Regarding 'the monarch must be seen to be believed' mindset - that's absolutely the same reason for the many many photos of the King and the Queen Mother in the rubble of the Blitz week in week out.
I would like to comment if I may? In my opinion (which is just a Pedestrian view) some intelligence agencies globally are victims of some types ideological subversion techniques . I believe it’s has bee ongoing and is escalating. To me there seems to real life scenarios of political divisions within the ranks of theses agencies. How do these organizations function unbiased and maintain a balance when they are clearly positioned themselves on one side of the fence?
Carefully.... Political 'backroom' maneuvering would have been at times an absolute necessity. The multi-decade career-long Whitehall civil servants with 'a remnants of Empire' agenda of a 'bigger picture, longer time frame view against the ever-changing politicians who are glory hounds or legacy building.
