READ MORE: Call for Commons rule change to allow MPs to freely discuss royals

The late Queen’s second and allegedly favoured son had to be bailed out by his mother to the tune of £12 million to settle out of court with Virginia Giuffre. Over the years his arrogance and entitlement have led him and his estranged wife into various dubious financial dilemmas of their own making. Now his relationship with an alleged Chinese spy places the security of the UK in danger and highlights once again his casual attitude towards real life and his glaring lack of duty and responsibilities. Ironically, in the same week his nephew Prince William had a 40-minute sit-down chat with the next President of the USA – a case of spot the brain cell, no doubt.

William, the self-appointed protector of the homeless but scourge of his own royal tenants, is just as intellectually challenged as the rest of his unfortunate family and continually suffers from a hypocrisy bypass whilst opening his ill-informed gob in public. Of course he and all members of the royal family are above the law and are feted by a right-wing media that uses them to perpetuate the bread-and-circuses structure that permeates UK society.

READ MORE: ‘Close confidant’ of Prince Andrew banned from UK amid Chinese spying allegations

The royal family represent the apex of the class system that maintains privilege and inequity in the UK. In short, they are an immoral, injudicious and scandalous waste of time and money. Masquerading as historical tradition, they are a ruthless and utterly disconnected dysfunctional group of ridiculously advantaged grifters. The cost of maintaining this “Firm” could pay for literally thousands of nurses and teachers, child care and towards the eradication of poverty. The sovereign grant for the King alone is set to rise to £132 million in 2025, with millions of pounds more lavished on his immediate family and literally thousands of hangers-on, an iniquitous amount of money to continue this Ruritanian pantomime whilst Dickensian child poverty increases and families struggle to make ends meet, particularly at this time of the year.

The King’s coronation cost an approximate £100 million despite entreaties to him to try and lessen his extravagance. His own personal wealth is thought to be in excess of £50m with six homes on his estate, a fleet of expensive cars and at least 11 personal secretaries. He and his brother have a history of casual racism, marital infidelity and dodgy dealings with foreign businessmen. In essence they are a national disgrace, and Andrew has once more focused our attention on their continuing parasitical presence and useless obsolescence. It’s time for a referendum on the perpetuation of the Windsors in an independent Scottish state.

Owen Kelly
Stirling

SOMEONE needs to launch a campaign to ban Prince Andrew as a threat to UK security.

Nigel Ings
via thenational.scot

ANDREW should be interviewed under caution as would anyone else – for treason.

Fiona Johnston
via thenational.scot