- For four days, the United Kingdom celebrates the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II.
- But according to the anti-monarchy organization Republic, the majority of Britons don’t care about the Jubilee.
- The new Australian government is also distancing itself from the Queen.
A poll conducted by the anti-monarchy organization The Republic in cooperation with the opinion research institute YouGov showed 29 percent “not much” and 25 percent “not at all interested”. Only 11 percent expressed interest in “a lot” and another 32 percent “fair,” according to Republic reporter Graham Smith.
Smith hopes that support for her less popular son Charles will continue to wane if opinion polls decline during the Queen’s lifetime. Both the heir to the throne and William do not matter to the people. “The chances of (William’s son) George sitting on the throne are very slim.”
Smith also ignores economic arguments from proponents of the monarchy. There is no point in spending hundreds of millions of pounds a year on taxes. Tourists still come and take pictures of the palaces. Smith asserts: “There is no difference between the existence of a monarchy.”
Glasgow refuses to pay for ‘Jubilee’ celebrations
According to critics, the Queen’s role as the unifying power of the United Kingdom is no longer effective – many people in Scotland are striving for independence. Glasgow City Council has refused to spend money on ‘Jubilee’ festivities. In Northern Ireland, for the first time, a party calling for reunification with the Republic of Ireland, which is part of the European Union, recently received the most votes.
A look at the Commonwealth of States also gives hope to opponents of the monarchy. At the end of 2021, the Caribbean state of Barbados declared itself a republic, and Jamaica is also pursuing similar plans.
Similar developments in Canada and Australia
The new Australian government is also distancing itself from the head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. Cabinet member Matt Thistlethwaite told British news agency PA that the Queen’s 70th jubilee is an occasion to reflect on the future of the former British colony.
With the end of Elizabeth’s reign, it was time for a serious discussion. “Australia is an independent country. We have our own unique identity and culture,” said Thistlethwaite.
As in many member states of the Commonwealth, the Queen is officially the head of state in Australia. However, Thistlethwaite’s appointment as “Assistant Secretary of the Republic” raises suspicions that new Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is aiming for a referendum on the issue. In a 1999 referendum, a majority of Australians, 55 percent, voted to keep the monarchy.
Opponents of ownership are also gaining traction in Canada. One opinion poll By the Angus Reed Institute in April it was found that 51 percent want to change the form of government. Columnist Bob Hepburn commented in the Toronto Star recently, “Today we are a multicultural society whose colonial ties to Britain are a distant relic.” Ownership is ‘ridiculous in a modern country’.
“Tv specialist. Friendly web geek. Food scholar. Extreme coffee junkie.”
More Stories
Italy: State broadcaster RAI in crisis over Meloni – News
North Korea has a new (propaganda) song, sorry sausage
Plane from Olympic Airlines: Ellinikon's Boeing 727 is designed in a new location