tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81628169649418969692024-03-19T08:48:41.286+00:00THE MONARCHISTDefending he British Crown Commonwealth and the English-Speaking Realms
<br><br><i>The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice</i> - G.K. ChestertonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger771125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-21211520201230777342023-06-17T10:00:00.082+01:002023-06-17T10:00:00.134+01:00Happy Trooping the Colour!Today, June 17, is His Majesty King Charles III's debut Trooping the Colour, the Sovereign's official birthday.
It still is Coronation season, with the ceremony of Honours of Scotland coming up early July.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1urJtz331PltTPh1azMs9cTHXTGdpPMXg_ubS8t8qpvVHmKgt_2hiuhW__5PsAmaIBtKf2ec1GPshfna5eio0uzZ-TCmiF_5Dqd2ZdPuHnsYANBcXavol0JjRcpiFo0pJ-oEHiHtIjAZsONWoFetddJ6m-Tj5wpe2ljy5XvMPXJNjrKgNU6JM6ehJQ/s584/Crown_Jewels_of_the_United_Kingdom_1952-12-13.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1urJtz331PltTPh1azMs9cTHXTGdpPMXg_ubS8t8qpvVHmKgt_2hiuhW__5PsAmaIBtKf2ec1GPshfna5eio0uzZ-TCmiF_5Dqd2ZdPuHnsYANBcXavol0JjRcpiFo0pJ-oEHiHtIjAZsONWoFetddJ6m-Tj5wpe2ljy5XvMPXJNjrKgNU6JM6ehJQ/s320/Crown_Jewels_of_the_United_Kingdom_1952-12-13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Yours truly has noted on the Coronation and Trooping the Colour:<div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/jun/1/british-monarchy-is-outside-of-government-in-way-n/" target="_blank">Crowned king would limit politicians</a> (<i>The Washington Times</i>)</li><li><a href="https://enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0623/saveusfrompolitics.html" target="_blank">Save us from more politics!</a> (<i>Enter Stage Right</i>)</li></ul><div>Some other contributions worth reading:</div></div><div><ul><li>Charles A. Coulombe: <a href="https://europeanconservative.com/articles/essay/after-the-crowning/" target="_blank">After the Crowning</a> (<i>The European Conservative</i>)</li><li>Esmé Partridge: <a href="https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/05/in-defense-of-the-philosopher-king" target="_blank">In Defense of the Philosopher King</a> (<i>First Things</i>)</li><li>Tom Holland: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/30/bronze-age-coronation-rites-seem-to-speak-to-a-modern-love-of-the-sacred?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab&mibextid=q5o4bk&fbclid=IwAR0Iae7gn9aqL4h_NKdS4mPOX4LGpZmWO4J4lWNKZsBBuQdS2Bw-KG7GyAs" target="_blank">Our bronze age coronation rites seem to speak to a modern love of the sacred</a> (<i>The Guardian</i>)</li><li>Jude Russo: <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dieu-et-mon-droit/" target="_blank">Dieu et Mon Droit</a> (<i>The American Conservative</i>)</li><li>Sumantra Maitra: <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-return-of-the-king/" target="_blank">The Return of the King</a> (<i>The American Conservative</i>)</li><li>Katya Sedgwick: <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/inescapable-ritual/" target="_blank">Inescapable Ritual</a> (<i>The American Conservative</i>)</li><li>Robert W. Shaffern: <a href="https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/a-case-for-american-monarchy" target="_blank">A Case for American Monarchy</a> (<i>Crisis Magazine</i>)</li><li>Roger Kimball: <a href="https://amgreatness.com/2023/05/06/an-americans-view-of-the-coronation/" target="_blank">An American’s View of the Coronation</a> (<i>American Greatness</i>)</li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div>Also see Theodore Harvey's <a href="http://royaltymonarchy.blogspot.com/2023/05/coronation-of-king-charles-iii.html" target="_blank">compilation of articles</a>.</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-45880026156631586032023-04-10T16:52:00.002+01:002023-04-10T16:54:13.211+01:00Exciting new book - The Enduring Crown Commonwealth<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPxbmwkPrvbsr2-jZsvwtU0KvVAHl1uq3rj8xMytHPe9Rsx6HmkINfq7bhB3M3pcxHXwxSIoJYDesA1SCxRWWdK_WRZIFUVRSUJ7cND9f-35YjmUiSe7cpCoknzTnfHPCcSCnyG_e0Wo_RSXHrjrJcTYilO4FjNxvoyLqzdH2ooJTL3Y5eWR_5Xlq5g/s2700/9781538170199_fc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="659" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPxbmwkPrvbsr2-jZsvwtU0KvVAHl1uq3rj8xMytHPe9Rsx6HmkINfq7bhB3M3pcxHXwxSIoJYDesA1SCxRWWdK_WRZIFUVRSUJ7cND9f-35YjmUiSe7cpCoknzTnfHPCcSCnyG_e0Wo_RSXHrjrJcTYilO4FjNxvoyLqzdH2ooJTL3Y5eWR_5Xlq5g/w439-h659/9781538170199_fc.jpg" width="439" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-57990469522812367532020-01-26T13:38:00.000+00:002020-01-26T13:38:32.753+00:00Surpassing of Francis JosephHer Britannic Majesty has surpassed the Austro-Hungarian Emperor-King Francis Joseph as longest reigning European monarch of imperial or royal rank without minority in all of recorded/verified history!<br />
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Yesterday, the monarchs had reigned for an equal amount of days each. 24,825 days!<br />
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This year's speech and that of 60 years ago:<br />
