Lilibet is twice not amused

Those one time subjects

Having decided to grace America with one's regal presence, these one time subjects of the realm were keen on commemorating the state visit.

One does ones sittings over a few weeks as ones diary permits, the quiet and deference, one is accustomed to but exception is made of precocious modern tattle when people lacking breeding deign to speak out of turn.

As Queen, regaled in the robes of The Most Noble Order of the Garter with ones regal diadem, one cannot be amused that the grandeur of the occasion is held in contempt by the painter - they call them photographers, nowadays - that one should remove ones diadem; To the Tower, her head on a charger without respite - that would have been her portion in the days of the First.

"I'm not changing anything. I've had enough dressing like this, thank you very much." Indeed Lilibet, one would not be ordered around by ones who have to carry their tools.

Twice not amused

The town-criers (BBC) whose charter bears ones seal have regaled to the people that one was too unimpressed to countenance a sitting after such effrontery.

No discretion can be expected of the many of the uncouth subjects that swoon in ones presence and prattle every word with the discourtesy of dissimulation - seize their charter give to the corgis.

And rightly so, one is twice not amused when events are chronicled in the wrong order to reflect badly on the crown as the painter asks for the crown to be dismounted from the royal head by ones regal hands.

One cannot recall the words, looking at the Lady-in-waiting - "Less dressy? What do you think this is?", you said, Ma'am". They used to be of royal lineage to four generations before they entered the courts. Patrick was such good company and now so sorely missed.

The painter shall not return to the realm and the town-crier's apology? Send the blacksmith (Director-General of the BBC) to the Tower till yuletide.

It's a girl again

The Queens of the Netherlands

The joy of new birth comes to the Netherlands again with the birth of the eighth grandchild of Queen Beatrix of the House of Orange-Nassau.

Fortunately, in the Dutch monarchy, is not subject to Salic Law else they would have been in the crisis of the ruling house of Japan where until recently the absence of a son for the second-line of succession had put many a princess under unbearable stress.

Absolute primogeniture has allowed the Netherlands to have 3 Queens in succession with the possibility of a King after the reign of the Queen extant, in Prince Willem-Alexander, the heir-apparent and father of the new born child.

A peculiarity is how all the Queens married German consorts and the current one did cause such uproar as the Dutch were still smarting from the travails of the Second World War - though all consorts acquitted themselves well as Dutch gentlemen.

Also, the Queens did have a penchant for abdicating for their successors, Queen Wilhelmina (57 years) for Queen Juliana (32 years) in 1948 and she for Queen Beatrix in 1980, it is not clear if this Queen would abdicate for her son, one is not sure how ready the Dutch would be for that kind of upheaval.

Male maelstrom

However, one might be astute to say that it appears the Y-chromosome is somewhat recessive in the succession line even though this Queen does have 3 sons. She only has one grandson amongst her 8 grandchildren and in about 50 years time we would be celebrating probably the advent of another Queen of the Netherlands depending on the reigns and longevity of both Queen Beatrix and Prince Willem-Alexander.

Now, all births must be well celebrated regardless of gender, but there is something about hereditary monarchies that the birth of a girl excites exasperation rather than elation - as most newspapers would read - It's another girl!

She arrived last night just before 10:00PM on the 10^th of April 2007, weighing 4,135g and 52cm, a very healthy baby.

Congratulations to the Queen, the Prince and his Princess as we all celebrate with Beschuit met muisjes, the traditional Dutch treat served to commemorate new births; the muisjes being pink for a girl.

It's a girl again!

God Save the Queen - Long live the Queen

History of England

A History of England poster takes pride of place on the wall of my living room, a poster I bought from the museum shop of Arundel Castle, the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk, with title of Earl Marshall and one of the great offices of state in England.

This office organises coronations and the State Opening of Parliament, as a catholic family, their influence in a protestant monarchy makes interesting reading.

In general, I am a monarchist, a royalist and a keen supporter of constitutional monarchies. It is evident from the event that culminated in the First World War that our world of today has no place for absolute monarchies.

Where they seem to exist like in Nepal where the police have been ordered to “shoot to kill” protesters clamouring for real democracy or Swaziland where the king with his propensity for taking young wives squanders scarce resources on a luxury life they can ill afford.

Learning by visiting

Having spent my developing years in Nigeria, my returning to England left me bereft of the history and culture of a country to which I claim citizenship allegiance.

Rather than reach out for thousand-page books of England, I joined both the National Trust and used my visit to stately homes to piece together events of our history; supplementing that with visits to English Heritage sites all around the country.

