The abolition of the British monarchy - will this ever happen and why won't it?

The Myth of British Monarchy, excuse my memory

Just butting in to say I dislike the trope of Britain as a 'tiny island' - it plays into the 'plucky underdogs who conquered the world' myth. GB is the ninth largest island in the world, with a comfortably above average sized population - 3rd in Western Europe, 21st globally. Not a behemoth like the US, but hardly tiny.

Anyway, I suspect/hope the monarchy will be abolished within my lifetime (maybe only just).

I was using it as a comparison to its grotesquely oversized military budget as a criticism ftr!

No arguments there!

relevant thread: Cockroach News of Cockroach England

The royals hundreds of trips to autocratic regimes in the Gulf, promoting and deal making for the UK Arms industry is the real "good work" they do, never mind tourism.

also classic material like this https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/message-queen-elizabeth-shah-played-role-cia-1953-coup-iran-n1225981

Just butting in to say I dislike the trope of Britain as a 'tiny island' - it plays into the 'plucky underdogs who conquered the world' myth. GB is the ninth largest island in the world, with a comfortably above average sized population - 3rd in Western Europe, 21st globally. Not a behemoth like the US, but hardly tiny.

I hear you.

The one that gets me is, "We're just a little island". Well, yes but there actually aren't that many bigger islands in the world and one of those is Greenland.

― Tizer Beyoncé (Tom D.), Saturday, 12 December 2020 10:44 (two months ago) bookmarkflaglink

... and at least one Arctic Canadian island with a population of 12.

― Tizer Beyoncé (Tom D.), Saturday, 12 December 2020 10:45 (two months ago) bookmarkflaglink

Population growth seems rapidly on the up in the UK despite the best efforts of the govt to let the rona loose on it, it's currently 68,214,888 on countrymeters. I could have sworn it wasn't that long ago it still around 65-66 million.

FULL OF FACKING POLANDS INNIT??

oh I just noticed countrymeters adds this caveat: Please note that the population clock above do not include deaths caused by COVID-19 virus. And does not reflect actual migration situation due to movement restrictions.

feel like the monarchy must have taken a bit of a hit when it was clarified that the queen didn't say the racist thing about the baby

Many of the most progressive and egalitarian nations are constitutional monarchies like the UK, some of which share the same royal family. I have a hard time believing they are an impediment to anything except vague symbolism.

You could try doing some Googling idk

Isn't the most likely utterer of the racist baby comment v. minor royal Princess Michael of Kent?

She certainly has previous - Blackamoor brooch, the fact her Dad was an actual Nazi..

I know who my money’s on!

i don't know; Markle said it would be very damaging to the person who said it if their identity came out, so probs not an already explicit racist.

i think it's William fwiw

I see Princes Michael of Kent's dad being a bit snooty about Himmler being a common chicken farmer was about as anti-nazi as he got.

i think it's William fwiw

I hope it was Edward so that at least he was able to do one thing in his life to make anyone notice his existence - other than organizing It's A Royal Knockout, of course.

The time for William to take over looks less and less likely the longer time goes on and the shine continues to come off that couple, imo

If Charles lives as long as his mother and grandmother then William will be in his 60s when he comes to the throne. I don't think he'll be looking too shiny by then.

Many of the most progressive and egalitarian nations are constitutional monarchies like the UK, some of which share the same royal family. I have a hard time believing they are an impediment to anything except vague symbolism.

Spanish rapper Pablo Hasel recently arrested for inciting terrorism and "offending the monarchy" but sure.

Pretty sure the poster was referring to Scandinavia and the Netherlands there.

Ah yes, their far right movements certainly a lesson in progressive egalitarianism for the rest of Europe.

The long list of perfect countries with a monarchy and perfect countries without a monarchy is absolutely the most useful route for ye to take in proving whatever point ye wanted to make respectively here

Nothing to do with me, mate.

Look having a state where the constitution is anchored on hereditary entitlement and arbitrary power is just vague symbolism, let's be cool

Think we should look abroad for some fresh perspective - give the job to King Tupou VI of Tonga til the end of the season, see if he can win back the dressing room.

I'm not suggesting there's any perfect countries without a monarchy, I just take exception to the idea that monarchy isn't an impediment to progress - it frequently is, as per my Spanish example, and it contributes nothing towards the progress that is achieved in countries that are monarchies. To handwave it away as vague symbolism when, at the very least, it's a drain on resources that could be going to society, is pretty galling.

the expensive freakshow part of a constitutional monarchy - that is only really window dressing, nothing to see, good for tourism etc.. that get gifted a £500m grant when some of their ornate light fittings start looking a bit rusty. That isn't vague symbolism, it's an unnecessary drain on the state.

