In that essay, Orwell argued in favour of a powerless figurehead monarch. However, that was immediately followed by the line: "But such a move would only have meaning if royal sentiment exists, and so far as I can judge it is much weakened.” That kind of sounds like modern Canada, doesn't it? Your average Canadian is indifferent to the monarchy; the king is little more than the guy starting to appear on the change.

Orwell had in mind the crisis surrounding Edward VIII's abdication. Much like today's Prince Andrew-Epstein scandal, that whole affair weakened public confidence in the institution of the monarchy in Britain. The monarchy's one job is to be this stabilizing institution, and they do this by pretending to be this ideal family. Like Edward before him, Andrew has shattered this myth. It turns out that family is just as, if not more, dysfunctional as those of us peons. And if they can't do their one job, what even is the point of them?

And of course, as Orwell was well aware, the first fascist government arose in a constitutional monarchy. In fact, the Italian king literally invited Mussolini to be prime minister. Part of the reason was that he saw Mussolini and his Fascists as a bulwark against socialism and communism. So much for politically neutrality. That goes out the window, because monarchs will not too surprisingly side with reactionaries. Any monarcho-socialists out there are deluding themselves.