Showing posts with label monarchy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label monarchy. Show all posts

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Does Australia Need a Monarchy? King Charles Commences First Royal Tour

Oct 19, 2024 | King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be in Australia this week — their first visit here since taking the throne. Given the king's ongoing cancer treatment, and recent drastic changes to the British Royal Family, the trip won't be as busy as previous royal tours.

So, this will be a slimmed-down tour - but is Australia's fever for the Monarchy still as passionate? Three experts from The Australian discuss whether King Charles has a bright future - or whether we'll be heading toward another shot at the Republic.


Saturday, October 05, 2024

British Republicanism: A Necessary Evil

Sep 20, 2024


My posting of this rather controversial video should in no way be construed as an endorsement of its content. Some parts of it, I agree with; other parts, not.

Rather, I am posting this very interesting video because it shows how much the stability of this once proud and homogenous nation has been rocked by events in the past decades, and especially, in my opinion, by the disaster that was Brexit. The nation has been thrust into a period of navel-gazing.

For what it is worth, as the nation is being impoverished by Brexit and other world events with catastrophic consequences for the UK economy and the fact that we are now governed by a far-left administration, the longevity of our established institutions — and that includes our monarchy — can no longer be taken for granted. The death of Her Majesty the Late Queen Elizabeth II, a source of great stability to the United Kingdom, has had a profound and lasting effect on this once proud, unified and successful nation. Its centre of gravity seems to have tilted. — © Mark Alexander

Thursday, February 01, 2024

On Assignment: Denmark's New King | ITV News

Feb 1, 2024 | In a shock announcement on New Year’s Eve, Denmark's Queen Margrethe told the country live on air that she was abdicating. The 83-year-old handed the monarchy to her son Frederik and his Australian-born wife Mary. Royal Editor Chris Ship went to Denmark to meet those celebrating Queen Margrethe’s reign, and to hear more about the new King.

Wednesday, May 03, 2023

Princess Anne’s Take on the Monarchy under King Charles

May 2, 2023 | In the lead-up to the coronation of King Charles, CBC chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault has an intimate conversation with his sister, Princess Anne, about the changing monarchy and the challenges ahead.

Tuesday, May 02, 2023

Princess Anne: Slimmed-down Royal Family ‘Doesn’t Sound Like a Good Idea’

THE GUARDIAN: King Charles’s sister responds to reports that monarch could reduce number of working royals and cut back staffing

Princess Anne: ‘I think the “slimmed down” was said in a day when there were a few more people around.’ Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA

Princess Anne, the 16th in line to the British throne, has said she does not think a slimmed-down monarchy is a “good idea”.

Speaking to the Canadian public broadcaster, CBC News, the princess royal was asking about reports that her brother King Charles intends to overhaul the institution, in a move frequently referred to as a “slimmed down” monarchy.

There have been reports that the king could reduce the number of working royals and cut back royal staffing. » | Jamie Grierson | Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Sunday, April 30, 2023

Republic of Canada? Poll Suggests It's Time to Ditch the Monarchy

Apr 25, 2023 | King Charles’s coronation is set for May 6, but a new Angus Reid survey suggests many Canadians aren’t keen on keeping the monarchy.

Saturday, January 21, 2023

Peter Hitchens on Trade Unions, Tony Blair and the End of the Monarchy | Downstream

Premiered Jan 15, 2023 | This week’s guest is an iconoclast, although he may not be comfortable being labelled that way given his devotion to christianity. Among his colleagues on the right, he stands out as someone who is genuinely thoughtful and perhaps as one of the few who could be described as a genuine conservative. Aaron meets Peter Hitchens to discuss abortion, the Soviet Union, and how to make a good cup of tea.

Sunday, January 08, 2023

Prince Harry’s Book Could Be ‘Beginning of End’ for Royals, Warns Charles’s Biographer

THE OBSERVER: Catherine Mayer says anger over racism, misogyny and wealth in the royal family can undermine public consent for a monarchy

Prince Harry, William, Meghan and Catherine at Westminster Abbey in 2020 with Charles, before he became king. Photograph: Phil Harris/AP

The “absolutely catastrophic” implications of attacks on the behaviour of the royal family in the new memoir from the Duke of Sussex are being ignored, according to Catherine Mayer, the royal analyst and biographer of King Charles.

