What is the role of the monarchy in modern Britain? Can it be justified empirically and theoretically?

Research Skills & Methods in Political Science

Ben Aston 05.06.03

What is the role of the monarchy in modern Britain? Can it be justified empirically and theoretically?
This essay will first examine the role of the monarchy, takin modern !ritain as a foc"s for examination and seek to answer whether or not it can #e $"stified em%irically and theoretically. & Most Similar Systems 'esi n will #e "sed to com%are the '"tch and S%anish monarchies with the !ritish monarchy whilst a Most 'issimilar System 'esi n will #e "sed to examine the (rench Presidential Re%"#lican system. This will #e done to ascertain whether or not the !ritish monarchy can #e $"stified em%irically. (or the %"r%oses of this essay it is necessary to esta#lish what will #e "nderstood #y the key terms in the )"estion. Role will #e "nderstood to #e the role of the monarchy #oth constit"tionally and non*constit"tionally. The rationale for this is the +"een %lays an im%ortant non*constit"tional as well as constit"tional role which co"ld $"stify her %osition. 'efinin what the ,modern monarchy- is and when it came into existence is a de#ate in itself. .owe/er, for the %"r%oses of this essay it will #e "nderstood to mean the accession of +"een 0li1a#eth to the throne in 2353, #eca"se as Tony !lair descri#ed d"rin the 4"#ilee 5ele#rations, the +"een 6ada%ted the monarchy s"ccessf"lly to the modern world.7 2 The word ,monarchy- is in itself a contesta#le term. 'earlo/e s" ests that it is the ,raft of %eo%le who are %aid o"t of the ci/il list-8 and for the %"r%oses of this essay, that "nderstandin will #e ado%ted. (or the second %art of the )"estion, ,$"stified em%irically- will #e "nderstood to mean com%ara#le to other %residential and monarchical systems, in terms of achie/in the same role at the same cost of similar or alternati/e systems. ,4"stified theoretically- will #e "nderstood to mean com%ara#le to other to %residential and monarchical systems, inasm"ch as %ro/idin an effecti/e head of state, and fillin any com%ara#le roles. 9ntil the end of the 2:th 5ent"ry, !ritish monarchs were exec"ti/e monarchs i/in them the %ower to make and %ass le islation. Since the #e innin of the 2;th 5ent"ry, the monarch #ecame a constit"tional monarch, #indin them with r"les and con/entions and ens"rin their %olitical im%artiality. Since the rei n of +"een <ictoria the monarchy-s direct and effecti/e constit"tional %ower has remain limited and Monarch-s act lar ely on the ad/ice of ministers.

1 2

Tony !lair, 8008 =nter/iew with Prof. 4ohn 'earlo/e, 8003

!ritain-s constit"tional monarchy means that thro" h the Royal Prero ati/e, the monarchy has transferred m"ch of their real %ower to the exec"ti/e. 5onstit"tionally, the %rero ati/e %owers dele ated to the exec"ti/e are officially retained #y the monarchy. These incl"de the %owers to make war, %eace, and treaties, dissol/e %arliament, remo/e and re%lace the Prime Minister as well as a%%oint 4"d es, 5i/il Ser/ants, Ma istrates, 5o"ncillors and 5ommanders in the &rmed (orces. The monarch is .ead of State and the 5ommonwealth. The Monarch has %ower to confer %eera es, kni hthoods and other hono"rs. The Monarch has %owers to enact le islation as well as to s"mmon and dissol/e %arliament. The Monarch a%%oints the %rime minister and has the ri ht to #e cons"lted, >ad/ise and warn>. The Monarch %lays im%ortant constit"tional roles in other or anisations, incl"din the &rmed (orces and the 5h"rch of 0n land. The monarch is commander of the armed forces? soldiers will swear alle iance to the crown rather than to the state. =n this sense, the monarchy is 6intelli i#le7 as she is the %ersonification of the !ritish State. Peo%le can swear loyalty to the state, a social constr"ction, /ia the monarchy. The Monarch is also @o/ernor of the 5h"rch of 0n land. &s well as the constit"tional role, the monarch also has a non constit"tional role. 6&s well as carryin o"t si nificant constit"tional f"nctions, the +"een acts as a foc"s for national "nity, %residin at ceremonial occasions, /isitin local comm"nities and re%resentin !ritain aro"nd the world.73 The ma$ority of the +"een-s workload consists of re%resentin the state at home and a#road. This hel%s raise the %rofile of the nation, and attracts the interest of the forei n %"#lic and media. 6They %ro/ide a foc"s, and a reat deal of a%olitical contin"ity. They are a fi "rehead for the co"ntry and forei ners are fascinated #y them.7 A Bne of the key defences of the monarchy is that she attracts to"rism, and witho"t her role, raisin the %rofile of the nation o/erseas, and re%resentin the 9C in an a%olitical role, to"rism wo"ld s"ffer. The effect of this is of co"rse intan i#le. &ltho" h there are ,fi "res-, the /al"e of
3 4

