Anti-monarchy movement tries to gain traction with the rise of Charles III in the UK

At the end of May, large cities in the United Kingdom woke up with billboards that had nothing to do with the party atmosphere that was being organized for the following days, with parades, concerts and pubs allowed to open until dawn. Under photos of then-Prince Charles, his son William and his brother Andrew, the panel featured just one phrase: “Make Elizabeth the last.”

The campaign, launched on the eve of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II, was an initiative of the anti-monarchy group Republic, anticipating a debate that should gain new life after the death of the queen and the accession of Charles III to the throne.

With high popularity among the British, Elizabeth became an obstacle to the advancement of the discussion on the transformation of the United Kingdom into a republican regime – that is, with the choice of the head of state through direct elections, as advocated by the movement. If immediately after the death of the queen the group opted for a sober message, stating that it was not the time to talk about the future of the monarchy, this Saturday (10), before the ceremony that made Charles III official, the tone rose again.

“The proclamation of a new king is an affront to democracy,” Republic declared on social media. “The country has a new head of state without any discussion or the consent of the population, someone determined to play a very different role from their mother.” The new king, in his official pronouncements so far, has highlighted the legacy of continuity rather than indicated any turnaround.

“We believe that Britain needs to move towards a democratic alternative to hereditary monarchy and that this debate must begin now,” the group concluded.

Mother-to-child transmission is a relevant fuel to revive the theme, which has been fueled for decades by scandals in the royal family, by the annual cost of more than 100 million pounds (R$ 597 million) to maintain the monarchy, by the pressure of other members of the kingdom of 15 countries and by an economic crisis that directly affects the cost of living in the United Kingdom, which is facing the worst inflation in 40 years.

According to a poll by the YouGov institute released at the time of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, the queen was approved by 81% of Britons, while Charles, still a prince, had 54%, behind his son William, who, with 75%, approached her grandmother’s popularity.

At the time, the celebrations increased the percentage of supporters of the monarchy. According to a survey by Ipsos, the system was supported by 68%, a figure that has fluctuated between 60% and 80% over the last three decades, but that among the youngest, aged 18 to 34, drops to 51%.

When asked about the monarchy’s longevity, the majority of the population (79%) said they believed the regime would still be in place in 2032, and only 29% thought the same for a hundred years from now.

If the situation may still take time in the United Kingdom, the anti-monarchy movement has a chance to accelerate in the other 14 countries that now have Charles III as head of state – including nations the size of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

A sample of sentiment on the part of subjects was expressed by Australian Senator Mehreen Faruqi, born in Pakistan, where the British monarchy was abolished in the 1950s. “Condolences to those who knew the Queen. I cannot mourn the leader of a racist empire built about stolen lives, lands and riches of colonized peoples”, said the parliamentarian, this Friday (9).

In the country, where there is a resounding anti-monarchy movement, the discussion is welcomed even by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in office since May. A self-declared republican and defender of native peoples, Albanese created an organ linked to the cabinet to monitor the process of transition to republican rule.

In much of the former colonies of the British Empire, past slavery is the main motivation for activists against the monarchy. In Jamaica, one of the main newspapers, The Gleaner, featured on the front page of this Friday (9) an analysis that, with the death of the Queen, the break with the Crown will be easier.

There, the disastrous trip of William and Kate, in March of this year, still reverberates, in which they faced protests and saw criticism due to the scenes of the princess greeting black children behind fences.

For Caribbean countries, the split had already been boosted in November last year, when Barbados officially became a republic, replacing then-Queen Elizabeth II with a president. At the time, Charles, present at the ceremony, said in a speech considered historic that the “atrocity of slavery” was an indelible mark of British history.

If the republican movement can grow there, also involving Belize and the Bahamas, the path to the end of this millenary institution in the United Kingdom still requires popular pressure. And, depending on the Republic group, it has a chance to increase. After Elizabeth’s funeral and before Charles’ coronation, still without a date, a new anti-monarchy campaign is planned, with the request for a referendum.