There was a previous post about Emil Holz giving a briefing to some Grand Dukes whose Dukedoms(?) were merged in to a larger State with a Minister-President as the Head of State.
Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
TfL through LUL will shut a line down for a few months to do an upgrade. They don't like to do it but sometimes it's the only way to carry out a renewal project. NR are very loathe to do long shut downs on the heavy rail in the UK, but they will shut down for 10 days (two weekends included) and very occasionally for 21 days, the last time I worked on one of those was last August for the Hertford East branch Platform Extension Project (new trains being introduced in 2 x 5 car units instead of 2 x 4 car units).
Deutsche Bahn OTL currently has no problem shutting down entire lines for months at a time. They are more leery about main lines without diversion routes, but still even there you might see months of single track traffic so that the other track can be worked on. Mostly those shutdowns are for 'major upgrades' meaning electrification, but for some it's just needed for maintenance.
Not sure about the Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg - I got no experience with them.
Local passenger service however more than likely is run by a different organization - and they'd likely be the ones responsible for the Ubahn.
Quickly trailing wikipedia: OTL the Berliener Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) were first created in the 20s, as a stock company, from at least one tram and one bus company. This one controls Ubahn, tram and bus routes, but not currently (though they did during the East/West split) S-Bahn lines.
OTL it was in 1994 that they were changed over to a Anstalt öffentlichen Rechts - a state, or in this case city, owned organization. Though I assume a lot of stock was owned by the city even before that.
So I'd assume that the BVG or appropriate ATL same-ish organization is responsible for running the Ubahn, probably nominally a stock company, but likely at least half, more likely two thirds, of the stock owned by the City of Berlin. Probably with strong labor organization, making it hard to cut personal.
And skimming wiki: It was Ton Steine Scherben who OTL made the BVG famous German wide in 1972 - because of price hikes. That band was one of the really big names of the (West-)German anti-establishment movements in the 70s and early 80s. Probably not surprisingly centered in Westberlin with it's counter culture. I'm tempted to call them equivalent to the Sex Pistols in some ways, but history of music was never my strong suit.
Deutsche Bahn currently has no problem shutting down lines because they spend the last few decades doing less than necessary to maintain the lines. If they don't shut down the lines now or soonish with a plan there's certainity that a line shuts down unplanned.
Part 144, Chapter 2603
Chapter Two Thousand Six Hundred Three
14th January 1977
Mitte, Berlin
Perhaps it was misplaced pride or just pigheaded foolishness, but despite having decided months earlier that her time in the Medical Service was coming to an end Kiki had still reported back to Pfullendorf when she had been recalled just after New Year’s Day. It was only for field recertification in the FSR, a process complicated by her holding the rank of Oberstarzt, comparable to the Oberst who commanded the Parachute Search and Rescue detachment in Pfullendorf. Kiki managed to smooth that out but explaining to him that she was the Administrator of a small hospital in Southern Bavaria that mostly dealt with skiing or mountaineering accidents depending on the season. She was also never going to get another promotion because of politics. The Oberst had thought it hilarious that the Reichstag worried that she might someday lead a coup if she were promoted to be Chief Surgeon of a major hospital in that capacity. What followed for Kiki was several days of learning about the latest developments in field medicine and being introduced to new technologies that had been introduced. She would have been lying if she had said that she didn’t find it interesting. Kiki listened to the others complain about the schedule and the food with a lot of amusement. It was obvious that most didn’t have children, she was able to get more sleep here than she had in ages at home. Nina also had the strangest tastes that had needed to be accommodated, so Kiki didn’t mind the bland, but filling food served in the mess hall.
Then word had come that something big had happened in Berlin and volunteers were needed that instant. Before Kiki had even had a chance to think about what she was doing, she was on one of the Al30 Hurricane helicopters as it was lifting off and flying north at the fastest possible speed. She had already plugged into the radio when she had boarded the helicopter and when it got into radio range with Berlin, she was hearing what could only be described as a jumble as the City Fire Brigade, Police along with the 1st and 2nd Field Armies were talking at each other. It was unclear exactly what had happened, but there was a fire in the Alexanderplatz Station. Kiki knew the area and knew that it was a key center for Regional Rail, Tram, Bus, S-Bahn, and U-Bahn. If anything happened there it wasn’t in the least bit surprising that the result was an unholy mess. Kiki had pulled rank, contacted her brother, made threats, carried out some of those very threats, called in favors, and did everything else she could think of that could be done over the radio as they approached Berlin. It took time but she managed to impose something vaguely resembling order in the radio communications.
