The Monarchy is our best option!

With the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II this country witnessed an outpouring of grief that hadn’t been witnessed in decades.

The crowds that turned out to the ceremonial events, the people camping overnight for a  glimpse of the procession and those who were queuing for hours in order to pay their respects in  front of the late Sovereign’s coffin, were all displays of grief that warmed the hearts of people across this country and around the world. Unfortunately, alongside this extraordinary display of patriotism ran another stream of emotions, a stentorian minority of those calling for the abolishment of the monarchy.

Most of the time the arguments advanced are uneducated statements made by people illiterate in matters of the constitution. The system of governance in this kingdom is unique and it has maintained its uniqueness in spite of several attempts to reform it; the reason being that the system in place has been developed over many centuries and changing it would result in unprecedented, indeed, unimaginable challenges. Would a constitutional monarchy à la the British system work in another country? Absolutely not! Other countries have tried to copy our means but have always had to adapt it in their own way. The fact is that no system is perfect, but our current way of governance is the best one.

“The Crown has no power, it is no longer relevant” is a phrase often echoed by republicans and is gaining more footing on the left. Should that argument hold any ground, then logic dictates that the Crown should be replaced by something else. The only figure that could ably replace the Crown would be a President. So I say to them, what type of President would you want to replace it with? An appointed President or an elected President? Let us consider the two. Firstly, that of an appointed President. Several previous colonies have adopted the Westminster model. As the name suggests, it is derived from this country’s form of governance with the exception of having a President instead of a Sovereign as head of state. But the President does not govern by birthright, rather a person or an institution must place him there. As is most often the case, the government puts forward a candidate for the presidency, the legislature then votes on the matter and they create a head of state. Factoring in human nature, the newly appointed head of state will be inclined to support the party that placed him there, and thus giving way to an all-too powerful government that is in no way kept in line by the head of state. In other words, it may disregard the constitution should it wish to do so, for the very protector of the constitution is it’s creature. Our second option - an elected President. Two countries that spring to mind when we hear of this concept are France and the U.S. What’s happened there? The result is an overly powerful president who has his powers limited only in very few circumstances, supposedly balanced by separate institutions that in reality are impotent and show little effect in creating the ideal balance of powers. One only needs to observe what happened in France shortly after Emmanuel Macron’s first election. Cities across the country destroyed by the yellow vests, with the actors referring to the President as a ‘Jupitarian’ President. We may have our fair share of protests, but the British people are a sensible people, and would never cause destruction on the scale seen in other republics. That is because we are a Kingdom, we have a constant, stable source of authority in the Crown which we know will ensure that our rights are always guaranteed through its subtle exercise of power. The Crown in other words, is the complete opposite of all political cacophony. The perfect illustration of the Crown’s power was seen recently. When Boris Johnson was forced into resignation, he considered playing one last card; asking the Sovereign to dissolve parliament. Much to his dismay, there were whispers in Whitehall corridors that the Sovereign would refuse such a request based on the Lascelles principle, a principle which has been in place since the 1950s. We cannot be so sure that an appointed President would have done the same, especially not to the government that placed him in office.

Having a stable body like the Crown gives us comfort during the transition period between an outgoing and incoming prime minister as well. To know that the affairs of state are in the hands of an institution that has refused to be political and that has exemplified time and time again that it will not partake in any foolish involvements in policy. It functions as a caretaker and as a regulating body to the excesses of politics and in the process quashes any monarchical tendencies politicians may exhibit. The British constitution does not separate the office of the Crown from the person that wears it. They are one and the same. Anyone, who providence has seen fit to lay the crown upon is no longer a person, but the embodiment of something grander, more graceful and dignified. A Sovereign that puts aside all personal inclinations, who places himself at the service of the country, its constitution and its conventions the moment the previous Sovereign dies. A commitment for life, a commitment of duty and service to the people that cannot be given up, and it is worth mentioning again that Elizabeth II, Elizabeth the Great did so perfectly. In the words of Shakespeare, “Not all the water in the rough rude sea can wash the balm from an anointed King.”

When one thinks of the triumphs of this nation, I see it fit to remark that very little would ever be achievable by degrading the governance of this country through the installation of a President. How lucky we are to have a head of state enthroned up high, beyond the pettiness of the politics of the underworld. A perfect custodian of our constitution and conventions. The perfect establishment to govern over “this happy breed of men, this precious stone set in the silver sea, this blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this Britain.” As we transition into this new Carolean age, with a new Sovereign, let us not feel ashamed, but rather invoke with pride the prayer and the anthem; God save The King!