The Blessing of the People

Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

     

     The Queen’s full official title in the UK is, Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

     Ever since Henry VIII, the titles of monarchs has included the phrase “by the Grace of God”, and Elizabeth II, being the devout Christian she is, believes that being on the throne is a God-given duty. But she also knows that in this day and age, it’s not enough to receive the blessing of God to be proclaimed as monarch, because the modern monarchy needs the blessing of the people in order for it to exist. So if a new ComRes survey by the Sunday Telegraph is any indication, the monarchy has the blessing of the public in abundance going forward in the future. 

Polling regarding the monarchy in general

• On the question of whether Britain is better off as a monarchy or a republic, 66% of respondents said “Yes” and 17% each responded “No” or “Don’t know.” 
• When asked if Britain would be better off or worse off without the royal family, 53% responded “Worse off”, only 14% responded “Better off”, 23% responded “Makes no difference”, and ten percent responded “Don’t know.”
• On the issue of royal finances, 43% of respondents agreed that the monarchy was good value for money (£36.1 million – about $55 million this year) and 40% disagreed, while 17% were not sure. 

Polling on individual members of the royal family

• According to the survey, nearly three-quarters of respondents believed that the recently-born Prince George will be king one day. Only 9% believed of total respondents believed that he would not be king because by then, Britain will have become a republic. 
• The Queen was ranked as the most liked member of the royal family at 26%, while Prince William was second at 19%. Following him were Prince Harry, Kate (Duchess of Cambridge), Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Camilla (Duchess of Cornwall), in that order. 
• On the issue of succession, 42% believe that Prince Charles ought to ascend to the throne upon the death (or very unlikely abdication) of his mother, while 38% would prefer to see Prince William directly succeed his grandmother. Only 14% believe that Britain should become a republic with an elected head of state. 

Opinion and Analysis

     

     So what do these numbers mean? They show that overall, that the monarchy does indeed have the blessing of the people – and by wide margins. Amongst people of all ages and backgrounds, as well as among genders and throughout the regions of the UK, the 

The Diamond Jubilee was a moment of national
celebration for the United Kingdom. Here, the Thames Pageant
consisted of over 1,000 vessels and was attended by an
estimated one million people along the banks of the river.

monarchy enjoys substantial support. There have been some republicans (anti-monarchists) who have remarked that large events such as the Royal Wedding in 2011, the Diamond Jubilee celebrations last year, and the birth of Prince George actually present the best opportunities to them to get their message out. They usually say that their exposure in the media goes up, or that they receive more traffic on their Facebook pages during royal events, which in their eyes means that there is a burgeoning republican movement that will soon displace the monarchy. But in my estimation, these new numbers discredit such a notion. It may be true that some people get tired of the wall-to-wall media coverage, but that does not necessarily mean that they want to abolish the monarchy. Indeed, with nearly three-quarters of respondents believing that Prince George will be king, it can be suggested that there is a sense among British people (including some republicans) that the monarchy will continue for at least the remainder of this century. Even among the group thought likely to hold republican views – 18-24 year olds – support for a republic is at a lowly 18%.

     With regard to the personal popularity of individual members of the royal family, it’s not surprising that the Queen is ranked ahead 

The Queen's personal popularity remains
high as she has steered the monarchy
through difficult waters in the course of her reign.
This mosaic is by Helen Marshall.

of everyone else. After all, she is the reigning monarch and has been a pillar of British society and culture virtually since the day she was born in 1926. It is interesting however, that Prince Charles is outranked by his father, sons, and daughter-in-law, even though he is the heir to the throne. I will tackle the issue of Charles’ popularity in a later section of this posting, but what I will say here is that it is clear that William and Kate (as well as Harry, apparently despite his Vegas escapade last summer) have made their mark as the young and modern faces of the monarchy. They have helped to make the ancient institution less stuffy and formal, and more approachable, relaxed, and dare I say, cool.

     But the survey also found that the public have mixed attitudes towards royal finances and the matter of the succession.

