Come off it Julian Cole. You know you can answer your own query in the penultimate sentence of 'Royal chums, or chumps?' (Evening Press December 14).

You wrote... "Just imagine all the fuss and nonsense there would be if we had a handsome, unmarried king."

We older Press readers don't have to imagine such a situation. We remember "all the fuss and nonsense" in 1936 when we did have a handsome unmarried king. His name was King Edward VIII.

The monarchy survived and the fuss died down.

No doubt to the surprise of the anti-monarchists in our midst who hoped it would be otherwise.

Mrs Ida Mary Goodrick,

Woodlands Avenue, Tadcaster.