Early publication of the Spanish edition of Spare has put the focus on personality clashes, some of it fed by the royal publicity machine, and this could threaten the constitutional monarchy, whether or not the British public is calling for such a change, Mayer believes.

“It is possibly something that will mark the beginning of the end of the monarchy, and that is what we should discuss. It is important, given the lack of trust in the state at the moment and an upsurge in rightwing politics. Members of the royal family have become our proxies for anger about racism, misogyny and wealth. This is, after all, an institution that stands for inequality, so there are huge things at stake.” » | Vanessa Thorpe | Sunday, January 8, 2023

Drugs, sex and killings: six explosive revelations from Prince Harry’s book: The early Spanish publication of the memoir reveals a scuffle with William and lost virginity behind a pub »

Thursday, December 01, 2022

British Royal Aide Resigns over Racist Remarks - BBC News

Nov 30, 2022 | Prince William’s godmother Lady Susan Hussey has resigned as a Royal aide after repeatedly asking a black British head of a charity where she was “really” from. Lady Hussey, who was lady-in-waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth, questioned Ngoza Fulani about her background at a charity event at Buckingham Palace. When the charity head explained she was British, Lady Hussey asked where her “people” were from and where she was “really” from.

She has since apologised for the comments. The Palace described the comments as “unacceptable and deeply regrettable”. A spokesperson for Prince William said: "Racism has no place in our society. The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect”.

Lady Hussey, who is 83, was a close confidante of the late Queen and accompanied her at the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh.

Huw Edwards presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Nicholas Witchell and Daniela Relph.



Charity boss felt palace’s Lady Hussey tried to make her ‘denounce citizenship’: Ngozi Fulani says Buckingham Palace yet to reach out to her since incident with royal aide at reception »

Related article here.

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Prince William’s Godmother Quits Palace over Comments to Black Charity Boss

THE GUARDIAN: Former lady-in-waiting to queen issues apology after Ngozi Fulani questioned over where her ‘people’ came from

The late queen’s lady-in-waiting has resigned and apologised after a black guest at a reception hosted by the queen consort was left feeling traumatised and violated after she questioned her repeatedly about where she “really came from”.

Ngozi Fulani, the founder of the charity Sistah Space, claimed Susan Hussey moved her hair to reveal her name badge and persistently questioned her over where her “people” came from, despite having been told she was a British national.

A spokesperson for the Prince of Wales, who is Lady Hussey’s godson, said the comments were unacceptable and that “racism has no place in our society”. » | Caroline Davies and Hannah Summers | Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Who is royal aide Lady Susan Hussey?: Former lady-in-waiting stepped down from palace role after incident in which she asked guest where she ‘really came from’ »

I don't know the full story here, of course; however, it seems to me that this elederly lady should have been cut some slack. She is a lady from a different age, from a less woke age, from a less politically-correct age. Modern mores will surely be alien and strange to her. Whilst we do not need to tolerate out-and-out racism, we do need to make allowances from time to time for the age of the person involved in such an incident. It seems to me to be unreasonable and unfair to expect a lady as old as Lady Susan Hussey to understand modern ways and customs. My heart goes out to this elderly lady. This is surely an unfortunate incident which should have been overlooked. – © Mark Aleander

A Republican’s Viewpoint: Former British Soldier Exposes the Monarchy

Sep 28, 2022 | 622,991

Friday, September 16, 2022

What Is the Future of the British Monarchy?

In today’s world the idea of the monarchy is outdated, but it thrived under Queen Elizabeth II. The Economist’s Editor-in chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, and Britain correspondent, Catherine Nixey, discuss what the Queen’s death means for the future of the crown.

Idea of Monarchy as Symbol of Duty or Sacrifice ‘A Lie’, Says Labour’s Clive Lewis

THE GUARDIAN: MP and former shadow cabinet member speaks out despite leader’s call for silence before Queen’s funeral

Clive Lewis makes a speech during his failed leadership bid in 2020. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

The notion of the royal family as symbols of duty or sacrifice to the nation is “a lie” and is at the centre of a deeply unequal UK, a senior Labour MP has argued, breaching Keir Starmer’s order to his party to stay silent ahead of the Queen’s funeral on Monday.

