The Role of Regents

by Esme Ellis


The attack last night on the Prince of Wale's Roles- Royce proved rather enlightening. The looks of shock on the Duchess' and the Prince's faces respectively spoke to an ignorance of the riots and a naivite of the popular reaction. Protestors broke the windows of the car, and a lone man jeered,"Off with their heads!" as the car passed by a crowd on its way to the theater.

Students in the U.K. are recovering today from a bout of protests regarding the revisal of student university fees. The price of an education is expected to rise to about 9,000 pounds a year, a shocking increase for most Britons. London has filled with students from all over the country for a vote which took place in Parliment on Thursday. The Liberal Democrats failed to produce a significant stance against the raise, and as a result, the tution increase is effective starting September 2012.

The matter is almost entirely out of the jurisdiction of the British Royal Family, and yet their reaction still has the entire country talking this morning. A protestor snapped a shot as the car passed by, and it is a curious photo. The Duchess is dressed in green silk, the prince in a suit and they wear faces of both shock and disbelief, as the lights surrounding the car press in closer. A video of the event shows a slow speed away from the scene, as crashes are heard and a paint can is lobbed at the Royal Royls- Royce.

There were some differences of opinion this morning on the sancrosanctity of the British Royal Family, and the subsequent exposure level they can be expected to have to social issues. The incident is an interesting opening into British conception of societal structure, as it is the direct involvement of the Royal Family in a "common issue." Education in Britain has traditionally been heavily subsidized by the state and it has played a crucial role in leveling the class structure which formed the backbone of British society for essentially the last 400 years.

The Royal Family in Britain plays a primarily symbolic role. They are a historical artifact, and evolving saga which every Briton knows the details of by heart. The Queen holds very little actual legislative or executive power: the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy in its extreme- Parliament is the actual governing body in the two party system, and these representatives are elected by district, with the possibility of coalition rule. The populace is responsible for their own elections.

In fact, the Queen's main source of authority lies in her ability to delegate power. By her mandate only are Prime Ministers approved for rule, and again, by her word only can Parliament be dissolved in the event of a conflict. She also retains the right to safe guard her own legacy and wealth- the Queen is not required to relegate any personal wealth back to the British state. Her hereditary fortune is hers.

These duties will fall on the shoulders of Prince Charles once his mother abdicates the throne, and the direction the royal family takes under his jurisdiction will determine much of the future of monarchy in the greatest European stronghold of nobility, Great Britain.

Other Constitutional monarchies have retain royals in primarily symbolic and advisatory positions: Denmark, Japan, Monaco, to name a few. Royals themselves have become increasingly mainstream with the years, placing themselves increasingly in the "normal" range: the Swedish Princess, Victoria, recently married her personal trainer, a move which placed European monarchy firmly in the 21st century. Prince William is not exactly engaged to the scullery maid- Kate Middleton is the daughter of millionaires, but given the English royal tradition of marrying within the upperclass noble elite, he might as well be.

The differenciating aspect of British society is that it's elites to not exist in total juxtapostion to the monarchy. There are levels of elitism within the elite, and a medival sense of belonging to England's upper class is hereditary, and like all clubs, very exclusive. There is only one way to join, and this is to be invited by default of birth. Concepts of "new money" resonate badly within this group, and while education has provided the means for less noble citizens to achieve fiscal and intellectual success, there is occaisionally a divide between the old families and the new money.

The historical shift away from a servant working class towards a modern Britain, occured with the rise of enterprenuers and also mass education. Education has been instrumental in facilitaitng change, and despite retaining a very archaic sense of elitism, Britain has made room for the equality of humanity within its borders, regardless of social class. The young people in Britian claim they are fighting for future generations as much as for themselves: attempts to limit education for the masses will be met with very strongly, as Great Britain owes its current structure to its educational system.

The debate on the events of last night will be worth watching, for those interested in British notions of society and class, and also pose interesting questions regarding the duties of a state towards educating it peoples.