In general, the monarchs of today's Europe hold very little power.  Indeed, the role of constitutional monarchy in modern societies has changed dramatically over the last century.  As people now want their monarchs to be closer to them than the detached icons of years past, it is up to the individual to do their best to achieve this, within the constraints of their own personalities.  And,  of the kingdoms of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Norway, Belgium, The Netherlands and the world's last remaining Grand Duchy, Luxembourg, we find a number of very different personalities at the helm of countries with equally different social outlooks and cultural diversity. 

But how do they fare?  How does each meet the demands made on them by their countrymen?  How hard is it to be a monarch in the 21st Century in the blinding light of the world's often-unforgiving media? With populations ready to question in minutiae the behaviour a royal family and particularly the monarch, whose job also includes the unenviable task of keeping close and extended family members in control, sovereigns must possess an iron hand and a compassionate face and be ready to employ either momentarily.  Most of us have enough trouble of keeping our own lives running smoothly and perhaps our children's, let alone worrying about our cousins, uncles, aunts and grandchildren. 

Then there are the governments who once answered to the monarch but nowadays often dictate the movements and operations of a kingdom's Court.  Who do the people look to at the end of the day?  Are the roles of Head of State and Head of Government a competition?  Is political power enough to earn the people's respect or are the two roles a constant source of mutual jealousy? And, what sort of person has to handle a lifetime of juggling all these irksome and relentless issues? 

The world's most talked about monarch, is undoubtedly Queen Elizabeth II.  A petite, stoic woman with an overwhelming sense of duty to the job she most certainly seems to be born to carry out.  She was not born to reign but even as a baby, Elizabeth of York had superstar qualities.  Adored by her grandparents, the gruff King George and the grand Queen Mary, it seems as if the throne was destined to be hers. 

The oldest of Europe's current monarchs, Elizabeth has been stuck in a gap between two schools of thought about how a monarch should act.  The Queen has drawn much from the way her grandparents went about their job.  Consequently, her devotion to duty is flawless and some would say that this has come at the cost of her family's preparedness for the modern world.  What this has meant essentially, is that the Queen has been forced to work harder than ever over the last decade at a time when most people her age are slowing down. She may have realised late her mistake in putting the greater part of her attention on the throne but to her immense credit, her steadfast resolve to steer the family through crisis after crisis has begun to show.   

During the last few years the Queen has lost the stiffness she was renowned for in public.  It is as if through all the sordid scandals that have eaten away at the family, Elizabeth has found a new sense of self. She is never going to be the kind of monarch that is demonstrably emotional in public but her smiles are freer and her attempts at closing the gap between the throne and the people are evident.  Nor will Elizabeth ever be a gregarious monarch but even republicans respect her commitment to her duty. 

The Queen has seen a number of Prime Ministers come and go over her reign, beginning with Sir Winston Churchill.  With some she has shared an amicable rapport and with others a cordial toleration.  Nevertheless, at the end of their terms, even those with more republican leanings came away holding their Head of State in high respect.  Boring as reading through daily boxes of bureaucratic papers might be, Elizabeth is reportedly sometimes one step ahead of her Prime Minister of the day and not beyond catching out those ill prepared. 

It can't often be easy being Head of State with little or no say in decisions that affect one's day to day life.  A Prime Minister may be a subject but today he or she enjoys great influence over the running of the monarchy.  Consequently, Elizabeth endured some personally emotional with events such as the decommissioning of the royal yacht Britannia, which she particularly loved and other resolves like scaling down the running of the royal train. 

Elizabeth is often compared to other monarchs in Europe, particularly the Queens Margrethe of Denmark and Beatrix of the Netherlands and the perceived openness they display to Danes and the Dutch.  Queen Margrethe is a highly intelligent woman and an accomplished artist.  Whether or not she is any closer to her people than Queen Elizabeth is actually hard to say, although undoubtedly the bond between Danes and their royal family is very strong.  The family are seen more often in normal public pursuits such as dining out and shopping but, if anything, Margrethe herself is far grander than her British counterpart, who is, at heart, a quiet woman who likes nothing more than mucking about in the countryside. 

Queen Margrethe is nothing like Queen Elizabeth.  While just as committed to her job, Margrethe has strong artistic leanings that have allowed her to be seen as a gifted artist as well as monarch. Taking a bow on stage after a production whose sets she designed or displaying her artwork in public offers Queen Margrethe an opportunity to be seen by the people as something else other than Queen, in areas where other Danes also have careers. 

Per head of population, there are far few republicans in government in Denmark than in Britain.  Queen Margrethe is held in great esteem by the government and while the Danish monarchy is, despite rumour otherwise, a rather expensive institution to run, the royal family is not a demanding force and spending is rarely questioned or seen as excessive. 

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands occupies a throne celebrated for being close to the Dutch people.  Unlike her mother Juliana who was seen as a Queen with the common touch, Beatrix is perceived as being more aloof and has said herself that she is mindful of the immense dignity of the throne. Nevertheless, unlike Elizabeth and Margrethe, Beatrix is seldom photographed without an exuberant smile and a jolly disposition as she meets and greets the people she reigns over. 

The Dutch are an extremely progressive people and probably the most tolerant in Europe.  Their cultural diversity is vast and while there are certainly republicans within the community and the government, Beatrix and her family enjoy immense popularity.  The Queen may be seen as aloof but despite the tag is undoubtedly viewed as the symbol of the Dutch soul. 

Monarchs in The Netherlands set a precedent for abdication in the past and both Beatrix�s mother, Juliana and grandmother, Wilhelmina, abdicated in favour of their respective daughters.  It seems unlikely at the moment that Beatrix will do so and allow her son, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander to ascend the throne.  Certainly she may feel she does not want to vacate the throne but just as likely a reason is that being Queen is what her life is about, more so now that her consort, the beloved Prince Claus is no longer beside her.            

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- Gioffredo