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</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-66621645725357325062017-04-21T14:33:00.000+01:002017-04-21T14:33:08.375+01:00Happy 91st Birthday!To Her Britannic Majesty:<br />
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</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-16422255431022731932016-12-28T16:16:00.002+00:002016-12-28T16:16:05.189+00:00Her Britannic Majesty Speaks<div align="center"><iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I_bP3NwHi9c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-72448614189884946972016-12-24T11:00:00.000+00:002016-12-24T11:00:12.308+00:00Merry Christmas<div align="center"><iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0WRh04b8jRE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-18903910776276976202016-12-11T21:32:00.000+00:002016-12-11T21:32:03.761+00:00An Abdication<div align="center">80 years ago today His Britannic Majesty King Edward VIII abdicated.<br />
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</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-35881469915806463592016-04-01T06:13:00.003+01:002016-04-02T20:41:42.171+01:00No Need No MoreOur readers here at the <em>The Monarchist</em> have certainly noticed the severely reduced activity here.<br />
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There is a reason for it. We all see now how the establishment of the American two-party system is coming apart.<br />
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There is good reason for optimism; optimism for a true democracy, where the people truly can be free. The Trump phenomenon is helping to bring this about.<br />
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Finally, we see the need for monarchy and aristocracy truly fading. The people can be free at last.<br />
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That is why there has been very little activity here at <em>The Monarchist</em> lately.J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-22561387983151502442015-12-27T13:05:00.000+00:002015-12-27T13:05:05.854+00:00Her Britannic Majesty Speaks<div align="center"><iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Mzor6Hf1tY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-71602091864258266522015-09-10T18:27:00.001+01:002015-09-10T18:27:43.588+01:00SurpassingHer Britannic Majesty <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II">Queen Elizabeth II</a> has today reigned for 23,227 days, exceeding by one the number of days <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria">Queen Victoria</a> reigned.<br />
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</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-66103229516037898102015-04-28T20:38:00.000+01:002015-04-28T20:38:06.419+01:00Happy Birthday!Happy belated birthday (April 21<sup>st</sup>) to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II">Her Britannic Majesty</a>!<br />
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Only 359 days to 90.<br />
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</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-90706769815656510432015-04-01T08:49:00.000+01:002015-06-25T19:49:55.974+01:00Recommissioning of Royal Yacht<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/imagegen.ashx?image=%2Fmedia%2F12421%2FCAROUSELBritanniaSea.jpg&width=960&height=270&bgcolor=ffffff&constrain=&pad=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img style="width: 480px;" border="0" src="http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/imagegen.ashx?image=%2Fmedia%2F12421%2FCAROUSELBritanniaSea.jpg&width=960&height=270&bgcolor=ffffff&constrain=&pad=" alt="The Royal Yacht Britannia" /></a></div><br />
In less than half a year from now, Her Britannic Majesty is due to surpass her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as the longest reigning British monarch. The British Monarchist Society will mark this with a weekend event in Edinburgh, including a function aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia. It might have been just in time to get the opportunity.<br />
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The Royal Yacht Britannia had her last foreign mission taking Governor Chris Patten of Hong Kong home with the Prince of Wales after the handover of the crown colony. The yacht was decommissioned at the end of the same year. A replacement has yet to be commissioned.<br />
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Not many days ago <em>The Monarchist</em> was in close contact with sources in the Royal Navy who could reveal that plans are soon to be announced for the recommissioning of the Royal Yacht Britannia from her retirement in the port of Edinburgh. New technology allows for cost-efficient and satisfactory refurbishment of the yacht. Moreover, the Bank of England will participate in the project by issuing a very cheap loan. Sources close to the Governor of the Bank of England say the project is a small part of boosting the economy through newly created-out-of-thin-air money.<br />
