Some will attend alternative events, including a gig in Glasgow by tribute band the Scottish Sex Pistols, recapturing the spirit of punks who sang “God save the queen, the fascist regime” during the late queen’s 1977 silver jubilee. Tens of thousands will line the streets, and neighborhoods across the country will hold parties.īut millions more will ignore the ceremonies. Millions in Britain will watch broadcasts when Charles is crowned in Westminster Abbey. “People are quite happy to criticize Charles in a way they weren’t willing to necessarily in public about the queen.” “I think it’s definitely shifting,” said Smith, whose group wants to replace the monarch with an elected head of state. In a recent study by the National Center for Social Research, just 29% of respondents thought the monarchy was “very important” – the lowest level in the center’s 40 years of research on the subject.

Opinion polls suggest opposition and apathy to the monarchy are both growing. Charles is another matter, a 74-year-old whose family feuds and firm opinions on everything from architecture to the environment have been headline fodder for decades. Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September after 70 years on the throne, was widely respected because of her longevity and sense of duty.

The Harder She Comes by D.L. King