Ask HN: What do you think of the Queen?

#1

Post by nickgubbins » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 1:48 PM UTC

As a Brit, in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee I want to understand what the HN community think of the Queen.

I grew up in and live in the UK, and have personally never understood why we have a monarchy in 2022 as it is blatantly anti-democratic and anti-meritocratic. Yet speaking to family and friends as well as folks from other countries, I am often taken aback by her popularity and airing my opinions often feels a bit controversial.

Where do you stand?

Re: Ask HN: What do you think of the Queen?

#2

Post by uberman » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 1:58 PM UTC

How is the UK monarchy anti-democratic in any manner? She has only symbolic governmental power. Alternatively, do you feel the monarch should be elected for some reason and if they were, what problem would that solve?

Re: Ask HN: What do you think of the Queen?

#3

Post by midislack » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 2:03 PM UTC

She is a fine CEO of the Crown Corporation. It's likely you don't even know what that is, most Brits have no clue what the difference between London and the City are, or what the relationship is between the Sovereign and the Crown.

Re: Ask HN: What do you think of the Queen?

#4

Post by midislack » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 2:04 PM UTC

uberman wrote: post #2

How is the UK monarchy anti-democratic in any manner? She has only symbolic governmental power. Alternatively, do you feel the monarch should be elected for some reason and if they were, what problem would that solve?

Her power is absolute and temporal, she isn't a mere figurehead. She does wield this power from time to time, she dissolved the nation of Australia not too long ago on a whim.

Re: Ask HN: What do you think of the Queen?

#5

Post by jleyank » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 2:11 PM UTC

midislack wrote: post #4

uberman wrote: post #2

How is the UK monarchy anti-democratic in any manner? She has only symbolic governmental power. Alternatively, do you feel the monarch should be elected for some reason and if they were, what problem would that solve?

Her power is absolute and temporal, she isn't a mere figurehead. She does wield this power from time to time, she dissolved the nation of Australia not too long ago on a whim.

Almost 50 years ago. Caused a constitutional crisis. Would not think it’s repeatable elsewhere in the commonwealth. Reasonable chance her successor will be head of state of fewer realms. Constitutional monarchs use their power at risk to their institution. Sometimes it’s quite useful (Spain), but it would quickly fade if used repeatedly.

Analogous to any non-executive head of state I would think. However, the time of a non-resident monarch has passed - they should be of and reside in the country they're head of state of.

Re: Ask HN: What do you think of the Queen?

#6

Post by nickgubbins » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 2:15 PM UTC

uberman wrote: post #2

How is the UK monarchy anti-democratic in any manner? She has only symbolic governmental power. Alternatively, do you feel the monarch should be elected for some reason and if they were, what problem would that solve?

I think a set of individuals having legal privilege by virtue of bloodline, as well as being state sponsored by tax revenue (regardless of absolute cost), is pretty anti-democratic. And yes, elected is literally democratic?

Re: Ask HN: What do you think of the Queen?

#7

Post by usrn » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 2:15 PM UTC

I think the people in the UK have lost their appreciation for the advantages of a monarchy. Yes it's anti-democratic but democracy is not an absolute good, many people have written about this. I think she could have prevented a lot of the destruction that's come to Britain but she needs a little more support from the people. The lack of faith in the monarchy has unfortunately (in a kind of democratic way interestingly enough) taken away a lot of its power.

Re: Ask HN: What do you think of the Queen?

#8

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 2:21 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What do you think of the Queen?

#9

Post by msingle » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 2:22 PM UTC

midislack wrote: post #4

uberman wrote: post #2

How is the UK monarchy anti-democratic in any manner? She has only symbolic governmental power. Alternatively, do you feel the monarch should be elected for some reason and if they were, what problem would that solve?

Her power is absolute and temporal, she isn't a mere figurehead. She does wield this power from time to time, she dissolved the nation of Australia not too long ago on a whim.

What are you talking about? I found https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Australian_constitutional.... But this looks like political maneuvering between parties more than the queen being arbitrary (or using powers that normally can't be invoked.

Re: Ask HN: What do you think of the Queen?

#10

Post by tycho_oscar » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 2:26 PM UTC

I have no love for that family. I don't wish any ill on them, but they are a relic of a bygone age that caused more harm than good. The tourism angle that people use to justify their expenses doesn't really hold up either. Paris alone has just as many if not more tourists per year and they got rid of their royals a long time ago.

To be fair though I am not British, I'm Irish. So my perspective on that family is not the same as someone who was born and raised in the UK.