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<em>The Monarchist</em> has used highly sophisticated encryption software when contacting these sources. We take protecting our sources seriously. No sources will be revealed.<br />
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We here at <em>The Monarchist</em> find this very interesting and exciting news. More details will be announced shortly.<br />
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Happy Easter!J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-85503938336993814572015-03-22T18:57:00.002+00:002015-03-22T18:57:29.369+00:00One Queen, One SystemThe <a href="https://www.change.org/p/parliament-of-the-united-kingdom-parliament-of-australia-parliament-of-canada-parliament-of-new-zealand-advocate-and-introduce-legislation-promoting-the-free-movement-of-citizens-between-the-uk-canada-australia-and-new-zealand?tk=Y91tu9rSFNQ47cbZWJGtSF6BVlfFPeASW1tMltOEibY&utm_source=petition_update&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">global petition</a> sponsored by the <a href="https://www.change.org/organizations/commonweath_freedom_of_movement_organisation" target="_blank">Commonwealth Freedom of Movement Organisation</a> based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, which is advocating free movement of the citizens of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK in each others' countries -- has garnered an astonishing 60,000 signatures plus in just a few days. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised by this. This is not about symbolism after all, but about freedom, which people can easily get their heads around. Do you support unfettered access to four countries that have so much in common, shared struggles, cousinage, the same language, similar political institutions and a shared head of state? Yes, please! Where do I sign up? More than 90% in an online poll of 70,000 people said they would jump at the chance. Who in their right mind would be against such a thing?<br />
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In some ways this is not a new free mobility scheme but the restoration of an old one, as Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and the citizens of the UK used to enjoy unrestricted freedom of movement when they were all British subjects under the Crown. When imperialism fell out of fashion and the Crown fragmented along national lines, these rights were gradually rescinded as the Commonwealth realms diverged politically, culturally and economically in the 1960s. Consequently, the monarchy entered a long period of uncertainty, and was almost fatally undermined by the subsequent closed system of assertive post-imperial nationalism. <br />
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Much no wonder the monarchy has suffered these past fifty years. I mean, if Australians who shared the same head of state with Britons could not even enter the UK with appropriate decorum, nor Canada for that matter, but were told to cue in the foreigner's line, then what good was a shared monarchy anyways? What tangible benefits did it bring? In such circumstances, it was difficult to dispel (still is difficult to dispel) the notion that we were/are headed by a foreign monarch. That is because we do not have a national monarchy, but a supranational one, which is true for Canadians and Australians, as it is for the English and Scots. How could a fundamentally supranational monarchy adequately reflect national aspirations in an age of assertive nationalism? The answer is, it couldn't then and it still can't now.<br />
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A shared monarchy can only thrive if the nations that share it feel they are part of something bigger, some shared undertaking, who enjoy at least a few perks of membership, and not just something symbolic. In a relentlessly utilitarian age, it must have real meaning and bring real benefits to people. I must say the contemporary revival and reconvergence of the English-speaking realms is one of the most interesting trend lines taking place in the 21st century. The modern networks of human communication have already given rise to a single online English-speaking civilization that transcends distance, geography and the exclusivity of the nation-state. At the end of the day, culture is more important than geography. For nations that share the same culture and the same level of socio-economic development, I believe the free mobility of citizens only makes eminent sense, and that it's only a matter of time before this initative succeeds.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-9165610358799284712015-02-19T00:53:00.000+00:002015-02-19T00:53:19.889+00:00Over the years I've gotten questions that make me think:<br /><br />The most often asked question I get is "why have a Queen?", "what does she actually do?"<br />Others say "yes, but if she makes an oath at her coronation to govern her people, yet hands over the power to an elected parliament (most of whom do not take their oath to her seriously), in what way does she "defend our laws"?