It’s High Time We Ignored The Endless Propaganda And Questioned The Point Of The Monarchy
We either support the universal values of fairness, diversity, equality and democracy or we don’t
Looking at local media coverage of the Coronation in the run-up to today you would struggle to believe that we live in a democracy with a diverse range of views and opinions. So although my piece here may be a token one amongst a sea of pro-royal propaganda, it will hopefully serve the historical record on this historic day that not all were so willing to bend the knee.
This piece is not a direct critique of King Charles on his long, long-awaited special day, but aimed more at the institution that is the British monarchy, or the “The Firm” as it’s been self-described. The British monarchy is undoubtedly one of the world’s most iconic institutions going, one that has its own special and unique historical relationship with the Crown Dependency of Jersey. While many see it as a comforting symbol of national identity, stability and tradition, others rightly argue that it is an anachronistic, corrupt and undemocratic institution that is morally and ethically wrong in today’s modern world.
Arguably, the British monarchy is undemocratic. In a democratic society, power should ultimately rest with the people, who exercise their sovereignty through the ballot box. In contrast, as we know, the monarchy is a hereditary institution determined by birth rather than by merit or popular vote. So the idea that one individual is entitled to hold significant power and influence in society simply because of their birth goes against every fundamental democratic value that we apparently hold dear.
Moreover, the British monarchy is a vestige of the feudal system, where under that system a small aristocratic elite held significant power and wealth, while the vast majority of people were disenfranchised and powerless. The monarchy perpetuates this system by reinforcing the idea that some people are born to rule while others are born to serve. As part of today’s Coronation, King Charles will inherit “sovereign immunity”, which affords him protection from criminal and civil proceedings as head of state, this also includes barring the police from entering royal estates to investigate suspected crimes without the sovereign’s permission. This level of unique protection has also allowed Prince Andrew to evade questioning from US law enforcement over his close connection with notorious paedophile and child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The monarchy may be at the apex of this system of unaccountable entitlement and superiority but you can certainly see it reflected throughout the British ruling classes. This ultimately creates a situation where the ruling elite can act with impunity, and are not held to the same standards of transparency and accountability as you or I, undermining the very foundations of democracy. It can be seen in the unelected members of the House of Lords, the current Prime Minister and billionaire, Rishi Sunak, not declaring his wife’s company interests benefiting from government grants and policy and Boris Johnson partying the night away with colleagues during lockdown with no consequences. All the while, the people were left to say final goodbyes over video calls to Covid suffering family members.
The idea that the monarchy is also necessary for national unity or identity is a fallacy. Rather than contributing to our national identity, in reality, the monarchy represents a societal outlier that has regularly been used as a distraction by those in power from the deep social and economic divisions that exist within British society, with the media all too willing to play its propaganda part in this exploitation and grand distraction of the people.
It, therefore, represents a form of cultural imperialism that seeks to impose a particular vision of British identity and values on the rest of the population. This imposition is clearly visible in having Jersey 7 to 11-year-olds gifted a book to celebrate the Coronation and all primary-school children create their own crowns in celebration, with up to 8,000 designs expected. Having children recreate such a symbol of wealth and power — the real crown is reportedly worth £45m — at a time when inequality and food banks are rife is simply repellent.
Recent investigations by the Guardian show that King Charles’s personal wealth is estimated at £1.8bn, this includes a fleet of luxury cars, jewellery, property, investments, horses, rare stamps, art and a tax-free hereditary estate and according to Forbes, the net worth of the whole royal family stands at a not too insignificant £21bn. Despite this tax-exempt wealth, the public is footing the bill for today’s celebrations, likely to be in the tens of millions of pounds, with it reported that a council is spending thousands on bunting for lamp posts while unable to afford the electricity to keep them on. Despite wishing to modernise the monarchy, the people have also been asked, in what can only be seen as a bizarre archaic request, to swear “true allegiance” to the King his heirs and successors in a “great cry around the nation and around the world” in what’s been labelled a “Homage of the People”.
As part of the Coronation, local school children will also be taught about the history of the monarchy and its relationship with Jersey, but considering we erected a statue of a prominent slave trader just a few years ago to rapturous applause, I have certain doubts they will be given all the facts of the situation. For instance, that the monarchy was often portrayed as the benevolent ruler of a vast and diverse empire, but in reality that empire was and their wealth was built on the exploitation and subjugation of millions of people and the monarchy played a significant role in that system of exploitation and oppression. By uncritically celebrating and promoting the monarchy, we are also in effect ignoring the suffering and oppression that was caused during this dark chapter of British history. A major justification for why territories are wishing to leave the Commonwealth.
British support for the monarchy is apparently at an all-time low and a 2021 YouGov poll found that 41% of those aged 18 to 24 think there should now be an elected head of state. No wonder, the struggling youth of today have a greater stake in the values of equality and fairness and the monolithic institution that is the British monarchy only represents an antithesis to those values in their eyes.
However, we do live in somewhat of a democracy and that means if the majority of the people wish to maintain and continue having a monarchy, then that must be respected but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t question its place in our society either. We either support the universal values of fairness, diversity, equality and democracy or we support the monarchy and the King as head of state, you can’t support both. You either choose to be a subject or a citizen. So it’s high time we defended these values and moved forward with a modern, fit-for-purpose Republic but until that day comes; long live the democratic right to question power and authority.
