5 powerful quotes and how they relate to the monarchy and republicanism

Quote 1:

“Environmentalism without class struggle is just gardening.”

If we are serious about saving the planet, we must also be serious about dismantling the hierarchies that poison it. The British monarchy is not a harmless tradition — it is a monument to inherited privilege, unequal land ownership, and a feudal idea of stewardship that locks the environment inside the walls of private wealth. True green politics demands more than clean rivers and wind farms; it demands justice — economic, social, and ecological. To heal the Earth, we must democratize it. Abolishing the monarchy is not a distraction from environmentalism — it is a step toward a Green Republic where land, power, and hope belong to everyone.

Quote 2:

“If you dare to struggle, you dare to win.”

Fred Hampton’s words echo across time — a reminder that freedom is never gifted, it’s earned through courage. Today, that courage means daring to imagine a Britain where no one is born above another. A ceremonial republic is not about tearing down tradition; it’s about lifting up democracy. It’s about saying that dignity should belong to all of us, not to a single family by birthright. If we dare to struggle for that — for fairness, equality, and the right to define our own future — then we dare to win a country that finally reflects the people it serves. The struggle is not against history, but for the promise that history has yet to keep.

Quote 3:

“It was not the truth they wanted but an illusion they could bear to live with”

This quote captures the human tendency to prefer comforting myths over uncomfortable realities. Applied to many British people and the monarchy, it reflects the way public perception and attachment often rely more on symbolism than reality:

1. The myth of the monarchy: Many want to see the royal family as a unifying symbol, a link to history, and a source of national pride. This creates a comforting narrative of continuity, duty, and grace, even if the underlying institution is deeply unequal, expensive, or embroiled in scandals.

2. Avoiding uncomfortable truths: The realities of inherited privilege, vast wealth, and political influence challenge the idea of fairness and democracy. Accepting these truths would force people to confront systemic inequality, which is uncomfortable for many.

3. Illusion as social glue: By clinging to the illusion of a benevolent and ceremonial monarchy, society can feel a sense of stability and identity, even if it’s built on outdated hierarchies. In other words, people often choose the comforting story over the harsher truth of inequality and inherited power.

Quote 4:

“You can’t explain the ocean to a frog that lives in a well”

speaks to the limits of perspective. It means that someone who has only ever known a confined, familiar world cannot easily grasp something broader or entirely different.

Applied to monarchists, the phrase suggests that those who have grown up within a monarchy, or who view it as natural and necessary, may struggle to imagine an alternative system. Their “well” is the tradition, pageantry, and inherited structure of monarchy; the “ocean” represents the wide world of functioning republics — places where ceremonial presidents fulfil similar symbolic and unifying roles, but without hereditary privilege.

The ocean, in this sense, includes all the successful examples of such systems — nations like Ireland, whose new president embodies dignity, continuity, and public service without the trappings of monarchy. The proverb thus serves as a quiet reminder that there are vast and successful alternatives beyond the walls of the well, if only one is willing to look outward.

Quote 5

“You face your demons or they raise your children”

This suggests that if individuals or societies avoid confronting their problems, those same problems will be inherited by the next generation. This idea applies powerfully to the British monarchy and to Britain itself, where much of the nation’s identity is tied to tradition, pride, and silence about the past.

For centuries, the monarchy has supposedly represented stability and continuity. Yet beneath the surface lies a history marked by emotional restraint, scandal, and repression. The Royal Family often embodies the national habit of “keeping calm and carrying on,” even when silence allows pain to pass from one generation to the next. Princess Diana’s struggles, Prince Harry’s conflicts, and ongoing controversies highlight how personal and institutional demons—such as secrecy, pride, and denial—can resurface when left unexamined.

On a broader scale, Britain’s national “demons” include unresolved questions about empire, class, and privilege. The monarchy stands as both a symbol of national unity and a reminder of inequality and colonial history. When the country avoids open conversations about these issues, they don’t fade away; they reappear through social division, distrust of institutions, and identity crises in younger generations.

To “face your demons” means to accept uncomfortable truths in order to grow. For Britain, this might mean redefining what the monarchy represents—not as a relic of the past, but as an institution capable of reflection and renewal. Only by confronting its own history can the nation prevent its unspoken ghosts from shaping the future.

Which quote is your favourite and why? Do you have powerful quotes to share? Email us!