Should the Monarchy Be Abolished?

 by Lorcan Bonser-Wilton

(image by: Ricardo Stuckert/PR - Agência Brasil)

Many believe that the British monarchy is outdated, costly and old fashioned, but others consider them a staple part of British traditions and values. Some turn to the Royal Family for hope and joy, others gain anger and resent from seeing them. I will present a two sided argument, so that you can understand the evidence and credibility of both sides of this hotly contested issue before giving my own viewpoint.

It is well known throughout the world that Britain has had a long history of monarchs and royals, in fact there have been 61 monarchs spanning over 1,200 years, therefore it is a huge part of our country’s history. While some are proud of this, and write it as a glorious era that should not end, many think that the system of monarchy has to go, as it holds back growth, change and new systems, both governmental and judicial. However, it is sometimes good that we have an independent body to oversee parliamentary affairs, as in many examples, such as the United States, a presidential system can lead to huge abuse of power without the president being held accountable for years.

When tourists visit our country, they visit the sights of London. The Tower, Westminster Abbey, and, most confusingly to the average Brit, Buckingham Palace. This is because growing up in Britain, it is likely that only someone growing up with the most devout royalists would ever go there more than once in their lifetime. Personally, I visited the exterior of Buckingham Palace in 2016, and was shocked to see it packed out. I thought to myself, why would so many come to stare at a motionless courtyard, the only sights and sounds being the rigid and stoic Queen’s Guard marching to the next doorway along. Therefore, the Palace is often known for being absolutely inundated with tourists, and why one of the main arguments for keeping the royals is that they generate income from monarchy-related tourism. Specifically, it was recently alleged that around £550 million a year is raised from tourists visiting places such as the residences of the monarch and her family.

However, there is a counter argument which, while often a lower statistic, is one that has been debated for years in the modern era, as people become more and more disillusioned with the trials and tribulations of having a system of monarchy. It is well known that the royal family lives a life of luxury, wealth and comfort. But this life is funded by the taxpayer. For years now, this fact has raised anger; a question of fairness and discourse towards our current system and state of affairs. In 2018, it was estimated that £67 million was spent on the royals and their lifestyle. This can anger some of the population, especially those who do not support the royal family or their position in British society. Many believe that it is rather unfair that these people get to live a life of luxury, just because they are born into the family, and eventually succession of the throne. This week, newspapers reported that the monarchy had been involved in trying to influence Government legislation relating to its own finances.

While not known by many, the monarch and her close associates have vast powers, both socially and politically. Thankfully, our current monarch does not abuse these powers, but throughout history, many have. A well known example of when this system has proven very problematic is during King John’s reign, where he taxed people regardless of wealth, often to extremely high rates, demanded money from his barons for war, and constantly abused the population is the most cruel ways, until life in Britain was a system of misery and hardship for many. The fact that the monarch’s powers to perpetrate these acts have not been changed much since those times is rather concerning. 

In more recent times, a scandal has emerged involving Prince Andrew the Duke of York and Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender. Allegations of their friendship and the Duke allegedly taking part in similar activities resulted in him having to step down from public duties as a royal, and now is 10th in line for the throne. The case surrounding both their friendship and his actions was shrouded in mystery, and was somewhat quashed, however it is unknown if this was for the sake of preserving the reputation of the Royal Family. However, in April 2015, a Florida judge, Kenneth Marra stated that the papers making allegations against the Duke must be “struck from the public record”. The fact that all of this was so secretive suggests that the family was seriously worried about tarnishing their reputation within the population. To be frank, this is dishonest, and does not serve well to show that we should continue with this system.

In conclusion, I believe that we should switch to a different system and abolish the monarchy, as it is holding back the future growth of our country, and is outdated. However much some royalists love them, it is just not viable to progress into the future with what is something that should have been confined to history. The question is, what do you think?