Blurred Lines Between a Constitutional Monarchy & Government
And
The Implications for the UK In the Future
The background for this article and accompanying podcast is based on my observations of the British Royal Family over the course of most of my adult life, and in particular since the time of Princess Diana and the circumstances and treatment of her during her marriage to the Prince Charles. Following her death, it became obvious that in the subsequent years some members of the family seemed to go out of their way to ‘rise above’ some relatives, and commenced on a pattern of behaviour that I liken to crabs in a bucket. Crabs prepared to fight and crawl over others in order to be ‘on top’ and ‘seen’ and liked etc. Holding a Title of a Monarch or being part of the Monarchy family appears to carry less weight than it used to. The type and scope of reverence to people born into a position, as opposed to earning and succeeding into a position based on skill and competence, has been changing these last few decades or so. Some members of the BRF appear to be somewhat irritated by this reducing reverence, but are not unduly worried that their taxpayer funded existence is in jeopardy. After all, the bonds and linkages with UK government are strong, no matter the party in power, and in particular the party currently in power has been there for many years, and despite a litany of faux pas the lack of a credible opposition has ensured that they too are not worried about their position being in jeopardy. The revolving door between staff of various Royal palaces and government offices continues, and appointments made out of the blue and presented to the public at large as ‘business as usual’. Officials appear to move from a crisis or potential crisis in one area, and suddenly find employment in one of the other ‘partners’ establishments, and then at some point a year or two down the line, they go back through that same revolving door, to another position elsewhere in the establishment. All very cosy it seems to me, and all done with no questions asked by the supposed UK media.
So what, some of you are probably thinking? What does it matter? When the Monarch passes on, it is the tradition that the next Monarch will be the eldest son of that King or Queen, and the mantle will be passed to that individual’s eldest son. Laws have changed towards the role of women in UK Royalty, on paper at least, but in reality, the men reign as supreme beings regardless of the reality. This type of Monarchy structure is a recipe for family members to be pitted against each other. The eldest son knows that they will be King, and has no problem waiting around for as many decades that it takes to one day ascend to become King. Imagine waiting for your parent to die in order for you to be recognised as worthy of attention.
I give credit to Prince Charles, that over the years, he did entertain himself by creating a few projects based on topics that were of interest to him. He could have sat around and simply waited for the Crown to be handed to him, but he did not, he at least tried to do something meaningful with his time. The Princes Trust is a hugely successful initiative that continues to thrive today. It is youth charity that helps young people aged 11 to 30 to secure employment, education and training. It was founded by Prince Charles in 1976 to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11 to 30 year olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. There are many other aspects of Prince Charles that I do not admire, but there is no question in terms of this charity, and the number of agencies who have come on board over the years, it is deemed one of the most successful funding organisations in the UK and the UK s leading youth charity, having helped over 950,000 young people turn their lives around, created 125,000 entrepreneurs and given business support to 395,000 people in the UK.
The 2nd in the Line of Succession, has nothing of merit created in his adult life. There are projects associated with his name, but the Duke of Cambridge is not known for getting involved in any of these projects, but is happy to be the ‘face’ of the projects. To be fair to him, he is only behaving like the majority of the people that tax payers fund in the BRF. In his case, unlike most of the others, he knows that one day he will be King, no matter whether or not he has any projects (successful or not) and it does not matter whether he possesses any skills or shows interest beyond the PR side of things, because he knows he will be Monarch one day regardless.
So, what is my concern then about the current state of the next two people in line to be Kings of the UK? One has set up meaningful projects in his youth, and at one time was heavily involved in most of his projects. Another area of interest for Prince Charles was the environment, and he spoke out about various aspects of the need to look after our environment, long before it was fashionable to do so. Therefore whilst being happy to sit around and wait for his mother to pass on, he did at least recognise that sitting around for decades was not a productive way to spend his time. His projects centred around his personal interests rather than what the country needed, though by luck in terms of the environment, that side of things proved to be a winner in the long run. Other than that there appear to be other aspects of ‘diplomatic’ activity that are coming to light now, that are questionable at best, and the most prominent aspect of Prince Charles’s fall from grace was his marriage and then treatment of his wife Princess Diana, and the open affair with his now wife Camilla. The vast majority of the general public will never forgive him for that and the conspiracy theories about the demise of Princess Diana have not and will never go away.
