THE anti-royalist letter from David Stubley (May 19) reveals a fairly common misunderstanding regarding the purpose of the British monarchy.

The key role it plays is the insurance policy for our continuing democracy. We only have to look at the situation in the United States to realise what a risk it is to have an elected head of state.

Just imagine who our national state leader might be if Mr Stubley had his way. Boris Johnson? Peter Mandelson? Tony Blair? How about Jacob Rees-Mogg? The cost of the Sovereign Grant alone must surely be seen as justified by restricting these politicians whose predicable narcissistic personalities we are fairly familiar with. Who knows what modern Oliver Cromwell is lurking out there waiting the opportunity to sit in Buckingham Palace?

The fact that our monarchs and their families do not choose the job is surely the whole point. As for the wedding of Harry and Meghan, no doubt Mr Stubley would rather they got hitched in the Windsor Registry Office with no fuss. However I expect that internationally the rule that applies to republicans and also to myself continues to apply to the whole image the UK presents globally, namely, "if you put a small value on yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price".

Bill Brown,

46 Breadie Drive, Milngavie.

SATURDAY morning and at 10am my local golf range had three customers; normally upwards of 15. Between 11 and 11.30 am, the supermarket car park was unusually busy, but mostly because of long queues exiting. Surely the men and women of Scotland were not rushing home to watch a wedding?

Would your republican correspondents prefer to have lived under Presidents Blair, Brown, Cameron and now May? I may add that the cost of the Royal Family is estimated at 65p per taxpayer per annum.

David Miller,

80 Prestonfield, Milngavie.

THANK goodness we can receive Al-Jazeera and RT. BBC, STV and Sky news carried nothing but that royal wedding for days. No doubt gongs and seats in the Lords will be awarded to some members of the propaganda machines.

Thought there might have been more air time of the street parties in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and so on ...

George Smith,

21 Birny Hill Court, Clydebank.

I HOPE that the 19,000 or so residents of the ancient town of Dumbarton, home of the Cutty Sark, are able to contain their excitement and euphoria at the news that they have now been linked, at least in titular terms, with an ex-captain in the British army and an ex-American TV actress ("Opinions divided over the revival of the Earl of Dumbarton title after 260 years", The Herald, May 21). No doubt Harry was inconsolable when he heard that Dumbarton FC had been relegated recently to League 1. I assume that the people of Dumbarton received the same level of consultation in advance of the announcement as did those living in Strathearn about William becoming the Earl of Strathearn when he married Kate a few years ago.

All of this conferring of yet more titles on her grandsons and their wives at the whim of the Queen really does very little for any fond hope of Britain ever really becoming an equal opportunity society, endowed with marked social mobility. The influence of "The Firm" is far from being on the wane when new titles are so dispensed.

Ian W Thomson,

38 Kirkintilloch Road, Lenzie.