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Emperor Pedro II's 1876 Visit to Canada

9/20/2018

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PictureEmperor Pedro II
Brazil was once an empire. And in
terms of economic, military, and social
​development it ranks as a golden age of
that country. Embodying this period of
progress was Emperor Pedro II (who I
will need to write a full profile of at
some point). Between suppressing the
slave trade, and eventually abolishing
it, he was also an ardent patron of the
arts and sciences. This would lead
Charles Darwin to comment, "The
Emperor does so much for science, that
every scientific man is bound to show him the utmost
respect". He was also somewhat curious about Canada.

The Emperor's attention would first turn to Canada in 1866
when the colonies of British North America sent a trade
mission to Brazil. At the time only Nova Scotia had any direct
trade with the country. When the trade delegation met with
the Emperor he questioned them about the future of the
Dominion of Canada, Montreal's Victoria Bridge, railways,
canals, the Canadian climate, agriculture and other topics.
Despite the warm welcome from the Emperor no agreement
for free trade between the Empire of Brazil and the future
Canadian Dominion was forthcoming. Back in Canada the
trade delegation concluded that the Canadian market was too
​small to develop direct trade with Brazil.

​In 1876 the Emperor embarked on a state visit to the United
States and Europe with a delegation that included members of
his family and court. His goals for the US leg of the trip was to
learn more about the country, improve economic ties, and
attend the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. He would
then proceed onto the European leg of his trip.

The Visit

The trip to Canada had an unofficial character and occurred
between the Emperor's arrival in the United States and his
​appearance at Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. He
​crossed into Canada at Niagara Falls and on June 5th made
his way by train to Hamilton and Kingston. Apparently, his
arrival caused a fair amount of curiosity and his train car was
often surrounded by locals when it arrived at each station.
When the train arrived in Toronto the mayor of the city went
down to the train station and, after being granted an
audience, requested the Emperor stay and enjoy the
hospitality of the city. This offer was refused as he had already
made plans to head on to Montreal. At some point after
arriving in Canada the Governor General learned of the
Emperor's visit and sent his respects. 

On June 6th the Emperor departed for Montreal on the ship
Spartan. About one hundred people were on the Kingston
wharf to see him off. It is reported that the Emperor could
not be distinguished among the other passengers as a group
of men were inquiring about his travels and he in turn was
asking many questions about Canada. The captain of the
Spartan was unaware of his special passenger as the Emperor
had not allowed word to be sent ahead.

Upon arriving at Montreal the Emperor was the "recipient of
many cheers, which lasted until he entered a carriage, when
he responded by raising his hat". That evening the Emperor
went to the Academy of Music where he was received
warmly. June 7th had an intense schedule (for an unofficial
visit). He started at the Notre Dame Cathedral and then went
to Bonsecours Market at around 7am. The Emperor spent
some time examining the meat and poultry. This astonished
the butchers as they could not believe a living emperor would
visit their stalls, and at such an early hour in the morning.
Afterwards the Emperor visited many places in Montreal
including Bonsecours Church, Mount Royal, the Deaf and
Dumb Institute, the Natural History Museum, and McGill
College.

A Canadian Friend

On June 8th the Emperor decided not to proceed on his
planned trip to Quebec City due to the poor health of the
Empress. It had been a good trip and the Emperor was left
with a positive impression of Canada. He is recorded to have
commented on the superiority of the Canadian political
system in comparison to the American system. But no closer
trade ties developed from this trip.

The imperial delegation made their way slowly back
​to ​Philadelphia where the Emperor officially opened the
​exhibition with President Ulysses S. Grant and joined by
another man they served as judges of the various scientific
exhibits present. At this exhibition was noted Canadian
inventor Alexander Graham Bell who was demonstrating his
newest invention; the telephone. The two men had met at
in Boston at an earlier date. It is fortunate that the Emperor
remembered him as the judges for the exhibition were about
to adjourn without having examined Mr. Bell's exhibit.
PictureAlexander Graham Bell
The Emperor insisted the judges see it. The
Emperor held the receiver up to his ear as
Mr. Bell recited a few lines of Shakespeare.
The Emperor exclaimed "It talks!" and it
made a great impression on the other
judges as well. It is impossible to say how
this chance meeting affected the future
prospects of the telephone but a mere 14
years later the Empire would have its first
telephone company. The Emperor and Mr. Bell would
continue to write each other and become friends.

