EARLIER this year in one of my columns I received heavy criticism after airing my Republican views.

I know this column will attract criticism too – but after all the Royal news this week I felt it would be remiss of me not to make a further comment.

Firstly, and I cannot stress this enough, I have nothing against them personally and I wish Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank well, and Harry and Meghan too with their baby news.

But that doesn’t change my opinion the ancient institution needs abolishing.

One of the points monarchists often argue is that the Royal Family generates £1.8 billion each year compared to the £350 million a year it costs the state – but I’d argue that is £350 million we could save if the institution was abolished.

And remember an extra £350 million a week to spend on the NHS persuaded many to vote to leave the EU.

As for the £1.8 billion, if you put that in context, overseas visitors have been estimated to spend 20 times that amount annually visiting the UK in recent years. Yes overseas tourists come from around the world on Royal related visits, but they also come for many other reasons too. Would we really miss the institution if it ended?

Which brings me to this last week and firstly the wedding. The facts are Princess Eugenie carries out no royal duties and there was little public interest in the wedding. Even the BBC chose not to broadcast it.

Her net worth is a reported £3.6 million, and the family’s worth as a whole is more than £65 million, yet still £2 million of taxpayer's cash was spent on the wedding.

And when you consider homeless people in Windsor were moved off the streets to make way for the occasion, maybe you can start to see my point. The moral compass looks way off.

Just when I thought the Royal Family news was over, we then had the news Meghan was pregnant.

All I need to say on that is Baby Sussex ‘will be the owner of two homes – Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace – and a country hideaway in the Cotswolds.’

You couldn’t make this stuff up.

When the Queen dies that would be the perfect time to move to a new era, in a post-Brexit modern Britain, when we could finally elect our head of state. Nothing lasts forever after all.