Somehow, I like the lineage of reigns that help us document our history in lengths of time that speak of people, events, ideas and their relationships. Victorian values signify conservative outlooks to life, the House of Tudor hosts Henry VIII and the break-away from the Roman Catholic Church, the last of that lineage being Elizabeth I.

Times of the monarch

This follows the time honoured practice found in the Old Testament of the Bible where the Israelites document reigns in the Book of Kings and events in the Book of Chronicles.

It sounds grating to document times in the name of politicians, you never hear of the Lincolnian times related to Abraham Lincoln (Victorian) or the Churchillian times in relation to Winston Churchill (George VI and Elizabeth II from the House of Windsor).

Where there is no monarchy to maintain a human grip on our history and heritage you have to revert to dates and years.

Above the political fray

Beyond that, one can see how the jostling for political position in the presidencies of the United States and France creates a stop-start sense of leadership which can at times thrive on base populism and give rise to dictatorships in other places.

A monarchy subjects the inordinate quest for power to a lesser element of governance with the politicians ceremoniously answerable to a supposedly higher authority.

We would lose a lot to becoming a republic, as some people feel that we live in a time when people should not be born to positions of privilege.

More than value you can quantify

Also many complain about the cost of the monarchy, well, I would be hard pressed to find any other person or group of people who can market the brand of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Northern Ireland better than our monarchy. Even so, the head of the church cannot be a Prime Minister no matter how religious.

They are more than good value for money now, for our history past, for our heritage preserved and for our sense of belonging as we look to the future. That position would be wasted on a politician no matter how much of a statesman they may be.

This is not the most forceful piece about the monarchy, but the sentimentality of what they mean would have me supporting our constitutional monarchy without reservation.

God Save the Queen

As the Israelites said at the anointing of their first king – God Save the King – I say, God Save the Queen.

God Save the Queen makes more sense to me than God Save the President or the Prime Minister.

Even more importantly; at 80; Happy Birthday, Ma’am.

Blog the New Year

Thanks for it all

As usual my religious background contends that at the New Year one gives thanks for the opportunity to see another year.

Seeing all the perils that have befallen many over the last year and the circumstances in which one has escaped or been protected from the lot can only create a thankful disposition for being spared.

Knowing that there is a greater One beyond us with whom all things consist makes all that difference if thanks are muttered or shouted out loud in the assumed hysteria of gushing and heartfelt thanks.

One is thankful, for some many things, the possibilities for mishap, misfortune, accidents and bad luck abounded, but one has seen good health, prosperity through the mercy of God and His abundant grace.

There have been times that one has wondered how each day has passed into history offering new opportunities for hope and privilege. How the past with its lessons have provided useful insight for the future that promises great change and scope to remain relevant and thanks remain a constant feature.

The New Year is another opportunity; a leap year is a greater opportunity. One should also remember that on February the 29th an ex-boss turns 10 - bless him.

The thankless "representatives"

In the UK, the Queen offers honours to citizens of the Commonwealth for their services to their communities or other spheres of influence that they command.

It is commendable that there are societies where people are honoured just as a recognition of their work or status.

There is no doubt that the award system have by and large been abused, but that is the substance of privilege.

Like it or not, every endeavour of life is subject to varying degrees of validation scrutiny and a reward system serves to quantify that validation process.

In schools it is exams and the individual's success that defines abilities, in business knowing a product that the customer wants and then offering it the way the customer wants creates value and profit.

In every other undertaking there is recognition of the successful, the average and the failing. The ability for people to transcend these validation processes represents that person’s response to change and ability to change.

Monarchy

We are a constitutional monarchy in the UK but the real governmental power is vested in the House of Commons with the House of Lords being the revising chamber.

It is unfortunate that both the monarchy and the House of Lords are undergoing so much reform when it is the House of Commons that needs the most reform.

The democratic institutions in the UK offer platforms to three parties and rarely meritocratic opportunity to independents.

Once the election is over, constituency representation is at a lower priority to party politics and policies that do not necessarily reflect the electorates' interests.

We are a monarchy anyhow and we just have to live with it till the electorate decides for a republic.

There is no doubt that if the head of our political process is a jousting dandy politician rather than the aloof Queen, the value of that representation would diminish into the interest serving system we recognise in countries like the United States.

A political and governmental system requires a wise figure-head like a monarch representing our heritage or an apolitical president like those of Germany or Italy.

Awards

The news has been awash with information of certain individuals who have been honoured but have rejected the honours for whatever reasons.

This brings to the fore a classic example of people who are representative of a self-serving lower esteem class of people who are still in the throes of integration even after three generations in the UK.