Ultimately, the Emperor's visit to Canada would be forgotten
and it would not be until World War Two that the two
countries began seeking closer economic ties.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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Success with Succession (Part Four)

8/24/2018

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The New Brunswick election currently underway has me
thinking about voting. And while voting might seem like one
of those things that has nothing to do with monarchy, you'd
be wrong. Many monarchies had elections for a variety of
reasons. They differed from democratic elections in two key
ways: 1. The person elected typically served for life, and 2.
the electors tended to be a limited group (usually nobles). 
Picture
Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire
The reasons for voting for a monarch can be divided into
two rough categories as I have outlined below.

Choosing a new Dynasty
Sometimes royal families went extinct or the country never
had one to begin with. In these instances the nobility (or in
later periods, parliament) might elect a new monarch to start
a dynasty but keep it otherwise hereditary as long as a
legitimate claimant to the throne remained.    

The election of Hugh Capet is often seen as a classic case of a
royal line failing and another being elected to take its place. 
This isn't entirely true. When the last Carolingian king died
he still had members of his dynasty who were alive and would
have inherited the throne. But the power of the crown had
been weakening for sometime and the nobility increasingly
insisted on the monarchy being elective. Thus Hugh Capet
gained the throne (and immediately fell into war with the
surviving Carolingians). 

Or, as was the case in newly independent states of Eastern
Europe in the 1800s, the parliaments elected people (usually
nobles) from other countries in the hope that they would be
neutral arbiters of domestic factions and have the experience
at ceremonial duties the role required. Greece, Sweden,
Romania, and Bulgaria all took this route with varying
degrees of success.

Elective Monarchy
In other cases the monarchy was fully elective with every
monarch chosen by a vote. The two most famous examples of
this is the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The former case had the
emperor chosen by seven electoral-princes (pictured above)
while the latter case had the king chosen by a group of nobles
that could number in the thousands (the widest franchise in
Europe at the time). 

Both monarchies were elective because the nobility was very
powerful. And you could argue the nobility was powerful
because the elective nature of the monarchy made it too weak
to resist the nobility.

Generally speaking, if the monarch could limit the power of
the nobility they could make their position hereditary over
time. Even if they couldn't do so there was a tendency for the
elected position to become de facto hereditary. In some cases
the list of candidates was limited to the ruler's dynasty or his
legitimate children.
Picture
An election in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Elective Succession Today

The Holy See (Vatican City)
Arguably the most well-known example. The Pope is elected
by the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. At this point
it is one of the oldest elective monarchies in the world.

Malaysia
An example of an elective monarchy where the elections have
become more predictable than one might expect. The position
of Yang di-Pertuan Agong has to date rotated among the
country's nine rulers. Several of the lower positions are
themselves elective as well.

Cambodia
The successor to the throne is elected from all the candidates
of royal blood by the Royal Council of the Throne.

The Commonwealth of Nations?
Succession to the headship of the Commonwealth is not
defined with the leaders of the various member states acting
as ad hoc electors. But the position is likely to remain in the
House of Windsor for the simple reason no other candidate
​has ever shown themselves to be a better candidate. Although
the extent to which you can consider the Commonwealth to
​be a monarchy is questionable. 
Picture
Prince Charles is the next Head of the Commonwealth
Elective monarchy has typically served the interests of the
nobility and sometimes the people. Elected monarchs had a
hard time concentrating power and authority. This could
prevent tyranny but it could also paralyze a country and make
it easy prey for foreign aggression. But when used sparingly
elective succession did provide an answer to the thorny
question about what to do if a line of kings came to an end.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour 
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Property Protection: An Update on the State of Academic Research on Monarchy

