A minor regression

I planned to have a few days off book-purchasing. I almost made it, until I found Cheesman and Williams' Rebels, Pretenders and Impostors in a remainders shop yesterday. I blame the cheese I'd just bought - the author's name subliminally called to me, and I've got a soft spot for the losers, maniacs and delusional characters who set themselves up as monarchs or 'true' heirs to various states. They remind us all that even hereditary monarchies such as Britain are always the product of shenanigans in virtually every generation (abdications, madness, seeking distant palatable heirs, executions etc.).

Perhaps they remind us too that most people aren't democrats: how many of you dreamed as children of being King, Queen or Prince, and how many of you, despite your manifest good qualities, will ever become one? The answer, of course, is to become a republic, in which you or your children can become head of state by persuading your fellow citizens of your merits. Then you'll discover that you have rights as a human being living in a democratic society, not merely gracelessly handed out as a reward for obedience. Off with their heads!