The Monarchy is Outdated and Expensive

The Monarchy is Outdated and Expensive

Discuss

The phrase "the monarchy is outdated and expensive" immediately

congers up a republican view. This immediately is wrong, I think this

statement can be true without having to believe in abolishing the

monarchy. To agree with the statement could be asking for moderate

reform, that the monarchy be kept but its budget be cut, or on the

other hand, as most people think, it could call for the formation of a

republican Britain. I think the monarchy has uses, even though

currently there are flaws in the system that critics can easily pick

at, I think the monarchy should be kept, yet I do agree that their

self proclaimed status and cost to the country are too high.

The monarchy as its stands now could be considered out of date. It

still takes a large amount of money from the state to fund its own

running and its position is still built on event that happened

centuries ago. From its birth in the 9th century, the monarchy has

been gradually losing power to parliament. Firstly from Edward I's

need for money, when he extended the great court of barons to include

rich merchants to fund his campaigns in Wales and Scotland and then to

the Tudor's need for parliamentary funding, granting them legitimacy,

the parliament have been taking a control of the monarch through their

control of funds. When George I left the running of the state to the

first minister (later to be called the Prime Minister) he handed the

control of the country to the parliament. Now the Queen is seen as

simply the head of sate, the top of England's traditional social

order, with actually little control of the country. So in a world of

powerful republics such as France and most notably USA, the monarchy

could be seen as and out of date system from the Middle Ages.

This however is a simple and flawed view, the Queen as head of state

does hold powers on the political and social scale.