“Making final approach Frau Oberstarzt” The helicopter pilot said as Kiki was aware that buildings were rushing by as they raced at low level through the city. “Glad you don’t have any issues with us.” He said that last part with a laugh. Kiki realized that the pilot and co-pilot had been listening in the entire time she had been on the radio.
“Thank you” Kiki replied as the helicopter flared and landed in the middle of Alexanderplatz itself. As she unplugged the headphones in her helmet from the helicopter’s intercom/radio and plugged it into her own radio she saw that the other members of the FSR were removing the gear they had brought with practiced ease. Almost as soon as she stepped off the helicopter, it lifted off and the next one was on approach.
The scene that greeted her was like something from a Hieronymus Bosch painting. Smoke pouring out of the station entrances as she saw members of the Fire Brigade helping people up the stairs. Those already out looked dazed, and Kiki saw signs of obvious injuries and they must have inhaled a lot of smoke. The windows of the hall that made up the above ground portion of the station had been blown out. Had this been a bombing? Kiki had heard about the strange, attempted hijacking of an Aegean Airlines flight by Turkish Nationalists in Hamburg a couple months earlier. Was this connected to that?
Then she saw men who she recognized from the 1st Guard Army based on the patches of their uniforms just standing there gawking, they had rushed here from Potsdam, and this is what they were doing?
“Don’t just stand there!” Kiki yelled at them, “Can’t you see that these people need help?”
“Who the Hell are you supposed to be?” One of them, a Feldwebel asked. All he saw was a red coat with Notarzt in reflective letters across the back, he clearly failed to see her name, rank, or FSR patch. “We were told to keep order and we’re doing that.”
“That is nice” Kiki replied in a tone of voice that could have frozen water. The men around the Feldwebel, realizing that one of their own had just spoken out of turn, stepped away from him as Kiki keyed the microphone of her radio. “I have a Feldwebel…” She paused looking at his nametag, “Haas, correction, Schütze Haas here who needs his orders amended.”
The other members of the FSR were passing through and it was obvious the deference they paid Kiki as they passed. She doubted that demotion would stick, failing to recognize a Superior Officer was the sort of thing that could be explained away as an honest mistake. That got the message across though as word quickly spread of her presence. It took several minutes to find out where the Chief of the Fire Brigade was, shockingly he was inside the station, directly supervising the firefighting effort. Looking at all the emergency vehicles coming in from all over the city. Kiki knew that she was in for a very long night. With an exasperated sigh, she started yelling orders at anyone within earshot.
14th January 1977
Mitte, Berlin
Perhaps it was misplaced pride or just pigheaded foolishness, but despite having decided months earlier that her time in the Medical Service was coming to an end Kiki had still reported back to Pfullendorf when she had been recalled just after New Year’s Day. It was only for field recertification in the FSR, a process complicated by her holding the rank of Oberstarzt, comparable to the Oberst who commanded the Parachute Search and Rescue detachment in Pfullendorf. Kiki managed to smooth that out but explaining to him that she was the Administrator of a small hospital in Southern Bavaria that mostly dealt with skiing or mountaineering accidents depending on the season. She was also never going to get another promotion because of politics. The Oberst had thought it hilarious that the Reichstag worried that she might someday lead a coup if she were promoted to be Chief Surgeon of a major hospital in that capacity. What followed for Kiki was several days of learning about the latest developments in field medicine and being introduced to new technologies that had been introduced. She would have been lying if she had said that she didn’t find it interesting. Kiki listened to the others complain about the schedule and the food with a lot of amusement. It was obvious that most didn’t have children, she was able to get more sleep here than she had in ages at home. Nina also had the strangest tastes that had needed to be accommodated, so Kiki didn’t mind the bland, but filling food served in the mess hall.
