Let me start by saying that I believe it’s inappropriate/creepy for an American citizen to have strong opinions about the British monarchy. Living on the outside you grow up seeing pictures of fat Henry VIII, you sit in the theatre watching Richard III mince around on stage, and you settle into a life-long awareness of a reserved lady who looks vaguely like your posh friend’s grandmother. So it’s easy to get a confused picture of what it means to be the head of state.