<br /><br />Others state "She can only act on the advice of her ministers, and MUST do, then what is her function?" One person did ask me "could not a goldfish do that!?"<br /><br />The Queen can only come to realms like Australia if invited, so how is she a sovereign lord?<br /><br />I don't know if you have read Hilaire Belloc? Very hard to sum up his vast knowledge and views in a short email, however he does seem to have predicted the rise of over-might subjects and ever more Protestent parliament, and a growing legal class. Seeing the last true monarchs of Britian as being the Stuart's. It's been some time since I've read his book Charles I but I seem to remember something about the aristocracy being the enemy of true monarchy.<br /><br />Great monarchs like the Bible's King David or France's Louis XIV were rulers, not someone there to give a respectable face to a parliamentary dictatorship.<br /><br />I suppose some would argue The Pope to be the last of the true king rulers and will be very safe from overthrow.David Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16964387756766124214noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-82894179523991477982015-02-06T08:31:00.000+00:002015-02-06T08:31:00.089+00:00The Treaty of Waitangi at 175<div align="center"><iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nNx46C0Mrho" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-35737800810453337442014-12-28T12:02:00.001+00:002014-12-28T12:02:03.933+00:00Her Britannic Majesty Speaks<div align="center"><iframe width="480" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Y2whLW5F5mY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-60341179310375723632014-11-20T02:10:00.000+00:002014-11-20T02:10:00.412+00:00Happy Anniversary!<div align="center"><iframe width="480" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-UXg88aXD34" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-88905495771991497842014-09-27T02:47:00.000+01:002014-09-27T02:47:00.045+01:00Peter Hitchens on the Monarchy, Religion, and Culture<div align="center"><iframe width="480" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/43LOR15_1q0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-11743552526073906852014-09-20T21:29:00.003+01:002014-09-20T21:48:57.584+01:00Thank God the United Kingdom Survived!Good heavens, gentlemen! What the heck almost happened yesterday?? Daniel Hannan, <a href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100286852/thank-god-my-country-is-still-intact/" target="_blank">says it better</a> than most. Thank God we still have a United Kingdom. Scottish independence, like Quebec secession dreams, like Australian republicanism, is now dead as a dodo for decades to come. Thank God for that!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-42315738123996408442014-04-25T15:17:00.000+01:002014-04-29T04:42:56.282+01:00The strange, sudden, uncontested end of serious republicanism in AustraliaThis photo explains much, but not all of what has happened. Let me explain.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGyZCyjTSop9ME6TRkVwT-Sh1pQcjLVG7m5Am4M7j5HdzQsBKMk03cFXLlrp_Mcac3mTo2H64s8nWNTngeZOxK9nYp-Ncu8utnlEW1skG_DzZll6rBCpMK78dE3S7KgOIhdiU01osFMc/s1600/cambridges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGyZCyjTSop9ME6TRkVwT-Sh1pQcjLVG7m5Am4M7j5HdzQsBKMk03cFXLlrp_Mcac3mTo2H64s8nWNTngeZOxK9nYp-Ncu8utnlEW1skG_DzZll6rBCpMK78dE3S7KgOIhdiU01osFMc/s1600/cambridges.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The Cambridge family signs off after the most extensive royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in decades.</i></div>
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I am instinctively cautious about declaring the debate over, because I have scar tissue. I have been a foot soldier in this battle - the constitutional, national identity "culture wars" here in Australia - for over twenty years. I remember how hard it was for our side in the mid to late 1990s. Although we had John Howard on our side, it often seemed like nobody else of any significance in public life seemed prepared to stick their head above the trenches and argue the case for constitutional monarchy. Our side was all hinterland, but our opponents had all the razzle dazzle of the stars and the spotlight.</div>
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When it came to the referendum, we won, of course - but at the time it didn't feel final. Republican politicians said everything would change after Howard left the prime ministership. Prince Charles' unpopularity would accelerate republican sentiment. Young people weren't into the royals - their default setting as "Keating's children" was to shrug their shoulders and hop on board with republican modernity. It was all just a matter of time.</div>
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Time indeed - look at what it has done to the republican debate in Australia.</div>
