50+ years ago I took an A Level evening class in British Constitution. My hostel room-mate was doing in and it felt like something I should know about.
We covered the House of Lords, and the Monarchy and in both cases the conclusion seemed to be that the alternatives might be worse, and they were part of the checks and balances of the constitution.
I got rather disillusioned about that when she was powerless (or unwilling) to stop the illegal prorogation of Parliament.
We were certainly taught at school that the monarchy and the Empire were 'good things', believed it at the time. Lined up in the playground to sing the National Anthem on Empire Day.