“Godfather II” is unusual in that it is both a sequel and a prequel. There is a good reason for that. In the prequel section, we see that the Mafia arose in America to meet a variety of needs of a vulnerable minority. In the sequel section, Italian-Americans are no longer powerless, and the mob is an anachronism. While Vito Corleone made himself a patron by providing services to his community, his son devolves into an unprincipled thug who seeks wealth and power at the expense of everyone around him, including his family. There is no longer any social value in him or his organization.
I couldn’t help but think about this as I watched the fourth season of “The Crown.” The English monarchy obviously began its life as the very real source of all political power. By the end of the 17th century, it mostly existed because it was the cornerstone of a highly hierarchical society which would have been in danger of flying apart without it. When the hierarchical society expired, the purpose of the royals became purely to serve as symbols of unity for the entire country. They are born to be human flags, not people. Is it any wonder that many of them rebel against this constraint, even if the other side of the bargain is wealth and privilege?
The monarchy will be in good hands with William, and will clearly outlive me. I’m not sure it will last forever. At some point, it will be the monarch himself, not just a remote family member, who decides he can’t live with the restrictions, and then what? Can the system survive another Duke of Windsor in a more democratic age? Maybe not.