Is the Queen of England the UK’s last regent? A number of posters have been created in the United Kingdom calling for the end to the monarchy, as part of the celebrations that will be held over the next four days. The queen and prince Charles, who will succeed him legaly on his death, endorsed certain political positions.
The Queen’s role is symbolic. The British appreciate the fact that Elizabeth II does not hold a political office. According to memos taken from national archives and published by “The Guardian” in February 2021, the monarch has used her power – Queen’s consent’- to block more than 1,000 bills from reaching Parliament.
According to British Daily, Queen Elisabeth would be behind-the scenes campaigning against transparency legislation in the 1970s. This would have allowed the British more information about her fortune.
These political positions were also observed from the side of Prince Charles (son and natural successor to Elisabeth), who was singled out by The Guardian for the pressure he exerted upon parliamentarians. According to the newspaper the sovereign consented to prevent his estate residents from purchasing their homes for many decades.
This “Queen’s Consent” allowed monarchs to review the contents bills proposed by ministers of government before they reached Parliament.
These political actions earned Prince Charles unpopularity among British citizens. A poll conducted by YouGouv in Britain found that 18% of English citizens would vote against Prince Charles’ appointment. Only 2%, however, oppose his son’s nomination. This percentage rises to 54% on the Republican side, compared with 28% for Prince William.
The English are generally supportive of the monarchy but there are some voices in public debate calling for Elizabeth II to be “the last” monarch and the United Kingdom to become a republic. Graham Smith, the director of the Republic movement is a prominent voice in this fight. He calls for an elected, non-partisan president to lead the state, rather than a sovereign who will inherit the throne. He claims that the current institution is not democratic and it is costly for taxpayers.
The activist believes that if the time of the monarchy does not arrive, then the popularity of the system will continue to fall among English people, particularly young people who are less attached and more fond of tradition. A poll conducted by the British Future think-tank found that 25% of English citizens favor a republic named after Elizabeth II. This compares to 37% in young people.
It is more likely that the British regime will reform. According to the “Daily Mail”, Prince William, the son of Prince Charles, is more popular among the British and has declared his desire to make the monarchy “agile” to make it more “unifying.” This same heir also considered reducing the role of Prince Charles in the Commonwealth. This could allow more space for certain countries like Barbados, which was made a republic in November.
