Thread by @priyaatwal

A 🧵 of thoughts after watching the grand spectacle (or tamasha?) of the #Coronation. I can’t help but feel that Britain could really do with better education about how the monarchy works in school & via media reporting! 1/9

This Guardian piece encapsulates the need for greater public understanding/awareness of the workings of the modern monarchy. The focus on royal celebrity melodrama or spectacle blinds us to its practical political & economic impact. 2/9

theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/m…

Whether we choose to keep the monarchy as head of state in the UK or the Crown’s other ‘realms’, we all ought to be more informed & able to discuss the nature of its role & activities. Yet access to royal historical archives is tightly restricted 3/9

historyextra.com/period/21st-ce…

After all, history is about a lot more than grand old ceremony/tradition. Plus, the arresting of peaceful protestors moments before the start of the ceremony, while they were simply unloading placards, is even more concerning. 4/9

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-655074…

If #KingCharlesIII’s reign is truly to be an open & innovative one, why not increase access to the monarchy’s archives & subject its record of activity to fuller, uncensored scrutiny & public discussion? 5/9

I’ve had the huge privilege of researching in the Royal Archives & have learnt an incredible amount from some of their friendly, hard-working archivists too. I wish more people had that opportunity! 6/9

The monarchy has a long way to go to justify its status & wealth. A single family holding on to power & billions of ££s only due to its ancestral bloodline & in a cost of living crisis - how does that unite the nation? Let’s see what, if anything, changes from today. 7/9

And yes, we saw some gestures of inclusivity today: with a gospel choir, representatives from all faiths in the ceremony & David Olusoga offering some helpful critique on the BBC… 8/9

…but I’d argue that true inclusivity is when we all have greater power & knowledge to influence, shape or challenge the monarchy itself - rather than merely engaging with its surface of spectacle. 9/9