Member-only story
Maintain the Monarchy
Si non confectus, non reficiat
His Majesty King Charles III gave his second Christmas address the other day. His mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, would give the address sitting at her desk. She would give a carefully-neutral overview of the year, picking out non-political high points and low points, express sympathy, gratitude and admiration where deemed appropriate, wish one and all a Happy Christmas, and that would be it.
The King did it differently. He spoke standing next to a Christmas tree. A live one which will be replanted when Christmas is over and which was decorated with wooden and paper items that can all be recycled. He spoke with quiet passion about the ideal of service, about the need for us to support and help each other, and to protect and nurture the world. He spoke about the need for mutual respect and understanding between nations and faiths. His speech was intercut with scenes of various members of the Royal Family helping out at food banks, soup kitchens and environmental projects. He spoke about the tragedy of war and the need for peaceful resolutions. He heaped praise on those who give their time selflessly to help others. He exhorted us to do the same, if we could.
It was not a political speech, insamuch as it did not call for political change or support a specific ideology. He was not talking to politicians, but to people. He has spent much of his life doing this; talking to people, bringing them together, getting them to find ways to solve problems. This is a King who believes in the power of people to make changes, to come together in mutual understanding and respect and to make things better. He understands that he has a platform, and that the platform is the only power he has, and he will use it according to the dictates of his conscience.
But that’s just this King, what about the monarchy as a whole. Since the death of the Queen, anti-monarchist types have been making themselves obnoxious by predicting or demanding an end to the monarchy. Why? To what end? What do we replace it with?
We should be a Republic!
Why?
It’s the 21st Century!
Non sequitur. I repeat, why?
Because democracy!