htt%DEEwww.royal. o/."k =nter/iew with Ford 4anner 8003

these are ne li i#le. =t wo"ld #e im%ossi#le and ridic"lo"s to ask all to"rists into the co"ntry whether or not they were attracted to the co"ntry #eca"se of the monarchy. &n im%ortant intan i#le and non*constit"tional role of the monarchy is actin as a sym#olic fi "rehead for the co"ntry. =n his seminal work !a ehot descri#es the monarchy as the ,di nified %art of the constit"tion-. .e s" ests it ,excites and %reser/es the re/erence of the %o%"lation-. The monarchy is the sym#olic head of !ritain re%resentin the ,intelli i#le %art of the constit"tion- for the a/era e !riton. & s"r/ey showed 50G of %eo%le said they felt the monarchy made them feel more !ritish and A;G of %eo%le saw the most im%ortant role of the monarchy as a fi "rehead for the co"ntry. HSee &%%endix =I. =t is im%ortant to examine the role of the monarchy thro" h the ,eyes- of /ario"s theories of the state. The monarchy %ro/ides an interestin case st"dy of modern %l"ralist interaction. (or many, the former ,ma ic- of the monarchy has disa%%eared, the Royal (amily %ro/in to #e falli#le. They are merely another ro"% attem%tin to maximi1e their interests thro" h the state. Jeo*%l"ralism wo"ld note the constant chan e of modern society, and how the Royal family has co%ed with stayin rele/ant to the %"#lic. 'es%ite their diminishin %owers, the monarchy has remained an infl"ential and relati/ely stron instit"tion. This is in %art d"e to the steady %"#lic s"%%ort for the monarchy. The a#olishment of the crown is only so" ht #y a minority? chan e is not in the interests of !ritish society at lar e. =f there was a ma$ority that wanted to remo/e the crown, it wo"ld "ndo"#tedly ha%%en. .owe/er, the role of the modern monarchy also affects the %osition of the state as the ,ar#iter#etween interest ro"%s. There has #een recent concern o/er the increasin ly ,%residentialrole of the !ritish PM, and this is %rimarily tied in with the lack of clarity re ardin the role of the head of state. =n %l"ralist terms, this %resents a dan er to the ca%acity of the state to maximi1e the interests of different ro"%s in society. =n many ways, the exec"ti/e is #ecomin a new ,monarch-. 5lassic Marxist thinkin wo"ld see the shift in modern times from an a#sol"te monarchy to li#eral constit"tional re imes across 0"ro%e as a reflection of the ind"strial re/ol"tion. This state of affairs initially fostered sta#le acc"m"lation of ca%ital, and was an e/ol"tion of society toward a state*free "to%ia. Many theoretical defences of the !ritish monarchy can #e critically examined thro" h Marxist ideas. !a ehot-s defence of the ,di nified- monarchy is almost an A

