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ABC News
ABC News
National
Europe correspondent Isabella Higgins in Edinburgh

As Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her platinum reign, is the monarchy's golden age coming to end? Here's what her subjects say

Matin Khan and his son Habibur Khan outside their restaurant in Delkeith. (ABC News: Isabella Higgins)

A Scottish curry house might feel a world away from Windsor Castle but it is home to some of the Queen's biggest supporters.

"I have met the Queen four times, and I just think she is a very inspiring and energetic lady," says Matin Khan in the dining room of his Dalkeith restaurant.

Matin moved to the UK as a young boy from Bangladesh during the early years of the Queen's reign and now he and his family run several restaurants around Scotland.

The venue is adorned with many culinary awards certificates, but also hanging with pride of place is a picture of Matin meeting the Queen in 2015.

Matin Khan when he met the Queen in 2015 in Scotland. (ABC News: Andrew Greaves)

"She is someone to respect, someone to look up to as a country," Matin's 26-year-old son, Habibur, says.

The royal family might represent old-world Britain, but Matin's restaurant is a picture of modern life in the UK – and it holds lessons for the survival of the monarchy.

Local Scots of all ages take their seats for dinner service, ready for their favourite curries, spiced meat, bread and chutneys.

Matin Khan in the kitchen of his Edinburgh restaurant. ( ABC News: Andrew Greaves)

Britain has changed enormously during Queen Elizabeth's 70-year reign. It is now home to an extra 17 million people and is much more culturally diverse.

Attitudes to many social issues — including the monarchy — have changed.

"We've got very different attitudes now than we had back then, particularly on the role of women, gay rights and also on attitudes to diversity," Steve Ballinger, from the think tank British Future, tells the ABC.

But shifting societal views may spell trouble for the royal family as support slides in parts of the UK.

"There is a question as to whether the royal family is keeping pace with modern Britain," Mr Ballinger says.

"As a whole in Britain, six in 10 people support the monarchy … but there's much less appeal amongst younger people, people in Scotland and amongst ethnic minorities as well."

Only 45 per cent of Scots support the monarchy, about 40 per cent of young people and 37 per cent of ethnic minorities, according to research from British Future's Jubilee Britain report.

It is similar to UK government polling released this week, which found only 33 per cent of 18–24-year-olds in Britain believed the monarchy should continue — down from 59 per cent in 2011.

Edinburgh student Sabrina Mamode-Ally has firm views on the royals that appear to align with many people her age.

Sabrina Mamode-Ally is not a fan of the Royal family. (ABC News: Andrew Greaves)

"Oh they can go … I just don't really understand what they do," the 19-year-old says.

Could the Queen's kingdom crumble? 

The UK is in the midst of a four-day national celebration for the Queen's historic 70-year reign, marked with pomp, pageantry and major public events.

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee kicked off on Thursday with a huge birthday parade in London including Trooping the Colour and a RAF fly-past. (Reuters: Hannah McKay)

Tens of thousands turned out in central London to watch the Trooping the Colour parade and catch a glimpse of the royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

"The Jubilee does provide an opportunity for the monarchy to really unite the country, and bring us together," Mr Ballinger says.

Edinburgh local Eileen Maclaren is not a supporter of Scotland breaking away from the United Kingdom but can understand why her country would want to break free from the monarchy.

Edinburgh local Eileen Maclaren supports the royal family but isn't paying a lot of attention to jubilee celebrations. (ABC News: Isabella Higgins)

"Many people in Scotland believe that we should be independent, I'm not one of them, but I can see how this country is less interested [in the royals]," she says.

"[The Jubilee] it's not really the type of thing I like to watch, I've got a lot of time for the Queen but I'm not so sure about the rest of the family."

Jubilee occurs against backdrop of cost-of-living crisis

UK government polling shows that the Queen is enjoying incredibly high popularity during the jubilee, but the heirs to her throne will have to win over and unite an ever-changing and conflicted country.

Union Jack and Scottish flag hanging over Edinburgh's royal mile. (ABC News: Isabella Higgins)

The Khan family have been excited about the Jubilee weekend and hosting people in the restaurant for the occasion – but their minds are on other things.

Like many others in Britain, they are feeling the pinch of the rising cost of living, and challenges posed by the pandemic and Brexit.

"Finding staff and getting materials in is difficult, we don't know how to plan for the future just because every day there's a new cost coming, a new item that's increasing in price," Habibur Khan says.

His father Matin agrees. 

"We had a busy restaurant but now it's not even breaking even because of the prices of the energy, food and gas, which almost doubled in three months," Matin says. 

But the Khan family do know how to bring people together — by blending tradition — and taste.

They worked with a British company to develop a special Madras-flavoured potato chip.

"Paprika, chilli, ginger, garlic, it's not too spicy, it's tangy, it's different," Mr Khan says.

 "But it combines the best of Bangladesh and Britain."

A cost-of-living crisis in the United Kingdom means Matin's restaurant is struggling to break even. (ABC News: Andrew Greaves)

The royals must unify the nation and represent all parts of society if they want to survive, Mr Ballinger says.

"[The royals] have got very strong support amongst older white people in the south of England but if they want to be a bridging monarchy that appeals to the whole of the UK — well, there's a bit more work to do," he says.

"We haven't got a crystal ball, it's really hard to look into the future.

"But we know the royal family have an opportunity to bring us together with these big important events."

As the United Kingdom celebrates 70 years of the Queen's reign, the monarch is losing support in Scotland. (Reuters: Suzanne Plunkett)

Mr Khan is hopeful he may yet meet another member of the royal family, and he'll have a gift for them.

"If I meet the Queen for a fifth time, I will offer her one of our Madras chips," he says with a grin.

With an aging workforce and greater public scrutiny, can the royal family keep calm and carry on?
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