The British Monarchy, Who Needs It?

When Elizabeth the II visited the United States recently she was welcomed with a great deal of pomp and splendor. At Jamestown, where she visited the site of the first permanent British settlement in the new world , the Queen was surrounded by fans young and old who wanted to take a picture, shake her royal hand ( not a welcomed motion ) or even extend gifts of flowers. Her visit to our national capital was marked by an all out effort to impress "her royal highness" with President Bush receiving her in a White House, white tie dinner. Still ,despite all the hoopla, the royal visit has caused many middle class Americans to mumble to themselves, "The British Monarchy, who needs it?." There are many American's who frankly wonder why England continues to maintain what appears to be an outdated figurehead in the modern world.

Dumping the Monarchy. For many more centuries than the United States has been a nation, England has existed with a monarchy in one form or another. Since the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, representative government in some form has also existed side by side with the monarchy. As centuries have passed the power of the British Parliament seemed to increase while in fits and starts the power of the monarchy was diminished.

At present the powers of the British monarchy are chiefly ceremonial. While the Queen is consulted and informed on most major affairs of state, the real governing of the country is done by the Parliament under the leadership of the Prime Minister. So we arrive at the first reason to let go of the past and put an end to monarchy in England. It is not a vital part of the governance of the country. Laws and policies can and are made each day with relatively little royal involvement. It is fair to say that if the monarchy ended tomorrow the government of England would not be seriously affected.

Similarly if the Queen lost her royal prerogatives tomorrow the international relations of England would not necessarily falter. While from time to time the Queen and other royals have made numerous foreign relations forays to Asia, Africa and Europe, they have seldom been substantive and have more often been seen as good will visits. The real work of British international relations is done by the Prime Minister and the nation's Foreign Secretary ( the equivalent of our Secretary of State ).

It is with some difficulty that one even can argue that the Queen is the symbol of England in this modern age. As monarchy has fallen out of favor around the world so has the image of a King or Queen as being symbolic of the nation. More and more people look at the Union Jack, the flag of Great Britain as the real symbol of their country , and one to which they can offer allegiance.

So, the argument could be made, if the British don't need the Queen or a King to serve as an active member of the government, nor as a symbol, nor even as good will ambassador, then why not move along into the modern world and put an end to monarchy in England once and for all?

The Monarchy Embodies National History. The history of England can really be written in part as the history of the British monarchy. The central actor throughout British history has very often been the monarch. In today's Queen the British people see not just an octogenarian with a lavish assortment of outfits with matching hats. They see the one person, who more than any other is not just the sumbol but the true embodiment of their history and of their national character. In the Queen resides images of all that Britain has been and all that she has accomplished.

When the British people see the Queen they can recall the glory of the British Empire which once seemed to stretch around the world. They see too the times when the British nation was challenged by Napoleon, the Kaiser and Hitler. The Queen is a living, breathing statement of the longevity of a nation. No flag can imply a future filled with continued greatness as does the Queen.

The Monarchy Is the Rallying Point for National Unity. Like the United States, Great Britain has political parties that battle one another tooth and nail for ascendancy in Parliament and the right to direct the affairs of state. But in the Queen the British have a single person who can put all politics aside and simply stand as an official and beloved rallying point for the whole British people, not just the Labour or Conservative Parties.

At no time was this more clear than during World War II, when everywhere in Britain people looked towards their monarch to lift them up as a unified nation to endure the great hardships of war . Getting rid of the monarchy would mean denying the people of England their very unique and much beloved unifier. While there have been times when the behavior of royals has caused raised eyebrows around the nation, still the idea of one person who is there for all, cares about all and summons all to be the best they can is something the British seem not yet anxious to eliminate.

The Monarchy Makes a Statement of National Character. When Queen Elizabeth travels around the world or in her own country, people who see her believe that somehow in the monarchy they are really seeing the epitome of what it means to be British. The adherence to tradition, the dignified approach, the exquisite manners, the royal grace all speak about an ideal way of living that belongs to the royals but is respected and in some cases emulated by many British citizens. The Queen is Britain at its best.

It is definitely true that Great Britain could survive without the Monarchy. But that idea raises two questions. First, would removing the monarchy really make Britain a better, safer, more democratic, more modern, richer nation? And secondly, recognizing the important functions the monarch does fulfill, is ending the monarchy something most British people would chose to do. As long as the answer to both of those questions remains "no"., it is likely that the British monarchy will be maintained and in 25 years another British monarch may well grace Jamestown, Virgina when it celebrates its 425 anniversary as the first permanent British settlement in the new world, a settlement carried out under another Britiesh monarch with a familiar sounding name.