The strange, sudden, uncontested end of serious republicanism in Australia

This photo explains much, but not all of what has happened. Let me explain.

The Cambridge family signs off after the most extensive royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in decades.

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Who will be the next knights and dames in Australia?

Now that knighthoods have been restored to the Order of Australia, the question that is next asked is - who (and what) next?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

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.

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Knights and Dames are back in Australia

The Prime Minister and Governor-General of Australia

Today, the big news for monarchists in Australia and right across the Commonwealth is that the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Tony Abbott M.P., has announced that clauses to enable the creation of new Knights and Dames have been restored to the statutes of the Order of Australia today.  As of today, the first titular honour bestowed on an Australian by the Queen on the advice of an Australian government in almost a quarter of a century is now the outgoing Governor-General, Her Excellency, the Hon. Dame Quentin Bryce, A.D., C.V.O.  Dame Quentin departs Canberra tomorrow.

You can read the Prime Minister's press release here.  Fact sheet on the restoration from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet can be accessed at the Australian honours system website here.  The transcript of the Prime Minister's press conference where he made the announcement can be found here.   You can taste the bitterness of the press gallery, just by reading it.

The breast badge of Knights and Dames of the Order of Australia

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Return to Chivalry

A big tip of the hat to Admiral Cod for this Argentinian find. Go over and read what he has to say about it too, it will swell your heart.

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Elizabeth, Queen of Scots

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh attend a Service for the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle in St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, 15 July 2010. The Order represents the highest honour in Scotland and is awarded to Scottish men and women who have held public office or who have contributed in a particular way to national life.
© Press Association

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Knighted by the Prince

Actor Christopher Lee is knighted by The Prince of Wales at an Investiture at Buckingham Palace, 30 October 2009. His Royal Highness held the ceremony on behalf of The Queen.

Photo © Press Association

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Sir Matthew Wallace, Bt.

If a gentleman were to be knighted by the Queen today, the most you would expect to see at the investiture ceremony would be a top hat and tails. A century ago, dressing the part would have meant bicorn, breeches and buckled shoes, since merely dressing up as an Edwardian during the Edwardian era would have treated a knighthood as if it were just another night on the town.

Sir Matthew Wallace - knighted by George V for his work in the interests of the potato industry.
Which begs the question: what will folks be wearing a hundred years from now when they are told to arise by their King?

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Mr. Bolt not entirely happy until he becomes... a Knight of the Realm

The Jamaican sprinter who is undisputably the fastest man to ever walk this Earth - with world shattering times of 9.58 and 19.19 seconds for the 100 and 200 metres respectively - is feeling a little unfulfilled without some sort of recognition from Her Majesty.

'Sir Usain Bolt'? That would be very nice'.

Yes it would be Mr. Bolt, and with Jamaica being a fully fledged Commonwealth Realm, an appointment to knighthood would be a substantive honour, which means you would be entitled to call yourself 'Sir'. I take it this means you're a monarchist then. Good man.

The need for tweed...

Yeah, mun. A word to the wise though, while we appreciate your enthusiastic endorsement of feathered plumes and titled honours, it is bad form to publicly muse about such things, which will only make it harder for Her Majesty to comply any time soon. So stay low and fast, mun, just remember you're only 22 years old and all good things are worth waiting for. Keep that in mind, and you'll be a Sir in no time!

Hat tip: A Commonwealth Monarchist.

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Ah. So it has come to this.

Chivalry has of course long been dead; the revolving door, invented in the 1880s, was by then probably merely urinating on its grave. I mean to say, things have been in a bad shape, for a long time.

But you can defile as well as bury a corpse. This it has now been decided we shall do. From 2012 we shall have female boxing at the Olympics. It was important not merely to knock Woman off her pedestal, but legalise a jolly good bop to her nose too. We must only be thankful that it is, at present, not mixed boxing. That will surely come in 2016 or so. (And in the forcibly dechristianised dens of poor Britain, never properly preached to or educated, I gather vigorous amateur leagues have long been underway, and the (dis)Establishment is by its actions quite happy about this.)

This news has made the frontpage of many a British newspaper today, and I probably would not have commented on it had it not done so. The images have a decided effect on you, whatever your pre-disposition on such issues. I suspect it is for this reason that they and the story made the frontpages; and it shows the good old pith of civilisation is not quite dead in everyone, but sleeps on in our bones, fit to be awoken now and then with dim inarticulate stirrings. (Though how many will voice such unease, give vent to such stirrings?)

