This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
Will Queen Elizabeth be the last monarch?
Graham Smith, the CEO of Republic, an organization that advocates for the replacement of the British monarch with a directly elected head of state, thinks she should be. In an interview with Express, Smith explained that he thought it was about time Britain decided to “move on and do something different.”
Keep reading for more details!
Smith believes that "all the royals should renounce their titles."
And he thinks it's only a matter of time before the rest of the country feels the same. He explained, "I think that the writing is on the wall. Why don’t they do themselves a favor and say we are not going to pursue this any further?”
He continued, "Have the monarchy until the Queen passes away and then let’s move on and do something different."
Smith's main concern is what will happen when Prince Charles ascends the throne.
He explained, "We have made a documentary titled ‘The Man Who Shouldn’t be King’ about Prince Charles. We are and I think a lot of people are concerned about Charles becoming King. I think he is going to hasten the end of the monarchy."
Part of the reason he thinks Charles is doomed to fail is because he lacks the popularity of the Queen. He explained, "The monarchy tends to survive because of the Queen and Prince Charles is not as well liked or supported. He is also much easier to challenge and criticize, the problem with him is that he cannot help himself when it comes to interfering with politics."
He also thinks that William and Kate should step back from the royal life--and alludes to how Harry and Meghan handled their situation.
Smith tells the outlet: "I think that if William and Kate were sufficiently self-aware, they would understand it would not only benefit the country but benefit them.”
"They could go off and enjoy themselves and have Netflix deals and do whatever they want on their own money and their own time," he added.
Meghan and Harry's decision to step back from the royal family might be the basis of Smith's estimates about the monarchy's longevity.
At the time, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Insider that their decision would have a "considerable cost to the institution Harry was brought up to serve." Could that cost be the end of the monarchy altogether?