Then word had come that something big had happened in Berlin and volunteers were needed that instant. Before Kiki had even had a chance to think about what she was doing, she was on one of the Al30 Hurricane helicopters as it was lifting off and flying north at the fastest possible speed. She had already plugged into the radio when she had boarded the helicopter and when it got into radio range with Berlin, she was hearing what could only be described as a jumble as the City Fire Brigade, Police along with the 1st and 2nd Field Armies were talking at each other. It was unclear exactly what had happened, but there was a fire in the Alexanderplatz Station. Kiki knew the area and knew that it was a key center for Regional Rail, Tram, Bus, S-Bahn, and U-Bahn. If anything happened there it wasn’t in the least bit surprising that the result was an unholy mess. Kiki had pulled rank, contacted her brother, made threats, carried out some of those very threats, called in favors, and did everything else she could think of that could be done over the radio as they approached Berlin. It took time but she managed to impose something vaguely resembling order in the radio communications.
“Making final approach Frau Oberstarzt” The helicopter pilot said as Kiki was aware that buildings were rushing by as they raced at low level through the city. “Glad you don’t have any issues with us.” He said that last part with a laugh. Kiki realized that the pilot and co-pilot had been listening in the entire time she had been on the radio.
“Thank you” Kiki replied as the helicopter flared and landed in the middle of Alexanderplatz itself. As she unplugged the headphones in her helmet from the helicopter’s intercom/radio and plugged it into her own radio she saw that the other members of the FSR were removing the gear they had brought with practiced ease. Almost as soon as she stepped off the helicopter, it lifted off and the next one was on approach.
The scene that greeted her was like something from a Hieronymus Bosch painting. Smoke pouring out of the station entrances as she saw members of the Fire Brigade helping people up the stairs. Those already out looked dazed, and Kiki saw signs of obvious injuries and they must have inhaled a lot of smoke. The windows of the hall that made up the above ground portion of the station had been blown out. Had this been a bombing? Kiki had heard about the strange, attempted hijacking of an Aegean Airlines flight by Turkish Nationalists in Hamburg a couple months earlier. Was this connected to that?
Then she saw men who she recognized from the 1st Guard Army based on the patches of their uniforms just standing there gawking, they had rushed here from Potsdam, and this is what they were doing?
“Don’t just stand there!” Kiki yelled at them, “Can’t you see that these people need help?”
“Who the Hell are you supposed to be?” One of them, a Feldwebel asked. All he saw was a red coat with Notarzt in reflective letters across the back, he clearly failed to see her name, rank, or FSR patch. “We were told to keep order and we’re doing that.”
“That is nice” Kiki replied in a tone of voice that could have frozen water. The men around the Feldwebel, realizing that one of their own had just spoken out of turn, stepped away from him as Kiki keyed the microphone of her radio. “I have a Feldwebel…” She paused looking at his nametag, “Haas, correction, Schütze Haas here who needs his orders amended.”
The other members of the FSR were passing through and it was obvious the deference they paid Kiki as they passed. She doubted that demotion would stick, failing to recognize a Superior Officer was the sort of thing that could be explained away as an honest mistake. That got the message across though as word quickly spread of her presence. It took several minutes to find out where the Chief of the Fire Brigade was, shockingly he was inside the station, directly supervising the firefighting effort. Looking at all the emergency vehicles coming in from all over the city. Kiki knew that she was in for a very long night. With an exasperated sigh, she started yelling orders at anyone within earshot.
Last edited:
Kiki doing Kiki things.
The press are going to have an absolute field day with this.
As soon as anyone in the press realises she is there and imposing order on the chaos, especially once she starts treating people she is going to get the Gia treatment.
Especially from the Orthodox Church.
Complete with wh40k style iconography of her descending on Angel wings on a shaft of light into a Bosche-esque hell scape.
And yes, probably in golden armour too... 🤣
St Kristine - I'm calling it now.
The press are going to have an absolute field day with this.
As soon as anyone in the press realises she is there and imposing order on the chaos, especially once she starts treating people she is going to get the Gia treatment.
Especially from the Orthodox Church.
Complete with wh40k style iconography of her descending on Angel wings on a shaft of light into a Bosche-esque hell scape.
And yes, probably in golden armour too... 🤣
St Kristine - I'm calling it now.
She is already known as the People’s Princess, and by the Marine Infantry as the Angel of Anju.
Ironically by her actions at Alexander Platz, she has proven that she has the leadership skills and the ability to command respect of hardened veteran troops to lead a coup if she wanted to.
