Why support the Monarchy?

In a Constitutional Monarchy, the office of head of state (King) is separated from that of head of government (Prime Minister). The head of state, in Grenada’s case the King and by extension his representative, the Governor-General, is politically neutral and independent. The King does not owe his position as King of Grenada to any political party or politician, and has no political history. He’s neither NNP nor NDC. As such, supporters and members of all political parties can rally behind him as our head of state. He doesn’t cause division along party lines, and keeps the ultimate representation of the state separate from party politics. This extends to the Governor-General, who represents and is appointed by the King, and is thus expected to also be neutral. Being an appointee of the King rather than an elected official means the Governor-General also does not owe their position to any party. This neutrality and unity from the head of state is important in binding our nation together.

The monarchy provides us with long-term stability and predictability. Our head of state is there as a something permanent, not constantly changing with political fortunes or election cycles. The Crown provides a reference point in the turbulent sea of politics. While our members of parliament, ministers and Prime Minister may change, the King remains a constant presence. The late Queen Elizabeth II was a solid rock of stability for 70 years as Queen, through 9 Prime Ministers of Grenada. The monarchy also provides predictability, because we know who our next head of state will be. After King Charles, we know it will be Prince William, and after him Prince George. We are familiar with them. The question of who is to become our next head of state is not a political lottery, but an assured and established fact. Even revolutionaries such as Maurice Bishop and Fidel Castro recognised and appreciated the importance of the stability the monarchy brings.

The monarchy serves as a bulwark in the defence of our Constitution. As laid out in our page about the monarchy’s constitutional role in Grenada, the Crown has a number of very important constitutional duties. These duties are central to the proper functioning of our constitutional system, and it is vital that these duties are carried out impartially and independently of party-political bias. For example, in an instance where a Prime Minister refuses to resign after losing an election, or tries to prevent parliament from sitting because they know they will be voted out, the Crown has the power and responsibility to dismiss them. Likewise, if a Prime Minister tries to have parliament suspended in order to avoid scrutiny, the Crown can refuse. If a government enacts legislation so egregiously against the rights and dignity of the Grenadian people or our democratic institutions, the Crown can veto such legislation and stop it from coming into effect. The monarchy is, ultimately, the guardian of our constitution against a wayward government, and for such guardianship to be effective, it must come from a neutral and independent source, not one tainted by party-political affiliaiton.

The nature of our monarchy as one wherein the King does not usually reside in Grenada does in fact give us an extra layer of protection in the defence of our democracy. If, at any time, a catastrophic event were to occur in Grenada, which led to the death or incapacitation of our entire government and the Governor-General, the King stands ready as an outside force to restore constitutional normality. This situation came close to happening during the American Intervention in 1983. Had Governor-General Sir Paul Scoon, the last legal authority in Grenada following the execution of Maurice Bishop and the disbandment of Parliament after the revolution, been killed during the intervention, the Queen would have been the only legal authority left for Grenada. She would have been able to legally appoint a new Governor-General and an interim government to handle the transition back to democracy. She was the ultimate fail-safe to set Grenada back on track, as the King is now.

Grenada being a monarchy with King Charles III as head of state gives Grenada access to some of the world’s most famous, prestigious, and sought after honours and awards: the Royal Honours. These honours include the British Empire Medal, the Order of the British Empire, the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, the Royal Victorian Order, the Order of Merit and the Order of the Companions of Honour, as well as the title of King’s Counsel for our eminent jurists. These honours, some of which include the title of Sir or Dame, are symbols of great achievements and excellence, and are only available to countries with the King as head of state. The monarchy thereby makes it possible for Grenadians to be given these extremely prestigious honours. For example Kirani James was, by the late Queen Elizabeth II, made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

The monarchy provides Grenada with important diplomatic connections and avenues. Under out current system of government, Grenada is one of an exclusive club of 15 countries, the Commonwealth Realms, which share the King as head of state. Sharing the same head of state makes diplomatic communication with other realms, such as the UK and Canada, easier. It also affords Grenada a special place of importance at major international events involving the monarchy, such as the Queen’s funeral and the King’s coronation, where while men like the presidents of the USA and France sat far in the back, Grenada had a place of honour at the very front, with a special procession in and with our country’s flag prominently displayed. Retaining the monarchy also gives Grenada the opportunity to utilise the King for direct diplomatic purposes. The late Queen, for instance, was known to write letters to foreign governments on behalf of various her realms, including Saint Vincent, Saint Lucia and Grenada, in order to open doors and receive an attentive ear.

For a democracy to function well our politicians must remember one thing above all: they are not our rulers, they are merely the people we have temporarily entrusted to operate our government. The monarchy is an effective tool in this regard. With the King as head of state, it prevents any politician from ever achieving the very top position in our state. No matter what they do, how much they scheme or are loyal to their party interests, they will never be able to achieve the self-indulgent glory of being our head of state. This puts a lid on their ambitions. The fact that our politicians must swear allegiance to a head of state who was there before they took office, and will be there after they leave office, who is unaffected by their politicking, is an important reminder to the political class that they are temporary administrators, not permanent rulers.

Transitioning to a republic would be very expensive. Becoming a republic would require the removal of the numerous references and symbols of the monarchy throughout Grenadian government. For instance, the Royal Grenada Police Force would have to be renamed, bringing with it a change of logo and a change of all the uniforms (which include the Crown as insignia). His Majesty’s Prisons would also need to be renamed, also with accompanying logo change and new uniforms. The office of the Governor-General would need to be renamed to President, also with all the accompanying costs of changing symbols, flags, and other associated material. Our national honours and awards, which have the King as Sovereign and which bear images of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Crown, would need to be totally redesigned. This is not to mention the exorbitant costs of holding a republic referendum, which is required by our constitution. The cost of becoming a republic, which would cost millions of dollars, is indefensible for the total lack of any benefit it would bring.