Much as I admire the U.S. Constitution, it is worth noting that that sublime document was the product of a misplaced fear, writes Dan Hannan.
The 15 realms that acknowledge Queen Elizabeth II as their monarch have spent the weekend celebrating her Platinum Jubilee. The queen has reigned for 70 years, a record surpassed only by King Louis XIV of France and, if you count nonsovereign states, Sobhuza II of Swaziland, who assumed the throne at the age of four months and held it until his death nearly 83 years later.
Monarchies are rare these days. If we consider only the years since Elizabeth’s accession, we see toppled thrones in Afghanistan, Burundi, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Laos, Libya, Nepal, Rwanda, Tunisia, Vietnam, and Yemen. And how confident can you be of the U.S.? As this column frequently laments, elections are increasingly treated as contingent, with the losing side immediately going to court. In 2016 and in 2020, Donald Trump declared before a single vote was cast that the result would be fraudulent unless he won.