Thread by @RepublicStaff

The Palace of Versailles hasn't been the home of royals since 1789. France hasn't had a monarch since 1870. With nearly 10 million visitors every year, Versailles is one of the most visited historic sites in the world. Paris attracts over 30m visitors a year (similar to London).

Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace each attract around half a million visitors a year. Windsor Castle around 1.6m. The Tower of London just under 3m.

Of the 100 top tourist destinations in the UK, Buckingham Palace comes in at number 67. Kensington Palace at 76. Windsor Castle does a bit better, at 22. Chester Zoo, Stonehenge, Windsor Legoland, and Edinburgh Castle all rank higher.*

*we've taken these 2019 figures from ALVA: alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=… and the royal palace's own websites.

VisitBritain has never been able to provide any evidence of a tourism benefit from having a monarchy. In a republic the history and palaces will still be there, the buildings turned into world-class museums and art galleries, open all year round.
theguardian.com/uk/2011/feb/11…

Buckingham Palace is only open for two months of the year. The palace houses one of the largest art collections in the world, but it's mostly hidden. Tickets range from £30-£65 per person. Maintenance and repair is paid for by the taxpayer.
hyperallergic.com/674163/the-que…

The monarchy doesn't bring in tourists, it doesn't boost our economy. But all this ignores the fact that a democratic constitution should be based on democratic values, not on what people like to do on their holidays. It should be 'we the people', not 'we can sell more t-shirts'.