The crisis of the illusion of democracy...

The King: "Did you hear what happened in Paris? The serfs rose up and killed all the elites, they are forming a republic, taking equal shares in all the wealth!"

The Advisor: "Yes your Majesty, it's as I predicted. When the unwashed masses get hungry enough they will rise up against their oppressors and kill them all."

The King: "Is there nothing to be done? No way to keep them from rising up?"

The Advisor: "There is a way, but it is complex and you will have to sacrifice a lot of your public prestige, my Liege."

The King: Will I be able to keep my fortunes though? Maintain my control over these upstart peasants?"

The Advisor: "Undoubtedly Lord, all that and more."

The King: "Well out with it man! What is our course of action for these useless eaters."

The Advisor: "Well my Lord, we must give them a say in how the nation is run and..."

The King: "What! Are you mad!"

The Advisor: "Hear me out my King. I do not say we let them run the nation, we as always will control all wealth and capital flows and the application of the law to hold them in strict control.
What I say is that we give them the illusion of control, we allow them to vote in representatives to a form of government that is below us, but one that we strictly control. That form of government will be a buffer between us and them, hence they will no longer be able to protest to us because in their minds the new government will be all powerful.

The King: "Yes yes, I see, but what if this government grows strong and decides to usurp our power?"

The Adviser: That is the easiest of all my Lord. We ensure that those in ultimate control of the new government are only in power for limitied timeframes, and are either from among or own ranks, or else in our pay and employ. We will create two opposing factions and play the people off one against the other thereby keeping them in a constant state of turmoil. It will not be simple my King, but it is better than the alternative of revolution and the loss of all we have, including our heads"

The King: "Heaven forbid. Well get about it then sir, create me a template for this, 'new government', and by all means get word out through the taverns and churches that the King is considering the plight of his beloved people and is proposing to give them a much greater say in their day to day affairs."

The Advisor: "As my Lord commands..."