Look at it from the politicians viewpoint. Freddie is far more formidable than they were expecting. Michael has his own army & air force, as does Rea. Vicki, or at least her husband, will soon have those as well. They've finally been able to halt Louis' naval career... only for him to get an entirely new one in Romania, where he will one day become King (or Prince Consort) and gain control of the Romanian army & air force. And then there's Kiki... The People's Princess, The Angel of Anju, the officer who evaded the entire Chilean military WHILE PREGNANT. The entire current crop of the House of Hohenzollern is comprised of overachievers who scare the crap out of most of the Reichstag.
There are going to be a lot of acts of bravery and heroism preformed by firefighters, police, medical personnel, station personnel, and by ordinary citizens who go above and beyond what is demanded of them, and they need to be honored.
Once again, let me propose The Order of Kristina as the best way to honor those whose actions in civil disasters and emergencies provide an example to all.
Once again, let me propose The Order of Kristina as the best way to honor those whose actions in civil disasters and emergencies provide an example to all.
A lot of this going on here in New Zealand at the moment. Mother Nature does not fuck around.
Part 144, Chapter 2604
Chapter Two Thousand Six Hundred Four
15th January 1977
Mitte, Berlin
There were two problems facing Freddy as he walked with Kurt-Werner Seidel, the Landesbranddirektor of the Berlin Fire Brigade. The first was obvious, the huge amount of damage he was looking at as he toured the U-Bahn’s Alexanderplatz Station as he descended down to what was left of the platform on the U8 line. The preliminary investigation had concluded that a fire had done this, though the exact cause remained fuzzy. The investigators were still trying to figure out how it had apparently gone a tiny fire smoldering on one end of the platform, to… whatever it had suddenly become. The fire had traveled up through the station, causing a huge amount of damage. Kiki had told him that it had looked like bomb had gone off to her when she had arrived at Alexanderplatz in the aftermath.
The thought of his sister reminded Freddy of how she was his other problem. He had understood for years that of all his brothers and sisters, Kiki was by far the most dangerous. It wasn’t because she was some sort of femme fatale, far from it. Instead, it was because when it came right down to it Kiki was an idealist. Anything or anyone who got in the way of what she felt was the right course of action tended to get obliterated. Freddy had once told Suga that he thought that Kiki would burn the whole world down if she thought that would save it. It seemed that much of the Reichstag understood that about her as well and feared her because of that. They also understood that Kiki was beloved by the public as result of her being an Emergency Surgeon and a genuinely good person, which was why they had not gone against her directly. Leaning on Freddy to “Do something” while seeing to it that Kiki’s career in the Medical Service stalled had been what they had done instead.
They had done the same thing to Lou until he had left the Navy of his own accord. Only for them to learn what Lou’s plans were, how he was getting married to Princess Margaretta of Romania and a key role in the Romanian Navy came with that. Once again Freddy was being asked to do something and he had needed to remind the Reichstag that he was a Constitutional Monarch whose role had limits even inside Germany and his authority did not extend into Romania. Were they so scared of what Freddy’s siblings might do and that was their reaction? For the life of him, he could not figure out their reasoning.
Then a couple days earlier Kiki had done a bit more than upsetting the applecart, she had blown it apart with a howitzer. Like with Lou and the Navy, Kiki had seemingly been on her way out the door of the Medical Service, she had been in it since she had been a teenager, was coming up on twenty years in it, and had two children. Administering the hospital in Sonthofen a short distance from where her daughter was attending school had seemed like a good fit for her. However, for whatever reason she had agreed to do the FSR Certification Course in Pfullendorf, something that she could have opted out of. That had also put her in a position to take command of the rapid response detachments of the FSR as they had converged on Berlin. Say what you will about Kiki’s abilities as a Surgeon, with a telephone or a radio she was an incomparable master of that particular art and that was something that had not gone unnoticed by her superiors in Koblenz. Over the last twenty-four hours Generaloberstabsarzt Artur Biermann, the head of the entire KZS had been demanding to know why one of their more capable Field Officers was getting stepped on by politicians for no apparent reason.
