What do Scousers Think of the Royal Family?

The Royal Family is a curiously British institution. There are very few countries around the world that still have a monarch, with the majority of them being ceremonial in nature. In the likes of Brunei, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the monarchs are effectively dictators, being absolute rulers over the country.

In the United Kingdom, meanwhile, the monarchy is neither one thing nor the other; neither absolute ruler nor entirely ceremonial. For many in the UK, that is entirely fine and they are happy to worship at the altar of the Royals. For a lot of Scousers, though, it’s problematic and there is a lack of comfort around conforming.

‘Scouse not English’

This site is named ‘Scouse not English’, which gives you a good sense of the attitude of many people from the area. Scousers often feel as though they’re part of England but also separate from it. There are countless reasons for this, not least of all is the fact that the very word ‘Scouse’ was originally an insult that was reappropriated by the people of the city.

More than a century ago, the residents of the city who were the poorest were mostly immigrants, especially those of Irish descent. They would survive thanks to soup kitchens and street vendors that would serve up a watery stew that was known by the name ‘Scouse’.

‘Scouser’ then became a term used in order to mock the poorest in society.

Nowadays, when many teams visit Anfield or Goodison Park they sing ‘feed the Scousers’, which is a song steeped in historical significance. Many of those doing the singing almost certainly won’t know of that significance, but the reason behind it is clear: Scousers are looked down on by the rest of the country. It isn’t sung about Mancunians or Geordies, just Scousers. Anyone who has attended a football match in the city will know that that song, or ones like it, are sung by virtually every visiting team, showing just what everyone else thinks of Liverpool and Liverpudlians.

‘Long to Reign Over Us’

There is a sense of entitlement that is buried deep within the Royal Family. The idea that someone should be made a king or queen simply by virtue of their birth is something that a lot of people find very difficult to stomach.

The British national anthem is nothing about the greatness of the country, like it is with most other nations, but instead is all about the Royal. The song asks ‘god’ to save the monarch in order that they may ‘reign over us’ for as long as possible. Many people, especially in the 21st century, are not overly keen on being reigned over. Scousers have never been shy about sharing their feelings and they often do so when it comes to the Royals.

Jurgen Klopp has spoken openly about Prince Harry and the Royal Family. He just totally gets the club and everything we stand for! pic.twitter.com/i2zXIBVoJP

— The Slot Machine 🔴 (@PST1892LFC) March 12, 2021

Some people will tell you that it is a Liverpool FC thing to boo the national anthem, but when Liverpool played Everton in the cup final in 1986, you could clearly hear the majority of the stadium booing the national anthem. It is the sense of entitlement as much as anything else that people were booing. It was tied in with social injustice in the 1980s, with Margaret Thatcher’s government looking to ensure the ‘managed decline’ of Liverpool as a city, whilst Queen Elizabeth II sat on her throne and did nothing to help.

If a monarch isn’t going to step in to help their people, what is the point of having them in the first place?

‘The Truth’

In 1989, 97 football supporters, the majority of whom were Liverpool fans, were crushed to death because of police failings at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.

Many of those involved in the crush that managed to get out of the Leppings Lane end of the ground did what they could to save the lives of others, all whilst the police officers responsible for their safety did little more than form a cordon on the halfway line, acting as though it was a pitch invasion. Rather than do what they could to get to the truth of the matter, the British press bought into the lies of South Yorkshire police that it was the fault of the Liverpool supporters.

Got to love Scousers! In the UK, if you reach 100 years you receive a signed Birthday card from HM Queen Elizabeth. ⁦⁦😁 pic.twitter.com/gdOZ7cqF2j

— Gurinder Chadha OBE 💙 (@GurinderC) January 19, 2021

Newspapers printed those lies, with one brandishing their front page with the words ‘The Truth’, above a pack of lies about Liverpool fans. The rest of the nation happily gobbled up such nonsense, delighted that it fed into their natural anti-Scouse mentality. Many from the city wanted to know where the monarch was in all of that. As her police force lied and successive governments representing Her Majesty continued the lies and refused to correct the record, what did the Queen do to help her people? The answer was nothing.

Why on earth should people from the city that has been so downtrodden over the years then sing her praises?

Some Still Love the Monarchy

It would be untrue to say that every single person in Liverpool and the surrounding area dislikes the monarchy.

When Queen Elizabeth II came to the city, hundreds would line the streets to welcome her. The same happened when Charles III and Camilla arrived in Liverpool after his coronation, with hundreds having gathered at the Town Hall to hear the Proclamation of the Ascension of the King. Whilst it would be easy to pretend that every Scouser hates the Royals, it simply wouldn’t be true. Yet the reality is that the anti-establishment sentiment of the city in general certainly extends to the Royal Family for a lot of people.

@lpoolcouncil Lots of people gathered on Castle Street today! #liverpool #royalfamily #kingcharles #thequeen ♬ original sound – Liverpool City Council

Liverpool boasts the most anti-Royalist constituency in Great Britain in the form of Riverside. All five of Liverpool’s constituencies feature in the bottom quarter when it comes to pro-monarchy sentiment. Whilst there are definitely some in the city that are happy to break out the Union Jack bunting, the majority find that difficult to stomach at best, the work of traitors to their class at worst.

There is certainly a link between the Royal Family and the Conservative and Unionist Party, with Liverpool being famously anti-Tory, so it is perhaps not all that much of a surprise that a lot of people in Liverpool have little time for the Royals, too.