Can the British Monarchy withstand the test of time?

If the Queen, yes she of England, were a regular worker, she would have retired years ago, 22 to be exact as 65 is the average retirement age over there. Recent abdications in The Netherlands and Belgium had me thinking that maybe Elizabeth II would also pass on the reins. After 61 years, she surely must want to put her feet up and do all those things she hasn’t been able to owing to her busy schedule governing her territories. It would be a deserved break, not to mention refreshing. No more speeches to pore over, boring banquets to host or long flights to far off lands whose citizens couldn’t care less. It would also mean an end to some of those ridiculous traditions royals have to observe. It must be challenging to spend all your life acting proper. Dressing right, speaking right, eating right, waving right… She should be able to walk into a restaurant and order a Pizza without everybody fussing and curtsying, or go to a random Salon and have highlights added to her hair. It would be nice to see her wearing anything but those signature button-down coats and hats. How about Jeans, a dress-top and some hoop earrings? There’s also the issue of her darling husband whose health is unfortunately not as impeccable as the Queen’s. This is the time for a loving wife to nurse her man back to health. They could go camping, fishing, or sunbathe on some beach, just the two of them. You only live once! It’s been said that people this age have the most fun. The children have long left the nest, the grand kids are not your responsibility, no ambitious career or life goals to stress you and you basically have a license to enjoy your last years on earth. The Queen is especially lucky because she’s not only wealthy but is unlikely to end up in some nursing home so I say she should grab this chance with both hands and make way for younger blood, which is far from young. I don’t particularly like Charles but even I feel sorry for him. For 64 long years, he’s been groomed for a role he may never fulfill. It must be frustrating, and yet he can’t do anything about it. It’s not like he can just bump Mum off. Despite her long reign, she’s quite popular and he must find that hard to swallow. On the other hand is another rival whose popularity is soaring, with some would-be subjects even suggesting he should leapfrog you. Again, you can’t do anything about it because he’s your son. If Charles is lucky, he may ascend the throne in his 70s. Kind of late to enjoy his moment but like they say, better late than never. He should, however, pray that when that time comes, he’ll still have subjects to reign over. With more states in the Commonwealth pushing to become republics, it might not be long before the Monarchy becomes obsolete, even in Britain itself. Already, many are questioning its relevance. As mentioned earlier, it’s good they have a neat fortune as it will help once the tax payer stops picking the royal tab. I love the Royals, and not just the Windsors but also those back home and elsewhere but when it comes down to it, there are no longer places where the King or Queen has absolute power. Their role is more of symbolic and they hardly influence policy. It’s 2013 and the world faces real challenges that can’t be solved over banquets and teas. So while we enjoy the pomp and festivities of royalty, weddings, jubilees, new births and all, we have to acknowledge that twenty, thirty years on, there might not be any royal treatment for anyone. To be continued…