Constitutional monarchy: The dignified and the efficient

COMMENT | On Friday, we discussed the appropriateness of celebrities commenting on politics and current affairs.

Today, as Season 2 of "The Crown" is upon us, perhaps we can discuss constitutional monarchy and some of the challenges it faces today.

"The Crown" may be particularly relevant as, after all, many constitutional monarchies in the Commonwealth are largely modelled on the British one.

I probably know Peter Morgan’s Queen Elizabeth more than I do the real one, and I have never had the slightest bit of interest in the British monarchy prior to this little TV series.

A persistent theme in Morgan’s large body of work on the monarchy is the place of the institution in ever-evolving modern society, and the challenges monarchs face in maintaining the dignity and purpose of the monarchy.

Checks and balances

Constitutional monarchy evolved over time from absolute monarchy, a time where the monarch’s word was law.

Eventually, forces for democracy in some countries moved societies away from such absolute rule, but chose to maintain royal institutions, having them co-exist with democratic practices.

It is often a subtle balancing act to be sure, but in theory, the crown and the government - the dignified and the efficient, as it were - are institutions that are meant to balance and strengthen one another.

This system works as long as each institution performs its duties correctly, and respects their boundaries diligently...