The world in question

What future for the British monarchy?

Audio 03:11

According to the latest polls, a majority of 58% of the British want the maintenance of the monarchy, but 25% all the same are for a Republic.

© AP/Tom Hevezi

By: Bruno Daroux Follow

3 mins

Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee runs until Sunday to celebrate 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

A feat, but also a perfume of the end of the reign since the health of the monarch, aged 96, appears to be shaky.

How will the British monarchy survive after Elizabeth II?

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This is a real question, for at least two reasons: the first is that in this personalized and family monarchical system, the personality of the man or woman who embodies the royal function is absolutely central to the proper functioning of this system, which is after all fragile in terms of legitimacy since it is based only on birth and membership in the Windsor family.

But above all, the second reason that raises the question of the sustainability of the monarchy after Elizabeth II, are the challenges facing the United Kingdom.

Admittedly, the political settlement of these challenges does not belong to the sovereign – who reigns, but does not govern – it is up to the tenant of 10 Downing Street to manage these issues.

► To listen also: Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II: "She always has a quasi-political role"

But given the nature of the challenges today, this will inevitably have an impact on the functioning of the monarchy, on its raison d'être as well.

Because this United Kingdom is today very disunited, in particular because of the consequences of Brexit.

The Scots, who were opposed to leaving the European Union, suddenly want, after a new electoral victory for the separatists, to relaunch a second referendum on the independence of Scotland.

The Kingdom risks cracking also on the side of Northern Ireland.

The impact of Brexit on the economy and politics of this particular province has been even stronger, with this poorly crafted Northern Ireland protocol, which London now intends to renegotiate, to the chagrin of the European Union.

Suddenly, the republicans of Sinn Féin, favorable to the attachment of their province with the rest of Ireland,

, for the first time since the peace agreements of 1998. 

A sling that rumbles against the monarchy

A disunited Kingdom and whose attractiveness is weakening with the countries of the Commonwealth, this organization which brings together the former jewels of imperial Britain.

which today we demand that it apologize for its slavery past in the Caribbean, from which we plan to separate, to break forever this subjection to the British Crown, certainly all symbolic today .

But still: some countries, and not the least, are thinking about making their nation a Republic.

These debates are underway in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, where the newly elected new Prime Minister, Labor Anthony Albanese, has just appointed a Minister Delegate for the Republic.

Quite a symbol.

And then the polls indicate a more mixed attachment than one might think of the British themselves to the monarchical institution.

If they are more than satisfactory for Elizabeth II – 86% of the British believe that she has done a good job – they are much less favorable to Prince Charles, with only 19% of good opinions.

They are more positive for his son William, at 55%.

On the institution itself, a majority of 58% wants the maintenance of the monarchy, but 25% all the same are for a Republic.

Certainly, it is not tomorrow that Great Britain will become a Republic, but all this is still quite fragile.

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