Frankie Boyle divides opinion as he thinks we should 'raise Molotov cocktail' to Royal Family and abolish monarchy

He's not known for doing things by halves, so Frankie Boyle's take on the Royal Family was always going to be be a little... divisive.

And his calls to raise a Molotov cocktail to King Charles III and abolish the monarchy are certainly that:

We're just a few short days away until Charles is finally crowned the new head of state, taking over from Elizabeth II, who died last year.

So who better to ease us into the bank holiday celebrations than Boyle and his caustic wit, as he takes us on a trip down memory lane, looking back at kings and queens gone by.

Titled Farewell to the Monarchy, the hour-long special aired on Channel 4 last night (30 April).

The Radio Times' synopsis reads: "The comedian takes a look back at the darker side of the Royal Family's 1,000-year history, and wonders how generations of land-grabbing, child-murdering, wife-beheading, slave-trading, misogyny, violence and empire-building have shaped our Royal Family today.

"Frankie looks back to the reigns of six key monarchs who not only had huge influence in their day, but still live long in our collective memory - and finds troubling connections between their grim past and the present."

Channel 4

But if you're still wondering what side of the fence Boyle finds himself in all of this, let's have a look at what he has to say.

At one point, the comic - kind of - jokes: "The time has come to say farewell to the monarchy.

"Let’s raise a bottle to them – filled with petrol and a burning rag."

He also takes aim at Henry VIII, with Boyle questioning how we remember the violent Tudor.

"Henry VIII was a keen hunter, and judging from his portraits, he mainly hunted cheese," he says.

"Only England could watch a man abuse six different women and think children need to learn a rhyme to remember how he did it."

And there's also time for a skewering of Prince Andrew over his links to Jeffrey Epstein and the utter car crash that was his interview with Emily Maitlis.

Steve Tulley/Alamy

So if you're planning on getting your best china out and throwing some bunting up this weekend, I think it's safe to say that this is not for you.

And it's clear from some of the comments online that many were left deeply upset by it.

One disturbed viewer remarked: "Absolutely vile and shame on Channel 4 for giving him airtime."

Someone else commented: "Must be awful to be as hate-filled and bitter as Frankie Boyle."

Though, as with anything in this life, there's a yin and yang, and not everyone was so perturbed by his jokes.

"Forgot about Frankie Boyle's Farewell to the Monarchy last night," said one. "Hilarious. The only royal thing I will be watching."

While another wrote: "Frankie Boyle’s Farewell to the Monarchy was the most enjoyable television I’ve seen in a long time."

Farewell to the Monarchy is available to watch on All 4.

Topics: Royal Family, TV and Film, Celebrity

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is LADbible's Editorial Lead. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

@SmithersDom