It is often argued that the Royal family is outdated and is no longer relevant in a modern world that is run by an intricate balance between industry and elected government.
But that argument is not entirely true, and ignores one very important role that the Royal family still retains. A role that links back to when Kings and Queens fought in battle at the head of the army.
The King and Queen in Britain is the ultimate check that prevents the UK government from taking control of the military.
As we have seen, in Russia, there is nothing in Russian law that limits how President Putin deploys and uses Russian troops, and with complete control over the military, a control that extends to those who disagrees with him, he can exert complete control over his political opponents.
Under this political system no-one needs to guess how Putin will fill the most dangerous locations, and which troops will be sent out first to weaken a hard-to-take position.
But back in the UK, if the head of the government wants to use the military in battle he or she needs to obtain permission from King Charles. The King and Queens of Britain have always been part of British politics, but they are removed from the financial side, and they are far more sensitive to the need for political stability than any political opportunist.
In fact, the only control the UK government has over the military is to decide the army size, the salaries given out, and where the army is deployed.
Though these powers seem substantial. The elected UK government cannot, by itself, use the British military in actual combat. It is the Royal family that decides if a soldier can be used in war, and that is why politicians cannot use the UK army to put down riots and protests.
And this specific limit in the power of Prime Minister acts as a massive roadblock for those who might want to take Britain along the path of dictatorship.
Over the years I have heard many discuss the dollar value of the Royal family from the viewpoint of how valuable the royals are for supporting tourism. This argument discusses the royal family as if they are an extension of some type of Disneyland. But the Royals are far more active in politics, in both a passive and constructive way, than most can fully appreciate – even amongst seasoned politicians and royal family watchers.
By being the head of the church, the royal family also skillfully removes religion from the political arena. This is extremely important, because it allows politicians to concentrate on running the economy of the UK, and it prevents any wannabe dictators from dressing their offensive behaviour in religious rhetoric.
It also allows religious leaders to concentrate on teaching religion, and to not let there head be distracted by images of wealth, and personal power.
So, far from being a relic of the past with no place in this modern world, the Royal Family is critical in the way Britain is run, and continues to be run.
Yes there can be improvements, but any improvements in the UK system, especially those sponsored by political parties needs to be looked at carefully.
For example, proportional representation may appear the ideal way forward, but such a system should not fall into the massive mistake of letting the political parties decide the order in which their politicians fill these allotted positions. This is because there could then be no way to remove corrupt politicians, who would gleefully place themselves in the top 10 to 20 safe politician-for-life seats. This problem has occurred in Japan, where the very top politicians often attempt to remain in power, unless the voters decide to substantially punish the party in a national election, and their political peers finally decide the deficits outweigh the often considerable gains.
The description that politics is the only profession where it is legal to rob the bank is I think very apt.
The truth is politics appears everywhere in life. However, the Royal Family is perhaps the easiest to attack, because they are required to keep quiet in the political arena, and thus they cannot defend themselves, and few are willing to come to their rescue.
However, the Queen showed that the Royal family can continue to serve a very important role. A role that she used to stabilize many parts of the world.
And to remove the Royal family, with no clear idea of what the public would get in return, could remove the stability that Britain has experienced for the last almost 100 years.
Even if the Royal Family does cost the UK some money to run, I for one think the stability they bring is well worth the price.
