Britain has a new head of state – but without a single vote being cast. King Charles III took the throne only by an accident of birth.

But we are apparently not allowed to question this. Protesters have been arrested in the last few days for holding up a sign saying “abolish monarchy” and for shouting out about the new king: “who elected him?”

It’s just not right in a 21st century democracy that not only are we ruled by a king, we even face arrest for putting forward an alternative point of view. It is an attack on our democratic rights.

There are many big questions over King Charles’ conduct going back years, from his ‘spider memos’ attempting to improperly influence government policy to £2.5 million he accepted in actual bags of cash from a Qatari politician.

The attempts to shut down debate about the issue are a disgrace when you consider that the majority of 18-24 year olds believe we should abolish the monarchy. To the new generation, all this fawning and deference looks absurd. In the whole population, Charles’ popularity rating is just 54%.

We face real issues at the moment like the cost of living crisis. We don’t want millions spent on the royal family, or the media and politicians distracted from fixing the problems that affect the rest of us. It’s time to move on from the feudal age and abolish the monarchy.

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Highlighted comments

I didn’t have any strong feelings about the monarchy before, but if people are being arrested for peaceful protest against it, it needs to go – we are not living in the Middle Ages!

Ian, Suffolk

Why should one family have so much, simply because they’re born with luck, whilst the rest of us struggle to make ends meet one year to the next and have to look on longingly?

Jenny, Stafford

The monarchy is an expensive, unnecessary, and fundamentally unfair institution with no real purpose.

Julie, Hertfordshire

We are a democracy, outrageous behaviour arresting a protester!

Suki, Portsmouth

It is not right that we as the people do not have a say on who is our head of state and on the UK becoming a republic. The monarchy are unelected, outdated and we shouldn’t be stopped from protesting and making our feelings known on the issue. That is not democratic.

Amy, Thurrock

The royal family has been mired in scandal over the years, yet it is unaccountable and, apparently, above the law. I find this unacceptable and out of place in the 21st century.

Veronica, Bury

I think at a time of such hardship for so many people in the UK it’s absurd to have this undemocratic and outmoded institution still in existence. Abolish the monarchy!

Steven, Glasgow

Monarchy sits at the heart of and perpetuates our iniquitous class system. We’ll never be able to develop a fair society when power sits in the hands of people born into it – it’s an anachronism.

Karen, Suffolk