7/21/2018

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Picture
Back in January I got wind of a new
study that was being put together on
monarchic vs. republican governance.
When I contacted the author I was
informed that the study was about to
undergo peer review and would be
available around the end of April. The
author was thoughtful enough to
remember my inquiry and send along
a PDF of the now peer reviewed study.
...And I promptly got swamped with political stuff and haven't
​been able to take a look at the study till now.
Symbolic Unity, Dynastic Continuity, and
Countervailing Power: Monarchies, Republics, and
the Economy is the study put together by Mauro Guillén of
the University of Pennsylvania and comes to four conclusions:
1. Compared to republics, monarchies reduce the negative
effect of internal conflict on property rights. 
2. Compared to republics, monarchies reduce the negative
effect of executive tenure on property rights.
3. Compared to republics, monarchies reduce the negative
effect of the discretion of the executive branch on property
rights.
All of which rely on the common economic argument that:
4. A greater degree of protection of property rights results in
better economic outcomes.

The first point should be familiar to any monarchist that has
argued having a non-partisan head of state is a good thing.
This is essentially what was tested. This study is exciting in
how it connects the dots with other studies. For instance the
study "Economic Growth & Institutional Reform in
Monarchies & Republics" came to the conclusion that
monarchies seemed to perform better at times of great
institutional change but couldn't narrow down why. This
paper provides a plausible answer as to why this might be. 

Now, this paper mainly helps constitutional monarchies.
While absolute monarchies did well on point one they were
shown to have the same problems as republics with points
two and three (I'm actually not sure whether absolutists or
republicans would be more upset with that comparison).

The study did provide some good news for republicans;
"The evidence that the effects hold relative to parliamentary
republics and democratic republics separately is consistent
with Weber’s theorizing as well, except that parliamentary
republics seem to be able to handle executive tenure as well
as monarchies, and democratic republics to address
executive discretion as effectively as monarchies."
So while republics can compete with constitutional
monarchies on certain points they can't on all points. This
study provides more backing for the argument that no good
can come from Canada becoming a republic.

As always, the new studies have been added to Useful Links.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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Book Review: Battle Royal

4/27/2018

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PictureBook Cover
It can sometimes be hard to review a book
where you are not the intended audience.
Either it will end up seeming too technical, too simple, or simply full of information
you already know. Battle Royal written by
David Johnson avoids the first two pitfalls
but toes the line on the third one for me.
It is nonetheless an interesting look at the
monarchist vs. republican debate in
Canada and the future of the Canadian
Crown. First, a look at the book's layout.
Author: David Johnson
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Published: January, 2018
Page Count: 288
Price: $26.99
The book begins with a brief look at
the history of the Crown from the
Royal Proclamation of 1763 to
Canadian Confederation in 1867. This
takes up the first two chapters and
gave me several interesting anecdotes.
The third chapter begins looking at what is meant by the
'Crown' and the various offices connected to the monarchy.
Chapters four and five return to recounting history to explain
why the monarch is largely limited to 'soft power' and the
remaining bits of 'hard power' that are still a prerogative of
Crown. This includes an examination of the Prorogation Crisis
of 2008. Throughout the chapters mentioned both republican
and monarchist arguments are given in what I would call an
even-handed manner (although, throughout I think the
author gave the republican arguments too much credit though
republicans would likely say the same for the monarchist
arguments).

Chapter six looks at the alternative to monarchy (republic). It
is a fair overview of the history of republicanism. It includes
a good run-down of the dangers the monarchy faced in the
1970s as well as more indirect challenges in the 80s and 90s.
It also includes a good overview of public opinion polls up to
the present day.

Chapters seven and eight deal with the debate between the
republicans and monarchists with chapter seven dealing with
the monarchy as an institution and chapter eight having
more to do with the Royal Family. This is not a comfortable
read for a monarchist but arguably a necessary one. It is
important to know what your enemy's arguments are after
all. By this point David Johnson has asked open ended
questions in every chapter (not a style choice I really liked but
whatever) and it is here they start to be answered.

Chapter nine is where republics would likely shed salty, salty
tears as it deals with the constitutional hurdles of reforming
the monarchy. Not only does it explain the hurdles it looks at
every argument and plan republicans have made to overcome
or by-pass them and reveals them to be pure folly built on
ignorance and desperation. It is a beautiful chapter.