admission of the state-s 6dominant ideolo y7 theory, with the r"lin elite "tili1in a sym#olic instit"tion to coerce the masses into s"%%ortin the re ime. Str"ct"ralist Marxism wo"ld identify the monarchy as an ,ideolo ical state a%%arat"s-, hel%in to ens"re social sta#ility and conformity. The national identification element of the crown has #een "sed to maintain the stat"s )"o and the ca%italist means of %rod"ction. The monarchy is a %artic"larly "sef"l case st"dy in "nderstandin the e/ol"tion of Jew Ri ht thinkin from more traditional conser/atism. Primarily, Jew Ri ht theorists #elie/ed in minimisin the infl"ence and role of the state, #elie/in a#o/e all else, the indi/id"al-s ri ht to freedom. Khereas old conser/ati/es wo"ld ha/e seen the %reser/ation of the monarchy as essential to maintainin traditional /al"es, Jew Ri ht theory wo"ld ha/e seen the crown as inimical to indi/id"alism. Je/ertheless, Jew Ri ht thinkers ha/e taken a %ra matic a%%roach to the monarchy. 'es%ite Thatcher-s attem%ts to #reak the cor%orate mono%olies and elites, neo*li#erals did not attem%t far reachin reform of the most archaic of !ritish instit"tions? the monarchy. &ltho" h this elite theory wo"ld a%%ear to #e most rele/ant to the crown, classic elite theory foc"ses on those who really hold ,efficient- %ower within the state, rather than the ,di nified%osition of a constit"tional monarchy. .owe/er, @iddens- st"dy of !ritish elites in the 23:0-s identifies the monarchy as an ,elite ro"%- that occ"%ied %ositions of a"thority within the %olitical system. B#/io"sly, the monarch is clearly in a %ri/ile ed %osition within society. The crown has had declinin infl"ence o/er the %ast cent"ry, #"t ne/ertheless remains inte ral to the !ritish system. Khat the !ritish monarchy really re%resents for elite theorists is %ersonification of !ritain-s aristocratic elite? Bx#rid e ed"cated to% tier ci/il ser/ants and $"d es, and the ,traditional /al"es- they stand for. The +"een may not ha/e direct a"thority o/er %olitics, #"t the contin"ed existence of the monarchy hel%s the !ritish r"lin elite maintain the stat"s )"o. The S%anish and '"tch monarchies will #e assessed "sin a most similar systems desi n to ascertain whether or not the monarchies %erform similar roles, and at what cost.

The S%anish monarchy is relati/ely new? its constit"tion a%%ro/ed #y Parliament in 23:;. Cin 4"an 5arlos of S%ain is estimated to cost the S%anish state some 5m a year. 5 .eadin a monarchy reinstated after the (ranco era, the kin has ne li i#le assets. .e "ses the main %alace for official occasions only and li/es at a modest h"ntin lod e o"tside Madrid. The S%anish monarchy does not %"#lish financial re%orts which o#/io"sly make financial com%arison /ery diffic"lt. The 5onstit"tion %ro/ides se%aration #etween le islati/e, exec"ti/e and $"diciary and i/es instit"tional #ackin to the Cin as .ead of State and s"%reme head of the &rmed (orces. !oth S%ain and !ritain are constit"tional monarchies, and f"nction in fairly similar ways. They are #oth acco"nta#le to a Parliament, Hin S%ain the 5ortes @eneralesI. The S%anish monarchy is similar to the !ritish monarchy in that the Cin 4"an 5arlos = act as head of state #"t is not %olitically in/ol/ed. The constit"tion says heD Lar#itrates and moderates the re "lar workin of the instit"tions, ass"mes the hi hest re%resentation of the S%anish state in international relations ... and %erforms the f"nctions ex%ressly conferred on him #y the constit"tion and the law.L !oth !ritish and S%anish monarchs can s"mmon and dissol/e the le islati/e #ody of their co"ntry, altho" h in either case it has not ha%%ened in recent history. !oth monarchs can award hono"rs, %eera es and distinctions. !oth monarchs can also declare war and make %eace, altho" h #oth are s"%%osed to confer with the le islati/e #odies #efore. =n %ractice howe/er, it wo"ld #e /ery "nlikely that either monarch wo"ld declare war. The key difference #etween the monarchies is that the S%anish monarchy has the %ower to call elections or referend"ms "nder the terms %ro/ided in the constit"tion. The Jetherlands ha/e #een an inde%endent monarchy since 2;25, and since ha/e #een o/erned #y mem#ers of the ho"se Bran e*Jassa". The %resent monarchy was esta#lished in 2;25 at the 5on ress of <ienna as %art of the re*arran ement of 0"ro%e after the fall of Ja%oleon !ona%arte. !oth !ritain and the Jetherlands share constit"tional monarchies and f"nction in loosely similar formats. &cts of Parliament and Royal 'ecrees are si ned #y #oth the so/erei n and the minister res%onsi#le. 9nlike !ritain-s Royal (amily, the Jetherlands has a system which incl"des the ,royal ho"se- and the ,royal family-? #oth of which are seen as se%arate entities. Mem#ers of the royal family are not necessarily mem#ers of the royal ho"se. Mem#ershi% of
5

