Australian Left Review
Article Title
Royal Blues
Abstract
The fact that the TV special marking the 40th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II set a new record for the highest rating show in British history, with an estimated 27 million viewers, demonstrates why only brief thoughts on the British monarchy are necessary. Notwithstanding the peccadilloes of the royal progeny and public gripes about the Queen herself, the vast majority of the British people are either benignly indifferent to or firmly supportive of both the present incumbent and the institution itself. Hence, for a historian, the main interest lies in viewing the monarchy in a long-term perspective and deducing from that some hints as to the origins of its present position.
This paper has been withdrawn.