And then Albrecht of Bavaria got involved…
Until that moment, Freddy had not known that the King of Bavaria despised Heinz Kissinger and had apparently been waiting years for the opportunity like this. The lens that Albrecht looked at the world through also needed to be considered. He saw Ben as a part of his inner circle and Kiki was Ben’s wife as well as the older sister of his daughter-in-law, the same daughter-in-law who had given him two healthy grandsons despite some issues of the sort that would probably remain closely guarded family secrets. That was probably what had prompted Albrecht’s choice to make a couple of announcements, the first was hardly controversial, inducting Kiki into the Bavarian Medical Order. That was actually something that was past due considering who Kiki was and where she had been living for the last few years. The other involved Albrecht in his capacity as the head of the Bavarian Army was inducting her into Military Merit Order, 2nd Class, for her command of the FSR response. That seemed innocuous until you considered the implications of what ranks got which Class of that award. Beyond all of that, Aunt Kat was likely weigh in as well…
Freddy was snapped back into the present moment as he stepped down the stairs to the U8 platform. The fire had been put out within a couple hours, but the recovery process and investigation were ongoing. It could have been worse. The driver of train that had just been pulling into the station had seen the fire as it had erupted and had not stopped, saving the lives of his passengers. The people standing on the platform had not been so fortunate. Freddy saw the row of neatly placed white plastic bags along the platform and tried not to think about contents zipped up inside. Already the official finger pointing had begun, and it was clear that someone was going to pay a heavy price.
15th January 1977
Mitte, Berlin
There were two problems facing Freddy as he walked with Kurt-Werner Seidel, the Landesbranddirektor of the Berlin Fire Brigade. The first was obvious, the huge amount of damage he was looking at as he toured the U-Bahn’s Alexanderplatz Station as he descended down to what was left of the platform on the U8 line. The preliminary investigation had concluded that a fire had done this, though the exact cause remained fuzzy. The investigators were still trying to figure out how it had apparently gone a tiny fire smoldering on one end of the platform, to… whatever it had suddenly become. The fire had traveled up through the station, causing a huge amount of damage. Kiki had told him that it had looked like bomb had gone off to her when she had arrived at Alexanderplatz in the aftermath.
The thought of his sister reminded Freddy of how she was his other problem. He had understood for years that of all his brothers and sisters, Kiki was by far the most dangerous. It wasn’t because she was some sort of femme fatale, far from it. Instead, it was because when it came right down to it Kiki was an idealist. Anything or anyone who got in the way of what she felt was the right course of action tended to get obliterated. Freddy had once told Suga that he thought that Kiki would burn the whole world down if she thought that would save it. It seemed that much of the Reichstag understood that about her as well and feared her because of that. They also understood that Kiki was beloved by the public as result of her being an Emergency Surgeon and a genuinely good person, which was why they had not gone against her directly. Leaning on Freddy to “Do something” while seeing to it that Kiki’s career in the Medical Service stalled had been what they had done instead.
They had done the same thing to Lou until he had left the Navy of his own accord. Only for them to learn what Lou’s plans were, how he was getting married to Princess Margaretta of Romania and a key role in the Romanian Navy came with that. Once again Freddy was being asked to do something and he had needed to remind the Reichstag that he was a Constitutional Monarch whose role had limits even inside Germany and his authority did not extend into Romania. Were they so scared of what Freddy’s siblings might do and that was their reaction? For the life of him, he could not figure out their reasoning.
Then a couple days earlier Kiki had done a bit more than upsetting the applecart, she had blown it apart with a howitzer. Like with Lou and the Navy, Kiki had seemingly been on her way out the door of the Medical Service, she had been in it since she had been a teenager, was coming up on twenty years in it, and had two children. Administering the hospital in Sonthofen a short distance from where her daughter was attending school had seemed like a good fit for her. However, for whatever reason she had agreed to do the FSR Certification Course in Pfullendorf, something that she could have opted out of. That had also put her in a position to take command of the rapid response detachments of the FSR as they had converged on Berlin. Say what you will about Kiki’s abilities as a Surgeon, with a telephone or a radio she was an incomparable master of that particular art and that was something that had not gone unnoticed by her superiors in Koblenz. Over the last twenty-four hours Generaloberstabsarzt Artur Biermann, the head of the entire KZS had been demanding to know why one of their more capable Field Officers was getting stepped on by politicians for no apparent reason.
