I wouldn't say the monarchy has much grip over the country, their role within parliamentary proceedings is largely procedural without real influence.  There are reforms being proposed for the House of Lords to bring in more elected members rather than just handing titles down through families so that aspect is changing.

My diary wasn't about the way in which the UK runs it democratic processes or how elections are run (that's a whole other diary topic in itself) but about the tactics of the BNP in recruiting to it's youth wing and the implicatiosn this has for our society.

Ad astra per aspera