Clive Lewis, the Norwich South MP and former shadow cabinet minister, said the arrest of anti-monarchy protesters and the condemnation of others who dissented showed that the royal succession “is as much about coercion as consent”.

In an article for the Guardian, one which is likely to infuriate Starmer’s office, Lewis said his initial response to the idea of people queuing for many hours to file past the Queen’s coffin was “one of bemusement followed by a touch of despair”.

Seeking to extrapolate lessons from the phenomenon for those, like him, who seek a transition to a republic, Lewis argued that media interviews with the mourners often showed a key motivation was the “need to feel part of something more than themselves”.

The “fundamental truth” about the monarchy, he argued, was its role as a national distraction: “It is a spectacle exalted for exemplifying virtues that should be typical in public life and public behaviour. Casting such behaviour as exceptional allows the likes of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and the economic elites they represent to break and exploit the rules for their own benefit and that of their very narrow class interest – of which the monarchy is an integral part.” » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Friday, September 16, 2022

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

The Guardian View on Monarchy as Religion: Parliament Should Not Bend the Knee

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: In a secular age, it is easier to disavow God than the monarchy. That has cowed politicians when they should be braver about reforming royalty

The advent of King Charles III brings about a sense of change – and foreboding.’ Photograph: WPA/Getty

The departure of one monarch and the arrival of another raises the question of what Britain has lost in the transition. The death of the Queen feels to some like the loss not of bearings but of the nation’s compass itself. Monarchy is a form of religion. In a secular age, it is easier to disavow God than the monarchy. Plainly much of the country is grief-stricken, though the proportion who were unmoved or critical is unknown. But the advent of King Charles III brings about a sense of change – and foreboding.

Even among the more detached, touched by unsuspected sorrow, the new sovereign will gain support. But the new King is not as popular with the public as his mother. That is a problem for Charles III and the institution he heads because in a democracy monarchies depend on public consent. One only has to look at Prince Andrew. The King’s younger brother’s ill-fated BBC Newsnight interview – in which he defended his association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – saw his approval ratings sink to 7%. Walking behind his mother’s coffin on Monday is a rare public outing for a prince who was once second in line to the throne. » | Editorial | Monday, March 12, 2022

Monday, September 12, 2022

Analysis: Scottish Crowds Turn Out for the Queen but Support for the Monarchy Less Clear

THE GUARDIAN: Charles faces challenge to convert outpouring of affection for his mother into enduring support for the institution

It has become Scotland’s largest public event of modern times; hundreds of thousands of people gathered on roadsides, in farm fields and on bridges as the Queen’s funeral cortege drove 170 miles from Balmoral to Edinburgh.

The crowd in Edinburgh’s Old Town as her hearse passed along the Royal Mile on Sunday was the densest the city has seen. That display of compassion, curiosity and, for some, fealty could suggest the support for monarchism in Scotland is deeper than many suspected.

The observance was understated, restrained. There were very few union flags or saltires on display; only a handful of flowers were thrown under the hearse’s wheels. Applause could be heard occasionally but chiefly the crowds were silent. With video » | Severin Carrell and Libby Brooks | Monday, September 12, 2022

Friday, June 03, 2022

‘On the Throne Till I Drop’: How Does British Monarchy Compare with European Royals?

THE GUARDIAN: Some monarchies have modernised to stay relevant but other dynasties have not been so successful

While the pomp and tradition of the British monarchy continue to fascinate people and media around the world, the Windsors are far from the only royal dynasty to have survived into the 21st century. Other European monarchies, from Spain to Belgium and from Norway to the Netherlands, have made similar efforts to adapt, modernise and stay relevant. Some have been more successful than others. » | Sam Jones in Madrid, Jon Henley in Paris, Jennifer Rankin in Brussels and Kim Willsher in Paris | Thursday, June 2, 2022

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Prince Andrew Plays Prominent Role in Prince Philip Memorial Service

THE GUARDIAN: Royal makes first public appearance since settling sexual assault case filed against him by Virginia Giuffre

The Queen and Prince Andrew attend the service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip. Photograph: Richard Pohle/AFP/Getty Images

Prince Andrew has prompted controversy after playing a unexpectedly prominent role escorting the Queen into a memorial service for his father, Prince Philip, in the disgraced royal’s first public appearance since settling the sexual assault case filed against him by Virginia Giuffre.

