A splendid review of a splendid book. The truth is that monarchies were established in the first place by war and conquest rather than through the consent of the populations they reign over. They justify their position of privilege in the only way they can, through religion. Hence anointment with holy oils at the coronation ceremony. How ludicrous, or in the words of at least one protester’s banner at the coronation, “Isn’t this all a bit silly?” This is the ultimate religious privilege is it not? Assuming that to be the case why is it that the UK’s secularist and humanist organisations are not avowedly republican?
One aspect of monarchy that seems to be generally ignored is the misery it inflicts on royalty themselves. Witness current court cases.

Interesting, but I’m afraid I cannot agree. It may seem counter-intuitive, but constitutional monarchies do seem to work and deliver everything a decent society should – stability, prosperity, tolerance, security, liberal democracy, freedom of expression. The best societies in the world today are therefore: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, modern Spain and one or two smaller European states. Russia abolished its monarchy and has never got beyond brutality and oppression. France is a powder keg. Hungary, Poland and Italy have slid into the hands of the far right. So, constitutional monarchy wins!