The tense, frowning, crouched, gloved, bloody-nosed females, strike, I think, the average subject’s soul very profoundly. The only other desperate women we see, or expect to see, like this, are HM’s prisoners. But this is in the name of the highest physical endeavours and accomplishments of mankind. And so it has come to this. Beloved, astonishing woman - focus of sonnet and serenade - the sacred media of life - to be wooed, won, charmed, and kept devotedly - a lost greatness they somehow still feel in their widespread fiction and film choices, if scarcely in clothing or conduct - can now garner prize money and international medals by fighting in public. Excellent. Please assist all neighbours and passing strangers in administering a universal pat on the back. Aren’t we great?

When will someone call the horror show of the last 100 years off? Please.

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Arise Ye Good Knights of New Zealand!

I burn with envy. The rest of us are damsels in distress compared to Kiwi Knights and their reinstated Royal Honours System, what Rafal Heydel-Mankoo, Editor of Burke's Peerage and Gentry, confided to me as being the "most finely crafted honours system in the Commonwealth" outside of the United Kingdom.

Queen Elizabeth II confered the honour of Knighthood to Sir Donald McKinnon inside Buckingham Palace, 9 July 2009. Sir Donald served as Commonwealth Secretary General for eight years from 2000-2008, following a 21-year career in New Zealand politics, during which he held a number of senior posts including that of Deputy Prime Minister.

Government House in New Zealand has recently announced 70 new Knights and Dames as a result of the government's reinstatement of titular honours. Among those who received the equivalent of titular honours since they were abolished by the Labour government in 2000, fully 87 percent accepted the title of Sir or Dame, putting former Prime Minister Helen Clark's repulsion of honourific rank firmly in the minority.

Carpet knights they may be, but chivalry is alive and well in New Zealand!

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So I'm in Dublin, staying at the Shelbourne, having a drink with Bono...

That would be Bono, honourary Knight Commander of the British Empire, lesser dubbed the lead singer of U2. The Shelbourne is Dublin's pre-eminent five star hotel just across from St. Stephen's Green, which I understand is named after the Earl of Shelburne, who once lived there, before he became known to history as the Marquess of Lansdowne.

In any event, there is a famous bar inside called the Horseshoe Bar, and there he was - Bono - with a party of five drinking Guinness and champagne and enjoying some private laughter. Bono, being Bono, was of course half shaved, wearing those tinted shades of his, same black leather vest and jeans - permanent dude, you know - and there I was dressed in my suit popping a few gin and tonics preparing to head down to the Hibernian Club for dinner with my well-to-do friend. I'm not going to tell you everything he said, except to say that the Big Labowski is one of his favourite films. Dude, mine too.

For a brief moment we contemplated selling tickets at the door, but thought better of it. We did politely ask the one-time most powerful man in the world if he would be so kind as to remove his bag so that we could sit at the adjoining table, whilst pretending not to recognize him. We may content ourselves that we don't genuflect in front of celebrities, but remember this is the people's Bono we are talking about, recall how he had the G7 eating out of the palm of his hand a couple of years back - every world leader wanted to be on every side of every issue that he was on, until they belatedly realized that they ultimately answer to taxpayers and not to Bono's charitable wishes. Not a bad gigg for a solitary figure, and so for the next two hours we drank beside the man who for a time seemed to have the international media and the whole wide world in his hands.

Dublin Castle, formerly the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922. Most of the complex dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland.

Above is another view of The Record Tower, the sole surviving tower of the mediæval castle dating from c.1228. To its left is the Chapel Royal. Below is Dublin Castle on the Upper Yard. On the left is the entrance to the State Apartments. The Irish Crown Jewels were stolen from the Bedford Tower to the right.
The Lord Edward

Excuse me, Sir, can you please tell me where I can find some good Irish pubs?

Trinity College, Dublin, corporately designated as the "Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth", was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", and is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin. Trinity and the University of Dublin form Ireland's oldest and most prestigious university.

A Statue of Edmund Burke in front of Trinity College, Dublin, where the great man attended. At the main entrance of Trinity there are statues of Edmund Burke and Oliver Goldsmith, both graduates.

