ABSTRACT
The survival of monarchy in late twentieth century Britain is a sociopsychological phenomenon of strange proportions. In a country supposedly imbued with the values of democracy-indeed, in the country which proclaims itself to be the home of democracy-this ancient institution of inherited status still persists. It does not survive as an embarrassing relic, shuffling along like an elderly relative, conscious of being in the way of the younger generation. Quite the contrary, it survives by being noticed, over and over again. Sixty years ago, George V’s second son apparently hurried on to a train at Grantham and started to pull down blinds. His wife, aware of the crowds on the platform, is said to have snapped ‘Bertie, you must wave’ (Thornton, 1986, p.70). In July 1986, another Duke of York, also the second son of the ruling sovereign, stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, having earlier that day been married. He needed no whispered reminder to wave to the crowd of thousands and to the television audience of millions. The Times reported the event: ‘The Duke broadly cupped his ear to the chanting of: “Give her a kiss, then.” So he gave her a kiss: not a moth’s kiss, but a smacking naval kiss, like a tyre explosion, or as if he were trying to clear the drains’ (23 August 1986).