The @"ardian, ,Royals who %edal all the way to #ank-, 4on .enley, Kednesday 4"ne 30, 2333

the royal ho"se is restricted to the head of state, the former head of state, the mem#ers of the royal family in line for the throne, and their s%o"ses. &lso, dissimilarly to the !ritish monarchy, on the arri/al of a new monarch, some mem#ers of the Royal .o"se may lose their title to the throne and therefore mem#ershi% to the Royal .o"se. Similarly to the !ritish Monarchy, the monarchy recei/es an ann"al allowance from the state which is di/ided "% to co/er staff costs, costs inc"rred in royal d"ties and an income com%onent. .owe/er, "nlike the !ritish monarchy, none of these are s"#$ect to taxation, #"t like all other '"tch citi1ens %ersonal reso"rces are. Thro" h #ad in/estment in the first half of the twentieth cent"ry, the '"tch monarchy was not as wealthy as some. 5onse)"ently, in the 2360-s a commission fo"nd that the Royal .o"se needed more money to co/er their official ex%endit"re. Jone of the Royal %alaces are owned #y the monarchy M they were all %assed into state ownershi% o/er the last few h"ndred years. .owe/er, the Royal (amily do own their own %ri/ate %ro%erty. !oth the S%anish and '"tch monarchies a%%ear to %erform the same constit"tional roles as .ead of State as well as %erformin similar non*constit"tional roles? there is no reat difference in their roles. .owe/er, as other monarchies are m"ch less candid a#o"t their s%endin and the cost to their citi1ens, ascertainin whether or not these systems %erform these roles at less ex%ense to their tax%ayers is /ery diffic"lt. 9sin a M'S', it is im%ortant to look at the (rench Presidential Re%"#lic system #eca"se it #oasts #oth a stron national identity and a stron President. (rance #ecame a Re%"#lic d"rin the (rench Re/ol"tion in Bcto#er 2:38 after the monarchy was a#olished and Cin Fo"is N<= was exec"ted. The (rench %resident is elected for se/en years, nominally a%%oints the %rime minister and has to a%%ro/e ministerial a%%ointments. They are in char e of forei n %olicy, head of the military, and cond"ct weekly ca#inet meetin s. They also ha/e the %ower to dissol/e %arliament and call elections and referend"ms. The 6%resident of the Re%"#lic is the %resident of all the (rench %eo%le. .is historic res%onsi#ility is to #rin them to ether, to listen to the messa e addressed to "s and to act.7
6

5harles de @a"lle>s infl"ence on the %residency reinforced the a"thority of the %residency at the ex%ense of the rest of the o/ernment. Khereas the constit"tion char es the o/ernment
6

&lain 4"%%e Hformer Prime MinisterI

to Ldetermine and directL the %olicy of the nation, de @a"lle ass"med a more central role. Since then, his s"ccessors ha/e ado%ted a similar %attern of #eha/io"r, ass"min res%onsi#ility for ma$or %ortfolios s"ch as forei n affairs, defence, health, ed"cation and the economy. The %rime minister, howe/er, has rad"ally ained in stat"re. 5onstit"tionally, he is res%onsi#le for the determination of o/ernmental %olicy and exercises control o/er the ci/il ser/ice and armed forces. &nd while all ma$or decisions tended to #e taken at the OlysPe Palace "nder de @a"lle, res%onsi#ility for %olicy, at least in internal matters, has slowly %assed to the head of the o/ernment. &ccordin to the (rench constit"tion, the %resident>s %owers are relati/ely limited, in/ol/in the "s"al head*of*state fi "rehead roles * %residin o/er the hi her co"ncils and committees of national defence, actin as commander in chief of the armed forces, si nin the more im%ortant decrees, a%%ointin hi h ci/il ser/ants and $"d es and dissol/in the Jational &ssem#ly. .owe/er, the (rench %resident has m"ch more %ower than the !ritish Prime Minister wo"ld ha/e? the %resident "ndertakes m"ch more the role of a monarch. The reason for this is a stron %resident means there is less %ower in the exec"ti/e. The %resident is %aid QA6,000 a year and also recei/es Q535,860 for the "%kee% of the 0lysee Palace, Q:;2,330 for %ersonal staff, Q3A5,3:2 for tra/el costs and Q236,80; to meet the costs of the car %oolD a total of Q2.36m. .e also has the "se of se/eral chatea"x. Bn retirement, he recei/es a ci/il ser/ice*linked %ension of Q3A,283 a year and can take senior o/ernmental or official $o#s. .e is also entitled to free accommodation, a car, a cha"ffe"r, a #ody "ard and two secretaries.: & re%"#lican system, similar to the (rench %residential system is "ndo"#tedly less ex%ensi/e than the !ritish and %ro#a#ly most other 0"ro%ean monarchies. .owe/er, "nlike the (rench %resident, the !ritish monarch is a%olitical which many wo"ld ar "e is a /al"a#le asset for a head of state. <ery few %eo%le wo"ld relish the idea of a re%"#lic. Khen asked whether %eo%le wo"ld %refer a %resident to the +"een, :0G of those s"r/eyed said no H&%%endix ==I. &dditionally, only 6G of those s"r/eyed tho" ht that a Re%"#lic sho"ld #e installed immediately.

