Is it time to abolish the monarchy?

Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland talks to Anushka Asthana about the fallout from last week’s Oprah Winfrey interview with Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and whether it could lead to calls to abolish the monarchy. The racism accusation, Freedland says, is particularly lethal, because the conventional remedies are not available to royalty. This is not the worst crisis to hit the royal family in recent years, however. The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was far bigger, Freedland believes.

Support for republicanism has always been low. Polling is stubbornly consistent, showing support for a republic flatlining at about 20%. There is a question though, about whether much of that support is tied to the Queen. Once her reign comes to an end and Charles takes the throne, perhaps public support may shift?

Members Of The Royal Family Attend Events To Mark The Centenary Of The RAF<br>LONDON,  UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 1O:   Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Andrew, Duke of York,  Queen Elizabeth ll, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to view a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force (RAF)  on July 10, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage)



Photograph: Anwar Hussein/WireImage

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source: theguardian.com