Prince William – the Duke of Cambridge and his wife desperately want to be seen as ‘in charge’ of things, and Prince William in particular, seems to be inpatient with the knowledge that his father will be King before him, and in the interim, he has nothing to show in terms of meaningful projects, and nothing on the horizon near for completion. Everything is always going to be successful tomorrow but nothing for today. Without the presence of a high profile and popular figure in the Royal Family, alongside the Queen herself, such as the Duke of Sussex, the Cambridges are struggling. The Duke of Cambridge does not appear to want to be held to account for anything, but loves the idea of power and prestige. My opinion is that the Duke of Cambridge wants and indeed believes he should be liked because of who he is, ie the title he holds. He seeks deference from people, and does not come across as someone who thinks he needs to work for this respect and reverence, it should just exist. I believe him to be narcissistic in his approach to life, and with such a void in his life in terms of any activity that will benefit someone else in society, he needs to fill his time with things that drive him. Herein I see a major problem for UK Monarchy.
The two people in the Line of Succession, are not popular, for different reasons. Charles has waited all of his adult life to become King. 50 years plus. Prince Charles still can show evidence of some very successful initiatives, but there are more questions to be answered on other business initiatives and trounced in the unpopularity stakes by his marriage and then divorce of Princess Diana and the poor treatment of the Peoples Princess and the salt into the wound by his marriage to his one time mistress sealed his fate. Prince William, does not appear to want to wait 50 odd years to become a Leader with power. I think he is beginning to see that the Monarchy is not so much an attraction as he first thought, and that being King with responsibilities will shine an even brighter spotlight of the areas of his weakness. He no longer has the charismatic brother to be his shield, and the Duchess of Cambridge was never brought into the Royal fold to be proactive and business like, and her role as Queen Consort is going to require more than being judged by what she wears and being able to play 4 notes on a piano (whilst having someone play the same notes out of camera shot) is not going to satisfy the new era requirements of a Monarchy. The Duchess of Cambridge did what she was asked to do, ie produce an heir and ‘spares’ and look good but not offer any opinions on anything. Now she is being asked to perform way beyond her capabilities and expectations, and the impact on her health is evident for all to see. It is a disaster waiting to happen. So, what does The Duke of Cambridge do? He decides to impregnate himself into politics more and more, where he can influence and have power, but have a range of people in front of him as his shield whose role is to be political and have titles too. I may be wrong, but bear with me on this for a short while.
Hungry for Power
What do you call someone who is hungry for power and wants to control everything and everyone? A meglomaniac is a person who is obsessive about holding power of some kind.
- Power hungry
- Control freak – someone who has a great desire or a compulsion to control things – including other people.
- Both of the above equate to a power hungry control freak.
An Autocratic Government
- Dictatorial – totalitarian, autocratic, absolute, all-powerful, arbitray
- Undemocratic – one party, anti-democratic
- Illiberal – domineering, doctrinaire, dogmatic, draconian, bossy, high handed, harsh, strict, rigid, inflexible, unyielding
What is the Difference Between Megalomania and Narcissism?
- One opinion is that both are found in the delusions of grandiosity but that megalomania has more focus on power rather than just being liked.
Control Freak
- One who controls a person, group or system to an unnecessary level of detail or precision. Micro manages everything and everyone.
A person who behaves in an autocratic way can be described in some of the following ways:-
- Authoritarian, autocrat, dictator, despot, bossyboots, Big Brother, tyrannizer, Caesar, Hitler, monocrat, slavedriver, ringleader, oligarch, tormentor, Stalin, sovereign, emperor, prince, Tsar, and many more similar terms.