Chapter ten looks at the beginning of the future King Charles
III's reign. One prediction has already come true: Charles will
be the next Head of the Commonwealth. But while the various
speculations are fun there is a serious question asked (and
one of the few really interesting ones in the book):
"Are we destined to have to live with some of the worst fears of both republicans
and monarchists? That is, are we stuck with an ineradicable monarchy that most
Canadians view as virtually useless, a meaningless yet embarrassing ornamental
bauble that we would and should discard if we could but we can't? Or can we
aspire to something better? If we know the monarchy will continue in this country,
can we have a better monarchy?"
This is the chapter where the author earns his self-proclaimed
title as a 'pragmatic monarchist' and dispelled my lingering
suspicion he might be a crypto-republican. The proposals are
ambitious, but doable if there is the political and royal will.

Overall, I found the last few chapters much more useful than
the entire rest of the book. But that is mostly because I was
aware of most of the information up to chapter eight. But it is
still nice to have the full set of facts and arguments in one
place. The book has an extensive bibliography and is scholarly
without being dry. Overall opinion: Its a decent little book.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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The Canadian Crown Jewels

2/8/2018

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While my last search was side-tracked I still wanted to do
a post about the Canadian Crown Jewels. I sent an inquiry in
to the Governor General's office seeking more information. I
quickly found out that no items have ever been designated as
such. Canada does have a Crown Collection which includes
works of art, furniture, rugs, & other items used for furnishing
the various official residences in Canada but that is not quite
the same. This got me thinking about what items might
constitute Canada's Crown Jewels in an unofficial sense.
Which begs the question: What are crown jewels?

Wikipedia has a list of some common attributes of crown
jewels on their site.
1. Objects of metal work and jewelry in the monarch's regalia.
2. Used by the monarch during special occasions.
3. Often depicted in portraits of the monarch.
4. Symbolize the continuity of the monarchy.
5. Conservative in appearance (see #4).
6. Items remain largely unchanged (see #4 & #5).
Ok, with a clearer idea what constitutes a 'crown jewel' we can
begin to examine possible candidates.

St. Edward's Crown

Picture
The only entry in this list which is
also a part of the British Crown
Jewels. It is notable that since the
Canadian Crown became distinct
from the British Crown in the 1930s
it is the only one that the monarchs
have been crowned with at their
​coronations. The significance to
Canada really only began with the
reign of Queen Elizabeth II though.

Queen Elizabeth preferred St. Edward's Crown be the heradic
representation of the monarchy in her realms. It replaced the
earlier Tudor Crown (which is not a physical crown) in this
​purpose. As such, when you see a crown displayed in an
official capacity in Canada it most likely is St. Edward's Crown
​you are seeing.

Maple Leaf Brooch

Picture
The Queen's Maple Leaf Brooch
has an interesting history. King
George VI originally bought it for
his wife, Queen Elizabeth (the
Queen Mother) on the occasion of
their first state visit to Canada in
1939. This was the first royal tour
of Canada by a reigning monarch.
The brooch was worn frequently
throughout the tour.

It has often been loaned out to members of the Royal Family
when they perform roles related to the Canadian Crown. 
Queen Elizabeth II was the first to borrow it when she was
still a princess. She wore it on her first trip to Canada in 1951.
Both Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Kate, Duchess of
Cambridge, have worn the brooch on their respective royal
tours. The brooch was also worn for the Queen's official
portrait in 2017 to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary.

Sapphire Jubilee Snowflake Brooch

Picture
This brooch was presented to Her
Majesty on July 19th, 2017 at Canada
House in London, England. It was
made both to celebrate the Queen's
Sapphire Jubilee and Canada's 150th
anniversary. This brooch is meant
to be a companion to the Maple Leaf
Brooch.

The sapphires were discovered on Baffin Island by two Inuit
brothers, Seemeega and Nowdluk Aqpik in 2002. It remains
​the only deposit of sapphires ever discovered in Canada.

Last Spike Pin

Picture
The Canadian Pacific Railway was
completed in 1885. To mark the event
a small ceremony was conducted as
the last ​spike was driven in. Donald
Smith, who provided financial backing
for the railway, drove the last spike
and... quickly bent it. The bent spike
was removed and later presented to
Donald Smith as a memento. He had
several pins made from the spike.