One is glad that being born in England, one grew up in Africa where one's race had never been an issue. Escaping the race and deprivation politics of the 70s and 80s has done one a whole world of good. It helps one realise that racism and its effects are a thing of the mind and self-realisation.

Where that aspect of esteem is resolved, there is no need to herald one's race or suffer the unnecessary taunts of rude inference masquerading as light hearted jokes.

One sees that having a quick wit so easily puts paid to those things. Illustrated in a few examples below:

Internet Chat setting.

Q: Do you Africans still live on trees?

A little research reveals that the inquirer is from Sweden, so obtain the full title of the King of Sweden.

A: Yes indeed we do, in fact, when King Carl XVI Gustaf visited, we put him on the tallest tree and fed him bananas.

The shock expressed by the inquirer after that most definitely extracted more than an apology. That one had inferred that his king was a monkey was just desserts be trying to be too smart.

A conversation at work.

Person: Akin, the guy you borrowed your suit from wants it back.

The person happens to have some envelopes on him.

Answer: I see you have a delivery service, would you take it back?

One never heard such smart jokes from the person again. Others within earshot also learnt not to mess around with such issues.

Take the honours and inspire others

Conversely, those issues represent a situation of unparalleled rudeness, literally unbelievable and supposed to upset you seriously.

One could have viewed them as the vituperative insults that they were and launched a whole racism complaint process for the crowds to latch onto. No, when one is self assured, you give as good as you get and even better.

About the awards, they represent nothing but recognition, they do not even come with a prize as with the Nobel Prize.

Every well mannered individual would accept the honours with thanks and still continue in the work that was recognised in the presentation of that honour.

However, if the activity being honoured has not been resolved with sincerity in the hearts and minds of the recipient, the urge to reject becomes compelling.

It is a great disservice however to the others who have integrated into the society they find themselves, who's contributions are worthy of recognition but are not recognise because of the selfish leftwing agendas of the refuseniks.

Once again, we are a constitutional monarchy, honours and recognition of service will still be offered and presented by the monarch till we become a republic. The republic would not make it to the radar screens for generations.

I say, "Take the honours and inspire others".

Egalitarianism is a pipe-dream

When the Queen speaks

The Commonwealth represents the extent to which the British Empire grew in the 19th Century which then diminished in the first half of the 20th Century.

Mozambique is the only country that has no historical ties to the Commonwealth, but has joined this community on the realisation that it is surrounded by other countries including the rogue Zimbabwean state.

On gaining independence, a number of countries became republics and had the complete mantle of government vested in the local citizenry. The Queen’s representative in those countries then becomes a British government representative with the title of Ambassador.

Where the countries have not adopted a republican status, the figure-head head of government as the Queen’s representative in that country is the Governor-General. Canada and Australia are not republics.

Many of those former British Empire states started off as democracies and descended into governmental chaos when certain groups grabbed the reins of government as a right rather than elective privilege.

This was worsened by other factions, feeling marginalised and resorting to arms and plunging their countries into civil war and complete anarchy.

Others either had years of military misrule or populist governments that abused the rule of law and all due process.

The Commonwealth is more peaceful now, though the last meeting of governments did threaten to undo the relationship. Zimbabwe and Pakistan remain outsiders for misrule and military dictatorship respectively.

Anyway, every Christmas day at 15:00 hrs GMT the Queen’s Christmas message is relayed to the Commonwealth. The message is supposed to cover issues of the year, the hopes, the fears, the thanks and the regrets.

However, this traditional atmosphere is continually getting a touch of modernisation, one expects the speeches of the near future to be the Queen rapping her message on Top of the Pops. God forbid!

The Queen represents a documented and traceable heritage of history, circumstance and development of the British identity. Though the class structures of feudal servitude have all but disappeared, these have evolved creating new battle lines.

The moneyed, the celebrity, the politician, the fan, the deprived, the refugee now make up the obvious classes. However, the class struggles along the erstwhile lines still continue without specific appellation.

The equality of democracy as we know it does not produce the liberality of a government of the people, by the people for the people. No modern democracy can boast of that lofty definition in practice.

Rather the government of the day seeks to impose a set of class values on majority society, where they are mostly in government with less than 35% of the total enfranchised population.

On Christmas day, the Queen reminds us of history, how society has evolved and gives a time frame to the era we live in. The Second Elizabethan era of the late 20th Century which now includes the early 21st Century?

Long live the Queen - by the which we know our identity as members of the Commonwealth.

An Englishman abroad.