Monday 2 May 2011

Republican feeling

At some point surely the nation has to say 'enough is enough'? You'd have thought, wouldn't you? Instead we got fawning sycophancy from the media claiming that the entire country was obsessed with the wedding of two dull but rich and, (one assumes) pleasant creatures. No. Let's put a stop to this myth now. Most of us weren't even very interested. Most of us have better things to do with our time than consider what type of dress a stranger is going to wear to her wedding.

And then we move to the bigger picture: whether or not the state should have paid for this wedding given that it wasn't technically a state occasion (which is how they got away with not inviting either Tony Blair or Gordon Brown). And then we move to the even bigger picture: why on earth, in the twenty-first century, do we still have a monarchy in the UK? How does it sit comfortably alongside our idea of a thriving democracy where every citizen (not subject) is equal and everyone can aspire to hold the highest office in the land?

As a feminist I want to care about primogeniture, truly I do but why should I care what happens in one family? How does it truly change the chances of British women rather than one or two women in one family? Instead of concerning ourselves with whether a Catholic can be king/queen or whether a first-born daughter can rule we should be pondering the bigger question of how suitable the monarchy is for Britain today.

I don't think I've heard a single decent argument for retaining the monarchy, certainly not tourism (the Palace of Versailles is one of France's most visited sites and I'm pretty sure there's no one living there anymore) and the individuals themselves don't lend themselves to the argument of their continued elevation: Andrew and his dodgy dealings? Charles and his meddling ways and lack of belief in science? Harry and his ill-thought through escapades? And now Kate with what appears to be a well followed plan to snare the country's supposedly most eligible bachelor. I am not sure I understand how William doesn't worry about this - I wouldn't want to marry someone who had planned his/her life around trying to get close to me because of my position (I know, no danger there).

I wouldn't go so far as to proclaim 'off with their heads' but I am with Sue Townsend when she suggests sending them to live on a council estate if they insist on continuing to live off the state.