British President / Retire the Monarchy
When re-reading the International Declaration of Human Rights the other day, I found myself mulling Article 1 repeatedly: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Shortly after, I found myself thinking the unthinkable. I found myself thinking Republican thoughts.
A Loyal Subject
Immediately I glanced at the framed picture of Her Majesty above the fireplace and apologised – such pictures are common in every British household because they remind us of our place as loyal subjects of the realm.
I grew up in the knowledge that if you work hard, have a good career and try to make a really positive difference, then you’ll be happy, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get a nice gong from the Queen that shows how much your effort is appreciated by the country.
Thinking the Unthinkable
My grandfather was honoured by the monarch twice – the DFC in 1945 by King George VI, and the MBE in 1976 by Queen Elizabeth II, so republican thoughts were unthinkable because they might somehow diminish the value of his contribution to the country. This is nonsense, of course, but it’s a thought pattern that I was allowing myself to lazily hold. My grandfather taught me better than that, he taught me to speak up.
Then yesterday the human rights thing hit me: I do not have the right to be monarch.
That simple fact is what made me realize I’m a closet republican; so deep in the closet that I had no idea. Of course, being British, I’m not in the closet, I’m in the cupboard. So I’ve decided to come out of the cupboard.
Retire The Monarchy
Since the existence of the monarchy is incompatible with Article 1 of the International Declaration of Human Rights, perhaps the monarchy should be retired.
Members of the royal family can continue to make a living doing public novelty appearances and in time, they’ll just become like everybody else: equal.
Thinking Ahead: The First British President
The Queen can (and I think should), enter herself as a candidate for the first British Presidency; but who else might run? Perhaps Tony Benn. Just the concept opens up so many new possibilities for the country, I can’t believe I was in the cupboard for so long.
Have you got a list of visiting times in the Tower?… i may need them!
A Guardian article from 2000 discussing the treason issue as it relates to the monarchy and human rights.
Oh that’s OK then, just an antipodean deportation, presumably after a package holiday in the ‘Tower Hotel’ in ‘Beautiful Riverside London’.
Even being Welsh won’t help you in the eyes of Lord Williams of Mostyn…
Interesting article and links, though.
But I hope my Mum & Dad don’t have the internet in Heaven!
Have you read act of settlement 1700 yet? and what the monarchy reprents nowadays!
You mean you’ve been a royalist all your life and you’ve only
just thought this one through? Sheesh!
You don’t have the ‘right’ to be Monarch, but you wouldn’t have
the ‘right’ to be president either. You’d have to get yourself
a big fat political career first, then high office, then
enough nominations, then win the election.
And there is plenty of historical precedent for elective
Monarchy you know.
Well, it was two years ago actually, and I was busy earning a crust the rest of the time, but yes it’s kind of a shocker that my latent royalism is indicative of the endemic acceptance of the status quo when living in a generally successful monarchy.
That said, I think that quoting the word ‘right’ clouds its meaning. A right is a legal or moral entitlement to do (or not to do) something.
Hoi polloi like you and I have no legal entitlement, no right, to attempt to become the UK head of state, but (as can be inferred from your comment) anyone who gained enough support could become the president, if such a position replaced the monarchy.
It’s a shame nothing came of this. I’m in favour of retiring the monarchy. Wasn’t there a poll towards the late nineties where only 55% of the UK’s population were for the monarchy?
I’ve nothing against them but there is definitely an inequality there. Human rights or not, they don’t really mean anything to me.