The Queen is entering the twilight of her reign. Are the British public still loyal to the Royal Family, or is the British republican movement a threat to the Monarchy?

Britain in 2007 is a wealthy, confident, sophisticated society. Yet the British Head of State is unelected; determined by heredity.

A growing republican movement

The majority of British people, when asked in opinion polls, express either affection or indifference to the Royal Family. There is, however, a significant proportion who are becoming increasingly vocal in their opposition to the monarchy. Republic is a British group campaigning for an elected Head of State. It describes itself as “A grassroots campaign group calling for the abolition of monarchy and an end to all hereditary positions of power.” Formed in 1983, Republic currently has a membership of around 800.

One of Republic’s most vociferous supporters is Johann Hari, award-winning journalist and columnist with the UK newspaper The Independent. He argues in his 2002 book God Save the Queen?: “The monarchy is now an institution that can only produce psychologically and emotionally destroyed, unhappy people. It’s time we ended the misery.” Do Britons feel that the Windsor family are in some way specially adapted to the role of Royal Family through centuries of training and breeding in ways that a ‘normal’ family is not?

Republic claims that surveys and opinion polls show a consistent level of support at between 20 and 30%. In a 21st century democracy, this seems lower than might be expected. So why do so many British people apparently support the monarchy in the 21st century?

Why support the monarchy?

For many, support of the monarchy is inextricably linked to patriotism. The Monarchist website recently nominated the cricketer Ian Botham as its ‘Monarchist of the Month.’ The recent recipient of a knighthood, Sir Ian announced: “The monarchy stands for everything that makes me proud to be English...I listen to all these republicans...If it was down to me I'd hang 'em! I honestly would. It’s a traitor’s game for me.”

Is it that, having grown up with a monarch, many British people find it comforting, reassuring, a sign that there is some continuity with the solid established values of the past? Many Britons find the idea of a US style President off-putting, although a British president would not hold anything like the same power. Holding on to the monarchy also reinforces the British sense of being a bit different, eccentric even, of not following the crowd.

Will Australia take the lead towards republicanism?

However, things might be changing. A great deal of support for the monarchy is in fact for the Queen as an individual. In Australia the new Labor PM Kevin Rudd, having regained power after eleven years in opposition, has said that he will hold a new referendum to decide whether Australia should no longer have the Queen as Head of State. Opinion polls show a majority of Australians would be in favour of this change.

Graham Smith, spokesperson for Republic in the UK, said, on the organisation's website in November 2007: “An Australian Republic would be a huge boost for the republican movement, here in the UK. People will ask: if they can do it, why can’t we….Republican movements around the commonwealth will be looking to Australia to take the lead on this issue. Opinion polls suggest Canada and New Zealand will quickly follow Australia down the republican path. How long until Britain will follow suit?”

What ultimately may be the main block to the Republican movement are not legions of staunch monarchists crying ‘treason’, but that people don’t really care. With issues like climate change and terrorism on the agenda there are so many other, more pressing demands on our interest and indignation.