The @"ardian, The di/ision of %ower and %ri/ile e, Ste%hen !ates, Th"rsday 'ecem#er :, 8000

.a/in esta#lished the role of the monarchy, can it #e $"stified em%irically or theoreticallyR 'ecidin exactly what ,$"stified- means is %ro#lematic. &s a s"#$ecti/e term, ,$"stified- for one %erson is not necessarily for the next. &fter a c"rsory examination of the role of the state, two key as%ects of the monarchy #ecome clear as #ein cr"cially im%ortant and %resent in other states? the monarchy-s role as the head of state and the monarchy-s role as a sym#olic fi "re of national identity. =f it can #e %ro/ed that other states can f"lfil these two roles, with or witho"t a monarchy, at less cost the then !ritish monarchy, the !ritish monarchy wo"ld #e said to #e an em%irically "n$"stified ex%endit"re. (or theoretical $"stification, if ar "ments that are "sed to $"stify the monarchy co"ld #e dis%ro/ed then the monarchy co"ld #e re arded as "n$"stified. The com%arisons with the S%anish and '"tch monarchies re/ealed the diffic"lties in esta#lishin the costs of monarchies and other systems. Khilst other systems may initially look attracti/e, there are always hidden and "n%"#lished costs to any system makin any real com%arison /ery diffic"lt. =t wo"ld naS/e to s" est that the monarchy only acts as a cost to ests, 6<al"e for money, the tax%ayer. The monarchy co"ld ne/er sim%ly #e $"stified em%irically "sin cost #enefit analysis altho" h Mark !olland, a %"#lic relations cons"ltant s" howe/er " ly a conce%t it may #e in some )"artersTis still a /ital iss"e for any %"#lic or anisation these days.7 Uet he concedes, 6= think that i/en what the +"een does, what the +"een is there to do, = s"s%ect if yo" com%are it with the cost of an elected %resident, or the other alternati/es, it %ro#a#ly is )"ite a ood deal.7 Sim%lifyin the em%irical $"stification of the monarchy to %"rely financial terms is ross o/er sim%lification of the iss"e. &s =/or 5a%lin %oints o"t, 6=s there a ret"rnR Kell it-s not tan i#le, #"t there are h" e to"rism and hidden #enefits to the 9nited Cin dom of what the +"een does a#road and what they do here.7 =n a s"r/ey, when asked to rank o"t of fi/e the im%ortance of the monarchy in today-s society, 56G of those s"r/eyed ranked the monarchy three or a#o/e which s" ests she has an im%ortant role to %lay H&%%endix ===I.

