Britain‘s royal family is likely in its “end game” and will probably not “outlast” Prince William’s eventual reign as king, according to an award-winning UK author and dame. Anti-monarchy campaigners have launched a billboard campaign against Prince Charles, showing they see the future king as their best chance for abolition. Pressure group Republic told the royal family that the heir to the throne was in their sights. They are taking out 24 billboards emblazoned with the next-in-line’s face, and one early draft included the slogan: “No man should be King.”
Monarchy system in Britain
The British monarch or Sovereign is the head of state of the United Kingdom and the British overseas territories. The current British Monarchy can trace its line back to the Anglo-Saxon period but derives its most ancient pedigree by tracing its line through the Kings of Scots. During the ninth century, Wessex came to dominate other kingdoms in England, especially as a result of the extinction of rival lines in England during the First Viking Age. During the tenth century, England was consolidated into a single realm. The English and Scots crowns were united in the person of a single monarch in 1603 when James VI of Scots acceded to the throne of England. The kingdoms joined the Acts of Union in 1707 to form Great Britain.
The powers of the Monarchy, known as the Royal Prerogative, are still pervasive. Most prerogative powers are exercised not by the monarch personally but by ministers acting on their behalf. Examples include the power to regulate the civil service and the ability to issue passports. Some significant powers are exercised nominally by the monarch, acting on the Prime Minister’s and Cabinet’s advice and according to the constitutional convention. An example is the power to dissolve Parliament. A parliamentary report states, “The Crown cannot invent new prerogative powers”.
It has long been established in the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom that political power is ultimately exercised by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, of which the Sovereign is a non-partisan component, along with the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Thus, as the modern British Monarchy is constitutional, the Sovereign’s role is limited to non-partisan functions (such as being the fount of honour). This role has been recognised since the 19th century; Walter Bagehot identified the Monarchy as the “dignified part” rather than the “efficient part” of government in The English Constitution (1867). In practice, political power is exercised today through Parliament and the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The Sovereign also holds the title of Supreme Governor of the established Church of England. However, in practice, the spiritual leader of the Church is the responsibility of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The present Sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since February 6, 1952. The heir apparent is her eldest son, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Duke of Rothesay. The Prince of Wales undertakes various public ceremonial functions, as does the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. There are several other members of the Royal Family besides those mentioned above, including the Queen’s other children, grandchildren and cousins. The British monarch is also Head of the Commonwealth, and the same person is also a separate monarch of 15 other Commonwealth Realms; each nation–including the UK–is sovereign and independent of the others.
What do Britons think about the Monarchy in Britain?
Young people in Britain no longer think the country should keep the Monarchy and more now want an elected head of state, with their mood souring over the last couple of years, a poll on Friday showed.
The British Monarchy traces its history back to William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066. However, royals ruled the patchwork of kingdoms which stretched across what became England, Scotland and Wales for centuries before that. According to the survey by YouGov, 41% of those aged 18 to 24 thought there should now be an elected head of state compared to 31% who wanted a king or Queen.
That was a reversal of sentiment from two years ago when 46% preferred the Monarchy to 26% wanted it replaced.
However, overall the survey had better news for Queen Elizabeth, 95, and the royal family, with 61% favouring the Monarchy while just under a quarter thought the Elected process should replace it.
The last few months have been difficult for the Windsors with the death of the Queen’s 99-year-old husband, Prince Philip, in April and the crisis that followed the interview by Elizabeth’s grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey in March.
Previous polls have indicated an age divide, with younger generations holding more favourable views of Harry and Meghan than their older counterparts, who had overwhelmingly negative feelings about them. While there is no possibility of an end to the Monarchy while the Queen remains on the throne, there is a concern for the royals about declining support among younger Britons. The survey of 4,870 adults found that 53% of those aged between 25-49 supported keeping the Monarchy, down five percentage points from a similar poll in 2019, while support for an elected head was up 4 points. Among those over 65, 81% backed the Monarchy, almost unchanged from two years ago.
What is the role of Republicans in the anti-monarchy campaigns in Britain?
Anti-monarchy campaigners have launched a billboard campaign against Prince Charles, showing they see the future king as their best chance for abolition. Pressure group Republic told the royal family this week that the heir to the throne is in their sights. They are taking out 24 billboards emblazoned with the next-in-line’s face, and one early draft included the slogan: “No man should be King.” While that was not a final, approved version of the advert, the presence of the word “man” may speak to just one problem the royals face in a world where companies, political parties and public bodies seek diversity within senior leadership teams.
Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, put the point more bluntly, telling Newsweek: “It’s going to be men. We know who our heads of state will be until the end of this century, which is nonsense. It’s going to be Charles, William, George, so it’s all about kings and men from now on, which I don’t think helps their image at all.” The billboard campaign highlights that when the Queen’s reign ends, there will be a significant push to oust Charles. Succession may come at a time of personal mourning for the royal family. However, the palace will need to prepare for the ensuing struggle.
British republicans said they would launch a campaign to end the Monarchy in the run-up to celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne. Elizabeth, 95, the world’s oldest and longest-reigning monarch, will celebrate her seventh decade as sovereign next month. Buckingham Palace detailed plans for four days of celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee in June. But anti-monarchy group Republic used the occasion to say it would begin a “Not Another 70” campaign to call for an end to the historic institution. “While a vocal minority will want to celebrate the Queen’s seventy-year reign, we must start looking to the future. The prospect of King Charles is not happy, and there is a good, democratic alternative on offer,” Republic’s Graham Smith said.
Conclusion
British republicans are hoping that Queen Elizabeth II will be the last Queen. Polling conducted at the end of November 2021 shows that three in five (60%) Britons favour Britain remaining a monarchy. Whilst still a majority, this has fallen from three in four (76%) in February 2016 and is the lowest level of support the Monarchy has received since the question was first asked in 1993 (the previous low was 65% in 2005).
