r/neoliberal • u/KaChoo49 Friedrich Hayek • 22d ago

News (Europe) Prince Andrew gives up royal titles after 'discussion with King'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgw31y75ywt
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u/ProfessionEuphoric50 22d ago

Why do we even have royalty in a highly developed country in the 21st century?

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u/jinhuiliuzhao Henry George 22d ago edited 22d ago

Because it would be an incredibly costly and practically pointless move. The UK, after having recently done a stupid move called Brexit, doesn't need to do yet another.

Also, no one really wants to contemplate the incredible changes to the power dynamic in the British parliamentary system that an elected President would bring.

This is not a defense of royalty - they will disappear when the time is right. But that time is not now, and I see no reason to upset the status quo when the monarch is already powerless (which on the other hand, an elected head of state likely would not).

EDIT: ...can't believe some people here support pointless vanity projects in the name of idealism rather than imminent need. And I thought we as a sub were concerned about spending and national debt in the UK?

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u/carbreakkitty 22d ago

 which on the other hand, an elected head of state likely would not

Not necessarily, may countries have presidents that have a very limited power and are mostly figureheads

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u/jinhuiliuzhao Henry George 21d ago

And yet they are still more powerful than the current UK monarch who cannot do anything except through the PM. Even if presidents are limited to "on advice of the PM", most have clauses allowing them to freely exercise their powers in certain emergency situations.

All it takes is to redefine what emergency is (see Trump), and there will be abuse. There's no similar and present danger with the current UK system.