The ceremony in Westminster Abbey was held to mark a year since the Duke of Edinburgh’s death after his funeral was attended by just 30 loved ones due to pandemic restrictions.

It was uncertain until Tuesday morning whether the Queen would be able to attend after suffering poor mobility that has prevented her from travelling to official engagements.

She travelled from Windsor with Andrew, who escorted her into Westminster Abbey, offering his elbow as she moved carefully to her place using a walking stick.

Andrew’s prominent role raised eyebrows for coming so soon after a multimillion-pound out-of-court settlement in a civil sexual assault case. He continues to deny the allegation, but has stepped down from public life over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. » | Rachel Hall and agency | Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Queen attends Prince Philip thanksgiving service: Monarch, 95, leads royal family at event in honour of husband Philip at Westminster Abbey »

Andrew escorts Queen by arm at memorial service for Prince Philip: Monarch is visibly moved as her consort finally receives the farewell that he wanted »

Prince Andrew, Banished From Royal Duties, Escorts Queen to Memorial: The prince’s conspicuous public appearance at the service for his father, Prince Philip, who died last year, sent an unmistakable message of support by a 95-year-old mother for her disgraced son. LONDON — Six weeks ago, Prince Andrew agreed to a multi-million-dollar legal settlement with a woman who accused him of raping her when she was a teenager. On Tuesday, he escorted his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to a memorial service at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the life of her late husband, Prince Philip. »

Was Prince Andrew’s role at service a bid to rehabilitate ‘soiled royal’?: Analysis: Concerns about royal family’s judgment and message to abuse victims as prince appears at Queen’s side »

The Queen shared the limelight with Andrew – but he’s still out in the cold: No surprise he was at his father’s memorial service. But the looks from Charles and William told you his public life is over »

Friday, January 14, 2022

After the Prince Andrew Scandal, It’s Time to Slim Down the Monarchy

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: Royal offspring are accidents waiting to happen. Far better to cut down the throne to an heir and a spare

The royal family is engaged in frantic damage limitation ahead of the Queen’s platinum jubilee this summer. The Duke of York’s court case, which could turn out to be a high-octane festival of royal humiliation, risks contaminating the celebrations. This should have nothing to do with Britain’s monarchy, except that it has everything to do with it. The essence of monarchy is its image; right now, the royal family’s public appearance looks messy.

The lifestyles of the Queen’s son and grandson, the dukes of York and Sussex, have acquired the aura of a Shakespearean tragedy appropriate to their titles. The Duke of Sussex has done nothing wrong; as yet, neither has the Duke of York. Prince Harry was merely seeking to profit from his only marketable asset – royalty. Prince Andrew used the same asset to win unsavoury friendships, one of which laid him open to what he regards as outrageous blackmail, as yet untested in a court of law. His desperate hope was that a New York judge would disallow Virginia Giuffre’s suit. But American lawyers do not volunteer to starve. » | Simon Jenkins | Friday, January 14, 2022

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Australian Republicans Claim Majority Now Want to Abolish the Monarchy

The Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen in Perth in 2011, her last trip to Australia. Her long reign is thought to be increasing support for the monarchy | LINCOLN BAKER/POOL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

THE TIMES: Australian republicans say that the majority of the public support ditching the British monarchy and have proposed a new system to elect a head of state.

In the proposal, called “the Australian Choice”, each of the country’s nine parliaments would nominate a candidate who would then be put forward to a national vote.

The Australian Republican Movement said that the system was designed to produce a list of distinguished Australians from whom the public would choose a replacement for the British monarch. “People don’t want a Trump-like figure and they don’t want Shane Warne [the cricketer]. They want an eminent person,” Peter FitzSimons, a former rugby player who is chairman of the movement, said on Wednesday. » | Bernard Lagan, Sydney | Wednesday, January 12, 2022 [£]