The Prince Andrew–Jeffrey Epstein Controversy and Its Political Fallout
- The British Monarchy in the 21st Century: Constitutional Symbol or Feudal Relic?
- Public Funding and the Cost of the Royal Household
- Transparency, Accountability, and Democratic Norms
- The Role of the Republic and the Campaign to Abolish the Crown
- Shifting Public Opinion: Polls, Generational Divide, and Historic Lows
From Constitutional Monarchy to Republic: What Would It Mean for the United Kingdom?
Historical Parallels: Lessons from the French Revolution
Is the UK Moving Toward a United Republic? Political Feasibility and Future Scenarios
Should the UK abolish the monarchy? After the Prince Andrew–Jeffrey Epstein controversy, support for a republic is rising. A detailed analysis of costs, accountability, and public opinion...
Should the monarchy be abolished in the UK ?
Many voices are being heard in UK, after the Prince Andrew ( now Mr Andrew Mountbatten Windsor ) and Jeffrey Epstein affair, that UK should be made a Republic.
One of the main figures advocating abolishing the monarchy is Graham Smith, CEO of the organization 'Republic'
Many others are also of the same opinion.
Monarchy is a feudal institution, which is totally outdated and anachronistic in the modern age. Then why is it being continued even today in UK, which is a modern, industrialized country?
It is estimated that about 107 million pounds every year are spent by the British government on the royal family, which comes from the taxpayer's hard earned income. Apart from that, the royal family has huge landholdings, castles, mansions, and other assets.
The 'royals' do no productive work, unless it can be said that mere existing, or living off the labour of ther people, is productive work. Yet they live lives of great luxury. They are like drones who do no work, or parasites ( like Bertie Wooster in P.G. Wodehouse's stories ), and pay no taxes on their huge unearned incomes, like the French aristocrats before the French Revolution of 1789 which guillotined many of them. Their private lives, which are often scandalous and lecherous, are usually shrouded in mystery and secrecy, and cover-up techniques are employed in hiding them ( as the late Queen Elizabeth II and the present King Charles reportedly did in protecting the corrupt and depraved ex-Andrew for long ). So there is little transparency and accountability in their behaviour. How is this acceptable in a democracy?
While a majority of Britishers still want retention of the monarchy, this majority is at a historical low, while the number of those wanting its abolition has grown rapidly in recent years, and is nearing the halfway mark.
It is almost certain that the British monarchy will be abolished in the coming years, and the UK will become a UR ( United Republic )
(Justice Markandey Katju is a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman of the Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own.)