​The pin is conservative in appearance and is in the shape of a
railway spike. It has 13 diamonds along its length with a single
round piece of iron from the last spike itself in the center.
There were an indeterminate number of pins like this made
(partly due to the jealousy they invoked in the leadership of
the railway company) and the last spike itself has evidence of
having been drilled liberally. Four examples of the pin are
known to exist. The one that was presented to the railways'
president, George Stephen, was donated to Canada's Crown
Collection by a descendant. The Governor General or their
consort wear it for special events. It is the singular piece of
jewelry in the Crown Collection and signifies an event that
helped tie the young country together.

Saskatchewan Tourmaline Brooch

Picture
Ok, one might get the impression
that if these items can be considered
a part of Canada's Crown Jewels they
are all very transportable. And indeed
the monarch and vice-regal office
holders are often on the move when
carrying out their duties. Like one of
the other examples above this brooch
was a gift for Her Majesty.

​The brooch was presented to Her Majesty in 2013 by the
Lieutenant-Governor ​of Saskatchewan, Vaughn Schofield. It
was created by a jeweler in Regina. The brooch quickly
entered Her Majesty's rotation of brooches. Sadly, we are not
likely to see the Queen wear it on Canadian soil as Her
Majesty does not travel long distances anymore. 

Concluding Remarks

This has been a brief overview of items I feel belong to an
unofficial Crown Jewels of Canada. There could very well be
others with their own stories to tell about the Canadian
Crown. And, who knows, maybe one day someone will
designate these items as being officially Canada's Crown
Jewels.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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Royal Origins of Popular Christmas Traditions

12/20/2017

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PicturePhoto Credit: Gaetan Lee
Royalty has influenced many aspects
of our culture and Christmas is no
exception. The following holiday
traditions at least partially owe their
existence to royalty.

Gingerbread Men

While spiced cookies have been a
mainstay of the Christmas season since
the Middle Ages it took a canny act of
diplomacy to make gingerbread men a
reality.

Queen Elizabeth I held elaborate banquets where there
would be served gingerbread men made to represent her
favoured couriers and foreign dignitaries. Queen Elizabeth
carried out a careful balancing act throughout her reign in
order to avoid being sidelined, attacked, or pinned down. Her
banquets were only part of this strategy and allowed the
Queen to signal who was a rising star and to flatter the
representatives of potentially hostile states.  

The Christmas Tree

While evergreens were an important aspect of Europe's Pagan
and folk religions since ancient times the modern Christmas
tree tradition began in Germany in the 16th century when
devout Christians there started bringing the trees into their
homes and decorating them with candles. There is even a
story that this stemmed from Martin Luther wanting to show
his family the beauty of the stars shining amongst the
evergreens one night while he was outside working on a
sermon.

However, without royal intervention the Christmas tree would
likely have remained an oddity in the Western world. In 1846
a sketch appeared in the London News depicting Queen
Victoria, her German husband Prince Albert, and all their
children standing around a Christmas tree. The popular
Queen was quickly imitated at all levels of society and the
Christmas tree was on its way to being a worldwide tradition. 

Christmas Pudding

Christmas Pudding started off as being partly made of meat
(in much the same way as mincemeat pies did) and was more
of a soup than a pudding. This concoction was called
'frumenty'. It was traditionally eaten before Christmas to get
ready for the season.

By the late 1500s the addition of eggs, breadcrumbs, and fruit
had led to a proper pudding. This is where the story gets a tad
fuzzy. It has been said that the Puritans banned Christmas
during the English Interregnum. What is less clear is whether
or not they tried to stamp out the humble Christmas
pudding. The story continues that after the restoration of the
monarchy the pudding was legalized but didn't regain its full
popularity until the reign of King George I in 1714.

Is any part of this dastardly pudding ban story true? Who
knows! But the linkage of Christmas pudding with royalty has
endured.

Christmas Address

In 1932 King George V was persuaded to give a Christmas
address over the radio by the BBC. It would become an
annual tradition (with a few notable lapses) for the Royal
Family. In the years since the tradition has spread to other
monarchies in Europe. Several republics have also taken up
the tradition with the president typically giving an address at
Christmas or on New Years Eve. 

