The British people have had monarchy for over thousand years. The
relationship between the monarch and the people has suffered some serious crises
in the country's history, but the monarchy always seems to recover.
Revolution: Charles I
The biggest crisis in the monarchy’s history came in 1649 when the king
was actually condemned to death by parliament. Charles I wanted the monarchy to
have more power, and in 1629 he dismissed the parliament and ruled for 11 years
without it.
In 1642 a Civil War broke out between the Royalists and the supporters of
parliament, the Roundheads under Oliver Cromwell. The Roundheads won,
Charles was beheaded and the monarchy abolished. England was, in effect, a
republic for 11 years, governed by a Lord Protector (first Cromwell and then his
son). But in 1660 the age of the Restoration began when Charles's son, Charles II,
was made king.
Retirement: Victoria
When Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861, the Queen
suffered a terrible depression. She withdrew from public life and spent more time
at her palaces in Scotland and on the Isle of Wight than she did in London. For
over 20 years she performed no national duties. People became critical of the
monarchy and, in a time of huge industrial and scientific progress, members of
parliament began to talk about republicanism. But Victoria recovered and in 1897
her Diamond Jubilee, celebrating a record 60 years o n the throne, was a great
public relations success with huge processions, ceremonies and public celebrations.
Abdication: Edvvard VIII
When George V died in 1936, his heir Edward was in love with a twicedivorced American woman, Wallis Simpson. His family and the government
disapproved of Mrs Simpson, but Edward wanted to marry her. In the end he was
forced to choose between his love and the throne , and he chose to abandon the
throne. In December of that year, five months before his planned coronation
Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson, and with war threatening the world, Edward VIII
addressed the nation by radio .and told them that "I have found it impossible to
carry on the heavy burden o f responsibility and to discharge the duties of king ...
without the help and support of the woman I love”. His brother George VI took his
place at the coronation, and proved to be a strong monarch. When George’s
daughter, Princess Elizabeth, carne to the throne in 1952 the monarchy was once
again extremely popular.
Tragedy: Princess Diana
In modern time, people began to see the monarchy as a outdated. but the
royal family was given a tremendous boost in 1981, when Prince Charles married
the popular Princess Diana. Diana became an international superstar, more popular
than her husband from whom she divorced in 1996.
When she died in a car crash in 1997 many people accused-used the royal
family of treating her badly during her marriage and abandoning her after her
divorce.
The Queen and Prince Charles suffered a huge a drop in popularity, and they
were advised to modernize and become less formal and distant. Celebrations for
the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 were deliberately kept g low- key, as the
organisers feared that the public would not be interested.