Any controversy reveals the shaky foundations of a hereditary monarchy. A wise ruler would set ‘minor royals’ free
Hereditary monarchy is always an accident waiting to happen. A wise monarch reduces the risk of accident. Britain’s Queen has been wise beyond endurance over her long reign in obeying the sole obligation of a non-political head of state, which is to avoid controversy. But she made one big mistake.
Back in 1969, the Queen gave in to pressure from her husband, Prince Philip, and her dynamic Australian press secretary, William Heseltine, to modernise the monarchy. The decision was made to validate hereditary monarchy as a “royal family”, and present it as such to the world. Cameras were invited into royal residences, to attend royal barbecues and see the teenage royals as “ordinary”. They would gradually take on a roll-call of public duties. Monarchy was to become a collective enterprise.
