How the British Monarchy Lost Its Power

NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE

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or much of the turbulent 60-year reign of George III — including the Seven Years War, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Napoleonic Wars — the monarchy was an important branch of the British government. By the reign of Queen Victoria, who took the throne 17 years after George III died, it had become almost entirely ceremonial and symbolic. How and when did that change? This is a surprisingly elusive question, and the lessons we can learn from it are unexpectedly contemporary. Near the center of the story is one of the towering figures of conservative thought: Edmund …