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On the day of King Charles III's coronation, the anti-monarchy movement plans its biggest ever protest

2023-05-02 21:23:05Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
On the day of King Charles III's coronation, the anti-monarchy movement
On the day of King Charles III's coronation, the anti-monarchy movement plans its biggest ever protest

Next week King Charles III receives the crown, in a lavish and grand ceremony.

On this day, the main anti-monarchy movement in Britain will gather at the statue of the last British monarch, deposed for a short-lived republic in the 17th century.

The Supporters of the Republic group, founded in 1983, plans to stage its biggest protest ever.

Members of the Supporters of the Republic group see the new king's coronation ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey as an opportunity to expose what they see as an outdated and out-of-place institution in a turn-of-the-century democracy. 21st, especially at a time when people are facing the worst economic crisis in decades.

The group's leader, Graham Smith, expects over 1,000 people wearing yellow shirts to join the protest.

During the parade of the king, after he has received the crown, they plan to shout "he is not my king".

Polls show King Charles is less popular than his mother, Queen Elizabeth, the world's second longest-serving monarch, whose death last year marked the end of an era in Britain.

Mr Smith says the public's respect for the Queen was a hindrance to their cause.

"I think the monarchy is in big trouble because they've lost their most popular player. Support and interest in the royal family is falling and that's a big problem for them," says Mr Smith.

The traces of the British monarchy in history begin with King William, known as William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066.

Over the centuries, the monarchy has gradually ceded power to the parliament.

But the monarchy continues to play a significant, if symbolic, role in British decision-making, such as in the appointment of prime ministers and in the judicial system.

Apart from an eleven-year republic from 1649 following the end of the English Civil War and the execution of King Charles I, calls to end the British monarchy have rarely attracted significant popular support.

Protests against the monarchy are relatively small and polls show most Britons still want to have a royal family.

But, views are changing. About a decade ago, 75 percent of the public supported the royal family, but a YouGov poll this week found that support has fallen to 58 percent.

Polls also show that, unlike older generations, younger generations are less interested in the kingdom. "YouGov" also found that only 9 percent of the public expressed interest in the coronation ceremony of the new British king.

Some analysts say that other monarchs such as Queen Elizabeth II and Victoria also went through periods of unpopularity and that changes in Britain's political system are always difficult.

Professor of politics at the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Harshan Kumaarasingham says the grief following the queen's death last year shows that people from all walks of life related to the queen.

"I don't think that feeling will necessarily be passed on to her son, Charles. But I think that respect and the basic view of the monarchy will be carried over, which without a realistic alternative is likely to continue," says the professor.

Opponents of the monarchy hope that support for the royal family will continue to decline and that a future government will call for a referendum on the issue.

"Many people saw the Queen as the monarchy itself and set aside disbelief and judgement. Now she is not there to protect the monarchy," says Mr Smith.

Others believe that in today's Britain there is no place for the hereditary principle.

Dr. Alice Hunt, professor of history at the University of Southampton, says that even if the kingdom's powers are reduced, or even if the monarchy is abolished, it would still have its role in history.

"I think we would still go to Buckingham Palace to remember him. But I don't think the royal family has a place in modern Britain," she says.

But author Kehinde Andrews, a professor at the University of Birmingham, says some institutions, such as the monarchy, cannot be reformed.

"The only thing the royal family could do, but be serious, was to abolish itself," he says.

Protests are also expected in the capitals of Scotland and Wales on the day of the coronation.

The new Scottish leader, Humza Yousaf, elected last month, has said he wants to replace the monarchy.

Welsh leader Mark Drakeford also wants a republic, meaning two of the four nations that make up the UK have pro-republic leaders. /VOA


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