The Duke of York has shown no contrition regarding his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Despite Epstein’s conviction and prison sentence for the sexual abuse of a child, the duke has said that he regarded the continuation of their friendship as an “honourable thing.” The friendship, and the questions it raises, acquire a significance different from that which would be raised if he had been another citizen because of Britain’s attachment to the idea of a Royal Family, were such questions hanging over a presidential figure, the way would be open at the next election to eject from office the president and those associated.
Monarchists might argue on the basis of tradition and even religion, but monarchy has no special place in Christian thinking. The First Book of Samuel Chapter 8 suggests monarchy is a rejection of God!
‘So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”
Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plough his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
There were doubts about monarchy three thousand years ago. Even if the idea of a monarch is to continue, the notion of a Royal Family must be questioned.