AHC: British Republic post-WW2

[Iserlohn]

With a POD after 15 August 1945, I'd like to know how one could get a British Republic. Massive bonus points if 1) that British Republic contains at least 3 of the 4 kingdoms, 2) the House of Windsor still exists, 3) you don't involve any nuclear wars for the POD and 4) the POD is after 1970.

What do you guys think? Ideally I'd like to get the opinion of the Polibrits, of course.

 

[AdmiralBlake]

verging on ASB after ww2, after ww1 though is possible

 

[Techdread]

I can't help but the feel the most relevant thing to put here is Meadow's and Lord Roem's current TLIAW here which deals with a Republican Britain with the POD after 1992.

Your best bet, albeit still highly difficult, would be a worse reaction to the Royal Family following Diana's death - one of the high points for British republicanism AFAIK.

I've also heard somewhere that there was talk of removing the monarchy in the 1970s; my mother, of all people, saw something about that in a Channel 4 documentary some time ago and occasionally reminds me of it from time to time. No idea where the facts come from for it though, or even its validity.

 

[jkay]

My version is also a Chuckie special.

After HM dies, Chucke inherits. And he takes power to rule from the PM, still, I've read, allowed constitutionally.

What other choice has the British people have from this modern Ethelred II the Unready?

The entire Commonwealth is already thinking about going Republic at the mere thought of him being King.

Why do so many assume that the only King possible ever, ever is her?

 

[Welshroyalhistory]

With a POD after 15 August 1945, I'd like to know how one could get a British Republic. Massive bonus points if 1) that British Republic contains at least 3 of the 4 kingdoms, 2) the House of Windsor still exists, 3) you don't involve any nuclear wars for the POD and 4) the POD is after 1970.

What do you guys think? Ideally I'd like to get the opinion of the Polibrits, of course.

Next to impossible without the Queen or her late father personally becoming deeply unpopular, which is extremely unlikely. It would require one of them to make an epic misjudgment that alienated both the political class and the general public. Its difficult to imagine such a scenario.

People like to get hysterical about Diana, ignoring the fact that according to opinion polls support for the monarchy in the week after Diana's death was 73%. The average is about 70-75% and then jumps around a Jubilee, birth, marriage (except for that of Charles and Camilla's) etc.

https://www.ipsos-mori.com/research...mily-Trends-Monarchy-v-Republic-19932012.aspx

MORI has helpfully compiled a trend poll, which shows the trend since 1993. Its pretty consistent and shows that the monarchy's core audience has stuck with it during the good and bad times.

People like to whine about the Prince of Wales, yet no opinion polls suggest any real sign that republicanism will become a potent force in the UK after the Queen's death. He is more controversial than his mother but he remains popular, not as popular as his mother or sons but then they are arguably the most popular public figures in Britain, so its difficult competition.

Having survived the Diana period, Charles would literally need to be exposed as ordering her murder before the monarchy collapses under him. You might see more overt criticism of the monarchy and the monarch's powers during his reign but your more likely to see a move towards a Swedish style monarchy than removing the whole institution itself, there just isn't the public appetite for it. While Charles's political interference may wind up your average Guardian reader, they are a tiny minority.

You can also see a trend poll which shows how people think on the William vs Charles debate.

https://www.ipsos-mori.com/research...Family-Trends-The-Next-Monarch.aspx?view=wide

Despite William's huge personal popularity, the majority of people still support The Prince of Wales succeeding the Queen.

 

[Welshroyalhistory]

I can't help but the feel the most relevant thing to put here is Meadow's and Lord Roem's current TLIAW here which deals with a Republican Britain with the POD after 1992.

I've also heard somewhere that there was talk of removing the monarchy in the 1970s; my mother, of all people, saw something about that in a Channel 4 documentary some time ago and occasionally reminds me of it from time to time. No idea where the facts come from for it though, or even its validity.

I'm not aware of anything in the 70s but certainly in the 60s, Tony Benn tried to push his republican agenda by effectively trying to marginalise the monarchy from its omnipresence in British society.

When he was a Minister, he wanted to remove the Queen's image from stamps and raised it with the Queen directly, he later said she listened, didn't seem to object, he left the Palace feeling elated thinking he had taken the first major step to bringing down the monarchy, by the time he got back to Whitehall the Queen's Private Secretary had spoken to the Prime Minister and the idea was blocked.