&n im%ortant other as%ect is the infl"ence of the monarchy in attractin to"rism. Khilst it can #e ar "ed that des%ite a lack of a monarchy, (rance and the 9S& attract to"rists, there is no do"#t that a monarchy is a #oost for to"rism for !ritain. &%art from hard fi "res, s"r/eys and inter/iews with leadin fi "res can i/e "s an insi ht into whether or not the monarchy is $"stified em%irically. =/or 5a%lin, Mem#er of Parliament for .o/e and Portslade, s" ests that

the ,There is no do"#t in my mind that when the +"een in %artic"lar oes a#road it is a h" e in/estment in !ritain9nderstandin theoretical $"stification of the monarchy re)"ires and "nderstandin of medie/al theories of monarchy which rested on ideas of kin shi%. The conce%t of 6descendin %ower7 where#y r"lers were anointed #y @od reinforced the conce%t of a %aternal monarchy and stresses the faith of the monarch-s s"#$ects. R"le was maintained thro" h consens"s rather than coercion. This %rotecti/e role of the r"lers has to #e /iewed within its fe"dal context * the monarch was the s"%reme moral a"thority who had to maintain %eace and a/oid tyranny at all costs. 0arly modern %olitical theory saw theories of so/erei nty de/elo%. Brder needed to #e im%osed o/er an "nr"ly society. &ltho" h so/erei nty does not ex%licitly ad/ocate sin le %erson r"le, !odin felt that an aristocratic oli archy wo"ld lead to factionalism, while democracy was resortin to mo# r"le. .o##es %"t forward the notion that a sin le r"ler will #e less taxin than the demands of a collecti/e so/erei n. Ro#ert (ilmer s" ested that so/erei n, %atriarchal r"le was le itimised #i#lically thro" h creation followin the di/inely ordained, %atriarchal and ,nat"ral- r"le of &dam. 0dm"nd !"rke hi hli hted the notion that the monarchy in$ected 6ci/ility and warmth7 into the %olitical %rocess. !"rke-s ideas still infl"ence many modern ideas of the !ritish monarchy. !a ehot-s seminal work on the 0n lish constit"tion descri#es the monarchy as the ,di nified%art of the constit"tion. !a ehot, a stereoty%ical <ictorian #o"r eois elitist, was /ery m"ch an insider of the !ritish system. The ,di nified- and ,efficient- %arts of !a ehot-s constit"tional theory are in many ways similar to Pareto-s classical elite theory of ty%e 2 and 8, foxes and lions. Rather than str" lin for control of %ower, the two se%arate elements work in tandem to retain control o/er the masses. The ,lions- wo"ld #e the monarchy, who !a ehot felt maintained %"#lic s"%%ort for the state and the ,foxes- act as the efficient %arts of the system? those instit"tions in/ol/ed in the e/eryday r"nnin of the state. & key defence of the modern monarchy is that the !ritish system %resently works. Jo serio"s alternati/e has #een %"t forward in %lace of the crown. Cel/in Macken1ie asserts an alternati/e to the monarchy in !ritain, s"ch as a President, wo"ld in all likelihood create another %ower #ase? 6well.....what is the alternati/eR The idea that the Prime Minister once a

20

week has to o and i/e his /iews to the +"een is clearly not all that a%%ro%riate. !"t e/en worse to me wo"ld the idea that 4effrey &rcher #ecame President of the Re%"#lic or .eseltine, or any other %olitical dead#eat, thief or /a a#ond. &nd then yo" say to yo"rself, ,well at the moment we ha/e )"ite a ood system, where there-s an old dear, li/in in a rather lar e ho"se that the Prime Minister %ays a little li%*ser/ice to-. The alternati/e is an ex*%olitician who act"ally ca"ses a hell*of*a*load*of #loody tro"#le, and that there wo"ld #e another %ower #ase #eyond n"m#er 20 in the 9C7; <ernon !o danor s" ests most modern transitions to a re%"#lic for exam%le in (rance and

R"ssia, ha/e #een fra" ht with insta#ility. The !ritish system has e/ol/ed into %arliamentary democracy relati/ely %eacef"lly, and so since 5romwell, there has reat call to a#olish the monarchy. They ha/e ne/er %ro/ed themsel/es to #e "ns"ita#le or irrele/ant, #"t rather they ha/e ada%ted to the chan in social climate. &ltho" h their wealth and infl"ence may #e wanin , 5;G of those s"r/eyed tho" ht the monarchy wo"ld #e in existence in fifty years H&%%endix =<I. The monarchy %ro/ides a link with history for the modern !ritish citi1en. So, altho" h the monarchy is attacked #y some as #ein elitist and o"t of to"ch with society, attem%ts to install an alternati/e system #rin s "s a new set of %ro#lems to deal with. There is also an element of intan i#le comfort and national identification associated with the monarchy, and altho" h this amon st yo"n er %eo%le this mi ht #e declinin , the instit"tion is firmly entrenched within the !ritish system and %syche. &n entrenched system is m"ch easier to rationali1e, as it is %resently acti/e within modern society, and many %eo%le are distr"stf"l of radical chan e. 6So far dreams of a !ritish re%"#lic die on a %aradox. =t may #e the democratic sol"tion, #"t the %eo%le don>t want one.7 3 &s 'earlo/e s" we are not a re%"#lican nation.-20 The sym#olic role of the !ritish monarchy cannot #e disco"nted. This attachment and identification with the monarchy has come a#o"t %rimarily thro" h the lon history of the crown, altho" h this in itself is clearly not a $"st rationalisation.
8 9

