"It isn't owned by the monarch or the state, it's owned by the Crown and run by the Crown Estate Commissioners who are appointed by the monarch. If the monarchy were to be abolished, there would be no Crown. The estate would doubtless be sold to the highest bidders, and they wouldn't be obliged to contribute all its profit to the treasury."

Not quite.

From The Official Website of the British Monarchy:
"The Crown Estate is not the personal property of the Monarch. It cannot be sold by the Monarch, nor do any profits from it go to the Sovereign.

The Crown Estate is managed by an independent organisation, headed by a Board, and any profits from the Estate is paid every year to the Treasury for the benefit of all UK taxpayers. The Treasury is effectively the principle Government stakeholder and is kept informed of the estate's overall business plans and strategies."

From an article by Republic:

"The Crown's legal status is that of a corporation sole, an independent legal entity with the right to hold assets. To suggest that Elizabeth Windsor personally 'owns' and 'gives' the assets and revenues of this incorporated body is as ludicrous as suggesting that the Chairman of British Airways personally 'owns' the assets and tax revenues of the incorporated body he represents.

If the monarchy were to disappear tomorrow, the Crown Estate would continue to do what it has always done for nearly one thousand years – provide income for the administration of the country."


Like John MacKenzie says:
"Some folk find it convenient to ignore the facts, as they get in the way of their prejudices :)"