Katie Roche's Blog

We Need a Pragmatic Solution to Abolishing the Monarchy

The Platinum Jubilee celebrations are underway in Britain. We can all see how much people love the queen, with Union Jack flags everywhere and street parties across the country. But for republicans, this long weekend is also an unfortunate reminder of how entrenched the monarchy is in public life. If people love the monarchy, what’s the problem? The monarchy is undemocratic and outdated. It needs to go. But right now, it’s very difficult to envision that. Both main political parties support the monarchy. Indeed, Labour leader Kier Starmer said in The Telegraph that Britons have a “patriotic duty” to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.

What do we do? We need a palatable and pragmatic solution. My proposal: the current living royals should be the last. The monarchy should die out. Prince George would be the last king. His children will not be princes or princesses. That gives the government time to update the constitution, and to adapt to life without the monarchy. In the meantime, a democratically elected head of state would take over the responsibilities of the monarch. The monarchy would be phased out and the head of state would gradually take its place.

That plan is not as quick as most republicans would like. But it’s hard to see how else it can be done. Nothing seems to dent the popularity of the royals. The royal family has had its fair share of scandals. Most recent of course, being Prince Andrew. Despite that, the popularity of the royal family endures. But this scandal does highlight the issue with royalty. If Prince Andrew were an elected person, he’d be out of office by now. But because he’s a prince, he’s a prince for life. Thankfully, Prince Andrew does not have a big role in the royal family. But what if a future king or queen was also embroiled in a scandal? There is no accountability. Queen Elizabeth II might be a lovely person. Future monarchs might not be.

There are also practical matters to consider. There is no denying that the monarchy plays a big part in British life. The queen’s face is on the stamps and on money. The national anthem is “God Save the Queen”. Even the name “United Kingdom”. So it will take some time to transition to a republic. Both in terms of the constitution and practical matters. Therefore, the monarchy can’t be abolished instantly.

While there’s a lack of public appetite for abolishing the monarchy, the most realistic proposals for abolition will be gradual. People know and love the royals of today. But it might be easier to imagine a future without the royals of tomorrow.

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