Accounts released last year showed that the cost to the taxpayer of supporting the monarchy rose marginally during 2011-12.

The monarch accepts the advice of ministers and the government supports the monarchy.

Predictably, those who abhorred the ecclesiastical reforms were also those who, most doggedly, supported the monarchy.

Voters were given the choice of dropping a blue piece of paper in the ballot box if they supported the monarchy, and a red one if they supported the republic.