The British Monarchy and the Jewish People

Queen Elizabeth II (BBC)

Some random thoughts about the British monarchy in light of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. Which was a sight to behold. The grandeur of the British monarchy was on full display.

The plain truth is that the British monarch has absolutely no political power. In fact it has less power than the US vice president. Described by Vice President John Nance Garner  (under FDR) as not worth a warm pitcher of spit (or something close to that). 

The British monarchy is basically all about its trappings. The only significance  – if any - is historical. The queen was a direct descendant of previous British monarchs. Although in her case it came via the abdication of her uncle, the King at the time. The monarchy went to his brother - Elizabeth’s father who died shortly after. Elizabeth was next in line to succeed him. And so she did for 70 years - the longest reigning monarch in British history.

I had always been amused by the attention Queen Elizabeth - a mere figurehead - got. I saw her and the entire monarchy as little more that a tourist attraction. Albeit a lucrative one for Great Britain. Apparently the monarchy must bring more tourist revenue that its huge cost. 

I, for one, am quite happy with our own system of government. Monarchies are not democratic. Which leaves its subject at the mercy of kings or queens who are not always benevolent – taking advantage of their subjects to enrich themselves. This in essence is why the founding fathers broke away from Great Britain and created the United States - an independent democracy. That has led to the US becoming the greatest and most powerful democracy on the face of the earth.

Eventually England had their own revolution which was non violent. They established their own version of a democracy while retaining its royal character. They call it a Constitutional Monarchy. Their leaders are freely elected by the people and are the ones with political power. The monarchy is just  a symbol of their continuity and long history as a nation.

One thing I took away from the massively watched funeral of the queen was how beloved she was. Not only by her royal British subjects but by British political leaders on both sides of the aisle. From arch conservative Prime Minister, Liz Truss, to the former extreme leftist labor leader Jeremy Corbin. As well as being beloved figure by world leaders across the globe. From Biden to Putin.

I have therefore come to understand that the British monarchy is not as irrelevant as I used to think. When an individual is so beloved by so many people, their opinions carry some weight. They may not have any political power But their opinions are heard worldwide and respected. That influences the general public which in turn might influence how they vote. Thus having influence on who their political leaders are and how they legislate. 

With that in mind it is interesting to note Queen Elizabeth’s attitude about her Jewish subjects. By all accounts she was a true friend of the Jewish people and went out of her way to accommodate the needs of all segments of Jewish society in England.  That she was so beloved must mean that her positive attitude about the Jewish people carried over to the rest of the country to some extent. That might help explain at least in part why Jeremy Corbin - widely regarded as an antisemite - was so soundly defeated in his bid to become prime minister.

King Charles III (Hello Magazine)

This brings me to the current reigning monarch - her son, King Charles. The affection his mother had for her Jewish subjects surely transferred to him. That was made obvious as well in much of the Jewish media reportage about him. 

But I knew that about King Charles long before now. I recall attending a Friday night Shabbos meal hosted by an Orthodox Shul in Chicago where the late Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks was a scholar in residence at the time. He spoke about the importance of making a positive impression on the non Jewish world and cultivating relationships with the influential people among them whenever possible. Demonstrating that with anecdotes about his own close personal relationship with then Prince Charles. That closeness became apparent when Rabbi Sacks passed away. It deeply affected Charles who uncharacteristically penned a deeply emotional tribute to him in one of the Jewish News media.

I think the Jewish People have a real friend in Buckingham Palace. Perhaps even greater then his mother. The only question is, whether that makes any difference when it comes to actual legislation. I don’t know the answer to that. But still, it’s nice to have a good friend high places