When the royals dominate the headlines, the membership of the largest anti-Monarchy group in the United Kingdom, called Republic, soars. Its 30,000 members want to see the Queen replaced by a democratically-elected head of state.
“Every big good royal event has been good for us, the 2011 wedding, the 2012 Diamond Jubilee,” the group’s CEO Graham Smith told SBS News.
“The royals are public servants, they should be spoken about, talked about and reported in the same way we talk about the Prime Minister and the opposition.”
The cost of the upcoming wedding between Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle is a key issue for the campaign group.
The royal family said it would pay for the celebration, but it’s likely the cost of the massive security operation - an estimated $A43million - will come from the public purse.
A petition to stop government money from being used had received more than 30,000 signatures.
“No taxpayer money should be spent on this whatsoever,” Mr Smith said.
“If you or I organised our own wedding and wanted to march down the middle of the street, we’d probably be able to get the road closed for an hour but we’d have to pay any costs.”
A survey taken when Harry and Ms Markle announced their engagement found that 52 per cent of British people were indifferent about the news, while only 39 per cent said they were pleased.
“I don’t personally wish any harm to anyone who’s getting married, I hope they have a lovely life together, but they’re not my friends,” said Dani Beckett, one of Republic’s directors.
“I don’t really care. I think if you’re told over and over again ‘everyone’s really excited’, you think ‘I’m not, I’ve got other things to worry about’.”
British republicans know they face an uphill battle, against centuries of tradition and a referendum on the question of who should be head of state is highly unlikely.
Monarchists say the royal family attracts tourists and provides the United Kingdom with stability in government.
But campaigners believe by chipping away at what they call ‘monarchy myths’, they can appeal to those who are indifferent to the royals.
“We need to break down this idea that everyone likes it,” says Mr Smith.
“If we can break this down, we can start to have a serious conversation about the way we’re governed.
Many British republicans will spend the royal wedding day at a conference in London, where their European counterparts will gather to discuss strategies to advance their cause.
Ms Beckett will be attending a wedding, just not the big one at Windsor Castle.
“My friend is getting married, I’m giving a reading at his wedding, he’s called Will, she’s called Kate, and they’re full aware of the irony.”
