The Monarchy
A Brief Guide: How Long Can They Survive?
Dissatisfaction with the monarchy has been increasingly apparent in Britain. In part that has been because of the antics of family members. Criticism is no longer as taboo as it was when the taxpayer funded BBC refused to allow discussion of republicanism.
However, the family has been willing to adapt if necessary in order to hold on to its privileges. When public criticism reached a new high in the 1990s the family set up the "Way Ahead" committee, composed of leading family members and their advisers. Its mission was to reform the monarchy just enough to put off its abolition.
One of its first ideas was to take the tax payers' eyes off their picking of our pockets. They would give up their income support handouts in return for the much greater income from the property portfolio known as the Crown Estates. That kind offer was made although since 1760 the Crown Estate income has belonged to the Treasury!
A more realistic reform was to reduce the number of members of the family who would have official status as the existing members died. The committee also agreed on the idea that the family link to the Church of England should be ended and that female members of the family should have an equal right with males to become monarch. Only the latter reform has been implemented.