UK support for the monarchy falls below 50%: uk.news.yahoo.com/uk-support-m…
(It's partly the Prince Andrew scandal and partly the King not being a patch on his mum's popularity: when Andrew is yeeted overboard there'll be a slight remission. But my money is on majority opposition to the monarchy setting in within a decade *unless* King William can turn it around.)
rk: it’s hyphen-minus actually
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •While a monarchy is of course an outmoded concept I do like the idea that there’s someone who is (supposed to be) beyond politics and whose job (as it were) is to maintain the dignity and basic structure of the government.
I’m thinking of Juan Carlos I during Spain’s attempted coup in 1981, for example.
The problem is that there’s no guarantee of the monarch doing the right thing, and they only have soft power anyway, and there’s also the whole “heredity power is bad” thing…so yeah.
Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to rk: it’s hyphen-minus actually • •like this
rk: it’s hyphen-minus actually e Elyse M Grasso like this.
Forse (he/him)
in reply to rk: it’s hyphen-minus actually • • •@rk If you create a position where one or few individuals have power over the rest, whether it is by wealth, influence, charisma or whatever, it is only a matter of time before it is filled by bad people.
We need to start thinking beyond the "let's give people power, but only the right people!" because that doesn't work.
Charlie Stross
in reply to Forse (he/him) • • •synlogic4242
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •Stacey Cornelius 🇨🇦
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •Do you think Chuck will step aside in an attempt to rehabilitate their reputation?
(I'll be happy to see them go but I'm also curious about what they'll do to try to hang on.)
Charlie Stross
in reply to Stacey Cornelius 🇨🇦 • • •Nacho
in reply to Stacey Cornelius 🇨🇦 • • •The problem with the British monarchy and abdication is that it needs to be coordinated with a lot of governments around the world. It's not as simple as in other contemporary monarchies.
@cstross
Charlie Stross
in reply to Nacho • • •Tachibana Kanade
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •Will was popular when he was younger, but that seems to have faded lately.
A former colleague once asserted that since Will was brought up in the modern world, he’d obviously see that the monarchy was silly and knock the whole thing on the head. Which to me seemed entirely ignorant of how much someone born into a role will be groomed to think it natural and sensible.
Wolfie
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •BenjaminKlein
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •I'd be sceptical of this poll, even though I would like to believe it's true. Will be interesting to see the next yougov poll.
This scandal implicates all of them but especially the late Queen, she was the one who gave him the titles, money and shielded his terrible behaviour.
yougov.co.uk/politics/articles…
Royal family favourability trackers, August 2025
Matthew Smith (YouGov)Isaac Freeman
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •I've always been curious how much actual support the monarchy has, and how much apparent support is just indifference. There's little enthusiasm for a republic here in New Zealand, because the monarch is safely on the other side of the planet. Theoretically they're represented by the Governor General, but nobody can remember who that is.
Presumably the English have stronger feelings one way or the other, and I've always suspected that they're more likely to actively turn against the monarchy one day than we are. When England becomes a republic we'll have to follow suit, but mainly because it'd be awkward not to.
Charlie Stross
in reply to Isaac Freeman • • •Jon PENNYCOOK
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •Merc
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •I doubt it's 49% support for the monarchy and 51% support for dismantling the monarchy. From what I remember, Australia has well below 50% support for the monarchy, but switching to a republic involve risks and expense. So, for the moment they are willing just to stick with the status quo.
I imagine the UK/England will just continue its gradual shift to a fully ceremonial monarchy. Eventually it will probably be a Dutch or Spanish style system, where people are surprised to learn there's a monarch.