Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1479276
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 SEPTEMBER 2022 OPINION 5 THE death of Queen Elizabeth II has necessarily raised the ques- tion of the monarchical system in today's world. Although for me the idea of monarchy has untoward medi- eval implications, I must admit that Queen Elizabeth was an affable person who sought to remain loved by many and re- spected by all and sundry. She did so by managing to achieve a quasi-magical aura, practically during all her 70-year reign, by sticking to protocol and refrain- ing from commenting on con- troversial issues. The messy, bloody process of decolonisation continued into Elizabeth II's reign. But many argue that she helped to reset the relationship with Common- wealth countries like Jamaica which became independent in 1962. The queen was steadfast- ly silent on political matters throughout her reign and the content of her weekly audience with whoever was the prime minister remains private by con- vention. As a consequence, even the hint of a publicly expressed opinion had the potential to cause a huge fuss, as occurred in 2014 when she urged Scottish voters to 'think very carefully' about their choice in that year's independence referendum. She actually was in trouble once: when her strictly sticking to established protocol on the occasion of the death of Diana, her divorced daughter-in-law, was misinterpreted by the Brit- ish people who were mourning the passing away of their favour- ite princess. For them the pro- tocol did not make sense in the circumstances and the Queen had to bow to popular pressure and – for once – ditch protocol. Britain must consider itself very lucky to have had such a genial monarch for 70 years that saw so many changes in the in- ternational arena including the dismantling of what once was the British Empire. The British monarchy has actually been stripped of al- most all its powers and is today less important for what it does than for how it makes people feel. The essential thing is what floats around in the ether: the sentiments and understandings about the head of state that help bind Britons together. Today's circumstances are completely different from those when Queen Elizabeth II as- cended on the throne follow- ing the death of her father. The Britain that she has left is com- pletely different from the Britain that crowned her seven decades years ago. Her successor – now Charles III – is a very different personal- ity and is still a closed box as far as his behaviour as king is con- cerned. In his first address as king – the speech he had waited so long to make – Charles III ac- knowledged he will have to give up some of the things that have given him the most satisfaction. "My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibili- ties," he said, a little more than 24 hours after his mother died at Balmoral Castle: "It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply." This was meant to reassure his subjects that he will be attempt- ing not to depart from the style of steady, even-handed leader- ship his mother had personified. But this can turn out to be a dif- ficult stance. Only time will tell, of course. The sentiments that make Britons look at their mon- arch positively are enormously strong now, but they seem likely to weaken in future. Unlike the queen, who never let her views on controversial issues be known, Charles has often ex- pressed his opinion on contro- versial political issues or social causes. He openly supported fox hunting and opposed 'ugly' modern architecture, but he al- so championed organic farming and advocated for action on cli- mate change, well before these issues became much more con- ventional. Whatever the way Charles III will conduct himself, the issue of the monarchy itself is bound to surface during his reign. Writing in The Spectator, Matthew Parris put it this way: "there is a Charles who had those opinions and attachments – some of them to our liking, some of them, for some of us, possibly not – and whose per- ceptiveness and patent sincerity we'd been increasingly recognis- ing: a Prince in many ways ahead of his time. To be king is differ- ent, I appreciate, but he will be the same man. Is it wrong, is it unconstitutional, to hope that, despite the terrible pressures he will soon be under, Charles will be able to remain true to him- self?" On the other hand, Dr An- na Whitelock, a reader in early modern history at Royal Hol- loway in London, thinks that support for the monarchy was linked to the Queen per se, and not to the institution itself. If she is correct, the British monarchy could be on its 'last legs' within ten years or so. She argues that important questions about the relevance of the monarchy in modern society have been held back out of respect for Elizabeth II's long reign. On the Queen's ninetieth birthday, Dr. Whitelock, who was also the director of The Lon- don Centre for Public History, suggested that once the Queen is no longer on the throne, the British monarchy could be chal- lenged in a way that it never has been before. According to her, as the older generation die out, the question of the future of the monarchy will become even more pressing, and then potentially more criti- cal voices will come to the fore, insisting that the monarchy – its purpose, what it's about – will be questioned and challenged in a way that it hasn't been before. The idea of the monarchy passing some kind of power from one generation to another is today considered outlandish and practically unacceptable, let alone the claim for the 'divine right of kings'. All over Europe the strength of monarchies has had to be diluted to the extent that monarchs are mere figure- heads of no political importance. In the UK, the monarchy had the added role of being the gel keep- ing in place an extremely divided society. But monarchy is rarely static, and over time the role of any monarchy has to adapt to events and to constitutional develop- ments. Only about a quarter of Britons are republicans. Young people are far less fervent in their sup- port for the monarchy than oth- ers. A British Social Attitudes Survey found in 2021 that 14% of 18-34-year-olds said it was very important for the country to have one, compared with 44% of people aged 55 or older. But the British seem to become keener on royals as they age. It is worth remembering that middle-aged and old Britons once listened to anti-royal songs by the Sex Pis- tols, the Smiths and the Stone Roses. Only time will tell whether the British monarchy will continue slowly changing and adjusting itself according to circumstanc- es beyond its control, or wheth- er it will eventually be abolished completely. The Queen is dead... long live whoever is next Michael Falzon micfal45@gmail.com