Inside the Trinity College courtyard

The famous Book of Kells and the most splendid vaulted library I ever did see can be found at Trinity.
The thousand year old Christ Church Cathedral. For Catholics visiting Dublin, be prepared to be Anglicized - apart from St. Patricks Cathedral, I came across no Catholic churches in Dublin. The ones I saw were all Church of Ireland Anglican, which surprised me. Ireland may be predominantly Catholic, but in central Dublin itself this is far from evident.

Which brings me back to Bono. I overheard him say that he was brought up a Catholic while his brother was brought up an Anglican. His mother apparently wanted one of each, which again suggests that Ireland is historically more ambivalent on the issue than what might be commonly believed by outsiders.

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Her Majesty Knights New Zealand's Governor General

When you bleat on about equality, you destroy real honour. A month ago, the Governor General of New Zealand would not have been eligible for this knighthood, because the former Prime Minister of New Zealand "deeply detests social distinction and snobbery".

Needless to say, The Monarchist deeply detests the enemies of honour and distinction wherever they reside - so thankfully Helen Clark has gone to the U.N. where she belongs, and New Zealand has been restored of her gentle senses and cavalier tastes. Therefore rise Sir Anand, and join the ancient fellowship of knights!

The Queen knights the Governor-General of New Zealand, The Hon. Sir Anand Satyanand, at Buckingham Palace, 29 April 2009. Her Majesty conferred upon him the honour of Knighthood as a Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. © Press Association

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Mexican President Receives Knight of the Bath

Perhaps we shouldn't criticise republican presidents for their chronic inability to dress up to royalist standards, or even up to gentlemen standards, for they have never received the training. Here the President of Mexico at a State Banquet given by Her Majesty, commits a major faux in the wearing of his white tie. That is, the waistcoat should never extend below the bottom of the tailcoat - egad, how embarrassingly obvious.

The Queen and President Calderon of Mexico make their way to the Ball Room at Buckingham Palace for a State Banquet given by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh on the first day of a State visit by the President and First Lady of Mexico, 30 March 2009. His Excellency is wearing the insignia of an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Civil Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, presented to him by Her Majesty earlier in the day. © Press Association

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New Zealand Restores Knighthoods!

News to swell loyal hearts from the happy plot at the bottom of the Earth.

The Queen receives the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Hon. John Key MP, at Buckingham Palace, 25 November 2008.

This is huge. It is being reported that New Zealand is to restore the rank of Sir and Dame to its honours system nine years after it abolished titles in favour of Republican-style distinctions.

If we called Prime Minister John Key a limousine liberal in the recent past, we do at this moment take it all back. I mean, wow. What a glorious turn of events. Hallelujah for rare political miracles. By George, he did it!

Come on Australia and Canada, do the right thing, and follow New Zealand's lead. If a foreigner like Ted Kennedy is allowed to accept the honour of a knighthood from the Queen, it is only our ancient God-given right as Her Majesty's own subjects to be permitted the same.

Why the fall of Helengrad was a good thing. Happy Commonwealth Day indeed.

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The Grand Old Duke of York

The grand old Duke of York,

He had ten thousand men.

He marched them up to the top of the hill

And he marched them down again.

And when they were up, they were up;

And when they were down, they were down.

But when they were only halfway up,

They were neither up nor down!

THE DUKE OF YORK in question was Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (1763-1827), Commander-in-Chief of the British Army during much of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic period. In his own lifetime he was derided as a corrupt philanderer who, like his elder brother the future George IV, was rather too fond of women and wine. Two generations before Prince Frederick's disastrous expedition to take Dunkirk in 1793 - the supposed inspiration for the rhyme - his grandfather, George II, had commanded his forces at the Battle Dettingen. The royal person was no longer welcome on the battlefield by the time of French Revolution. Merit mattered in the minds of the public. The gentleman was giving way to the technocrat in the world of business and politics.

Popular history records York as the youthful blunderer, given his command by virtue of a compliant cabinet and willful monarch, eager to promote his second eldest son's career. When political embarrassment became too great, the younger Pitt wrote a careful letter to George III, requesting York's transfer from the field to a staff position. The young royal had blundered badly. Besieging the port of Dunkirk he failed to take account of the position of the French Revolutionary Army under the command of Carnot. Unexpectedly the French Army turned, speeding toward Dunkirk, threatening the British expeditionary forces' flanks and rear. 30 siege guns and some 300 barrels of gunpowder were abandoned in a hasty retreat.

