-And yes, a system of all-powerful rulers can give way gracefully to democracy over time. Exhibit A will be on view Wednesday, when Queen Elizabeth II opens Parliament. She will enter the House of Lords chamber, and an official will be sent to the House of Commons chamber, where the door will be slammed in his face, a reminder that since 1642 the monarch has been barred from entering the Commons while it’s meeting. The members will eventually walk down to the Lords to hear Her Majesty read the Queen’s Speech. But she only reads it; the government writes it. The people have all the power, the monarch virtually none. But she’s still called the queen, and the people love her.