Turkey Dinner

Maybe I should have had more to eat before starting this
article, I keep coming back to food! It is widely reported
that King Henry VIII was the first english king to dine on
turkey but that it was Edward VII who made it fashionable to
eat the bird at Christmas time. Regardless, turkey remained
​a food for the mainly well-to-do until at least the 1950s. 

---

As this will be my last post before the 25th I would like to
wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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Monarchist Profile: Elizabeth May

10/12/2017

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Picture
Elizabeth May was born in Hartford,
Connecticut to Stephanie and John May in
1954. While both parents were born in New
York, her father was raised in England. Her
father's influence on his daughter's turn to
monarchism can only be guessed at. He 
served in both the British Home Guard and
US Army Air Corps. Later in life he took to
immersing himself in the culture of his
Highland Scottish ancestors and creating
miniature armies from the Napoleonic
Wars. Elizabeth May is a practicing Anglican has even said
her long term goals include being ordained as an Anglican
Priest.
First elected as a Member of Parliament in 2011 Elizabeth
May has been both vocal and eager about her support for
Canada's monarchy. Her tribute to Her Majesty on the
occasion of her Diamond Jubilee remains one of the most
detailed defences of the Canadian Crown ever given in the
​House of Commons.

Of particular concern to Ms. May has been the slow move
towards a more 'presidential' prime minister. In May of 2015
she noted that the government of the day had tried to find a
new place to greet foreign dignitaries and heads of state other
than Rideau Hall (the Governor General's residence). This
concern about presidentialism seems to be a key part of Ms.
May's monarchism. In her book Losing Confidence: Power,
Politics and the Crisis in Canadian Democracy published in
​2010 May wrote:
Picture
Elizabeth May has also spoken favourably about the Royal
Family of Jordan (even if in the context of questioning having
closer economic ties with the kingdom):
"​Jordan has many things to recommend it but democracy is not among them. It is a
monarchy. However, the late King Hussein of Jordan was always seen as someone
of enormous wisdom. I must say that I was always impressed by his sense of
wisdom and by his wife, Queen Noor, who was a strong advocate for the
environment. I had the great honour of serving on the earth charter commission,
which was co-chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev and Maurice Strong. I had the good
fortune to get to know Princess Basma of Jordan, who was King Hussein's sister.
As I approach this, I have a sense of Jordan's place in the world and a sense of,
albeit small, personal connection."
Indeed her remarks in Parliament have been peppered with
references to the monarchy to an extent few others compare
to. But just because Elizabeth May has been eager has not
meant she has always been effective.

Recently she tweeted (and using Twitter to express herself
was probably the first mistake) a congratulatory message to
Jagmeet Singh, the new leader of the NDP, in which she
reminded him that Canada does not elect prime ministers and
that the presidentalization of the office was a worrying trend.
Mr. Singh had commented that "I'm officially launching my
campaign to be the next Prime Minister of Canada". While
Ms. May was correct the response was panned by nearly
everyone as condescending. This is unfortunate as Mr. Singh
has not been supportive of the monarchy. One would
hope as a fellow parliamentarian Elizabeth May could help
Mr. Singh see the monarchy in a new light. Her tweet did not
​do this.

Last year I had the chance to meet her in person and express
my appreciation for her support for Canada's monarchy. 
Small missteps aside she remains one of the few federal
politicians who I believe would give a full-throated defence of
​the monarchy if it were ever to be seriously threatened.   

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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Success with Succession (Part Three)

9/5/2017

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Thus far we have looked at the question of succession from
the standpoint of who (singular) gets what. But there are
many examples in history where royal inheritance was split
between several heirs. This is known as Partible Inheritance. 

Partible Inheritance

Partible Inheritance was a simple concept: every eligible
(usually male) heir received an equal portion of the
inheritance. It is a system that was particularity common
among the Germanic peoples of Europe but also present
among other ethnic groups as well. 

