'A handy definition of corruption would be the abuse of public office for private gain. That’s also a handy definition of monarchy. There’s a reason the royals continue to cling on to medieval cosplay and archaic titles'
Steeped in archaic symbolism of hereditary power and privilege, this faux-ancient ceremony that dates back only as far as 1953 is typical of royal traditions. It has one purpose – to dress up a profoundly immoral, undemocratic and corrupt institution as a historical inevitability, part of the fabric of society that we tear away at our peril.
Yet this appeal to the eccentric and peculiar is really nothing more than a smokescreen, a way of avoiding having to defend the indefensible, to offer any substantial benefit to having one family occupy the highest office of state. By clinging to the monarchy and making absurdist excuses for it, all we really do is compromise our principles and give cover to those who have no qualms about exploiting their privilege and power for personal gain.
They possess no greater skill or character than anyone else, they have not earned or worked for their privileges or positions and do very little in return for the vast wealth and privilege afforded to them. Yet the history of the Duchies is clear – they are state assets, property of the Crown and should rightly be incorporated into the Crown Estate, their profits handed to the Government.
In the 1990s, the Government in London introduced the Nolan Principles, or the seven principles of public life. These include selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. These are the principles against which we can judge wayward or corrupt prime ministers and police officers alike.
It is the focus of power in the hands of the Government – thanks in large part to the Crown – that distinguishes us as a constitutional monarchy, rather than a parliamentary democracy. It is a problem that has infected our political culture, with MPs often insisting that parliamentary sovereign – not popular sovereignty – is a virtue that must be protected.
will all be easier if we are equipped with a genuinely democratic constitution. Because a more democratic constitution means the needs and interests of the many are more likely to be represented and better served than now. Those in power will have to share that power, negotiate and compromise while our rights would be better protected by a codified constitution.
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