Prince Charles, 72, is the oldest heir apparent in British history but is still expected to inherit the throne from Queen Elizabeth II, 95, following her death. Charles is in many ways a progressive royal and it has long been understood he wishes to reduce the Firm when he becomes king.

As things currently stand, senior members of the monarchy – including Prince William, 39, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, 39, Princess Anne, 70, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, 56, and Prince Edward, 57 – are well-known to the British public as is their work to support the crown.

However, there are a plethora of low-profile royals, many of whom are the Queen’s cousins, who carry out royal duties and whose salaries are paid for by the Crown.

These lesser-known members of the monarchy include The Duke of Kent, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Princess Alexandra among others.

It is often argued Charles’s plan to axe the number of working royals would cut costs to the British taxpayer.

The academic added: “Hence why Prince Charles’s vision for the monarchy is more important to understand first before worrying about membership.

“Perception is one thing, what drives it is however another, and here is the unsavoury crux of the matter.

“We, the British public, demand the royal presence – as Presidents, Patrons, tape cutters, and rope pullers.

“This resulted in royals beyond the main family being drafted in to fulfil our need.”

On April 1, 2012, the way the Queen’s Official Duties were funded changed.

The new system of funding referred to as the ‘Sovereign Grant’, replaced the Civil List and the three Grants-in-Aid (for Royal Travel, Communications and Information, and the Maintenance of the Royal Palaces) with a single, consolidated annual grant.

Funding for the Sovereign Grant comes from a percentage of the profits made by the Queen’s property portfolio the Crown Estate and was initially set at 15 percent.

Addressing how royal funding has changed in recent years, Mr MacMarthanne said: “In time, as the next generation came online, we began to grumble and complain about cost and unnecessary hangers-on milking the gravy train, and calls for change were made, and so the Queen started paying taxes and reimbursed family members who undertook royal duties from her private funds.”

Mr MacMarthanne argued the British public’s uncertainty about what they want from the monarchy is the issue rather than the Firm itself.

He added: “This conversation is an example of trying to square the circle, but rarely if ever is consideration given to the cause of the problem: us.

“We want the proverbial cake and then get to eat it.

“The fact is, if recent decades are anything to go by, we will never be happy or content, the monarchy will always cost too much irrespective of numbers for some, and if there are not too many knocking about then it will be that there are too few to do for us what we want for others.

“Once again this is why it’s more important to know and understand what Prince Charles’s vision is for the monarchy more than who will be a member of it.

“Unless the vision changes then multiple members will be required; and if changes are made will they satisfy our insatiable need and interest in royal persons.”