ests ,s"r/ey after s"r/ey feels that

=nter/iew with Cel/in Macken1ie 8003 B#ser/er, May A 8003. 10 =nter/iew with Prof. 4ohn 'earlo/e 8003

22

=n concl"sion, em%irically it mi ht seem that the !ritish monarchy is "n$"stified #eca"se the same role as a fi "rehead and head of state is %ro#a#ly achie/ed elsewhere for less. .owe/er, the %ro#lem with this is that the fi "res do not take into acco"nt to"rism, which mi ht not #alance the ex%endit"re, #"t is still a factor. Makin /alid com%arisons #etween co"ntriessystems is %ro#lematic #eca"se of lack of data and the nat"re of the )"estion? #eca"se each system is different they are hard to com%are. +"antifyin the sym#olic role of the monarchy as a fi "rehead for !ritain is also im%ossi#le. Theoretically, real concern for the monarchy is dece%ti/e. The monarchy is not a #"rnin iss"e for the !ritish and is not a %riority for them. =f it were, it wo"ld a%%ear on the %olitical a enda. =ne/ita#ly, if yo" ask most %eo%le for an o%inion they will i/e it #"t for most %eo%le, the existence and contin"ance of the monarchy is m"ch less im%ortant than say, the state of the health system. The monarchy co"ld #e re arded as $"stified #eca"se of lack of demand for chan e, es%ecially consens"s to transform into a re%"#lic. Khilst the c"rrent system "ndo"#tedly ,works- it is #y no means a %aradi m which one wo"ld "se to create a new head of state and a fi "rehead. Khile there is concern a#o"t the cost of the monarchy, a#olishin it for an alternati/e system is not a /ia#le o"tcome. =t-s im%ortant to retain some %ra matism and %"t the ,iss"e- in the wider context of !ritain. Fe islati/e time is %recio"s, and the %"#lic wo"ld %refer money and time were s%ent im%ro/in %"#lic ser/ices and red"cin chan e rather than makin #i chan es. There is howe/er, s"%%ort for more rad"al and nat"ral reform. More concernin is the increasin %ower of the exec"ti/e thro" h the Royal Prero ati/e who now seem to work witho"t the checks and #alances of Parliament.

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&%%endix =

What do you associate most with the role of the Monarchy?

To"rism 88G

5harity Kork 6G

(i "rehead A;G

&m#assador 8AG

Does the Monarchy make you feel more British?

'on>t Cnow :G

Jo A3G

Ues 50G

23

&%%endix == Do you think that making Britain a Republic and replacing the ueen with a !resident would be good for Britain?
'on>t Cnow Ues

Jo

What should be the future of the monarchy?

Khen the +"een =mmediately dies, install a install a re%"#lic re%"#lic

5ontin"e in its %resent form

5ontin"e in a re/ised form

2A

&%%endix ===

Rank the importance of the monarchy in today"s society

5V :G

2V 80G

AV 83G

8V 8AG 3V 86G

What do you think should be the role of the Monarchy?

(i "rehead with a#sol"te %ower 0G (i "rehead with real %ower 8;G Bther 8G

Jothin 8AG

(i "rehead with no %ower A6G

25

&%%endix =< What do you think should be the future of the Monarchy?
=mmediately install a re%"#lic 6G Khen the +"een dies install a Re%"#lic 23G 5ontin"e in its %resent form 38G

5ontin"e in a re/ised form A3G

Do you think there will be a Monarchy in #$ years?

'on>t Cnow 80G

Jo 88G

Ues 5;G

26