Top of the class: Why is there still a monarchy in the UK?

William and Kate's baby was born at the top of the social ladder. For those who aren't, Great Britain is less than great: it ranks among the lowest countries in the developed world in social mobility.

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All eyes are on St. Mary’s Hospital in London Monday, where Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has given birth to her first child. While hers might be the most closely followed pregnancy in history, for many British, the very idea of a Royal Family is becoming obsolete.  In fact, 17% of the British population oppose the institution all together, as evidenced by a recent online campaign by anti-monarchy activists Republic. Their mission statement reads:

This sentiment is in large part a reaction to the deeply ingrained class divisions in British society. Britain has among the lowest social mobility in the developed world, a state of affairs that has not improved since the 1970s. The top 1% of the population has a greater share of income than at any time since the 1930s; only Portugal is more unequal with less social mobility. With this in mind, many are asking if a monarchy is appropriate in this day and age.

On Now with Alex Wagner, MSNBC’s Martin Bashir cited the Royals’ role in World War II as one reason for their continued popularity, despite the country’s class divisions. “They stayed in Buckingham Palace, even though London was being bombed relentlessly,” he said. “And whenever there was a town or an area or suburb of London that was hit badly, the Queen Mother actually went to it and stood alongside the individual citizens whose property had been destroyed.” Watch the panel’s discussion above.