     The issue of royal finances has always been tight-rope for the monarchy. For republicans, it’s one of their main talking points on why the monarchy ought to be abolished. Following the fire at Windsor Castle in 1992, the public reacted negatively towards the notion that taxpayer money should go towards the restoration of the heavily-damaged building, and it does not help the case for funding the monarchy when escapades such as Prince Harry’s romp in Las Vegas are exposed to the public. But there’s more to royal finances than meets the eye, and I intend to tackle the issue more comprehensively in a later posting. For now, I can say that polls continuously show that while the British public support the monarchy, they are lukewarm towards providing money for its 

Finances can be a tender issue for the monarchy.

operation. But a case could be made that people feel much the same way towards many things: they like it, but don’t want to pay for it (for example, it has been said that Americans like Norwegian-style benefits, programs, and services, but do not want the Norwegian-style taxes necessary to pay for them). Even so, while the British public is split on whether the monarchy represents good value for money, they do seem to appreciate the pomp and pageantry it provides. And of course, few decline an invitation from the Palace, and many appreciate royal visits to their towns and cities.

     With regard to the succession, Prince Charles has done much to improve his standing with the public (especially after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales). From championing causes such as the environment and improving opportunities in the inner cities, he has 

The Prince of Wales has waited longer than any royal heir
in history, but he is less popular than his sons,
and some critics have questioned his fitness to be king.

shown himself to be useful in areas where politicians dare not venture. He has raised tons of money for his various charities, and takes a personal interest in their success. But the prince still has some negatives. There are some people who will never forgive him for his conduct during his marriage to Diana, and for what eventually happened to her in 1997. More critically, he is seen as being too much of an advocate for his causes, which has raised concerns that he is “meddling” in the affairs of government by expressing his personal views to government ministers on issues that are important to him. In an interview he gave to Robert Hardman of the Daily Mail prior to his 60^th birthday in 2008, Charles hinted that he will likely have to curb many of his advocacy activities when he 

In most opinion polls, the Duke of
Cambridge outranks his father.

succeeds his mother, but his critics are not convinced that he will not use his position as king to influence government policy in such a way which may go beyond his powers as a constitutional monarch. Prince William on the other hand, is seen as a “safe bet”, who will stick to the light-touch monarchy of his grandmother. Also, being Diana’s son, there are those who see him as the only inheritor of her legacy (the People’s Prince), and as such, look much forward to his succession to the Crown and not Charles’. William is also seen as younger, fresher, more in tune with the times, and in partnership with Kate, has made the monarchy popular to the present and upcoming generations. Nevertheless, the fact remains that unless Charles predeceases the Queen, he will be king before William.

     In the final analysis, it’s clear that the monarchy is riding a tide of high public support and confidence. Despite lukewarm feelings on royal finances and the current succession, the public have given their blessing for the continuance of the monarchy for generations for come, and this is in no small part to the monarchy being a continuously evolving and modernizing institution that appeals to all virtually walks of British society. Yet this public blessing cannot be taken for granted, and the monarchy must continue to work hard to win over the trust and support of the people it serves. 

     The full results of the ComRes survey, including break-downs on gender and regional attitudes can be found here.


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Sources:

• Hardman, Robert. Her Majesty: Queen Elizabeth and Her Court. New York: Pegasus Books. 2012. Print (Page 333).

What's In A Royal Name?

     George Alexander Louis Mountbatten-Windsor. That’s the name of the future king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

HRH Prince George of Cambridge

     As a titled member of the royal family with the status of Royal Highness however, he will not use his surname of Mountbatten-Windsor except perhaps for documents like his birth certificate and the marriage register. Instead, he is titled and styled as His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, based on the territorial designation of his father Prince William’s dukedom of Cambridge. Eventually, he may be commonly known as George Cambridge, just as his father is known as William Wales in the military (as well as when he was in school), based on the territorial designation of his father Prince Charles’s principality of Wales. (Before he became Duke of Cambridge, William was titled and styled as Prince William of Wales). But since William is also Earl of Strathearn (Scottish title) and Baron Carrickfergus (Northern Irish title), it may also be possible that George could be known by those territorial designations when appropriate. 

