By Barah Mikaïl
Queen Elizabeth’s recent death gives new life to an old debate: are monarchies still necessary in the 21st century? Are they compatible with democracy?
In this video, we lay out four arguments partisans and opponents have for keeping a monarchy in Britain.
People for monarchies argue:
- Monarchs represent tradition and are a source of imperial prestige.
- Monarchs can act as mediators between the government and citizens.
- They can provide political stability in places where there are unstable elections.
- Royal institutions attract tourism, which benefits the local economy.
People against monarchies argue:
- Monarchs generate undue taxpayer costs. The Royal British family costed taxpayers $120 million in 2021.
- Monarch titles have nothing to do with merit.
- Monarchies represent the exploitation of indigenous people for some.
- Royal scandals hurt Britain’s image.
In the end, the only ones to decide if Britain will have a monarchy still is the British people themselves, ideally via a countrywide referendum.
Barah Mikaïl is the director of the Observatory on Contemporary Crises (OCC).
This video was edited by Research Assistant Kayla Drake. Kayla is a Master’s student of Political Science and International Relations at Saint Louis University – Madrid Campus.
To quote this article or video, please use the following reference: Barah Mikaïl (2022), “Video: Britain: Should we Abolish Monarchy?” https://crisesobservatory.es/britain-should-we-abolish-monarchy/
The OCC publishes a wide range of opinions that are meant to help our readers think of International Relations. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and neither the OCC nor Saint Louis University can be held responsible for any use which may be made of the opinion of the author and/or the information contained therein.