The Queen is dead, long live the King. Last Thursday, for the 13th time in 334 years, the crown of the United Kingdom passed peacefully and orderly from one head of state to the next. As the longest reigning monarch in British history, few will remember a time before Elizabeth II.

In 1940, her father was king when cities faced nightly bombing from the German airforce. The 14-year-old princess addressed the nation on the radio.¹ "In the end," she said, "all will be well." She never went to school or sat an exam, but in 1952, she became queen aged 25.

The world's population has trebled since then.² The Internet replaced wireless radio. Twelve men walked on the moon. The UK joined and then left the European Union. So 70 years later, does Britain still need the royal family? Some experts think it does. Here is why:

1. It protects democracy. In 1688, the last monarch to try to wield absolute power fled England. James II lost the crown to his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange.³ Together they signed the Bill of Rights. It granted citizens freedom of speech and the right to elect their leaders.

You do not choose the throne. "You sit on it by accident of birth, not by personal merit," says journalist Charles Moore.⁴ Wearing the crown is a heavy burden⁵, not a weapon of power. If the UK replaced its constitutional monarchyA monarchy is which the king or queen acts as head of state but whose power is limited by a constitution. with elected presidents, experts warn of a British Putin or a British Trump.

2. It preserves history. In 1944, Anne FrankA Jewish girl who kept a diary during World War Two while hiding from the Nazis. ⁶ pinned up a photo of Princess Elizabeth in the secret annex where she hid from the Nazis. Elizabeth was a symbol of hope. Writer Helen Lewis says she was "a personal link to Britain's proudest moment," when the country stood alone against Hitler.⁷

A monarch's long reign gives them the authority and wisdom politicians lack. The queen appointed 15 prime ministers and remembered every moment of national crisis. During the pandemic, memory of the Blitz gave her words a unique power when she said: "We will meet again."⁸

3. It provides stability. Lewis says the queen was "a fixed point", like "the North StarA bright star that can be seen almost exactly above the North Pole. in the night sky". The monarch offers something solid in an age of change, their head on every coin and stamp.

The royal expert Dermot Morrah wrote of Elizabeth, "England would not be itself without her".⁹ Monarchs serve for life. The promises they make are comparable to marriage vows. Indeed, Elizabeth I famously declared: "I am married to England."¹⁰

4. It upholds values. In her 90s, the queen still carried out almost 300 engagements a year. She was working into her last week, meeting Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. At her husband Prince Philip's funeral, she sat alone - following social distancing rules.

For many, this self-sacrifice is the monarchy's greatest strength. It sets the highest standard for behaviour in public life. An example to us all.

And yet, at his coronation, Charles III will be anointed with sacred oil under cloth of gold held by four knights of the Garter.¹¹ A mysterious ritual from another age.

Yes: With their quarrels and scandals, the royal family does not offer stability and moral leadership. And it is absurd that you can become head of state without qualifications or a democratic process.

No: The royal family is always changing. The queen was a moderniser. She embraced television and new technology. She reformed outdated royal institutions while preserving the mystery and magic.

Or... Is the past such a bad thing? Love, friendship and charity are ancient ideas that have held society together for millennia. Monarchy survives because people find strength in old rituals and symbols.