God protect the king? Will Britain become a republic or keep the royal family?

When the Sex Pistols released ‘God Save the Queen’ in 1977, it certainly caused quite a stir.

The anti-establishment anthem – which killed Elizabeth II’s “fascist regime” – was banned by the BBC, while the tabloid press accused the punks of treason and called for their hanging.

But Britain is a different place than when the single came out.

This year marks a turning point for the country as a new monarch will be crowned for the first time in 70 years.

King Charles III will ascend the throne in a weekend of splendor; ancient religious rituals and a concert with today’s world music stars.

Support for the monarchy continued fairly constant in the months before the Queen’s death last year, and in the months after, according to YouGov: with about 60% of people in favor of retaining the monarchy and 25% for abolishing it.

There may be a “coronation boost” for the institution of the monarchy in the spring, but the long-term trends show a marked loss of support for the royals over the years among members of the public, with an increasing number of people wanting the old institution . wiped out and replaced by a republic.

In 1983 some 86% of Britons believed the monarchy was “very” or “quite” important. By 2021, this had dropped to 55%, with 25% saying it was “not important at all” or should be phased out, according to the British social attitudes questionnaire.

A series of scandals have fueled this Republican rumbling, including Prince Andrew’s alleged sexual relations with minors, then Prince Charles accepting “bags of money” for honors and the ongoing public spat between Harry, Meghan and the rest of the family.

‘Innate reverence’

While even the most ardent anti-royals might grudgingly respect the late Queen Elizabeth and her life of service to the country and the Commonwealth; but for most Republicans it doesn’t matter who the head of state is.

“Republicanism about the type of society we want in Britain,” writes Ken Ritchie Labor for Republic told Euronews. “The monarchy represents elitism. A society in which rank and status are important and where your position depends entirely on the circumstances of your birth.”

“In the 21st century, this should definitely be wrong,” he said.

The overall wealth of the British royal family is difficult to estimate due to the opaque nature of its finances. In 2015, an analysis by Reuters suggested it had a face value of nearly £23 billion at the time.

However, the Republican critique of the monarchy’s wealth goes further, drawing attention to its relationship with the British Empire.

“Much of their wealth has been gained through colonialism and even slavery,” Ritchie said. “This is no longer the kind of country we want to be.”

“The monarchy is much grander, much more extravagant and much more expensive than the others in Europe,” he added. “I suspect this goes back to the idea that Britain was the center of a world empire.”

While the monarchy is a symbol of British history, others question how much the royal family benefited directly from colonialism.

What is the situation like in other European countries?

Britain is not the only European country with an active discussion about the role of the royal family.

In the Netherlands, a poll for King’s Day in April 2022 showed 71% support for the monarchy and 29% support for a republic – a few percentage points more support for republicanism than in the UK, but much stronger support for the royal family.

Meanwhile, in Denmark, where Queen Margrethe is Europe’s longest-reigning monarch and recently celebrated 50 years on the throne, a February 2022 survey showed that almost 77% of the people supported a Danish monarchy, while only 14.6% of the people wanted the Scandinavian nation to become a republic.

And in Spain, where a series of financial and personal scandals have rocked the Bourbon house in recent years, an Survey October 2020 found that 40.9% of Spaniards preferred to replace King Felipe and Queen Letizia in favor of a republic; while 34.9% of people said they supported keeping the royal family.

The vast fortunes of the British royal family are not the only complaint of anti-monarchists. It’s also what they call the “power imbalance” that comes with it.

Professor Richard Toyea historian at the University of Exeter, criticized the “democratic deficit” of having such an “important public position that is hereditary”, calling it “surprising and problematic” in a country that describes itself as a democracy.

This shadowy power feeds “concerns about how monarchs, while supposed to be neutral, ultimately influence politics,” he added.

In 2021, the late Queen was accused of lobbying the government to protect her private wealth from new transparency laws, while other members of her family allegedly pushed for financial benefits.

“They just keep their own power,” Richtie said. “We want to see a monarch that is much more transparent.”

When Charles took over the Crown Estate, his mother’s £15bn portfolio of land and assets, it was not subject to inheritance tax, leading to widespread criticism in the UK.

‘We are entering new territory’

In any case, the British monarchy seems to be going nowhere – even as republican sentiment grows stronger.

All major British political parties are pro-monarchist, and in a country grappling with strikes, inflation and the fallout from Brexit, this issue remains a low priority.

“The very existence of the monarchy depends on publicity and public opinion,” says Ken Ritchie of Labor for Republic.

“If it wasn’t, it would just be irrelevant and ignored… they’re going to do their best to try and win back the public’s support.”

Despite King Charles’s “very checkered past” and recent controversies to rock the royal family, Republican campaigner Dr. Joe Powell was dismayed that public criticism of the king did not turn even more against the monarchy .

“You would think the high level of scandal would make people question what they are doing and why they are doing it on our behalf,” he said.

“But that doesn’t really seem to be happening.”