Prof.
Dror Verman
Historian, expert on the British Royal Family,
President of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Academic College.
Full professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he served as dean of the Faculty of Humanities
Prof. Dror Verman, this month Queen Elizabeth 96 will celebrate a good time to talk about what is happening in the kingdom, probably in the 70th year of her tenure. Just last week she was spotted at a public event outside her home, after about six months. The rumors about her impending departure, along with the great pleasure she derives from the job - are confusing. As long as she is in reasonable health, will she remain in power?
"An interesting thing is happening here, because in two years it is expected to break the world record held by Louis XIV, which stands at 72 years. Louis was the perfect king, the poster child of the Absolute Rule. So in my opinion, it will not retire so quickly before that record. , Which is so close to breaking it. "
Its critics argue that it is not great wisdom to hold power for 70 years.
"It may not be great wisdom, but to succeed 70 years at the present time, and to gain a kingdom in no less good condition than it received - it is an almost miraculous achievement, on the verge of a miracle. It was only likely that it would evaporate as other kingdoms evaporated, but it did not happen. When it came to power in 1952, immediately after World War II, the British Empire crumbled between its fingers, and the whole world seemed to have been liberated from the British Empire, which until then had been the most powerful political factor in the world. Today, about 60 nations around the world are celebrating Independence Day under British rule. "
The monarchy was then perceived as a remnant of Medieval. And just then, on the advice of her husband Philip, they broadcast her coronation ceremony, as we foresaw in "The Crown." Can it be said that this openness is part of the secret that helped keep it in power?
"It's part of it, but there's a pretty delicate balance here. In the 19th century, journalist Walter Bagett, author of the book The British Constitution, wrote that England was a republic disguised as a monarchy, with two parts to power. He said the first part was effective. , And the same elected prime minister and parliament, and the second, honorable part, headed by the monarchy. And all this constellation works because of its mystery, which must be kept. The coronation and the creation of a film about the royal family - kept this balance, relatively speaking. The "Crown" series is more threatening to her. "
The English are Elizabethan, not monarchical.
The Queen, Photo: AFP
"She has no personal charm"
Some experts from your academic field will say that the royal family is nearing the end of the game - William may be the last king in the dynasty. Beyond that, there are polls showing that a significant proportion of young people in England think that the prime minister alone is enough.
"There are doubts about her and the monarchy, and I'll tell you more than that - she herself is preoccupied with them. But to bet, I do not think the British monarchy will disappear in the coming years, and Elizabeth certainly has a part in it.
" Royal.
But when Australia held a referendum - the citizens decided to keep it as the head of their country, because the people love myths, legends.
The secret of its power is in being part of a much larger myth, which still exists completely, and cannot be underestimated.
People are connected to it.
The stronger the political controversy, the more necessary a unifying, symbolic figure is above all conflict.
So it is the symbol of the United Kingdom, and it is a huge force. "
Symbolism is related to it on the one hand, and to the power of the kingdom on the other.
"There is even a theory around this issue, which originated in the Middle Ages, called the dual body of a king or queen. According to which, the king has one material body - which grows old and eventually dies; The stability of the kingdom. "
Is it still so?
"Less, but there are still remnants of this thing. We are having this conversation also against the background of the Queen's birthday. But surprisingly, it turns out that the Queen is celebrating two birthdays - the biological, which is celebrated in April in the family, and the official, which is celebrated on the first Saturday of June. "Because of the weather. It's a remnant of the same dual body theory."
What can be said about her character? She is portrayed as a rather cold, calculated queen.
"I do not think she has a personal charm. She is distant and quite cold. In the series, after the mine disaster in Wales, she proves herself unable to shed a tear. On the other hand, she has a deep sense of commitment to the role. She conducted internal politics almost flawlessly."
George W. Bush has said of her in the past that she takes her job seriously, but not herself. You agree?
"If you take this role seriously, it sterilizes your personality. The same is true of Louis XIV. He had no private life at all. His whole life was one big ritual, and one big show. And that's largely true of Elizabeth. Her supreme devotion. "So strong that even if there is a personal side - it is almost irrelevant, and does not affect her actions. She has managed to neutralize every comma in her psychological-self being."
Anti-monarchical connotations
The central discourse in Britain deals with the Queen's heir.
"Polls show William's name as the one the British want to see as the next king, after Elizabeth, not his father Charles. But the abolition of the existing order requires dramatic moves, which are unlikely to happen; what could happen is a script called 'Soft Regency,' ' "Gentle curfews, 'as happens when a five-year-old king is appointed who can not control, and a curfew is attached to him. This is a possible arrangement, which does not have to be formal."
What will it look like in practice?
"Charles will continue to do formal duties - weekly consultation with the Prime Minister, speeches at the opening of Parliament;
While William will be the Secretary of State for the Crown, and will attend other public events.
Rumor has it that this script is also inside the royal house, in their close team. "
"Horrible optics."
William and Kate in Jamaica, Photo: Reuters
Another interesting issue is the name Charles will choose.