A person who controls others through manipulation:-
- Manipulator, narcissist, gaslighter, controller, toxic personality, emotional manipulator, toxic individual
Narcissist or Sociopath? Differences in these dangerous personalities:-
- Every sociopath is a narcissist but not every narcissist is a sociopath
- Both hurt people but with sociopaths it is intentional. Narcissists can take advantage of people but it is often a consequence of their heightened focus on their own needs and desires, and their lack of awareness of how what they do affects others. With sociopaths, however, exploiting or hurting others can actually bring them pleasure.
- Sociopaths are more dangerous than narcissists. People with an antisocial personality disorder are more likely to be engaged in an abusive or controlling relationships.
- Most people who engage in domestic violence are narcissistic or sociopath.
- Narcissists are actually insecure and often have fragile egos. They cannot handle criticism and will usually turn the tables on anyone who dares to point out a flaw or a mistake. They are experts at gaslighting.
- Sociopaths are skilled chameleons, able to take on many forms based on what they want out of a relationship
- Sociopaths stay in touch with their exes so that they can possibly be beneficial to them in the future.
- Narcissists brains work differently. A 2013 brain imaging study in the Journal of Psychiatric research found that narcissists have less grey matter volume in brain regions associated with empathy.
NB There was so much really interesting information and data in this study. I have listed it in the reference sources if you wish to explore further.
The reasons I am giving these examples is for you all to consider some of these descriptions in terms of Elected Officials in the Houses of Parliament, and members of the BRF
What Does Being a Republic Mean?
- A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives
- An inhabitated area such as a country, city or town.
What does Being an Autocracy Mean?
- Government in which one person has uncontrolled or unlimited authority over others; the government or power of an absolute monarch.
- A nation or state or community ruled by an autocrat
- Unlimited authority, power, or influence of one person in any group.
What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
- Self importance (grandiosity)
- A constant need for admiration and attention
- A lack of empathy for others
The above traits begin by early adulthood and are manifested by at least 5 of the following 9 criteria:-
- An extreme sense of self importance
- Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty or ideal love
- A belief that he or she is special and unique and can only be understood by or should associate with other special people or high status people or institutions.
- A lack of empathy
- Means a narcissist cannot really love you
- They do not experience and show love in the sense that most people do
- They do not care about the happiness of others except as it relates to them
- They are only concerned about their own happiness and needs
- Some seem to find ‘love’ but are really only seeking a practical arrangement for their own needs or are chasing perfection and once they see flaws they will end the relationship.
- A need for excessive admiration
- A sense of entitlement
- Exploitive behaviours of others
- Envy of others or a belief that others are envious of him or her
- Arrogance and haughty behaviours or attitudes
It is believed that an unhealthy early parent-child relationship may be a significant factor in the development of the disorder. There does not seem to be a genetic link to narcissistic personality disorder
Why Psychopaths Cannot Love Their Own Children
- Studies show that due to the obsession with themselves they struggle to see the point in other people’s feelings
- As a result, often their relationships are often abusive and controlling.
- Romantic partners can be manipulated, used and tricked into believing they are crazy before being abruptly devalued and discarded
- They do not and will not develop a sense of empathy, so they can never really love anyone.
- This does not change when they have children because the child is not seen as separate entity but merely as a tool at their disposal.
- They see children as an extension of themselves and a possession. Children are not nurtured but rather expected to grow up and do things so that they become like a trophy.
This is so very different from a child who grows up in a healthy family environment. Instead of being nurtured and taught the ways of the world, a child with a parent who has this personality disorder, can grow up without a sense of self.
There are no emotional boundaries either( as parent/s have no respect for the childs sense of property), so children grow up not really sure what boundaries are.
Children are not expected to grow up and have children of their own and are not allowed to get married without parental interference in every aspect – creating al sorts of drama so that the child stays single. Often used as a vessel for the parent to unload emotional baggage onto their children.
