Sir – Your correspondent Geoff Feasey (Letters, June 21) imagines that a republic would bring about the abolition of aristocracy and much unearned privilege. This has not happened in France and Italy.
Mr Feasey’s millions of pounds savings possibly overlook the cost of maintaining palaces for a president, along with a presidential guard and all the other trappings. As for “riot less”, well, 223 years after the revolution which led to their first republic, the French still like nothing better than a good riot!
Roger Moreton, Oxford
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