While the twentieth century saw the collapse of monarchies across Europe, recent events are a reminder that hereditary monarchies still matter in Asia. In some countries like Malaysia and Bhutan the institution is thriving, but they can struggle for relevancy given the pro-democracy movement in Thailand and fast-modernising landscape of Japan.

Guest: Emeritus Professor Dennis Altman (Vice-Chancellor's Fellow, La Trobe University), author of God Save the Queen: The Strange Persistence of Monarchies.

Recorded on 15 February, 2022.