I must admit, seeing the pomp and ceremony of the Royal Wedding I can't help wondering what life would be like if we were a republic. We would have a head of state who was still powerless, but we would have to pay to keep him in a reasonable amount of luxury as befits a head of state.
Links with the past would have been broken. The colour and pageantry that sets us apart from most other countries, mostly republics, would have gone. The monarchy is largely what binds together the Commonwealth and is what appeals about our country most to citizens in countries around the world, mostly republics. Would people have travelled to the United Kingdom from all over the world for today if it was some grey, Blair style president joining his boyfriend in a civil ceremony?
Yes there are pure constitutional arguments to support abolition of the monarchy but that's what seperates us from the animal world, we are not purely functional creatures. We like a bit of luxury, a bit of colour and a bit of ceremony even if it isn't quite rational. What a grey drab world if we only had or did what was essential to support human life. A bit like the worst forms of socialism in a way.
And finally what a wonderful way to have a go at foreign governments that we want to chastise, we can withdraw their ambassdor's invitation to the Royal Wedding. Much better than bombing them!
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