[TetraBeef]

A thousand years is bit much.

A monarchy existed in the UK since the fall of Rome.

The monarch since the signing of the Magna Carta has had relinquished political power in England.

Since 1640 the monarch has been largely symbolic and subject to parliament.

The violence, slavery, genocide and theft was definitely present during a period of the history of the monarchy, and should be addressed.

But we cannot necessarily paint the entire history of the monarchy as evil.

[krapp]

Fair enough, I got a bit hyperbolic. Although I also consider monarchy and aristocracy evil by definition.

I feel like one obvious way to address the incontrovertible problems with the monarchy is to recognize that the system no longer serves any purpose besides acting as a symbol of imperialism and class hierarchy that has no place in the modern world, and dismantling it.

Keep the castles and whatnot for the tourist money but why still have a King?

[TetraBeef]

To be honest this is already largely the case.

Most if not all of the castles and palaces in the UK are open to the public through the national trust. The Monarchy have multiple residences but apart from Windsor castle (which is open to the public when they’re not there) and Buckingham palace, they are mostly cottages or manors in the countryside.

The monarchy today is not seen by anyone as a symbol of imperialism and class hierarchy unless they explicitly set out to see them as a symbol of imperialism and class hierarchy.

They are mainly to most people a symbol of the country and its traditions. Again the monarchy has existed for a thousand years and has changed as society has changed. They are a reflection of the country that hosts them. Everyone is taught about the English civil war at school and knows that the monarch was beheaded and a republic was formed (150 years before the French Revolution). Nobody feels like the monarch has us under their thumb.

As an ethnic minority growing up in Britain I can tell you from my experience and the experiences I’ve heard from other ethnic minorities, the monarchy represented to me a more fair and kind view than the politicians we elected.

The Queen would have seen me (had we met) as a subject like any of her subjects regardless of race or class, she stood above it all and the monarchy still is above it all.

While the BNP and EDL were organising marches across the country the Monarchy actually made me feel like I belonged in the country I grew up in, that is a powerful thing.