     But titles aside, the choice of George Alexander Louis, in my opinion, is an effective attempt to satisfy history, tradition, family heritage, and geopolitics. 

Story Behind the Names 

George 

     The first name of George is significant for a couple of reasons. For one thing, St. George was the Christian martyr who became the patron saint of many countries, including England, and was also legendarily famous for the tale of him slaying a dragon. In Shakespeare's play about King Henry V of England, at the Battle of Agincourt, during which Henry led his army to victory over the French, his soldiers were rallied to the cry of, "For God, Harry, England, and St. George!"

King George I of Great Britain and Ireland,
seen in a portrait by Sir Godfrey Kneller.

George II of Great Britain and Ireland,
by Thomas Hudson.

     But the name is more significant for being the names of six previous British kings, beginning with George I. In fact, despite St. George being England’s patron saint, the name “George” did not become commonly used in England or throughout Britain until George succeeded his cousin Queen Anne in 1714. He was not a popular king because he was a German who did not speak English and because of his treatment toward his wife (due to an affair she had with a Swedish soldier). His son George II is best known as being the last British monarch to lead his troops personally into battle in a victory over the French at Dettingen.

George III of the United Kingdom,
by Allan Ramsay.

     King George III succeeded his grandfather George II in 1760, beginning a 59 ½ year long reign, which to this day makes him the longest reigning king in British history. Aside from this factoid, he is known today for his interests in farming (earning the nickname “Farmer George”), being the “king who lost America” and for his bouts of mental illness, immortalized by Nigel Hawthorne in The Madness of King George. When George was declared unfit to rule in 1811, his son – also named George – became Prince Regent (with all of the powers, but not the status, of a king) for the last decade of his father’s reign.

George IV of the United Kingdom,
by Thomas Lawrence.

He himself became George IV upon the death of his father in 1820. This King George was known for his debauchery and extravagant lifestyle, which included copious quantities of food, alcohol, financial expenditure, and women. But he was also a great patron of the arts and a barometer of fashion (for dispensing with powdered wigs and popularizing the wearing of trousers). In 1822, he became the first reigning monarch to visit Scotland since Charles II was crowned there in 1651, and along with Sir Walter Scott, is credited for reestablishing a solid relationship between Scotland and the monarchy.

     
     George V (the present Queen’s grandfather) presided over some of the most tumultuous periods of modern British history, including World War I and the Great Depression.

George V, King of the United Kingdom
and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India,
in his coronation portrait by Sir Luke Fildes.

It was because of anti-German sentiment during the war that George renamed his royal house from the German-sounding Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to the more British-sounding Windsor, which it remains to this day. He also reformed the honors system to give recognition those whose achievements the old honors ignored, especially those who performed voluntary services to their communities. The apex of these new honors was the Order of British Empire, which today has a membership of over 100,000 people. It was also George V (along with Queen Mary) who brought the monarchy closer to the people by, among other things, visiting industrial sites (including going down mine shafts), expanding Palace guest lists to include more common people, and delivering radio broadcasts (including the first of the annual Christmas broadcasts) to Britain and the Empire.

     When George V died in 1936, he was succeeded by his eldest son, who became Edward VIII. But Edward would abdicate in disgrace before the year was out due to his determination to marry a twice-divorced American woman – Wallis Simpson. He was succeeded in turn by his brother Albert (the present Queen’s father, who was known as “Bertie” in the family) who chose to reign as George VI to emphasize the stable continuity from his father. In 

George VI, the last Emperor of India and
the first Head of the Commonwealth, who
became known for overcoming his stuttering issues.

the lead-up to World War II, George became the first reigning monarch to visit the United States, where he and Queen Elizabeth were the guests of President and Mrs. Roosevelt. With Winston Churchill as his prime minister, he led Britain and the Empire through the war, and endeared himself to his people by staying in Buckingham Palace through much of Blitz - barely escaping death when the Palace took a direct hit from the Nazi’s - and visiting bombed-out sites throughout Britain. George suffered from stammering for much of his life, but he was able to improve his public speaking abilities with the help of the Australian speech therapist Lionel Louge, and this was featured in the 2010 Oscar-winning film, The King’s Speech.