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When the Cambridges arrived in Australia, the seismic plates of community sentiment shifted, dramatically. It was the release of an opinion poll by Nielsen, one of the nation's top pollsters (although not Newspoll, the gold standard for politicos), showing that for the first time in decades, a majority of Australians were opposed to some kind of in-principle, non-specific republic. That was dynamite for the republican debate, but <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/popular-royals-tip-republic-off-radar-20140415-36pvh.html" target="_blank">the devil for the republicans was really in the detail</a>. Look at the graphic when you read the link, and you'll see what I mean.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsGrapS4C2UZ3TKTtWAuuFIUfav-wfkKsq8yORmwPoGq187yadI7Fxh8xnV_UcydJMyW0G9tbkHkNBBPDKZk8RLlau192dfwIazpL2CjLFAjjZ_4j6ZWMgtMVkGH9tjpBKx6bzL9GKGc/s1600/nielsenpoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsGrapS4C2UZ3TKTtWAuuFIUfav-wfkKsq8yORmwPoGq187yadI7Fxh8xnV_UcydJMyW0G9tbkHkNBBPDKZk8RLlau192dfwIazpL2CjLFAjjZ_4j6ZWMgtMVkGH9tjpBKx6bzL9GKGc/s1600/nielsenpoll.jpg" height="320" width="225" /></a></div>
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The subset of 18-24 year olds polled by Nielsen showed that 60% of millenials were opposed to a republic. Sixty percent. Just roll that around for a bit, and let it sink in. <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sDmocKoc34" target="_blank">Sixty percent of millenials supporting the monarchy in Australia!</a> </i> This poll showed that it was the youngest that were the age group most opposed to a republic. The subset was small, and the polling was done by landline, but Nielsen will have allowed for that in its weighting. It is a serious pollster. It gets it right.</div>
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So four decades after Britain joined the EEC, almost four decades after Labor hero Gough Whitlam was dismissed from the prime ministership by the Governor-General, and two decades after another Labor hero, Paul Keating told the Queen at Balmoral that Australia would become a republic, the youngest Australian voters were now its most emphatic monarchists. I would never have dared dream of such a day during the referendum campaign of 1999.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOe-oLZfCUUJpNxfoQFtqnaCIwXBOlpeNymbgsTj_Tx8uBj2_tNQ0eyLwhQ3ltRQWA9TZP_1_9F-HT0VLiutY8u1dv27H00A5EosPWa6pM3lBcMRFCvbLzbqNDpGPjK6vEW5A0LP3s9AE/s1600/young-aml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOe-oLZfCUUJpNxfoQFtqnaCIwXBOlpeNymbgsTj_Tx8uBj2_tNQ0eyLwhQ3ltRQWA9TZP_1_9F-HT0VLiutY8u1dv27H00A5EosPWa6pM3lBcMRFCvbLzbqNDpGPjK6vEW5A0LP3s9AE/s1600/young-aml.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a>Incredibly overnight, the narrative became one of "<a href="http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/the-youngest-royals-fan/x1k589r" target="_blank">young monarchists"</a>. Young people organised by the Monarchist League and Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (presumably media trained judging by most of their performances) were rolled out on commercial television and rolling news channels to argue the case. The idea that people in their twenties would stand for hours in crowds to wave flags and sing <i>God Save the Queen</i> didn't seem so odd anymore. There was empirical evidence to support it as a plausible view in the community. (Photo to the right is from the Australian Monarchist League's Facebook page.)</div>
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Suddenly, the middle ground of the debate shifted. Twenty years, if you wanted "a bob each way", you would support a republic, but defend the existing Australian flag. Now, the moderate compromise position suddenly looked like being a monarchist, but <a href="https://twitter.com/GhostWhoVotes/status/455349269684174848" target="_blank">not endorsing the return of knighthoods</a>. Even then, republicans struggled to get half the country to oppose titles - and that 50% <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/former-pm-john-howard-says-return-to-knights-and-dames-anachronistic/story-fncynjr2-1226866151031" target="_blank">includes John Howard</a>. (Other polls showed opposition to be measurably lower.) The other half either liked the return of the accolade, or didn't care. Moreover that poll took place before the tour, not during or after it. I'd guess the support has arisen, like for the monarchy itself.</div>
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So with that, the flawless tour by the Cambridges across much of Australia looked natural and normal. Australia had been hanging out for Kate for years, and it finally got the hit it craved. When the two sides crossed swords one last time as the Duke, Duchess and baby Prince left, the republicans put up their formal leader to offer comment. David Morris, the ARM national director, was a talented advocate for Australia overseas during his diplomatic career over some years and a successful Labor political adviser. But the contrast with <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/prince-george-leaves-republic-row-in-his-wake-as-royals-end-tour/story-e6frg6nf-1226896077963" target="_blank">Chris Whittaker of the Australian Monarchist League </a>couldn't have been more stark. This quote is where I will conclude because it says it all. Australian monarchist sentiment, previously the preserve of the pre-boomer Tory, fading though steadfast, is now youthful, organised and clever:</div>
