Elizabeth II

1926-2022

The passing of Elizabeth II – the United Kingdom’s longest reigning monarch – is likely to be a watershed moment in the history of this country.

This will be a very sad time for a nation that has come to regard Elizabeth personally as an immovable institution for so long. Nevertheless, it may, in the long run, prove to be something of a relief that her long reign, straddling several different eras, has finally drawn to a close.

For libertarians, the ideal remains no kind of state rule at all. But if steps towards this goal are to be achieved in the real world, we have to assess existing institutions according to their potential to balance and minimise the abuse of state power.

To this end, here are some thoughts from earlier in the year that look to the monarchy, at least in principle, as a modest opportunity for an institutional and cultural refreshment of this country:

My colleague at Free Life, Alan Bickley, has offered some further thoughts on Elizabeth’s impact upon the UK: