A question on the institution of the monarchy (explainer in thread): what do people nowadays think is the legitimation of the monarchy? Are there surveys on it? (thread)
The Brexit debate has, again and again, waxed lyrical on democracy. The undemocratic setup of the UK Constitution rarely featured - if it did, it usually resulted in fierce attacks on the House of Lords. I have not seen any attacks on the Crown.
For someone who has not grown up in a monarchy that is remarkable. Title-wise, of course, the Queen is Queen by the Grace of God. But in time in which so many are agnostic or atheist I don't think a lot of people feel that justification to work.
So is it history? Is it utilitarian "it works, the Crown serves an integrative function"? (if memory serves Bagehot took the cynical view that it prevents the population from seeing how decisions are really made and that's a good thing).
The justification also matters because you have to wonder when, for a personalized hereditary institution, a family crisis can turn into a constitutional-institutional crisis.
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