"Upon his election as king, the rules of the ceremony allow him to choose a name. The natural possibility is that he chooses the name Charles III. But his predecessors by that name were catastrophes - the head of one was beheaded, and the other became Catholic and almost dismantled the British kingdom. "To be a ruler. By the way, formally, the appointment of a Jewish king is actually possible. I wonder why Elizabeth and Philip chose this name, which evokes almost anti-royal connotations."
What name might he choose?
"George VII. History shows that kings named George were beloved, and this is one of his middle names."
Non-rotating consultants
You described the great power in the job, but the threats should also be noted.
"Elizabeth has re-imprinted the British Commonwealth narrative and poured content into it, but today it is a threat to her. The island of Barbados has decided to become an independent republic, and Jamaica is also building muscle on the issue. In particular the anger in Scotland and its chances of returning to the EU, and giving up the kingdom.At the same time, there is of course a similar danger on the part of Northern Ireland.
"Among all these threats comes the prime minister, Boris Johnson, who does not know how to play the game. He does not understand the depth of the English tradition and the admiration of the people for it. Talk about it, it's illogical.
"Recently, one of the MPs asked how it is possible that the staff of 10 Downing Street behaved irresponsibly while in the Corona, while the Queen was sitting alone during the memorial service for Philip. The Speaker of Parliament stopped him and told him - we are not talking here about the royal house.
These are sacred traditions that have been around for centuries, and they hold the royal house where it is located. "
empathy.
Olivia Coleman, "The Crown", Photo: PR
And Johnson refuses to cooperate.
"Yes. He tried to pass the legislation ahead of the Brexit, and needed Parliament not to convene, and to that end deceived the Queen, a Scottish court has ruled. So yes, Johnson is definitely a threat, and is an example of no longer being able to trust politicians to run. According to the unwritten constitution, which protects the monarchy in many ways. "
Another, less expected, danger is for example William and Kate's last trip to the Caribbean last month. Experts believe it does not bode well for the future of the crown. They suffered protests from residents there, threats of abandonment of countries like Jamaica, and the Bahamas criticized them for their connection to slavery, and even demanded that they pay compensation.
"They set out on a journey in the British Commonwealth, a failure that failed despite their attempts to appear progressive and liberal. In practice, they are privileged to come from a small group that controls an entire people. These are rules no one else would accept. And great anger at slavery, for example. "
What did you think of the picture in the capital of Jamaica, when William and Kate reach out to the children through the fence?
"No one thought deeply about the horrible optics of the thing. It connected to the 'Crown' series, and to pictures from Elizabeth's 1953 trip to Africa. It seems like the same team directed both scenes. Part of the problem is that their advisers do not alternate for decades. "But the monarchy has shown in the past that it can recover from such blows. However, I do not know how much the story of Megan and Harry can be corrected, especially in the interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they admitted that someone from the royal family wondered what color their child would be."
There were those who believe that the affair of Andrew, who was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old, would also be a problem for the Queen, until she suddenly appeared with him at the memorial service for Philip holding her hand.
"It was a surprise, but the Queen took good care of it, removed him from his public office and so on, so it could be a slight blow to the wing."
Do monarchies in general, and the British one in particular, still justify themselves today?
"It is difficult to generalize from other monarchies to the British one, because its meaning is unique in the Western world. The question is what comes out of the British kingdom from the existence of the monarchy, and in my opinion it comes out very much: it unites the people despite political difficulties.
"If you compare the growing split and polarization in England compared to the United States - the effect is different, hatred is not the same hatred, and the monarchy contributes to that.
It allows the ability to connect to a unifying and supreme factor.
If you will, it's a bit like Princess Diana - she may have been a burden on the royal family, but in the end she also contributed a lot to her.
It's ambivalent.
And if another word is said about the 'crown', it increases the empathy for the royal house.
When Harry says it's a nightmare to be a royalty - the series clarifies why this is so. "
Will the war in Ukraine have an impact on the kingdom?
"If an all-out European war breaks out, it is difficult to predict its end. At the moment they will not lift a military finger that would endanger them in a confrontation with Russia. But given an event that would require NATO to intervene directly, the game will change completely."
You are also the president of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Academic College. I asked you earlier about the possibility of the existence of monarchies in our world. In a rather sharp transition, does academic degree study have a place nowadays? People see learning as a lifelong process that does not require a formal framework. Already today we see high-tech programs that do not require a bachelor's degree, but more focused studies.
"I do not think the academy will disappear, because the number of undergraduate students in the country has only increased in the last 20 years - from 100,000 to 300,000. Academic studies provide much broader needs than vocational training. Like the British monarchy, which knows how to reinvent itself every time , So do academic studies, and academic institutions must understand the need for the hour and change accordingly.
Tel Aviv-Yafo Academic College, Photo: Kfir Sivan
"What is disappearing is the labor market as we know it. People change a large number of jobs in a short time, and continuous learning is required, and academic studies make it possible to acquire such abilities. Our college strives to be the first impact college in the country. At the same time academic, social and occupational excellence among our graduates.As long as I do not give students an academic degree based on a 19th century model - demand will not fall, and academia will continue to be relevant.Just like the royal house, which is a bit like a Japanese building, if you will - "Earth is moving, but it is not collapsing."
For suggestions and comments: Ranp@israelhayom.co.il
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us