Originally Posted by
JamesWales
I think having an active royal family, as opposed to an ex royal family does bring in tourists; it makes it a historic as well as contemporary issue. The sheer numbers of global tourists milling around outside Buckingham Palace on any summer day is testament to that. Needless to say, there is no way to assess this and it's a fair point on opening up more buildings, something I do agree with.
I think the main benefit in terms of foreign affairs is the soft power and general respect it brings the country. Although many countries may not want to adopt the model themselves, there is an aura about them which does carry weight abroad. The Queen is one of the few people on earth whom no country would seek to insult and whom the vast majority will have general respect for.
If the Royals had any real power on domestic policy, I would be a raving republican, but they don't, so I'm not. I just don't see the big issue. President Blair? President Teresa May? These are the realistic alternatives and neither are exciting or offer much for me.
The biggest ongoing democratic issue in the UK is not the Royal Family, but the House of Lords
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