It’s Time to Look Forward, Time to Move On, Time to Become Citizens, Not Subjects.

Now, don’t take this personally.

I don’t know any of the Royal Family. Maybe you do? My personal engagement with them began in 1962 when I waved a flag at a car at the top of Stockman’s Lane. Then I caught a glimpse of Princess Diana doing something important across the road for Inst one day. Finally I saw Princess Anne coming out of the library in Holywood when I was getting a sandwich. I am not sure if she was returning a book. I wonder do members of the Royal Family have to return books, or do they have special keeping privileges.

So when I propose that it is time to move into the 21st Century, and that to do that we need to change our system of government by removing the Royal family, it is not about them as people, it is the institution, and I realise that there is about as much chance of it happening as me being given a title.

Why does it bother me?

It is 2021. The UK has had a system of government that has a Monarch as the Head of State since before 1066, apart from the time that Oliver Cromwell and his mates gave Charles the First a reckless haircut.

So as usual, my posts are rooted in the impact of communication. So here are a few of the messages that are sent from the day you are born, by living in a state that has a Royal Family. (And I started this before the revelations in the Guardian).

1. You are a subject, not a citizen. You are a lesser person than others in the country, due to nothing more than who your parents are.
2. You live in a society that endorses a class system. At the top is the Monarch, then her immediate family. Then you have those that have been ennobled, many centuries ago, and more, recently. Their title’s are part of the system that has a Monarch. Reading Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about Thomas Cromwell shows how titles were used by Henry 8th in the 16th Century. It stays the same.
3. Take a moment and think about this. There are people in this country that you are expected to call Your Majesty. And bow. Yes, lower your head to them, because they were born and, well, so were you.
4. In the same vain, you might possibly meet someone who is a Prince, or a Princess. Just to remind you, we do not live in a fairy story, this is real life.

But the biggest one is that our society is built on looking backwards. The existence of the Royal Family being at the top of our society only survives because we put history before the future. There is no scope for innovation and inspiration, only for another person from one family to continue in the role. We already know who the next three heads of state are going to be, Charles, William and George. That will be the lifetime of my kids sewn up. The idea that our future is so tightly mapped out takes away the idea of it being a future at all, as it is only that way because of the past.

The argument is made, “but would you want a President instead?? Look at America and Trump!”. Yes, and yes, look at Trump, no longer President, changed because the US is a democracy and dumped him. They elected Obama, and that sent out the best answer that has ever been given to racists. How can the UK so something similar? It can’t. Is a Prime Minister not the same? No, he or she is not the Head of State, as is shown by them having to bow their heads to the Queen.

Then we get tourism, all the people who come to the UK because of the Royal family. How many get to meet them? Tourism in Northern Ireland grew from just about nothing to over 3 million. One of the biggest drivers? Game of Thrones, a television programme. How many people visit the Palace of Versailles every year? 5 million. And they haven’t had a monarch since 1871. Think about how many people could visit Sandringham, or Balmoral, or many of the other palaces that are dotted around, or stay in the numerous apartments that are currently grace and favour homes for those deemed worthy by the monarch.

So does it matter?

Of course it does. It impacts on all of us. The class system is built on the foundations laid by a hereditary monarchy and peerage. Racism is built in to the system. The landed gentry is built on wealth based on someone in history doing the monarch a good turn and getting an estate in return. That’s what happened, and you can see above the length of time that the titles have kept people in place.

And then this very week, the Guardian published a number of stories that give lie to the claims that the Royal Family has no power. It appears that for over 1000 bills to be brought to Parliament, the Queen or Charles have been given advance sight of the content, and time for their lawyers to peruse them to assess the impact on the Windsor assets and change them so that any financial impact is reduced. You couldn’t make it up!

In the US they are currently impeaching the Trump for his actions in creating mayhem. In the UK the Head of State is almost exempt from the norms of the law. Andrew hangs about with, and is accused of statutory rape, Is he in prison? Is he even being investigated seriously?

The dosh they get from the state to keep them and the extended family is remarkable, funded by you and me. So at a simple level, we all live normal lives, working to keep ourselves going and they take money from us to give to one of the richest people in the country. And millions of people have been persuaded that this is the right way for our country to be governed?

Why would that be?

Well, it comes down to communications and the why. The basis of most of the posts here, Why do we accept it and acquiesce to such a bonkers system? Because we don’t think about it, we a