Searching for a dignified, but unobtrusive, army post, the Prime Minister alighted upon the office of Commander in Chief. Then occupied by the ancient Lord Amherst - a victorious general of the Seven Years War (1756-1763) - it was seen as a safe landing spot for a disgraced officer of royal blood. Pitt, the genius of contemporary parliamentary politics, lacked his father's famous eye for military talent. He searched in vain for another Wolfe. Only belatedly did he spot the Wellesley brothers, dying before the Peninsular and Indian campaigns that would make both men legends. In appointing this failed young royal to a back office job of seemingly no importance, Pitt had helped secure ultimate British victory in the struggle against Revolutionary France.

Prince Frederick's failings had been those of inexperience and bad luck. Against a France blessed with soldiers of genius, and the first mass conscript army, York had been given a small ill-trained and ill-equipped forced. Even worse his main ally, the Austrians who then controlled Flanders, possessed an ossified command structure and their soldiers and NCOs were wanting in enthusiasm. The position of Commander in Chief, its office in House Guards and his small staff of 35, gave the young Prince more than a comfortable patronage position, it was the perfect vantage point from which to modernize the British Army.

Signaling immediately that he had no intention of being the royal holder of a sinecure, he plunged into a frenetic schedule of planning meetings, issuing edicts and promoting competent officers where he could find them. A prince of the blood had little influence on the field of battle, but in the class conscious world of late Georgian London, the title HRH and his rank as Field Marshal matched the entrenched interests of the army. The poor cousin of the Navy, the Army had been the province of younger sons of well connected minor gentry. A vast engine of patronage, it had seen little real action since the American war, which it had lost. It was not uncommon for officers to have late breakfasts, or late afternoon tea, while their regiments marched on ahead, commanded in effect by a highly competent band of NCOs. Officers whose regiments were posted overseas had the ability, through a legal loophole, of waiting nearly a year before reporting to their COs. Among the Duke's first acts was to demand these officers immediately report for embarkation. He could not dismiss commissioned officers, even though his father was the sovereign and supportive of his efforts, but could delay their promotions. An idle threat from almost anyone but the second in the line of succession.

A poorly led and equipped force had impressed upon York the need for reform, the size and the fickleness of Britain's continental allies against the French, convinced him of the need for expansion. Britain needed the ability to field a military force independently, able to exploit the Royal Navy's supremacy at sea to the Kingdom's strategic advantage. A large army needed a large officer corp. While Prince Frederick spent much time improving the lot of the ordinary soldier, he understood that the key to building a first class army capable of checking French ambitions lay in a strong cadre of young officers. To that end he first established something we might today describe as an Army Staff College. A few years later, in 1802, he founded Sandhurst, ensuring a steady stream of well trained young men to lead the Army, in what was even then a decade long struggle against French imperialism.

To ensure these young officers did not languish in the lower ranks, he stemmed the practice of purchasing commissions and "recruiting for rank," the ages old practice of making men captains and even colonels if they raised regiments for the King. Those who felt they were denied promotion due to the influence of patronage, were encouraged to approach the Duke privately - even at social occasions. Through the some three hundred letters he answered a day, he did everything in his power to promote men of ability, see that they were trained and were able to train their men to the height of efficiency.

There were early, though minor victories, like at the Battle of the Pyramids in 1801 that served as proof of the success of York's reforms. It would fall on Wellington, a friend and protege, to show what the new army could do in the battlefields of the Peninsula. Just as Wellesley was proving his worth in Portugal, scoring a victory at Vimiero, his great patron was stricken by scandal.

As so often with great men of this era, trapped in the loveless marriages which the royal politics of the age condemned them to, he became infatuated with one Mary Anne Clarke. A charming and beautiful opportunist she extracted a lavish subsidy of a thousand pounds a year. When the relationship ended, Clarke sought vengeance. Allying herself with MPs eager to see the fall of the Great Duke. His reforms had done as much to irritate the gentry - who saw easy sinecure vanish from their grasps - as to improve the fighting form of the army. Rumour held that the Duke of Kent, the jealous younger brother of York, was financing Clarke's extraordinary claims. The story that emerged was of Clarke accepting payments to influence the Duke's decisions on promotions and appointments. It was good fortune that the conspirators failed to pay off Clarke, who in turn retracted her evidence before a parliamentary committee two years later. While the Commons cleared the Duke of York of any wrong doing, the scandal cost him his position as C in C, much to the outrage of Wellington. Only Clarke's retraction, and the passage of two years, allowed York to return to his vital work of reform as C in C.

