Watching the Royal Wedding unfold, I must confess to being in a state of flux. The day has been tremendous, a really special date for Britain and, at a human level, watching people that you think you know celebrating a momentous day can only be enjoyable unless you have the hardest of hearts.

However, from a theoretical standpoint, I just can’t shake the notion that the very idea of a ‘Royal Family’ is wrong, the concept of people working hard to make ends meet and paying taxes to have a family live amidst such pomp and ceremony is, well, bonkers, surely?

So how can we square the circle? How can we keep the history, the tradition, the lineage and the good parts of the Royal Family while consigning the outdated and thoroughly unmodern aspects of royalty to the history books? Well, there might be a way.

We could turn the Royal Family into a publicly listed company, float it on the London Stock Exchange and ensure that the finance it requires to sustain itself is raised privately rather than through the taxpayer. A controlling 51% stake could remain with the British state but 49% of shares in the Royal Family could be put out on the open market where Brits, Americans, Aussies, Europeans and whoever would lap them up. Instead of dividends, shareholders could receive invites to state functions, private dinners or even high tea with specific individulas in the Family. If anyone wanted to use the Royal Family then they could pay a recharge, the entity itself would be up for hire as it were and, if today is anything to go by (global audience of 2bn) demand would always exceed supply.

Britain could move into the modern world by ending the notion of being born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth and the Royal Family would be seen to be earning its keep. British ‘subjects’ could rejoice in their representatives with renewed fervour and for those that are really taken by the Royal Family, they can literally buy into the institution.

Anyway, just an idea, but back to Wills and Catherine in their open topped carriage now. A great day for a great couple and a great Great Britain.