That was what I took away from it too.
I truly believe Arthur the Monarch can definitely work, writers just can't seem to avoid the cliche though. (As Robanker said: The biggest problem I have with the monarchy as portrayed in the comics is that, well, it's the usual remix of "long live the king! How dare this half-breed adopt progressive policy! Kill the king! SAVE US ARTHUR! Long live the king..." Rinse, repeat.)
I think Jurgens touched upon it during his short tenure and Morrison also leaned into it towards the end of his JLA run.
Arthur rules over 3/4 of the planet's surface. Atlantis has been shown to weild highly advance technology - while also combining serious magical chops.
He is NOT a bloke you want to piss off, supervillain or politician.