The Benefits And Drawbacks Of The British Monarchy

Throughout the years as society continues to develop and change there are never ending debates as to whether or not the British monarchy should be abolished. There are few things in the world that can symbolise unity and tradition throughout a nation like having a strong and powerful monarchy that for as long as we can even remember has been around for centuries. Although, it can be argued that no matter how traditional and united having a monarchy makes us as a country it has the power and capability of hindering some modifications being made in our society. Having a royal family may well be holding us back as a nation and restricting us back to old habits, views and beliefs which can be preventing any new modernisation in our culture. There can also never be a guarantee that the inheritance of the throne will go to someone who is strong enough to be in control of the huge responsibilities that having power over a country has, instead it is just granted to whoever is next in line down the family therefor as a country we will never be assured that we have the correct person doing the job on the throne.

Running a monarchy is incredibly expensive and this is why there are a great percentage of taxpayers in this country who feel it is unfair to be seeing part of their hard earned money be taken away to go to what they believe are said to be unnecessary causes. After taking into account all of the things that need to be catered for in regards to the royal family such as security, training and paying the members of staff who are there working for them and serving them, and much more, the british public are paying all together more than approximately £200 million each year out of their money that is going towards funding our royal family. Many of these citizens feel it is more important that this money goes towards things such as the NHS budget and making it stronger and more accessible, improving the revenue that has been given to schools and make the resources used by them more up to date and their facilities more widely available which they believe will result in a better standard of education throughout our society, and that will then open up more doors and opportunities for everyone in their later life meaning a greater chance of happiness.

Although it can definitely be argued that having a monarchy is just unnecessary due to the high expense that running one costs, it is undeniable that the British royal family bring in a great deal of money due to the high attraction to them all in regards to tourism. According to the British tourism agency it has been reported that the British royal family is currently generating and bringing in approximately £500 million every single year just from tourism revenue alone. Tourism in the United Kingdom is the third biggest industry thanks to the royal family. Without them it is said that the industry would be a great deal less than it is today and would definitely not bring in the finance that is currently does. The royal family is shown to be bringing people in society together from not only in Britain but worldwide. Through the accomodation, travel and nightlife that was needed in times of such popularity surrounding the royal family e. g. the royal wedding, London's economy was boosted during this time by over £107 million pounds. This is a huge amount of extra income that our country is taking which could not be made any other way since it is coming directly from the fact that there is a special occasion going on with the royal family.

After the monarch dies and there time is up on the throne the current system that is in place is that the power and throne is just handed down to whoever is next in line from the family. This is not necessarily always someone who is guaranteed to be strong enough and capable enough to run and take charge of a country. It is not fair that simply just because a person has been born into a family means that they should be given the opportunity and privilege to be head of a nation. The way that this system operates means that it has nothing to do with the ability of the person, purely it is just about there family and the order in which they were born. This process makes it physically impossible for any member of the public to ever make it to the throne despite their potential capabilities that they may have. Each year the amount of people who would like to hold some form of vote to decide who takes the place on the throne after the monarch dies despite it being rather small percentages it is slowly increasing each year. By the public having an input towards the way the system works and by them deciding who will be next in line essentially can make us all feel as if we are playing a more important part in the way in which our country is run. This can lead to spirits being higher throughout the country as a result of citizens feeling respected and listened to.

On the other hand, if our nation was to completely abolish and just have absolutely no monarchy at all we as a country may essentially suffer. Well to begin with we would obviously lose a great deal of money that gets taken in from all different kinds of tourism, but aside from the money aspect of this, the majority of citizens that are in the united kingdom feel as if a monarchy in some way, shape or form is absolutely necessary. 65% of the adults in the United Kingdom want to carry on having a monarchy in the future and they see it as a positive thing for our country. Also a further 70% of citizens feel that having a monarchy makes people who may be looking at our country from abroad will think that Britain is a stronger, more positive and traditional country. A positive image of your country elsewhere in the world is a vital thing to have as you will have a good reputation for yourself, having this sort of image being perceived of the United Kingdom can make other citizens from other countries want to come and visit meaning that the economy will improve by the amount of money we will be taking in from guests.

In conclusion, there are many different opinions on both sides as to whether or not Great Britain should or should not continue to have a monarchy. It is essential when deciding such a big change for your country that can also have an impact on country's everywhere else in the world that you take into consideration all sides and arguments. Having a monarchy overall is very expensive and it can be argued that the money may be better spent elsewhere, however we do receive a great deal if not more in return from all of the tourism and it is also undeniable that there is an element of prestige in having a queen who is so well respected worldwide.

As a new generation of royals begin to emerge the massive popularity of the younger individuals such as Prince William and Prince Harry may further build support for maintaining the royal family as they bring a more modern approach to our countries traditions. With this in mind perhaps it may perhaps be better to remain with the status quo.