8 February

The reason monarchy is pretty much all of human history is that it's a technology to control status rivalry. Modern minds don't understand this. Take the rituals around royalty, which modern republicans see as outdated and silly. The genius of ritual is that it de-personalises status. The ritual is not about any single person. No republics last, check your history, they all implode with violent rivalry for the top job. Monarchies last because they target status itself. The personal views of Queen Elizabeth 2 on most things for example went with her to her grave. There can be no rivalry if the monarch is not engaged in debate. Restricting access to this position to a hereditary family also means there can be no widespread rivalry, for the position. Compare with a President in a republic, where everybody fights for that top job, and their views on everything are known and impact outcomes.