Monarchists stopped calling for the suspension or prorogation of Parliament shortly after they stopped arresting MPs during Commons debates - about 350 years ago.
But they never actually called for its abolition - they saw it as a useful tool of Monarchical rule, legitimising the Divine Right of Kings.
These days, Parliamentarians have turned the tables. Few call for the abolition of the Monarchy, as the Monarchy is a useful tool of Parliament - executive powers to declare war, creating a sense of stability and so on.
But maybe it's time the Monarchists fought back with direct calls for the abolition of Parliament. After all, Parliament has rarely been more unpopular, and some of the arguments used by republicans against the Monarchy could easily be turned on their heads (once those heads had been chopped off, of course!).
For instance, the idea that Parliament 'brings in tourists' could easily be ridiculed - how many holidaymakers do you ever see in the Public Gallery? And of those, how many actually pay to be there?
Secondly, the idea that Parliament 'boosts Britain's reputation abroad' is also hogwash - ask the people of Iraq, for instance, what they make of British democracy. Or any country, for that matter.
A traditional Republican criticism of the Monarchy - that it wastes public money - could also be turned like a captured cannon against its own army. Isn't it the MPs, with their illegal and exorbitant expenses claims, who are the real squanderers of the public purse?
With respect for the Queen at an all-time high, surely it's time for Her Maj to prove that she could do a much better job than a succession of jumped up politicians?
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