Monarchy

• "A monarch's neck should always have a noose around it. It keeps him upright." (Robert A. Heinlein, From: The Cat Who Walks Through Walls)

• "Those who imagine that a politician would make a better figurehead than a hereditary monarch might perhaps make the acquaintance of more politicians." Baroness Thatcher November 1995)

• "The monarchy is a political referee, not a political player, and there is a lot of sense in choosing the referee by a different principle from the players. It lessens the danger that the referee might try to start playing." (Earl Russell, The Spectator, 11th January 1997)

• "Americans also seem to believe that the monarchy is a kind of mediaeval hangover, encumbered by premodern notions of decorum; the reality is that the British monarchy, for good or ill, is a modern political institution -- perhaps the first modern political institution." (Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, September 29th 1997)

• "The Queen was helpful, lively, fascinating to talk to, and very, very funny. The idea that she is out of touch is nonsense." (Robert Wraith, painter of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait, May 1998)

• "Royalty is a Government in which the attention of the nation is concentrated on one person doing interesting actions. A Republic is a Government in which that attention is divided between many, who are all doing uninteresting things." (Walter Bagehot, The English Constitution)

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