His elder brother having failed to produce legitimate heirs, York spent much of the Regency period as heir presumptive - something which only added to his ability to push through further reforms. He predeceased George IV by a few months in January 1827.

The Gods of the Copybook Headings

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Ancient Knights of the Thistle

Wearing the distinctive green silk velvet robes and egret-plume hats of the Ancient Order of the Thistle, The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh make their way to St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh for the annual Thistle Service, 2 July 2008, to welcome two new members into the ancient brotherhood of knights.

The highest honour English subjects can receive from their Queen is the Order of the Garter. Across the border in Scotland, however, exemplary service is rewarded with membership of the 11th-century Order of the Thistle. The Thistle represents the highest honour in Scotland and is presented to Scottish men and women who have held public office or who have contributed in a particular way to national life. The service celebrates the Order, its history and its current members.

Like the monarch, the Duke of Edinburgh was dressed in a green, white silk-lined gown, outsize gold and silver tassels and the order's badge, for the ceremony in the chivalric brotherhood's chapel at Edinbugh's St Giles Cathedral.

In line with the Order's original medieval roots - it later fell into disuse but was revived in the 17th century by James II - the royal couple were welcomed by a fanfare from the Household Trumpeters. Accompanied by the Princess Royal, and a green-clad page, they then proceeded through the cathedral into the Thistle Chapel where the historic ceremony was being held.

The recipents of the Order - who take for their motto the words 'Nemo me impune lacessit' - No one provokes me with impunity - were senior retired judge Lord Cullen, and East Lothian Lord Lieutenant Sir Garth Morrison.

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KNIGHTS OF THE GARTER

The Order of the Garter is 660 years old today. The ancient Order was founded by King Edward III on St. George's Day in 1348*.

The Knights of the Most Noble Order of the Garter are pictured at Windsor Castle in 2004, where they gather on an annual basis. The Garter is one of only three orders whose members are appointed at the sole discretion of Her Majesty. Current members can be viewed here.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will attend a Service of Thanksgiving at St. George's Chapel today to mark the 660th anniversary of the Founding of the Order of the Garter and the College of St. George and the 60th anniversary of the reintroduction of the annual Garter service by King George VI.

The Order was founded as "a society, fellowship and college of knights" and has the motto 'Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense' (Old French: "shame upon him who thinks evil of it"). Back from a successful campaign in France and inspired by tales of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, Edward III decided to form a band of distinguished soldiers to inspire loyalty, encourage military excellence and reflect the ideal manifestation of Christian chivalry.

The Garter pertaining to England, is the highest ranking order in the United Kingdom and the oldest surviving order of chivalry in the world. Next to the Victoria Cross, it is the most prestigious honour for Commonwealth subjects.

*The foundation year is presumed to be 1348, although dates from 1344 to 1351 have also been proposed.

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The Venerable Order of Saint John

Commemorating the 125th Anniversary of the Hospital of St. John



The Duke of Gloucester (right), Grand Prior of the Order of St. John, inside Priory House. Her Majesty is centrally depicted in portrait as Sovereign of the Order.

The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem is the 19th century revival in Britain of the ancient Knights Hospitaller, the military religious order that was charged with the care and defense of the Holy Land during the First Crusade. The revived order received a Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1888 and spread across the United Kingdom, the British Commonwealth, and the United States of America.

Today it is one of the five "Mutually Recognised Orders of St. John" - one Catholic with four in Protestant Alliance - bringing together a spirit of Christian unity in the Order not seen since the loss of Malta to Napolean in 1798, when the Hospitallers were dispersed from their last military stronghold.

The Order of St. John in the English-speaking world is not a state order, but a royal order of chivalry. Her Majesty the Queen is Sovereign Head of the Order, and His Royal Highness, the Duke of Gloucester, is the Order's Grand Prior. Their Excellencies, the Governors-General, head each of the eight national Priories, and form part of the Grand Council with the other Great Officers of the Order. The Priory in the United States is headed by a gentleman by the name of John R Drexel IV, Esq.