I'm with Saint-Just, a king is a rebel and a usurper, he must reign or die.

I'm with Rush, we should bid A Farewell To Kings.

are right wing republicans / anti-monarchists a thing in the UK? they must exist but i can't think of any

My sister has dual citizenship, but can still be kind of snobby about the ways she perceives the British as being totally different from and superior to Americans. A few weeks back we were talking about "The Crown," and I think I asked her if anyone watched it there, since everyone seemed to be watching it here. And she kind of dismissively said, oh, no one cares about or supports the monarchy here. And her husband, who is full-British, turned to her and basically said, what are you talking about?

it's a weird thing, brits make fun of foreigners for caring about all this shit we supposedly don't care about. there's a lot of projection going on, people care deeply and (rightly) feel embarrassed about it so will selectively pretend otherwise

of course empire is the world's biggest elephant in the room here. which is why people who love the monarchy and people who claim to not care are both unwilling to question it in a serious way

are right wing republicans / anti-monarchists a thing in the UK? they must exist but i can't think of any

Peter Hitchens, I think?

But Josh, you were posting alongside half of UK ilx in the Crown thread when s4 had just been released though?!

(xp) Oh, it seems he is a monarchist but he doesn't like our current mob. Maybe he's a Jacobite.

ok but i wouldn't have put it past him, insufferably contrarian family

I think Hitchens' contropy take for Mail readers is being broadly pro-monarchy but anti this current rabble, but I've no idea where he takes that as I wouldn't get past the first paragraph.

oops xp

ultimate royalty controp would be to demand a revival of our claim to the french throne. which is probably already a thing somewhere

Hitchens probably has the column written and ready to print.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41z9I+O+ygL.jpg

t'other annoying Hitchens wrote a book on the subject in 1990

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e617e064403b468b856d61b383deaef45501cd93/0_0_3676_2235/master/3676.jpg?width=940&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=d6df245402c13e2d6baa8d7905d4bb47

1066 and all that

The long list of perfect countries with a monarchy and perfect countries without a monarchy is absolutely the most useful route for ye to take in proving whatever point ye wanted to make respectively here

― Marry and Neghim (darraghmac), Thursday, March 11, 2021 6:58 AM (twelve hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Exactly, I don't believe there is a causal relation between a nation ability to make social progress and monarchy, either positive or negative. I live in a monarchy myself, I really don't think getting rid of the Queen will solve the housing crisis.

I'm willing to take the chance it might. Anyway, I'm pretty certain there is a causal relation between a nation's ability to make social progress and monarchy when the nation is the UK.

Very fair.

63% against beheading their virtual grandma which is how they pretty much break the question down to an extent

Britain should...

Continue to have a monarchy: 63% (-4)
Have an elected head of state: 25% (+4)

via @YouGov, 08 - 09 Mar
Chgs. w/ Oct 2020

— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) March 12, 2021

political correctness gone mad

https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2021/03/09/47981/one_harry_whos_not_causing_trouble_for_the_queen?rss

getting arrested & thrown in jail for considering Harry Hill funny...hmm perhaps not such a bad thing after all

breakdown of the yougov poll is sort of interesting- particularly this bit.

18-24yr olds would now prefer an elected head of state by 42% to 37% (although please note this is within the margin of error). Support for Britain having a monarchy remains strong across all other age groupshttps://t.co/JUZSctDufe pic.twitter.com/iHPozmEs0f

— YouGov (@YouGov) March 12, 2021

either we keep those beautiful youths on side or we guillotine every other fucker, comfortable either way

i really think these numbers will change once charles is on the throne. he is one of the most viscerally unlikable guys i can think of.

we can all hope <3

Maybe he’ll just proclaim his mom to be the lich queen of England in perpetuity and abdicate

that twisted fucker has been doing the Black Sacrament for 30 years minimum

!!! Virginia Giuffre lawsuit against Prince Andrew filed today in SDNY pic.twitter.com/G2NQy3lrBx

— TrueAnon Pod (@TrueAnonPod) August 9, 2021

turns out the longest reign of any monarch in uk history comes at a price

that price again: slightly more widespread obloquy than before

🚨🚨 | BREAKING: The Queen has signalled her support for Prince Andrew by letting him keep his senior Guards role

Via @thesundaytimes

— Politics For All (@PoliticsForAlI) August 21, 2021

Fuck each and every one of these nonce parasites, including the ones attempting a soft relaunch as sort of a separate venture but not really

When QE2 dies, the princelings who sprang from Charles' loins should draw lots to see who seizes the throne and beheads him. This would be the most satisfactory available process of royal succession.