And then Albrecht of Bavaria got involved…
Until that moment, Freddy had not known that the King of Bavaria despised Heinz Kissinger and had apparently been waiting years for the opportunity like this. The lens that Albrecht looked at the world through also needed to be considered. He saw Ben as a part of his inner circle and Kiki was Ben’s wife as well as the older sister of his daughter-in-law, the same daughter-in-law who had given him two healthy grandsons despite some issues of the sort that would probably remain closely guarded family secrets. That was probably what had prompted Albrecht’s choice to make a couple of announcements, the first was hardly controversial, inducting Kiki into the Bavarian Medical Order. That was actually something that was past due considering who Kiki was and where she had been living for the last few years. The other involved Albrecht in his capacity as the head of the Bavarian Army was inducting her into Military Merit Order, 2nd Class, for her command of the FSR response. That seemed innocuous until you considered the implications of what ranks got which Class of that award. Beyond all of that, Aunt Kat was likely weigh in as well…
Freddy was snapped back into the present moment as he stepped down the stairs to the U8 platform. The fire had been put out within a couple hours, but the recovery process and investigation were ongoing. It could have been worse. The driver of train that had just been pulling into the station had seen the fire as it had erupted and had not stopped, saving the lives of his passengers. The people standing on the platform had not been so fortunate. Freddy saw the row of neatly placed white plastic bags along the platform and tried not to think about contents zipped up inside. Already the official finger pointing had begun, and it was clear that someone was going to pay a heavy price.
Last edited:
"...more than upsetting the applecart, she had blown it apart with a howitzer." Nice turn of phrase. Your description of Kiki's response to the chaos she found had phrases like "upsetting the applecart" and "kicking over the anthill" coming to my mind. Poor Freddy.
The LF Jr. problem is basically solved with him leaving the KLM, giving up his German citizenship, titles, and his place in the Line of Succession.
Now he is Romania’s problem.
As for Kiki, the problems has gotten bigger as she is being praised by everyone by her taking charge of the emergency and now the public is finding out that Kiki is being sidelined and they don’t know why.
All of this is because of the unwritten and unspoken bargain between the Reichstag and the Hohenzollern Family after the Spring Revolution where the Family was allowed to reign but not to govern or hold any real power in the armed forces.
This is going to spark an intense debate in the public where they in theory agree that the Imperial Family shouldn’t have any real power except for providing an example to the Empire, but with Kiki they are willing to make an exception.
What the public doesn’t understand but the Reichstag does, is that Kiki commands a lot of loyalty from the Marine Infantry and the Berlin Police Department, and if she wants to, she can stop a coup trying to overthrow her brother by other actors.
Now he is Romania’s problem.
As for Kiki, the problems has gotten bigger as she is being praised by everyone by her taking charge of the emergency and now the public is finding out that Kiki is being sidelined and they don’t know why.
All of this is because of the unwritten and unspoken bargain between the Reichstag and the Hohenzollern Family after the Spring Revolution where the Family was allowed to reign but not to govern or hold any real power in the armed forces.
This is going to spark an intense debate in the public where they in theory agree that the Imperial Family shouldn’t have any real power except for providing an example to the Empire, but with Kiki they are willing to make an exception.
What the public doesn’t understand but the Reichstag does, is that Kiki commands a lot of loyalty from the Marine Infantry and the Berlin Police Department, and if she wants to, she can stop a coup trying to overthrow her brother by other actors.
I have no doubt that the Hohenzollern Family wouldn't try to stage a coup against a democratically elected government, but if an unconstitutional power grab by the government occurs they will throw their lot in with those trying to restore an elected government.
My basic scenario is that an unpopular extremist government refuses to hold a scheduled election decides to overthrow the Kaiser\Kaiserine to prevent them from carrying out their constitutional duties in calling for new elections.
In that case, I could see the Imperial Family joining with the democratic side trying to restore democracy.
So if a free and fair plebiscite was held on abolishing the Monarchy and it passed, then the Family would accept the results and abdicate voluntarily, but if an unpopular extremist government tries to install a "regent" in order to keep power illegally, then that is a different thing altogether.
My basic scenario is that an unpopular extremist government refuses to hold a scheduled election decides to overthrow the Kaiser\Kaiserine to prevent them from carrying out their constitutional duties in calling for new elections.
In that case, I could see the Imperial Family joining with the democratic side trying to restore democracy.
So if a free and fair plebiscite was held on abolishing the Monarchy and it passed, then the Family would accept the results and abdicate voluntarily, but if an unpopular extremist government tries to install a "regent" in order to keep power illegally, then that is a different thing altogether.