Most of us view monarchies as relics of the past, preserved only symbolically nowadays. For some reason, we still tend to spend numerous years of our upbringing learning about the kings and queens of England and other nations – which ones were Catholic, which ones were Protestant, who had whose mistress beheaded, who married which ally’s niece, etc.
The lengthy chapter of kings and queens in human history is actually incredibly convoluted, with the one constant being this: for many hundreds of years, and possibly the entire history of human history, people have decided to place symbolic hats atop proven or genealogically selected others so as to be ruled by them. Does it make sense? Of course not – we’re humans.
This is why there have actually been calls for England to retire its lingering, largely symbolic monarchy. While she is not the only living monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is far and away the most prominent, and sits on a throne that has been occupied by one ruler of England or another for centuries. The queen is generally viewed as harmless if not somewhat charming, yet even a publication as respected as The Guardian has indicated that many in the UK are simply over it. Said the author of one opinion piece back in 2015, England ought to let the queen rule until the end, and then drop the charade.
I get the sentiment. Really, I do. The idea of a monarchy in 2018 seems absurd, the queen is more or less powerless next to parliament and the prime minister, and by all appearances the crown occupies and absorbs a tremendous amount of wealth for no other reason than to keep up appearances (though in fairness this royal family has also been incredibly charitable). But here’s a counterpoint: democracies are in sudden, profound turmoil all around the Western world, Communism has already failed, no one in one system of government trusts anyone in any other.
So what if the monarchy has it right?
A few points to consider:
Peaceful Transitions of Power
Granted, things haven’t always gone this way in history. But in modern times the idea of a peaceful transition of power is starting to sound downright luxurious. In Europe and the U.S. we’ve seen turbulent election cycles and excessively polarized electorates, and it feels like it’s only a matter of time before some elected leader attempts to change laws to avoid abdicating power – or even threatens a political challenger. Meanwhile, there’s been talk of late about Queen Elizabeth II potentially abdicating simply because she’s getting up there in age, and handing the throne over to the next family member in line. Doesn’t that just sound easier?
Royal Weddings and Babies
It’s easy enough to roll your eyes at the attention a royal wedding or royal baby receives. On the other hand, is there anything half as joyous happening in democracies or Communist states? We just saw people all over the world getting up at or staying up until odd hours just to watch Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tie the knot, and do some celebrity-watching in the meantime. Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton inspire such excitement whenever they have a baby that there are official odds on name choices. These occasions are ridiculous in that we shouldn’t care about them so much, but they also bring people together in pure happiness and celebration.
Positive Examples
I won’t name names here, because the Internet is a cesspool of violent disagreement and there’s no point in being deliberately polarizing. However it’s fair to say that there are some leaders in non-monarchical societies that are, shall we say, setting poor examples. I don’t mean for their fellow politicians or underlings, but for ordinary citizens and children. Now, there’s certainly no guarantee a monarch does any better; we probably don’t want a bunch of little boys and girls inspired by Henry VIII and Queen Mary running around. But at least these days the monarchs simply seem more relaxed, giving, and admirable. It’s not a bad look, and we could all use the positive examples.
Less Partisan Bickering
Simply put, there will always be those who would disagree, perhaps even violently, with a king or queen. But a monarchy doesn’t typically involve party systems in which partisanship is encouraged and relied upon like oxygen. Maybe there would be less bickering? I’m not sure. The bickering actually seems more or less guaranteed one way or another. But hey, we can dream.
No Election Meddling
Perhaps most importantly, a direct line of succession means no elections. This has become a major problem around the world (you know who you are), and it’s not slowing down. We’ve already learned that Russia is targeting the U.S. midterm elections this year, despite the entire world (minus a large orange gentleman with flaxen locks) being fully aware they’re doing it. Just saying: they couldn’t do it if we had monarchs to pass the crown down to.
It’s all food for thought. Then again, the thought of many of the world’s current rulers having the authority to remain in power for very long, and then keep it in the family, is a little bit terrifying. So never mind.