What is the Meaning of Monarchy?
- A political system based upon the undivided sovereignty or rule of a single person.
- Supreme authority is vested in the monarch, an individual ruler who functions as the head of state and who achieves his or her position through heredity. Most monarchs only allow male succession, usually from father to son.
- A monarchy consists of distinct but interdependent institutions – a government and a state administration on the one hand and a court and a variety of ceremonies on the other – that provide for the social life of the members of the dynasty, their friends and the associated elite.
- Monarchy therefore thus entails not only a political administrative organisation but also a “court society” ( a term coined by the German born sociologist Norbert Elias to designate various groups of nobility that are linked to the monarchical dynasty (or Royal house) through a web of personal bonds. All such bonds are evident in symbolic and ceremonial proprieties.
Monarchy also exists from the wish of a society to groom a leader who will properly represent its historical achievements and advance its interests. Monarchy therefore rests on the cultural identity and symbolism of the society it represents and projects it to outsiders.
Conclusion
Monarchys around the world are not as popular as they have been previously. Society is changing. The majority no longer exist. Those that are still in operation, mostly have become constitutional monarchies, but as I have tried to outline in this podcase, running alongside this apparent separation of politics and monarchy, it still exists, and all groups involved in this world of the elite, work every day to protect each other as support is no longer a long term given. The next two people destined to be Kings in the UK, are by no means safe or secure in their position. The third in Line is too young to worry about whether he will be king at all. The next person destined to be King, looks like he will wear the crown, and to all intent and purposes, he is no doubt working in that role already, with the Queens failing health. The 2nd in Line needs to think of his future in a way in which I doubt any other future monarch has had to do.
In my opinion, the evidence is there that those groups mentioned above, need each other to maintain their power and place in society. Laws are being amended and introduced without any scrutiny by the UK public. A global pandemic is rightly warranting priority, but there are things happening politically under the surface that would otherwise be scrutinised and called out. I foresee a return in some way, to an homogenised structure in decades to come, and identifying some of the personality types in all those groups currently in the public eye, I have concerns about the ripple effect on UK society and the impact of less scrutiny which could lead to difficulties for some groups in society, and increased protection for others. We shall see.
My usual stand back and look for the themes of the day to day trolling and deflection techniques employed by the chosen clusters to send out to the masses, lead me to believe in a possibility of a return to self preservation mode by elements of the power groups, along with a recognition that they are not as revered or safe as they used to be, and an amalgamation of tactics and processes may need to be developed in the coming decades.
Some of the personality types I have outlined above, lends itself to some individuals being able to exert influence and controlling behaviour behind the scenes, and only coming into the spotlight to take credit for various outcomes, and the bonus of being free to spend time how and when they want, knowing that the UK media will support the type and content of the coverage, because they too are in a group that is fast growing to be obsolescent.
Thank goodness that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex escaped from this spiral of dysfunctionality hidden behind such fantasy tales of the benefits of leaving the European Union.
Ivy Barrow
02/01/22
Useful Reference Sources
https://thenarcissticlife.com
https://dictionary.com re autocracy definition and meaning
https://dallaswholelife.com re behavioural counselling – Are You Narcissist? Tell Tale Signs
https://quora.com re Is it possible for a narcissist to be faithful in a relationship?
https://wordhippo.com re What is Another word for Controlling?
htpps://healthyplace.com re The Narcissist and His Family
https://businessinsider.com Re Why Psychopaths Cannot Love Their Own Children
https://emedicinehealth.com re Can a Narcissist Really Love You?
https://medicalnewstoday.com re How to Deal With Controlling People
https://britannica.com re Monarchy – Definition and Examples
https://psychologytoday.com re 5 Tips for Coping with a Narcissist Family Member
https://emedicinehealth.com re What Are the Nine Traits of a Narcissist?
https://verywellmind.com re Qualities of a Narcissistic Sociopath
https://psychology.stackexchange.com re What is the difference Between Meglomania and Narcissism?