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<i>“I wasn’t alive in 1983, but when Prince Charles and Princess Diana came out they created connection with people and likewise now ... Kate and Will are reaching out to Australians and creating lasting bonds,’’ he said.</i></div>
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<i><b>“There’s zero chance of Australia becoming a republic any time in the future.’’</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklx9Ico8W_eQr-HjlQRkbxfTX9V02UMq2MrZc0OYycqizuchb4XxSGRM0Z-uSKd0LZblJS8BOdmyvapJdbhCJBmmkgeoXZnM4975yV7KZdJPJpdu4VSbrv6Ufts7EEflU0PaNKsh18iM/s1600/cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklx9Ico8W_eQr-HjlQRkbxfTX9V02UMq2MrZc0OYycqizuchb4XxSGRM0Z-uSKd0LZblJS8BOdmyvapJdbhCJBmmkgeoXZnM4975yV7KZdJPJpdu4VSbrv6Ufts7EEflU0PaNKsh18iM/s1600/cartoon.jpg" height="223" width="320" /></a></div>
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(Source: news.com.au)</div>
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Crux Australishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11825759533462852679noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-85825536273513270402014-04-21T19:50:00.000+01:002014-04-21T19:50:00.280+01:00Her Majesty at 88Happy birthday to Her Britannic Majesty!<br />
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</div>J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-53931619602572096842014-04-05T11:51:00.000+01:002014-04-29T04:42:56.286+01:00Who will be the next knights and dames in Australia?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now that knighthoods have been restored to the Order of Australia, the question that is next asked is - who (and what) next?<br />
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The Prime Minister has said that there will be no more than four Knights and Dames of the Order of Australia each year. Presumably that excludes the ex-officio appointment of the Governor-General as the Principal Knight or Dame of the Order.<br />
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If so, we might see two recipients in the next Queen's Birthday list, due in early June - just two months away. What do we know about Tony Abbott's history and passions, and what might they tell us? After all, the nominations of AKs and ADs to the Queen are solely in the hands of the PM, although the Chairman of the Order of Australia Council will be consulted.<br />
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First, Tony Abbott was the founding executive director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, the organisation that provided much (though not all) of the structure for the successful No campaign during the republican referendum of 1999.<br />
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Second, Abbott is passionate about indigenous issues. He volunteers in remote indigenous communities every year, and strongly supports recognition of first peoples in the Australian Constitution. <br />
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Third, Abbott's education at Australia's most prestigious Jesuit-run school and training as a Catholic seminarian inform his hybrid of social activism and muscular Catholic traditionalism. His detractors have previously nicknamed him as "Captain Catholic".<br />
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While little or none of this is immediately relevant to "The Monarchist", in my opinion these areas give us some insights into who Abbott might recommend for receiving titles in the future.<br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnDF0JjNnwAa147QXqWyhyc-BhcUHgvU5TdKjUlk7sSXGHB-t-qJQXv3U3ztnM2QXn6z4Pj4YSVDbLn4xsaie1AbA6S4k-fzOQd3wqbFTrZEV1OJZK3OHJd5VTMnjeACGO3rF5SoWfZw/s1600/PrinceWilliamProfBashir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnDF0JjNnwAa147QXqWyhyc-BhcUHgvU5TdKjUlk7sSXGHB-t-qJQXv3U3ztnM2QXn6z4Pj4YSVDbLn4xsaie1AbA6S4k-fzOQd3wqbFTrZEV1OJZK3OHJd5VTMnjeACGO3rF5SoWfZw/s1600/PrinceWilliamProfBashir.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></i></div>
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The Duke of Cambridge and the Governor of New South Wales</i></div>
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In my opinion, the number one candidate for a titular honour is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Bashir" target="_blank">Professor Marie Bashir</a>, the Governor of New South Wales. Prof Bashir has been the governor of Australia's largest state since 2001 and is retiring later this year. She is widely admired and respected throughout the community, has hosted several royal tours and is technically already titled (Lady Shehadie) as her husband is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Shehadie" target="_blank">Sir Nicholas Shehadie</a>. As the senior state governor, she is the defacto deputy governor-general of Australia and acts as Administrator in the absence of the governor-general from Canberra, regularly.<br />
