So, having previously outed myself as a grumpy old sod who doesn't like Christmas, I might as well go the whole hog and confess to being a republican. Hence, I've been largely avoiding the jubilee celebrations this weekend, in my quietly grumpy republican way.
I don't have anything against the current queen - she seems like a nice enough person and has certainly done her fair share of public service; it's just the institution that I don't agree with. The idea that some people are special just through an accident of birth doesn't sit well with my desire to live in a meritocracy. I guess it's just another example of the kind of privilege that runs through this country like the lettering in a stick of rock. It's fine if you're on the inside, not so great if - like the vast majority of us - you're on the outside.
If you've been observing the country over the last few days, you might think that I'm in a vanishing small minority - there's no bunting on this house, I can assure you. But as Billy Bragg wrote recently, not everyone who celebrates Christmas is a christian and not everyone who celebrates the jubilee is a monarchist. Figures vary but generally most surveys report that between a fifth and a quarter of the population are republicans.
Obviously, given that the current incumbent seems to be doing a decent job (by which I mean she's stayed alive for a long time, avoided controversy and provides a link, through sheer longevity of service, to an age when Britain was a much greater power) the republican cause is unlikely to form a majority of the population. However, that might change when the Queen dies and Charles ascends to the throne. Charles is a much less popular and sympathetic character and carries quite a weight of baggage with him (and no, that wasn't a cheap shot at Camilla).
I've heard people say that the crown should skip a generation and go straight to William, which sort of misses the whole point of a monarchy, really: you have to accept what you're given. If you want to pick and choose your head of state, making sure you get someone suitable, there's a word for that: it's called republicanism and I'm all in favour of it, which is where we came in.
