We must not be complacent about the role of the Royal Family and Her Majesty the Queen in Britain
When preoccupied with the challenges, pitfalls and delights that all families endure and enjoy, it is all too easy to sleepwalk to complacency or ingratitude.
So, it’s important to reflect on how fortunate we are to live in the United Kingdom, under the most effective system of governance in the world – constitutional monarchy.
The Queen has been the cornerstone of our national democracy for 65 years, serving tirelessly as the constitutional foundation of our freedoms. The apolitical stability she provides stands in brilliant contrast to the partisan pettiness of too many politicians. Indeed, the monarchy offers a charm and mystery within the public realm that has long since been eroded in much of the establishment. The time-honoured values of service, stewardship, patriotism and above all – duty, are at the heart of monarchy, whilst the history and grandeur embedded in monarchical traditions reveal a beauty rare in our technocratic age.
Among the world’s other constitutional monarchies can be found some of the freest and wealthiest nations on earth. In Her Majesty’s Realm; Australia, New Zealand, Canada and beyond - Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Denmark and Norway are all beacons of stable democracy, subject to notably low levels of corruption.
Our monarchy is also unique as a focal point within a resurgent Commonwealth, home to just under a third of the global population. Its members comprise a breathtaking variety of peoples and cultures, as well as some of the fastest growing economic powerhouses on the planet.
Despite the many obvious virtues of constitutional monarchy, Cultural Marxist theory infects too many of our institutions – indoctrinating the next generation with its insistence that authority in any form is suspect. Order and authority are both essential characteristics of a successful nation. I recall how passionately my working-class father rejected the idea of a socialist utopia based on the eradication of difference.
We should not be complacent about the future of our monarchy though. It must not bow to those who call for unrelenting ‘modernisation’. Whilst the culture of celebrity can offer tempting doses of short-term fascination, it is fragile – easily swept aside by the prevailing winds of fashion. Of course, the monarchy must never be political, but it must be understood that meaningful and lasting support comes from the people not from the liberal establishment. The Queen will have total and enduring support for as long as she lives, but the same cannot be automatically presumed for future generations of the Royal Family.
Thankfully, the heir to the throne, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, is the personification of hope, generosity and wisdom in an increasingly small-minded culture.
The monarchy is the last of our great institutions to retain its sense of natural authority and value. Its critics remain on the back foot, but they may not remain there indefinitely. As a constitutional monarchist, I will continue to make the positive case for a system that gives unique life to our national identity, whilst underpinning the liberty that, too often taken for granted, will become increasingly important in difficult days to come.
As the great Roger Scruton has said: ‘conservatism starts from a sentiment that good things are easily destroyed, but not easily created’. Our monarchy is the embodiment of this sentiment and we must all play our part in the fight to protect it.
PREVIOUSLY:
Conference host city's own hero