What if we analysed the UK monarchy like a product?

Stay with me here ...

I grew up defending the UK monarchy because the republican alternative always unsettled me. My Portuguese heritage framed why; 

When Portugal lost its monarchy in 1910, nothing stable replaced it, the result was years of volatility and decline that opened the door to something worse — Salazar’s authoritarian state. 

It’s a reminder of the stakes when a unifying symbol vanishes.

Today I look at the UK Monarchy with my systems lens — as a Product.

Think of it like Apple:

🏢 Organisation = The Crown Estate: The corporate machine (assets, land, revenue)

🫅 Brand = The King: Just as Steve Jobs personified Apple, the King personifies the Crown Estate. The face, the story, the charisma (or lack of it).

👑 Flagship Product = The Monarchy: The iPhone equivalent — ceremonies, coronations, jubilees, state visits. The product launches that create cultural stickiness.

The monarchy IS a viable product. 

But who actually pays, and who actually uses it?

💷 The Customers (who pay):

* UK taxpayers (via Sovereign Grant, security, local costs)

* Private donors and sponsors

* Involuntary but real: the public — because unlike Apple, you can’t opt out

🤝 The Users (who use it):

* Visiting heads of state (diplomatic leverage)

* Charities & institutions (patronage and visibility)

* Tourism & events sector (ceremonies and attractions)

* Media & press (content and attention fuel)

* The public (consuming national theatre — weddings, funerals, jubilees)

Here’s the twist ...

With Apple, you can choose not to buy the iPhone.

With the Monarchy, even if you never engage, you’re still bound into the system — taxpayer funding, cultural imprint, political symbolism.

So in discovery terms: many people are neither willing customers nor active users — yet they are still bound to the system.

Here’s the hard discovery question: 

If I’m not a user or a customer, do I still get requirements onto the backlog?

Does the monarchy even see me as a stakeholder — or am I simply part of the environment it operates in?

If the answer is no, then it’s out of touch with a whole population who are impacted but not served.

And remember, just like Apple:

🫅 If the brand falters (a monarch who fails to connect), legitimacy declines.

👑 If the flagship product feels outdated, alternatives creep in.

🏢 If the organisation stumbles, the whole ecosystem looks shaky.

Whether monarchy, business, or community — resilience depends on discovery.

Map stakeholders, listen to non-users, adapt your features before the system breaks.

Dear HM, call me if you want to discuss how Product 101 can help.

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