Esther Lopatin, a European affairs expert from the Foreign Languages Department at Tel Aviv University deals extensively with the European Union and relations between Israel and Europe. In an interview with Israel Hayom, she says that "for the young people of Britain, the royal family is seen as hedonistic and detached. Many believe that it is outdated"
Q: Dr. Lopatin, it's the weekend when King Charles will be crowned, the coronation comes amid doubts about the necessity of the monarchy, and also against the background of the cost of living crisis in Great Britain. To begin with, I would like to ask – is it possible that the British public is fed up with the monarchy?
A poll conducted a few days ago shows that 58% of Brits still support the monarchy. However, there are unfathomable gaps between the younger and older generation. The support rate for the monarchy among teenagers and young people is 32%. However, among those in the 50-64 age group, the support rate is 67%, and among those 65 and older – the support rate reaches almost 80%. The older you are, the more inclined you are to support the monarchy.
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Q: What is it about the monarchy that drives the younger generation away from it?
"First of all, the younger generation is much more critical of the royal family. From their point of view, there is no justification for the existence of a monarchy in the 21st century – it is an undemocratic institution that is outdated. In addition, the members of the royal family are seen as parasites and hedonists, who live in economic prosperity at the expense of the taxpayers. While many Britons groan about the cost of living, the members of the royal family live in palaces and fly on airplanes. Some claim that approximately 15 million Britons live in poverty and struggle to make ends meet. In other words, many Britons see the members of the royal family as detached from reality."
Q: It is implied from your words that there is a certain aversion to the coronation ceremony itself.
"Definitely. Quite a few surveys show that about 84% of the British claim that it is not appropriate to hold such an expensive and ostentatious coronation. In their opinion, the ceremony should have been less expensive, and not be a burden on the British taxpayer."
Q: Although in relation to the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth, it is indeed more modest.
"Only 2,000 guests will be present at the coronation ceremony of King Charles. In contrast, there were 8,000 guests at the coronation event of Elizabeth. There is no doubt that King Charles acted wisely when he decided to make the ceremony smaller, to show that he was attentive to the will of the public. After all, the majority of the public was against funding the ceremony with the taxpayers' money. The ceremony does cost around 100 million pounds, but the expected revenue from the coronation is about 1 billion pounds from tourism. It is important to note that the ceremony itself will actually be a process of anointing the king, as was done in biblical times. Oil from the Mount of Olives will be used, and Camilla will also be anointed."
Q: There are those who raise doubts about the necessity of the coronation ceremony, after all, Charles is already king. Is the point of this ceremony just to stroke his ego, or is there an important tradition here that should be preserved?
"Events and ceremonies are an integral part of our lives. Charles becoming king is a rather important event, and it cannot be skipped. This event is intended, among other things, to help Britain internalize the fact that Queen Elizabeth is no longer with us and that there is a new king in the kingdom."
Q: To what extent will Britain even accept Charles as king? Part of the distaste for the ceremony you spoke of also stems from the distaste for Charles' character.
"You are absolutely right, to a large extent it has to do with his character. King Charles was never considered a role model or idol, in stark contrast to his mother. The British public admired Queen Elizabeth, who was seen as a figure who did a lot to promote Britain's economic and political interests. Charles was seen as disconnected from the nation, arrogant, fussy, and unsympathetic, and that's even before talking about his cheating on Princess Diana, the princess of hearts."
Q: Do most people remember that about him to this day?
"The British will never forget that about it, and it seems that they will not forget Elizabeth either. As ridiculous as it may sound, the support rate for her is still high today and stands at 80%, even after her death. The rate of support for Charles today is less than 20% among youth, and less than 40% among the older generation. Only among those 65 and older do the majority support him."
Q: What about Camilla? Is the upcoming change in her role likely to win her affection, or is the dislike for her similar to that for Charles?
"The rate of support for her is relatively low, about 38%. The British public will never forget her story with Diana. However, she is more popular than Harry and Meghan, or Prince Andrew."
Q: I wonder what Diana would have thought of this coronation.
"I think that if Diana were to still be alive, she would probably have used the biblical phrase 'you murdered and also inherited.' I mean, you've also become king, and you're also going to crown the woman who ruined our marriage. Diana would probably not be happy with the coronation ceremony. It is likely that she would have supported a direct transfer of the monarchy to her son William."
Q: Another member of the royal family who is not happy with the coronation, or at least doesn't really want to be present at it, is Harry. He will arrive in Britain only for a few hours, for the sake of the ceremony.
It seems that he really doesn't want to be there. If it were up to him, he would not have participated. He has a bellyful of the royal family and monarchy. He holds a grudge against them and feels betrayed because for him they did not back him up in his decisions and actions. However, he understands that he must stay on good terms with his father. If he does not come to the ceremony, his father will never forgive him.
"Harry's absence from the ceremony will imply a rift between him and his father, and may also damage US support for King Charles and the royal family: It should be remembered that Harry enjoys a fairly high level of support among the American public. He and Meghan are considered cultural heroes there. Also, within the British public, it is important for Charles to conduct business as usual. That's why Harry's arrival is significant."
Q: Despite the mixed feelings surrounding the ceremony, the monarchy does have unifying elements, which have a positive effect on Britain's national identity.
