John Oliver on British monarchy: ‘Like an appendix. We’ve long evolved past needing them’

John Oliver on the British royal family: ‘They’ve continued working hard to be perceived as a mere symbol while never taking responsibility for what that symbol excused.’ Photograph: YouTube

John Oliver went in on the British monarchy on Last Week Tonight, as the royal family is “in transition” following the death of Queen Elizabeth II at age 96 in September. “In the UK, the argument was that in the wake of the Queen’s death, it just wasn’t the time for criticism of her or the monarchy in general. It would be impolite,” Oliver explained. “But it’s been two months since then, and Charles is king now.”

And while for many, the charm of the Queen was in her longevity and “her tendency toward silence – you never really knew what she thought about anything,” neither of those things are true about her son, Oliver argued.