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Inside the Blue Book
Noblesse Oblige
Summer 2003
by Jennifer L. Holley
HIST 420b
The Monarchy and Modern British Society
Faculty: Frank Prochaska, Lecturer in History
“In Britain, no one teaches a course on the British monarchy,” says Frank Prochaska. In England, the topic is not considered relevant to academia, and the syllabi are generally less flexible. At Yale, he notes, the faculty can be more innovative and (within reason) teach what they want. Prochaska, who has offered “The Monarchy and Modern British Society” twice at Yale, conceived the idea for the course after writing books on philanthropy and republicanism in Britain. He came to realize the significance of charitable giving as a defining institution of the contemporary royal family.
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“A republic isn’t necessarily anti-monarchical.”
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The monarchy has proven its high degree of adaptability by adjusting to democratic reform and social change. Prochaska wants his students to think about the ways in which Britain is, as Tennyson called it in “Idylls of the King,” a “crowned republic.” Prochaska says, “Historically, a republic has more to do with the expansion of democratic rights and public spirit than with the monarchy. A republic isn’t necessarily anti-monarchical.”
Although the monarchy has lost political power, it retains a ceremonial function and its role as head of state. But mainly, the vacuum created by the loss of power was filled with civic and charitable interests. Prochaska’s class traces the growth of this phenomenon. To wit: George III had nine royal patronages; Queen Elizabeth now has around 850.
He sees a direct relation between philanthropy and the feminization of the monarchy. Since Victoria, women have reigned for many more years than men. The women in the extended royal family, who had limited scope for self expression, found possibilities for making a difference through charitable work.
Overall, Prochaska wants students to be able to put a crucial institution in historical context. He says, “I want them to see a ‘republic’ as a protean thing.”  |
