U.K. Monarchy and Government Plunge Into Simultaneous Crises
The New York Times
Historically, one of the institutions has stabilized the other in rocky moments. With troubling accusations against Prince Andrew and Boris Johnson, that’s not an option now.
LONDON — When Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain was hospitalized with Covid in April 2020, the alarming news bulletin came soon after a televised address by Queen Elizabeth II, in which she reassured the British public that after the pandemic ebbed, “We will meet again.”
Stoic, dignified and comforting, the queen’s words helped anchor the country during the fretful days that followed — not the first time the monarchy has acted as a stabilizing force for the government during tumultuous events.
This week, however, both of these grand British institutions pitched simultaneously into crisis. On Wednesday, Mr. Johnson admitted attending a garden party not long after he had recovered from the virus, which violated lockdown rules and set off a chorus of calls for him to resign. Hours later, a federal judge in Manhattan rejected a bid by the queen’s second son, Prince Andrew, to throw out a sex abuse lawsuit against him.