     George is also one of Prince Charles’s middle names (Charles Philip Arthur George) and he has allegedly said that he may want to be crowned as George VII instead of Charles III when he comes to the throne because of the relative stability associated with that name.

     So George has historical meaning and on a personal level, it may be a tribute to the Queen’s beloved father. 

Alexander 

     When one thinks of Alexander, it is easy to think of Alexander the Great of ancient times. But the first middle name of the new prince may have its meaning in more modern history and geopolitics. 

Statue of King Alexander III of Scotland on the West Door of St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.

     There have been three kings of Scotland named Alexander, with Alexander III being one of Scotland’s most illustrious rulers. He is best remembered for claiming the Western Isles from Norway, and then defeating the Norwegians led by their king, Haakon IV, at the Battle of Largs in 1263 for control of the Isles. In more recent memory, William and Kate met at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. With the Scottish independence referendum coming up in September of next year, the choice of Alexander may well be a way of showing the royal family’s commitment to Scotland within the United Kingdom (for if anything, it can be argued that they themselves are more Scottish than English, but that is for another article).

Queen Alexandra, by Sir Luke Fildes.

The Queen's full name is
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary.

     
     

     

     







     
     
     
       
     On a more personal and family level, Alexander may be a clever tribute to the Queen, because it is the masculine form of her own first middle name of Alexandra (which itself was a tribute to her great-grandmother Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII). 

Louis 

     Whereas George and Alexander appear to have several meanings that can be applied to them, the new prince’s second middle name has a clear and direct reference: Lord Louis Mountbatten.

Admiral of the Fleet,
Lord Louis Mountbatten.

Lord Mountbatten (known as “Dickie” to family and friends) enjoyed a distinguished career as a naval officer and statesman, best known for being the last Viceroy of India, First Sea Lord, Chief of the Defense Staff, and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. He was an uncle to Prince Philip (the Queen's husband), and encouraged Philip to join the Royal Navy, as well as – allegedly – to court the then-Princess Elizabeth. Mountbatten was a confidant to the royal family in general and a mentor to Prince Charles in particular. His assassination by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1979 was a blow to Charles, who revered his great-uncle. When Prince William was born, he received “Louis” as his third middle name (William Arthur Philip Louis) in honor of Mountbatten. Now William’s son carries this name of a person of great importance to Charles, as well as Prince Philip. 

Change of name? 

     It is worth mentioning that despite the fact that his first name is George, this new prince will be under no obligation to use it when he becomes king. If he does use it, he will be known as King George VII (or George VIII if Charles decides to use the name). But if Prince George decides to follow the lead of his great-great-grandfather George VI, he could use one of his middle names. If Alexander is chosen – and assuming Scotland remains part of the United Kingdom, he will be known as King Alexander IV, based on Alexander having a higher ordinal number in Scotland (like the Queen being Elizabeth II based on Elizabeth having a higher ordinal number in England). If however it is Louis, then he will simply be King Louis, since there has not been a reigning king named Louis in British history.

     But regardless of whatever name he chooses to go by when he accedes to the throne, George Alexander Louis is a traditional and solid name that attempts to pay tribute to several constituencies. It accomplishes that job effectively and as a result, is a name which everyone can enjoy.

As a postscript, I should say that I take a bit of personal pride in the child’s first name being George, for my home state of Georgia in the United States is named after his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, King George II of Great Britain and Ireland.

Photo Credit: Kim Traynor via Wikimedia Commons cc