What presumption and ignorance Roger Boniface exhibits about the Royal Family and tourism (Letters, July 20).

How dare he claim he speaks "for the rest of us," in his mean-spirited jibes at them. He does no such thing. All national polls indicate an overwhelming majority in favour of a monarchy in this country.

The Queen is held in especially high regard for 54 years of unstinting service and sense of duty.

Commonwealth leaders, as one example, unanimously assert she helped enormously in "glueing" together such a disparate collection of countries.

At home, apart from the hundreds of engagements the Queen and Prince Philip perform which are usually overlooked, thousands of young people are grateful to Prince Philip and Prince Charles for their various schemes which have given them a welcome leg-up into full-time employment.

Does Mr Boniface really believe an elected presidency would "allow every citizen to make it to the position of head of state?"

You mean, don't you, those who have the most manipulative spin doctors, loads of money and the inside knowledge of the right places for a nod and a wink? We might even end up with a buffoon such as Two-Jags Prescott.

Tourism actually has little to do with the value of the Royal family.

It goes deeper than that.

-Guy Fleming, Worthing