Abstract
This draws together the threads explored in the previous chapters, and examines the conclusions which can be drawn from these, as understood in the context of the Queen’s long reign as part of a consideration of the survival chances of the Windsor dynasty. The consciousness of the royal family, particularly the Queen herself, of being strongly associated with a Windsor approach to the monarchy as an institution is assessed, because of her very visibility. The implications of these factors for the future of the dynasty, and the institution, are also suggested. Issues such as the potential power still possessed by the monarchy via the royal prerogative are highlighted as matters for further investigation, but in the light of future events as these develop, including the potential issues which will necessarily arise surrounding any future Windsor accessions.
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Notes
- 1.
Matthew Glencross, Interview, Australian Broadcasting Company, 9 September 2015; http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2015/s4308723.htm, accessed 10 August 2016.
- 2.
Judith Rowbotham, ‘Sure-footed Queen steps into history in the role she modernised’, Western Morning News, 8 September 2015. See http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Comment-Sure-footed-Queen-steps-history-role/story-27759073-detail/story.html, accessed 6 November 2015.
- 3.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/11879475/Australian-PM-Malcolm-Turnbull-says-no-push-for-republic-until-Queens-reign-ends.html , accessed 4 December 2015. Most recently, a majority of Australian political leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to a republican future by signing a declaration to that effect drawn up by the Australian Republican Movement, but they still insist it must have popular support. See http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jan/25/state-and-territory-leaders-unite-to-call-for-republic, accessed 27 January 2016.
- 4.
This is not to suggest she did not accept he was one of her predecessors on the throne. A clear acknowledgement of this is provided by the nature of his funeral. While not formally a public state funeral as had become usual for prominent Windsor funerals it still featured the ceremonial aspects of one, including the attendance of politicians and world leaders, and the reading out of his styles and titles, including his being ‘sometime the most high, most mighty and most excellent monarch Edward VIII’.
- 5.
A further example of this is possibly provided by the Queen’s refusal of the Duke of Windsor’s request to attend the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales: one apparently phrased in terms of family, and not monarchy. The claim was that he would not wish his uncle there, rather than that it could be problematic to have a predecessor as both monarch and Prince of Wales present. Philip Ziegler (2012) King Edward VIII (London: Harper Press) p555.
- 6.
This is not new: similar questions were raised about Edward VII when Prince of Wales, but while a rumbustious personality, his behaviour as King was constitutionally correct and by his death, he had completely overcome any concerns about his suitability for his role. See Matthew Glencross, ‘Edward VII, A Role Model for Charles?’ http://www.historyandpolicy.org/opinion-articles/articles/edward-vii-a-role-model-for-charles, accessed 4 December 2015.
- 7.
In early childhood, he spent much time with his grandparents. Though his memories of George VI will be slight, we would suggest that they will have been kept alive by the Queen Mother during her long life.
- 8.
Even Edward VIII so described the role (‘the biggest job in the world’), in a letter written in September 1919 during his tour of Canada, and recently rediscovered and put up for auction. See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3345399/How-Edward-VIII-wrote-couldn-t-king-Letter-reveals-monarch-expressed-doubts-taking-biggest-job-world-17-years-crowned.html, accessed 7 December 2015.
- 9.
Consider, for example, the recent furore over claims that she backs an exit from the EU, ‘Revealed: Queen backs Brexit’, The Sun, 8 March 2016; ‘Buckingham Palace makes official complaint’, Daily Telegraph, 9 March 2016; ‘Brexit: the Queen is a powerful asset but she is being exploited’, Guardian, 12 March 2016.
- 10.
Robert Hardman, ‘From the unwelcome visitor at the Palace to the joy of losing herself in the crowd’, Daily Mail, 25 September 2011.
- 11.
Ibid.
- 12.
- 13.
Peter Hennessey and Caroline Anstey (1992) ‘Jewel in the constitution? The Queen, Parliament and the Royal Prerogative’, University of Strathclyde, Strathclyde Papers on Government and Politics, 8.
- 14.
There is a belief by many royal biographers, for instance, that George V did use the Royal Prerogative to deny refuge to the Tsar in 1918, but this incident does remain ambiguous as there is no known record of how far Lloyd George and the government sought to push the issue with the King, or whether they were in fact relieved at the King’s decision, seeing it as fitting that he be the one to make it.
- 15.
We are particularly indebted to Andrew Blick for his insights in this area of the Royal Prerogative, See his forthcoming chapter, Andrew Blick (2016) The Codes of the Constitution (Oxford: Hart), chapter on ‘Historic Origins of Codification’.
- 16.
See Peter Raina, ed (2009) A. V. Dicey: General Characteristics of English Constitutionalism (Oxford: Peter Lang).
- 17.
The Cabinet Manual, October 2011, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/60641/cabinet-manual.pdf, accessed 4 April 2016.
- 18.
This was recently confirmed over the declaration of war on Iraq in 2003; see ‘Mystery Lifted on Queen’s power’, Guardian, 21 October 2003.
- 19.
‘Secret papers show extent of senior royals’ veto over bills’, Guardian, 15 January 2013.
- 20.
https://blog.twitter.com/en-gb/2014/queen-elizabeth-ii-sends-her-first-tweet, accessed 4 December 2015.
- 21.
- 22.
Sally Bedell Smith, ‘Love and Majesty’, Vanity Fair, January 2012.
- 23.
Ibid.
- 24.
Kenneth Rose (1983) King George V (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson) p174.
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Glencross, M., Rowbotham, J., Kandiah, M.D. (2016). Epilogue: The Rise of ‘The Queen’. In: Glencross, M., Rowbotham, J., Kandiah, M. (eds) The Windsor Dynasty 1910 to the Present. Palgrave Studies in Modern Monarchy. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56455-9_11
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