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Prof Bashir is unusual in that she is also an obvious candidate to be made a dame in the Royal Victorian Order as well, if the Prime Minister has advised that there is no bar on titular honours from within the Royal Prerogative. Prior to the ending of regularly awarding knighthoods to vice-regal figures, it was the convention that if a governor-general or governor hosted the Queen during a visit in Australia, they would be recognised with the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO for the GG, KCVO for governors).<br />
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With the return of titles, a K/DCVO is the usual rank for a state governor but given her length of time in office, a GCVO is not impossible either. Although Sir Roden Cutler VC served longer as Governor of NSW (1965-1981), and was not made GCVO despite hosting the Queen several times, he did receive the AK unlike any other state governor, and which is a first-class honour like a GCMG. In my view it is now highly unlikely that Prof Bashir will not be a titular dame of some kind before 1 January 2015 (she is of course already a Dame of the Order of St John).<br />
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<i>Hon. Bill Hayden AC (Governor-General 1988-1996) wearing the insignia of the Chancellor of the Order of Australia, and Mrs Dallas Hayden</i></div>
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The probable return of titular honours from the Royal Victorian Order prompts all sorts of questions. Will the Queen take care of a vice-regal backlog of title-less former and current governors? Will future governors be given one on swearing in? Who knows, but it is interesting. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hayden" target="_blank">Bill Hayden </a>is a former governor-general, Labor opposition leader, foreign minister, and quasi-monarchist. However, as he accepted life membership of the Labor Party in 2007 he may not want to renounce it for the sake of a knighthood. The controversy surrounding the resignation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hollingworth" target="_blank">Dr Peter Hollingworth</a> as Governor-General in 2003 further complicates creating such a precedent. Or will knighthoods within the Royal Victorian Order remain solely for the purpose of visits to Australia by the monarch?<br />
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I consider it highly likely that, because of Abbott's passion for indigenous issues, an indigenous figure is likely to be a recipient of an AK or AD at some point. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noel_Pearson" target="_blank">Noel Pearson</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcia_Langton" target="_blank">Marcia Langton</a>, or icon of the 1967 referendum <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_Bandler" target="_blank">Faith Bandler</a> are all possibilities. However surely the one that lends herself most to a ceremonial function is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_O%27Donoghue" target="_blank">Lowitja O'Donoghue</a>, the inaugural head of the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. She is a former Australian of the Year, holds both the AC and CBE, and is also a Dame of the Order of Malta. In Abbott's mind, she could be a uniter on several fronts - a former public servant seen as friendly to (but not a member of) Labor, the most senior living Aboriginal holder of an imperial honour, a practising Roman Catholic, and she is from a small state (South Australia). Her likely preference for a republic (she was on Paul Keating's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_Advisory_Committee" target="_blank">Republic Advisory Committee </a>in the 1990s) will not discriminate against her. Virtually all prominent indigenous Australians are declared republicans of some kind, although the first indigenous member of Federal Parliament, the late Neville Bonner AO, was active in Australians for Constitutional Monarchy. Nonetheless, Abbott will want these recipients to reach right across public life and an indigenous knight or dame would be a powerful symbol of that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiR_JkwsdJRwiASgN3qZPGFqjfB6fdTebtvV4gZURPBFN7NjF2K1IxndrMWKAcHewSEv1SEGpqQYI2XaMbS1YeF_YqICPLs8iKfUd-ZF64xMbynRV3qqvnWn5UAdjIiyEtxQr47g95hp8/s1600/LOD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiR_JkwsdJRwiASgN3qZPGFqjfB6fdTebtvV4gZURPBFN7NjF2K1IxndrMWKAcHewSEv1SEGpqQYI2XaMbS1YeF_YqICPLs8iKfUd-ZF64xMbynRV3qqvnWn5UAdjIiyEtxQr47g95hp8/s1600/LOD.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Lowitja O'Donoghue AC CBE</i></div>
