Many of those dictators arose in states with checks and balances. To presume that a monarchy will somehow prevent dictators from gaining power is rather naive.
The monarch does not represent me.
My relatives died in both of the World Wars. My grandfather was a Royal Engineer who was shot in the head in North Africa (luckily he survived to live out the rest of his war days in an Italian PoW camp). He was a republican all his life, does he not deserve the same accolades? I also find it quite absurd that the defenders of freedom are dying for a man in a funny hat. My relatives who died fought for freedom and nothing less!
I don't know why you mention patriotism either. Patriotism is not such a great thing if it is brought under the auspices of fascism (such as Hitler's Germany) or under communism (such as Stalinist Russia). Patriotism is a very dangerous double edged sword. I much prefer the old dictum of that great man of freedom, Benjamin Franklin:
"Wherever there is liberty, that is my country."
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