"To a large extent yes, we saw it at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. One aspect worthy of appreciation for the British monarchy is the fact that the members of the royal family must refrain from expressing their political opinions. The main role of the royal family is to bridge and unite different parts of the nation. This is a very important role, especially in a world where the polarization between Right and Left is only increasing. Perhaps we too need a royal family to bridge the differences between us."
Q: Is it possible that the British want the monarchy but configured differently, perhaps more similar to Charles' lean monarchy vision?
"The majority of Britons, 80%, expressed support for the ten-year plan he proposed. The plan includes, among other things, a significant cut in the royal family's budget: fewer parties and fewer grandiose events, in order to cut costs. It is important to remember that even though the annual cost of the royal family is about 500 million pounds, it also annually brings in about 2.5 billion pounds, for example from the entrance ticket to palaces and through tourism."
Q: However, the public doesn't see it that way. The public asks why they need so many palaces and mansions.
"And that is why they connect with Charles' plan. He wants to help unemployed young people find work and provide them with job security. Charles is also one of the pioneers of the fight for environmental protection. Even in 1986, he said that he talks to trees and flowers and listens to them. The younger generation connects with that. The problem is that his 'green' vision does not translate into public support. It wouldn't hurt Charles to hire strategic consulting services to help him brand himself better. He is aware that the younger generation does not like him, but he is unable to increase his public support ."
Q: Another thing that did not help his public relations was the appointment of Rose Hanbury's husband to a position in the monarchy. Hanbury, allegedly, is William's mistress.
"It certainly did not contribute positively to his image, and Kate, as it was reported, was very angry at this move. The supposed romance between William and Rose hurt Prince William, in my opinion, and I believe it will continue to hurt him. Many had high hopes for him – he was the most popular royal after the Queen, but in recent months, a different picture is beginning to emerge about him. Harry hinted at this in an interview with Netflix, when he said that the royal family knew how to hide things, but it was not clear what he was referring to. Today we know that he was referring to, among other things, the rumored affair between William and Rose.
"Rose is 39 years old, married to a rich man who is 25 years older than her, and they have three children. The rumors about the affair between her and William led to Kate Middleton being compared to Diana. However, there is a difference: Kate is determined to be the Queen of England. She does not intend to give up her role or her husband, unlike Diana. She intends to fight for it."
Q: If we return to the vision of the lean monarchy from a broader European perspective – do we see a growing tendency towards anti-monarchist sentiment?
"In general, the monarchies in Europe have been, in recent years, more and more open-minded and liberal. And more importantly, the role of the royal family is to unify the nation as I mentioned earlier. Belgium is the best example of this: Many claim that if it weren't for the royal family, the dispute between the Flemish and the Walloon minority would have led to Belgium being split into two countries. There are still people in Belgium who are in favor of it; however, the royal house manages to act as a unifying force.
"It must be said that in the 20th century and the 21st century, the monarchies of Europe and Great Britain transformed themselves. They have realized that in order to survive they must serve the people – and not the other way around. Queen Elizabeth understood this better than anyone, and that is why she visited more than 100 countries – to advance Britain's economic and political interests. When she invited Trump in 2019 to Buckingham Palace for a royal dinner, it was not done out of great love, but to promote Britain-US relations."
The truth behind the mandate
Q: You mentioned UK-US relations, and I want to ask about relations with Israel. Why has the relationship been so unfriendly over the years, and is that expected to change?
"This is not something personal against us, it stems from political and especially economic considerations. Many do not know this, but Britain did not leave Israel because it thought that the Jewish people deserved a Jewish state after the Holocaust, but because staying here cost them a huge fortune, and they could not afford it economically. Also, it was important for the British to maintain normal relations with the Arab world. It should be remembered that more than 400 million people live in the Middle East, and Israel is a small minority. The bottom line is that it was important for them to please 400 million people more than the Israeli minority. However, in recent years, and especially since Brexit, it has become more important for them to improve their relations with Israel. They understand that Israel is a start-up nation that will help them financially."
Q: Now that Charles will become king, are relations expected to become warmer?
"Definitely. Israel is considered an important and sought-after country in the world, and our relationship with Europe is only getting tighter economically. Despite the criticism they have of Israel's settlement policy, Europe today separates politics from the economy. We are seeing more and more collaborations in the fields of high-tech, medicine, research, cyber, security, and more. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also noted Israel's importance and said more than once that it was important for him to strengthen ties with Israel".
Q: Will Sunak be good news for the British people in the long run?
"He is a very smart man, 42 years old, and is considered to be one of the richest people in Britain. He understands that fixing the economy is a difficult task that will also bring him great public criticism, so at this stage, he prefers to concentrate on the issue of immigration.
"In recent months, he revealed his plan to fight organized crime and reduce the waves of immigration to Britain. A third of Britain's illegal immigrants arrived in the past year from Albania, so he announced that asylum applications from Albania would be rejected. Those who arrive illegally will be deported almost immediately. This move brought sympathy towards him, even though according to the polls the rate of support for the Labor Party is higher than that of the Conservatives. If he continues this policy and assists in improving the economy, he may increase his public support."
Q: Finally, what do you think the British monarchy will look like in the next decade?
"It depends on the conduct of the royal family and King Charles. If I had to give strategic advice to the king, I would advise him to implement programs that will help youth find jobs, fight the cost of living, help the failing health system that is facing collapse, and of course promote the 'green' agenda. If he does these four things, the rate of support for him will increase significantly and the future of the British monarchy will be guaranteed."
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