The Duke of Gloucester has been Grand Prior of the Order of St. John since 1974. The Order, one of whose motto is 'PRO UTILITATE HOMINUM - In the service of humanity', cares for the sick and promotes its international ideals through its work with the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem and the St John Ambulance Foundation, of which there are some 30 Commonwealth associations worldwide. His Royal Highness recently marked the 125th anniversary of the Hospital of St John in Jerusalem.

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Better a Knightless Realm than a Cavalier Republic

Well of course better a King and a Knight's Kingdom than any strange, watered down or half-assed concoction of same. But this being an imperfect world, we are sometimes required to ponder the consequences of unsatisfactory choices. So it was with a certain bemusement to discover Kiwi republicans who support the restoration of titular honours in New Zealand. I happen-chanced across it by way of one of those useful press releases that the republican movement keeps pumping out, which nobody ever bothers to read, yet miraculously gets caught by Google.

Hope springs half-empty or half-full, I suppose, depending on your outlook, though I do think the semi-monarchist meanderings of Dean Knight and David Farrar amount to half a giant leap for mankind. For republicans, these guys are as soft as they come, and one wonders whether these fine, if slightly twisted, gentlemen, who obviously support the trappings of monarchy, might be persuaded to support the continued presence of Her Majesty if it meant reinstatement of Kiwi honours.

It is a crime against honour that egalitarianist politicians in Canada, Australia and New Zealand have muzzled our Queen from granting knighthoods to her own subjects, whilst those citizens in America, Ireland and the rest of the world are permitted to regularly receive such honours. It would be an even greater crime, in this humble scribe's opinion, to relent to this creeping regicide by going down on bended knee before the reigning politician, as if somehow a worthy substitute. Because tradition and its trappings must be authentic, hold that magnificent sense of gravitas, especially where honour is concerned. You simply can't fake this stuff.

It is a fact born of our collective history that the inspiring power of the institutional honours, titles and rank associated with knighthoods has been fused indissolubly with the pomp & ceremony of the British Crown. If the Crown were to be removed and the Royal associations were to be alienated from these institutions, they would obviously cease to hold the same historical grandeur, meaning and force. That wisdom of British Columbia's wonderful motto is an appropriate call to arms here: Splendor Sine Occasu. Splendour without diminishment!

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From Honours to Merit Badges

Part of every June 6 is the Queen's Birthday Honours. It is saddening beyond measure that Labour abolished British Honours and knighthoods in 2000, in favour of the Order of Helen Clark, I mean the New Zealand Order of Merit. Knight Grand Cross of the Noble Order of Saint Michael and Saint George becomes "Member of the NZ Order of Merit." And you don't even get to call yourself a knight, Sir or Dame, just "MNZM" after your name. Underwhelmed? Me too.

The old knighthoods had history, and heritage. They weren't just a merit badge for correct conduct, they were an honour and an obligation. Being a Knight of Saint Michael and Saint George, being called "Sir" and having a coat of arms, all that was more than just window dressing. Being a knight is mixed up with chivalry, honour, tradition and obligation. It is more than the community saying "Well done", it is a way of tying our high achievers into the fabric of the community. Reminding them of their obligations, to be generous, and community-minded. Chivalrous and gentlemanly. We expect Knights to act rightly. And more than that, it was a very public salute to excellence, to kindness and to service. "The NZ Order of Merit" is on the same level as a Scout merit badge. Handy to have. Nice to look at. But not elevated, not a real honour, Not a knighthood.

In abolishing British honours, the government said they wanted to reflect that Sacred cow "The New Zealand identity", to bring a distinctive flavour to the honouring of Kiwis by Kiwis. This, they said, would strengthen the community, and abolish elitism. Oh please. Yet again, this infantile insistence on destroying our inheritance has left the community weaker. It has loosened the ties of affection that unites the Queen and her people, and her people with each other in community. Who cares about the Order of Lenin, I mean Merit? It has no transcendent significance. It has no history, no "Honourable" heritage, and, although it shows the recipient is A Nice Chap, it doesn't remind him of his obligations to the Queen and community that gave it him either. A healthy dose of elitism does no-one any harm. Our best, brightest and kindest deserve more than a gold-plated merit badge. They deserve honour. It is a shame that Labour no longer believes in the concept.

Pitt the Younger (originally posted here)

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