Greenock Telegraph 5th May

It has recently been reported that support for the U.K. monarchy is at an all-time low. That surprised me because I thought the lowest point in support for a monarchy was when Cromwell led a civil war in England and Charles the 1st of England had his head chopped off. Then again, it’s difficult to compare a monarchy in the 17th century to one now. Difficult but not impossible. It still serves its principle purpose. It still pronounces superiority over the common people. It still owns a huge amount of land and takes a sizeable income from the likes of the Duchy of Lancaster which provides about £20 million a year. Admittedly that is only pocket money for a family worth estimate $28 billion. But it keeps them from the Jobcentre. The principle role of the Royal Family is to provide a backbone to the class system that runs through U.K. society. As long as anyone can point to someone richer and more privileged than themselves and crucially see that person portrayed as righteous and worthy, then they can justify their own hunger for wealth and position. As long as the common people continue to feel grateful then the monarchy will persist. And the media onslaught which is trying to portray Charles as some sort of over achiever is frankly disgusting. He is sold as a warrior resplendent in his outrageous uniforms, bedecked in medals he never earned and bestowed with titles across all three of the armed forces that serious military personnel have worked and sacrificed for all their working lives and will never achieve. He is an environmentalist lecturing us on biodiversity which given his resources he has very little to show for it. The monarchy has always been easy to lampoon because they fly in the face of the normal lives that the vast majority of people live. They are unusual, they are an easy target, but the truth is that while Cromwell put forward the case for a republic in the 17th century, the case today is beyond reproach. If this United Kingdom of such inequality is ever to make any serious attempt at eradicating poverty and creating a society of equal opportunities, then removing the wealth and privilege bestowed upon a bloodline of one family is a good starting point and then we can address the rotten corruption that exists within the class system.