British monarchs: George III to Charles III -- Introduction: Crown and country in crisis -- Part one: Ceremony, spectacle and tradition -- Is it still something to be proud of? -- Consecrated obstruction -- The seasonable addition of nice and pretty events -- An alien and uninspiring court? -- The bride waves, the crowd cheers -- The new Elizabethans -- The glamour of backwardness -- Part two: Duty, service and philanthropy -- Devoted to your service -- Benevolence sweetens authority -- A living power for good -- The heavy burden of responsibility -- Come on Margaret! -- A new Jerusalem? -- The Queen had no choice -- It's all part of minding deeply about this country -- Part three: Family, celebrity and scandal -- The press creates...the press destroys -- A family on the throne -- The royal soap opera -- Killing the monarchy? -- Annus horribilis -- Never complain, never explain -- Don't make my final years a misery -- Part four: Nation, democracy and the constitution -- No more good chaps -- Democratic monarchy -- One who reigns but does not rule? -- To be invisible is to be forgotten -- The spirit of generous compromise -- The good of the country -- The perfect constitutional monarch? -- Queen's consent -- Conclusion: Radical renewal or republican Britain?

"The British monarchy has been through turbulent times of late. Rocked by scandal and strife, and without it seems a clear plan for the future following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, we have been left wondering: what happens next? Nothing seems certain. Will the monarchy survive with its continuing echoes of an Imperial past? Will young people - disenchanted with the political status quo - find the ritual and practice of the monarchy quite so mesmerising as previous generations have done? What might a republican Britain look like? Ed Owens argues that the monarchy must embrace reform and transform itself radically. No more private jets while preaching about the importance of the environment; no more secrecy obscuring royal influence in high places; and no more hangers on enjoying grace-and-favour homes. A major slimming down is essential. And it's time the family archives were opened. All these issues will have a direct effect on the common good of the nation as it tries to reinvent itself as a modern working democracy, and endeavours to equip itself for the coming decades. Ed Owens situates this critical moment of royal transition in its historical context in order to set out a vision for monarchy that is future-proof, but which would also see the crown play an integral role in the evolution of 21st-century Britain."--Publisher