media revelations which tarnish its reputation (Kate Middleton sunbathing topless and the scandal around that anyone?).
The royal family used to have some form of deity status where they could sit around and be relatively untouched. But now in the modern age they have taken on a more relaxed approach: Princess Diana taking her kids and future rulers of the country for a fun day at Thorpe Park or Prince Harry joining the army. The more the general public have started to see what the royals’ lives are really like the more some are starting to doubt if essentially funding a family to sit around and represent the country is worth it. The flames were only fanned more when their expenses were revealed and they added up to approximately 35p per person in Britain. Some may say that this doesn’t seem like much, but this includes a lot of pointless expenses claims that range from funding for the private train, to paying for the refurbishment of royals’ palaces. Many people would rather see the money spent on people who actually need it rather than funding one extravagant lifestyle.
But of course the royal family have upsides. They always seem to unite the British public and really bring out what it’s like to be British. At the time of the royal wedding in 2011 and the Diamond Jubilee a year later, streets were filled with street parties and British flags. We all started to feel a bit happier and patriotic which was unlike our normal character of slightly miserable, unpatriotic Brits. Also the royal family is essential to the tourism industry, because the fact that our royal family is shrouded in so much history makes London a unique city. This is something that countries without a form of monarchy can’t compete with. They draw in an estimated 500 million pounds from tourists coming to see them and this benefits a wide array of people involved in business or travel, so they benefit the country in a way.
The royal family costs a lot to maintain and some people are not happy with that, but you have to remember that it’s what makes the country so different from others. We can be proud of that. The concept of a royal family will fade eventually, but with the way the royals are viewed right now, it won’t be anytime soon.
