Contradictions and challenges facing Britain’s monarchy
Today 6 May, King Charles III and his wife, Camilla will be crowned king and queen of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and titular head of nearly 15 countries which were former colonies of Great Britain. He will also be the chairperson of what is called the Commonwealth. Charles himself will be the oldest monarch to take the British throne as the ceremony unfolds at the Westminster Abbey.
Charles actually acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, on the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. Unlike the time when the late queen Elizabeth was crowned however, Britain today is no longer an imperial power, nor one of the foremost military or naval powers in the world but just lower middle power. Economically today it is at number 6th position in GDP in US dollar terms and way below in PPP terms.
One of the oldest monarchies in the world, the British royal family has a net worth in the billions, with the net worth of the British royal family being estimated at $28 billion (£21.3 billion), according to ‘Forbes’
Again, the Crown Estate, which manages the monarchy’s property holdings, is valued at about $20.5 billion (£15.6 billion) and generated an estimated $410 million (£312.7 million) in net revenue at the end of the 2022 fiscal year.
However despite its name ‘Great Britain’, like most West European powers, Britain today is dependent on the US for its military protection.
According to the Campaign for Nuclear disarmament there are currently 10,000 US military personnel, civilian staff and family members posted in the UK stationed mainly in major military bases around that country..
During the 1990s there were approximately 100 US bases, of which thirteen still remain today -RAF Lakenheath, RAF Croughton, RAF Welford, RAF Fairford, RAF Feltwell, RAF Upwood, RAF Barford St John, RAF Blenheim Crescent, RAF Fylingdales, RAF Menwith Hill, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth.
Whilst most of these bases are named Royal Air Force (RAF) stations, they are leased by the US for the purpose of US Air Force (USAF) operations. As such, whilst the physical buildings comprising the bases are usually the property of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), very little of what happens in them is controlled by the British government.
This is largely, because the primary framework which legislates for these bases –the Status of Forces Agreement and Visiting Forces Act– ultimately reserves jurisdiction of US personnel to the US.
In our country too today, there is still an ongoing debate on a proposed agreement by the US to sign a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in addition to the Acquisition and Cross Services Agreement (ACSA) signed first in 2007 and subsequently in 2017.
Again, though Britain prides itself as being a secular country, no other constitutional monarchy has a religious coronation like Britain’s. No other country also claims its head of state is chosen to rule by divinity.
This does not mean however, that there should be no ceremony, tradition, or no celebration to mark the transition to a new head of state. What it shows is the need for this ritual to have been changed.
Another contradiction is that the British people are expected to swear allegiance to the ruling monarch of the day, rather than the monarch pledging allegiance to the sovereignty of the people and country!.
Again, the coronation of King Charles III comes at a time when many Britons are living through a cost of living crisis. The cost-of-living crisis has been caused by soaring food and energy prices, widening industrial action (strikes) putting unprecedented pressure on the country’s health services.
According to Reuters, the Bank of England has projected that the UK economy will experience at least a four-quarter recession -its longest on record.
The cost of the coronation -estimated to cost £250m- is therefore not very popular among the British at large.
According to the ‘Guardian’ only 7% of the British public describe themselves as committed royalists, willing to give uncritical support to the monarchy and a mere 9% of British adults say they care “a great deal” about this events which unfold today.
Many of Britain’s former colonies have opted to become republics. The new king will now be head of state to around fifteen other states. Yet, even within these former colonies debates are ongoing whether or not to continue with the British monarchy as their head of state.
In the UK too many citizens as pointed out earlier are indifferent to the monarchy. However, republicanism is not as yet a danger to toppling the monarchy. But what is becoming clear is that the old concept of the British monarch is in need of change.
