Yahoo – AFP, Alice Ritchie, October 14, 2016
London (AFP) - The adoration felt by his people for the late king of Thailand was unique, but several modern monarchs have proved remarkably adept at maintaining public support for what many see as an outdated institution.
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The death of long-serving King Bhumibol Adulyadej is being marked by an intense
period of national mourning in Thailand, where he was seen as a stabilising father
figure in troubled times (AFP Photo/Lakruwan Wanniarachchi)
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London (AFP) - The adoration felt by his people for the late king of Thailand was unique, but several modern monarchs have proved remarkably adept at maintaining public support for what many see as an outdated institution.
The death
of long-serving King Bhumibol Adulyadej is being marked by an intense period of
national mourning in Thailand, where he was seen as a stabilising father figure
in troubled times.
Britain's
Queen Elizabeth II, who now takes over the mantle of the world's longest
reigning monarch after 64 years on the throne, is also hailed as a constant,
unifying presence.
She
celebrated her 90th birthday in April with public approval ratings in Britain
of 76 percent -- "ratings that politicians would die for", noted
Professor Robert Hazell of University College London's Constitution Unit.
Many other
European monarchs are also enjoying strong public support, with the notable exception
of Spain -- which acts as a cautionary tale.
The former
king Juan Carlos won widespread respect after playing a major role in the
transition to democracy after the death of longtime dictator Francisco Franco
in 1975.
But he
abdicated two years ago amid a corruption scandal involving his daughter, and
his son King Felipe VI is struggling to clean up the royal family's image.
"Each
generation has to renew the contract between the monarch and the people.
Monarchy cannot be taken for granted. It has to earn respect," Hazell
said.
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Details of
the longest reigning monarchs since Louix XIV
(AFP Photo/K. Tian/S.Malfatto)
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'Vulnerable to scandals'
Denmark's
Queen Margrethe II, who in 1972 became the first woman to take the helm of the
oldest European monarchy, has managed to survive without any major controversies
-- and is wildly popular.
King Harald
V, who has reigned Norway for 25 years, has similar approval ratings of 82
percent.
But
Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf has struggled for more than 40 years to shed his
image as a car-mad playboy, and allegations of affairs have taken their toll on
his popularity.
The latest
poll, in March, found 65 percent of Swedes wanted to keep the monarchy and 24
percent wanted to abolish it.
In Spain,
the corruption scandal surrounding Juan Carlos's daughter Cristina came after
the king outraged Spaniards in 2012 by going elephant hunting in Botswana at
the height of the country's recession.
"There
is a paradox here," said Professor Philip Murphy, director of the
Institute of Commonwealth Studies.
"On
one hand they seem often like permanent fixtures but in today's climate of
24-hour news they are quite vulnerable to personal scandals undermining their
popularity quite seriously."
'Reinventing themselves'
Queen
Elizabeth II has not always been so popular, suffering a public backlash over
her apparently cold response to the 1997 death of Diana, the ex-wife of her son
Prince Charles.
But her
reputation recovered and now the next generation, Charles' son William and his
wife Kate, are injecting a new lease of life into the institution
"Monarchies
frequently have to reinvent themselves, and find a new way of attracting
popularity," said Murphy.
"You
could do so quite easily around the very attractive and rather glamorous
figures of prince William and Kate."
In the
Netherlands, Queen Beatrix won many hearts in her 33 years on the throne. But
after abdicating in 2013, her 46-year-old son Willem-Alexander took over with a
promise to be a 21st century king.
Outside
Europe, Morocco's King Mohammed VI marked a break with his feared father Hassan
II while providing stability at a time of turmoil as the Arab Spring swept
across North Africa and to the Middle East.
Although he
retains overall power as head of state and the military, he takes time to meet
his people -- as well as to indulge his love of jet skis.
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