The Fading Majesty of the British Crown
A 1885 editorial reflects on the diminishing power of the British monarchy, suggesting the institution may soon become a mere formality that the public outgrows.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
In Great Britain, the crown has less power today than it has ever before been shown to have. The monarchy, which has for so long been a source of stability, is now seen to be a tiny thing which can scarcely be held in the palm of the hand. It is a thing that we are not far from tossing aside. The old idea of divine right, for which men have killed and died, may meet its end. What part does the sovereign play in the British government as it is today? Suppose the monarchy were suddenly abolished by an act of Parliament. The government would go on just the same, and no one in England or out of it would feel the effects of the change. The ancient Mexicans were said to have been seized with awe and horror when they saw the soldiers of Cortes smash their idols, but when they saw that the horrible sacrilege was followed by no earthquake and no thunder, a tremendous revolution of feeling took place. So it is with the British people. When the superstitions of centuries melt away like the rime in a drawer, the English people and the English government will become one.
“The monarchy, which has for so long been a source of stability, is now seen to be a tiny thing which can scarcely be held in the palm of the hand.”
This 1885 editorial reflects an early, speculative skepticism toward institutions that mirror modern debates about the necessity and power of entrenched civic structures. Just as the writer questioned the 'divine right' of the monarchy, contemporary residents of Seattle frequently question the 'divine' authority of entrenched developers and political systems in shaping the city's future.
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