A constitutional monarchy that has endured

EARLIER this month, King Juan Carlos of Spain abdicated his throne after reigning for for decades. His abdication was, amongst others, a measure to save the Spanish crown from its plummeting popularity among the Spanish populace. His son Felipe VI took his place as king on June 19.

In the United Kingdom, when news broke of the abdication, mainstream newspaper The Guardian ran a poll on whether Queen Elizabeth II should also follow suit and give way to her son Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales. Also in the same newspaper, a commentator wrote an article about how Juan Carlos’ abdication was the “writing on the wall” for European royals and it should “send shivers through the House of Windsor”.