After Elizabeth

''Lucid, clear-sighted and highly readable.'' Richard Toye, author of Age of Hope: Labour, 1945, and the Birth of Modern Britain . The British monarchy has been through turbulent times. Rocked by scandal and strife, and seemingly without a clear plan for the future, many are asking: should the monarchy continue to exist in its current form? Or is it time it embraced radical change? Ed Owens argues that the monarchy must embrace reform and transform itself radically. No more private jets while preaching about the importance of the environment; no more secrecy obscuring royal influence in high places; and no more hangers on enjoying grace-and-favour homes. A major slimming down is essential. And it''s time the family archives were opened.All these issues will have a direct effect on the common good of the nation as it tries to reinvent itself as a modern working democracy, and endeavours to equip itself for the coming decades. Ed Owens situates this critical moment of royal transition in its historical context in order to set out a vision for monarchy that is future-proof, but which would also see the crown play an integral role in the evolution of 21st-century Britain.>

Auteur
Ed Owens is the author of The Family Firm: Monarchy, Mass Media and the British Public. He is an historian, royal commentator and public speaker. He is often in demand on radio and television. edowens.com

Texte du rabat

An in-depth discussion of the future of the monarchy after the death of Queen Elizabeth II and during the reign of Charles III.

Contenu

Introduction: Crown and country in crisis
Part One Ceremony, Spectacle and Tradition
1 Is it still something to be proud of?
2 Consecrated obstruction
3 The seasonable addition of nice and pretty events
4 An alien and uninspiring court?
5 The bride waves, the crowd cheers
6 The new Elizabethans
7 The glamour of backwardness
Part Two Duty, Service and Philanthropy
8 Devoted to your service
9 Benevolence sweetens authority
10 A living power for good
11 The heavy burden of responsibility
12 Come on Margaret!
13 A new Jerusalem?
14 The Queen had no choice
15I t's all part of minding deeply about this country
Part Three Family, Celebrity and Scandal
16 The press creates the press destroys
17 A family on the throne
18 The royal soap opera
19 Killing the monarchy?
20 Annus horribilis
21 Never complain, never explain
22 Don't make my final years a misery
Part Four Nation, Democracy and the Constitution
23 No more good chaps
24 Democratic monarchy
25 One who reigns but does not rule?
26 To be invisible is to be forgotten
27 The spirit of generous compromise
28 The good of the country
29 The perfect constitutional monarch?
30 Queen's consent
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
Index