They've always had royalty. The problem is when a country w/o royals, like ours, starts treating elected officials as royalty and not public servants.
There’s no shortage of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats in our govt either. It’s devolving into an oligarchy. It just gets worse.
Every time some scumbag corrupt politician gets laid out in state upon their death it makes me simultaneously angry that such a high honor is bestowed upon those least worthy and saddened that you republic is becoming lost as the pols establish themselves as a new aristocracy that uses their office primarily to enrich themselves and to rig things so they can stay there forever.