Power being held to account is no bad thing. Power evading accountability is.
The ten days are up. With respect, after many of us have participated in one way or another, in rightly mourning the death of a great Queen, Elizabeth II.
Now we can row back a bit and observe that, in the middle of this period, Charles III was proclaimed King. Many colleagues gathered to cheer this act and protestors were shut down. He became head of the judiciary, supreme Governor of the Church of England and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, as well as the one charged with appointing the next Prime Minister.
Yet at the succession proclamation there was no speech against.
I have nothing but respect for our late Queen (and it could be said that the respect of a republican is worth a bit more.) She modelled service and consideration as well as good grace and a lively humour. The issue here isn’t her record. It also isn’t necessarily whether we retain the monarchy or not. It’s whether we ask the question in the first place.
Would it be so damaging, after a decent period marking her late Majesty, to enter into a healthy debate on the monarchy, that could take place between now and the coronation (assuming that my lot lose, and the latter goes ahead)?
It’s an idea with both a spiritual and ethical rationale to it.
Spiritually, the challenging of power is central to the mission of the Christian church, a church that preaches liberation. Yes, we may appear to be sold-out-monarchical but Christianity carries within it a critique of power that has something to say to this debate. Ours is the faith of one who stood for a different sort of power and was executed by an oppressive empire. It is rooted in a Biblical tradition in which the prophetic and monarchical are in tension with each other. From the tales of God cautioning the people against monarchic rule through anointing of those who take that role, and the ensuring prophetic criticism of abuses of power and oppression of the people, the Bible enacts a conversation that has something to say to the faith that will be expected to host the next coronation.
Ethically – and crucially, at this time – to debate the monarchy involves stopping power in its tracks. That is always a good thing.
My guess is, if we engaged in such a debate, people would rally to the crown and King Charles would then have a long and happy reign. But that’s not the point. We live in a world in which power structures that are immune from question and critique dominate the lives of people in ways a lot less benevolent than the Royal Family. The late Queen was a force for happiness and goodness, but even so, if you let one position of power off the hook you’re setting an example for real tyrannies, including those further afield on national levels and those closer to home that make workplaces oppressive.
Power being held to account is no bad thing. Power evading accountability is.
This is doubly important in an era of populism wherein those who claim to represent the will of the people – in much the same way we all assume retaining the monarchy gets their vote – are attacking democratic pluralism. The Trump whose army stormed the capital is still out there and his Supreme Court has attacked the lives of women across the USA.
I hope this doesn’t come across as disrespectful. It certainly isn’t intended as such – I actually wonder if wiser royals would favour the sort of national conversation I describe, and reckon if held now the monarchy would come out as the system of choice. But, with respect, two weeks ago you all got co-opted into being subjects of a hereditary monarch – and nobody asked for the consent of the people. Isn’t that a tad disrespectful?
Huw Thomas
Thanks for reading this. Comments and responses welcome.
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There is a beautiful snippet of drama from Robert Bolt’s “A Man for All Seasons” about law and protections it offers, to be found here.
And I don’t know if Graham Adams would agree with any of the above but he’s written a cracking book on power, empire and Christianity, to be found here.
Huw Thomas 