LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s 70-year reign has seen several outpourings of frustration from republican advocates. However, due to the people’s strong respect for the Queen, the momentum to abolish the royal family did not last long.
But with the Queen’s death and the ascension of her less popular son, King Charles, republicans believe the 1,000-year-old monarchy could be one step closer to being abolished.
Graham Smith, president of the pro-republican activist group Republic, said earlier this year, “For most of us, the Queen is the royal family. After her death, the future of the institution is in grave danger.” “Prince Charles may succeed to the throne, but he will not inherit the respect that the Queen has enjoyed,” he said.
Smith and other anti-royalists argue that the royal family has no place in a modern democracy, and that the cost of maintaining it is eye-opening.
Royal officials say the maintenance costs are less than £1 per head per year. But republican proponents put the actual cost at around £350 million a year.
It is also difficult to keep track of all the royal wealth. It is financially opaque, and it is not clear which assets you directly own. According to a Reuters analysis in 2015, nominal assets at the time were estimated at £23 billion.
Opinion polls consistently show that a majority of Britons support the monarchy. The support for the Queen herself is the same, if not higher. Supporters of the republic also admitted that it would be impossible to change the monarchy during the Queen’s lifetime.
But the survey also shows that support has been constantly falling, especially among young people. It also shows that King Charles is less popular than the Queen.
Support for 73-year-old King Charles to ascend to the throne has also waned, with some polls suggesting that many believe his eldest son, Prince William, should succeed to the throne.
Opinion polls show that public sentiment remains divided about King Charles’ second wife, Queen Camilla. The popularity of Prince William and Kate Middleton over the royal couple can help prevent dissolution at home and abroad.
The royal couple is generally well received by British tabloids, often featuring them on their front pages as they take part in royal events and charity work. It was noted that the Crown Prince and Princess are better at using the media than older generations.
In a rapidly changing world, the stability provided by ancient institutions such as the royal family has become a source of support for people.
A former royal aide said the royal family played a “sort of pressure” role, particularly during national crises.
But even the crown prince and princess are not immune to criticism. During a recent trip to the Caribbean, he faced protests over the behavior of the royal family of the British Empire.
The activist group Republic has increased its activism over the past few years through social media and billboards.
For years, Smith and others have argued that support for the monarchy as a whole would wane as the public faced the reality of “King Charles”.
Smith said that between the Queen’s state funeral and the coronation of King Charles, he and other activists were keen to call for a referendum on the future of the monarchy.
“This is an opportunity to take action, but it won’t be easy. We need to work hard to get the referendum going,” said Smith.
The UK does not have a constitution that codifies the procedure for abolishing the monarchy, and the path to abolition is unclear. However, abolitionists argue that if public opinion overwhelmingly favors abolishing the monarchy, it will cease to exist.
The only time the British monarchy died was after the Puritan Revolution of 1649. After a short period of republication, the monarchy was restored in 1660.
Britain is not the only place where the position of the royal family could be threatened. Although most of the former colonies gained independence during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, King Charles will still be the head of state of 14 countries outside Britain, including Canada, Australia and Zealand New.
In these countries, the respect and popularity of the queen has largely hindered discussion about transitioning to a republic, but it is highly likely that the succession to the throne will revive the discussion.
The fact that the Caribbean island nation of Barbados abolished its constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth as its monarch in November last year is considered the tail end of the transition to a republic. Other monarchies, including Jamaica and Belize, have said they want to follow Barbados’ lead, and Britain’s royal family has said it will not stand in its way.
In Australia, in a referendum held in 1999, 55% of voters supported retaining the constitutional monarchy. But recent opinion polls show a range of conflicting results.
A 2020 survey found that 62% of Australians said they wanted an Australian head of state, with King Charles’ future ascension to the throne key. However, according to a survey in January last year, only 34% of the people want to transition to a republic.
Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said when the second son of King Charles, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan visited Australia in 2018, “I have great respect for the constitutional monarchy, and I do not believe it needs to be restored unless the system is broken.” he said.
But Harry and Harry’s departure from the royal family in 2020 and the subsequent accusations of racist comments in the royal household could also create a dilemma for the royal family.
Australia’s current centre-left government appointed the country’s first “Parliamentary Secretary of the Republic” when it formed its cabinet in June.
Prime Minister Albaneyzi has previously spoken in favor of a change to republicanism. “Today is a day to talk about one thing only, which is to pay homage to Queen Elizabeth,” he said on Monday.
In Canada, a recent poll showed that around half of Canadians believe that Queen Elizabeth’s death should end ties with the British royal family.
But experts say that removing the monarchy from Canada’s constitution will be very difficult and could be an obstacle to an early transition to republicanism.
Polls in New Zealand show a dichotomy in public opinion, with younger generations tending to favor a republic.
In March 2018, Prime Minister Ardern said she expected New Zealand to become a republic in her lifetime, but made it clear that transition was not a priority for her government. “There is no doubt that a chapter has been closed today… she was outstanding,” the prime minister said on the day of her death on Saturday.
(Reporter by Michael Holden)
