Republic Tuesday: a year of royal articles

For some extra reading over the holiday break, here’s a personal selection of articles about monarchy and the royal family from 2009: Peter Preston: “The trouble with Harry” (Guardian, 11 January 2009) The prince is in another fine mess, but his problems aren’t entirely of his own making Joan Smith: “Manufacturing the myth of monarchy” [...]

Men in tights are no basis for a modern democracy

The national embarrassment that is the State Opening of Parliament is upon us again.   Yet despite the fact that this session of parliament resumed on October 12th after the summer holidays, the business of Westminster cannot officially begin until the Queen says so.  In a process known as “prorogation” parliament has to be closed again [...]

Tory Lords may scupper Constitutional Reform Bill

The fate of the government’s Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill looks in doubt today following comments by a leading Tory peer.  The bill, which includes measures to remove the hereditary principle from the House of Lords, is one of the pieces of legislation expected to be in the Queen’s speech later today. Lord Strathclyde, the [...]

Nick Clegg: “cancel Queen’s speech”

Writing in the Independent today (and reported widely elsewhere) Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, looks ahead to the national embarrassment that will be Wednesday’s State Opening of Parliament: After the expenses scandal, this Parliament has destroyed its own legitimacy. Not in living memory has confidence in politicians, trust in the system, or [...]