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Beyond these, others amongst those that could feature are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Kidman" target="_blank">Nicole Kidman</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gonski" target="_blank">David Gonski</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_Houston" target="_blank">Angus Houston</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Gleeson" target="_blank">Murray Gleeson</a>. All currently hold the AC, all are pre-eminent in their field and none have sought elected office. Nor could any be accused of being apologists for the governing Liberal-National coalition. Some (if not most or all) are republicans, but <a href="http://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/wig-chamber/news/to-qc-or-not-qc" target="_blank">recent evidence suggests that is unlikely to turn them off accepting a traditional title</a>. Kidman would bring relative youth and an international name from the entertainment world, Gonski is the <a href="http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/17/the-power-index-why-david-gonski-rules-the-boardroom/" target="_blank">best networked figure</a> in Australian corporate life, Houston is a recent former Chief of the Defence Force and Gleeson is a highly regarded former Chief Justice who was also the first Chief Justice of Australia not to be a knight.<br />
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<i>His Eminence, Cardinal George Pell, AC DD</i></div>
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Notwithstanding his friendship with the Prime Minister, the fact that he has led Australia's largest Christian denomination for over a decade, and Abbott's own Catholicism, I don't consider <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Pell" target="_blank">Cardinal George Pell</a>, former Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, then Sydney, now the number 3 of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome, to be an early starter for an AK. Cardinal Pell was a vocal republican at the Constitutional Convention, but more importantly has been under fire recently as part of the wider international criticism of the Catholic Church over its handling of cases involving child abuse. That and his traditional doctrinal line on moral issues have not endeared him to some, making his ability to be a uniting figure as an AK difficult. Moreover, would the Vatican really want a Cardinal to hold the title of "Sir" from Queen Elizabeth II? That said, no Australian has ever been so senior within the Roman Catholic Church. Given his extended period in Australian public life rather than simply being a Curia insider, he might be a future potential OM, or the first Australian to hold the Royal Victorian Chain instead. <br />
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There are many "pre-eminent" Australians, to use the Prime Minister's term, who could be considered to be potential recipients of a titular honour. But this small selection seems as plausible a list as any. Let's see how I go with these predictions!Crux Australishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11825759533462852679noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162816964941896969.post-90836392837222404482014-04-01T06:27:00.000+01:002014-04-02T13:11:19.583+01:00Upcoming Apology to LoyalistsAll is quiet at <em>The Monarchist</em>. Or at least it was until <em>Crux Australis</em> broke the silence last week.<br />
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That does not of course mean that all is quiet on the monarchist front.<br />
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<div align="center"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/alenakantor/loyalist-presentation" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right:"><img border="0" width="480px" src="http://www.royalprovincial.com/graphics/MilitaryLoyalists.jpg" alt="Military Loyalists of the American Revolution" /></a><br/><em>Military Loyalists of the American Revolution</em></div></div><br />
All readers here should be familiar with the Snowden affair, and that there are loads of secrets within the federal government of those United States. From time to time they leak out, not least from the NSA.<br />
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As all citizens of the United States – and other countries for that matter – are under surveillance, so is the first citizen of that country, namely President Barack Obama. His bedroom is under constant surveillance by the National Security Agency.<br />
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The Monarchist has managed to get hold of one of the best kept secrets in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. No one else seems to want this secret to come out, for it runs counter to republican ideals America stands for.<br />
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But we at <em>The Monarchist</em> can reveal it. The President of those United States recently sleep-talked about apologizing to the Loyalists of the war of 1775-1783. Our source will not be revealed. It is likely that an apology will come from the White House shortly. Stay tuned for more...J.K. Baltzersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096616644588479917noreply@blogger.com3