The most famous example is probably the Kingdom of the
Franks and the later Carolingian Empire. Another example is
the Holy Roman Empire, which not coincidentally has its
origins in the Carolingian Empire.
Picture
Division of the Carolingian Empire in 843
The system had several flaws which led to it being gradually
phased out as a form of succession. First and foremost it
added secure sources of men and resources to the rivalry
between siblings. Since all of the inheritors were of royal
blood it gave them all a claim to the throne. As a result open
warfare between the inheritors was not uncommon. 

Added to this was the weakening of the state with each
division. The Holy Roman Empire suffered from this as while
the imperial dignity was not divisible, most of the imperial
territories were. It came to a point where the the southern
portion of modern day Germany was home to over 200 quasi-
independent states. All of which were ill-suited to defend
against potential invasion from France.

​While Partible Inheritance largely became obsolete as the
default method of succession it was still used to deal with
unique situations as late as the 1500's. Emperor Charles V
through a quirk of Habsburg marital policies inherited the
Habsburg's Austrian lands, united crowns of Spain, and the
Burgundian Netherlands. Combined with the imperial title he
ruled a very powerful collection of territories. It turned out to
be difficult to govern however and Charles V eventually
decided to divide the territories between his two sons and
retire from political life.

The French Appanage

The move from Partible Inheritance to Primogeniture was not
generally welcomed if you were a younger son. As such
compromises were often made when the switch occurred. In
France under the Capetian Dynasty this took the form of the
Appanages. These were lesser territories given to younger
sons with legal restrictions on what could be done with them.
Appanages could not be sold or lost in any way. Once the male
line of an Appanages went extinct the lands returned to the
French Crown. It was more or less effective in allowing the
French Monarchy to maintain family peace without
weakening the realm.

But even this system did not totally prevent the younger sons
(or their successors) becoming de facto independent. The
Dukes ​of Burgundy were often at war with the French
Monarch. The English benefited from an alliance with
Burgundy during the One Hundred Years War.

While Partible Inheritance is no longer used by any modern
monarchy its effect on history cannot be denied.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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New Democratic Party Leadership Race: Views on the Monarchy

8/16/2017

0 Comments

 
As I did with the Tory leadership race I have been
contacting the various leadership candidates for the New
Democratic Party of Canada to ascertain their views on the
monarchy. I have already posted individual articles on some
of the candidates. This post is to function as a sort of index
and supplement to the other articles.

​The Emailed Question & Responses

​The question posed to each candidate was simple:
"What are your views on the monarchy?"

Below are links to each candidate's reply and a short look at
any previous comments they have made in regards to the
monarchy. Names are in order of when they entered the race.

Cheri DiNovo (Withdrew From Race)
Peter Julian (Withdrew From Race)
Charlie Angus
Guy Caron
Niki Ashton
Ibrahim Bruno El-Khoury (Withdrew From Race)
Brian Graff (Candidacy Rejected)
Pat Stogran (Withdrew From Race)
Jagmeet Singh
David Berlin (Withdrew From Race)

Crown & Cap Scoreboard

Here I have ranked the candidates support for the monarchy.
Keep in mind this is only my assessment and your mileage
may vary. Also, note that changes may occur as the campaign goes on.

I have had to make a change since last time as some
candidates have views leaning towards republicanism. The
crown score is now joined by a phrygian cap score.

The crown score is out of five crowns and five caps with each
candidate receiving one crown for stating support for
the monarchy in their reply, one crown for having defended
the monarchy in Parliament, two crowns for outlining how
they would improve the monarchy's role in the future, and
one crown for having spoken in support of the monarchy
outside of Parliament.

​One cap is given to a candidate for being opposed to the
monarchy in their reply, one cap for desiring a referendum
on the monarchy, one cap for opposing the monarchy in
Parliament and two caps for making the establishment of a
Canadian republic a part of their policy platform. 
Picture
Peter Julian
Mr. Julian has stated he has no strong
views on the monarchy but feels a
referendum on the issue might be
appropriate.
Score:
Picture
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Charlie Angus
Mr. Angus is firmly opposed to the
monarchy but like many republicans
does not see replacing it as a priority.
Score:
Picture
Picture
Pat Stogran
Mr. Stogran's score suffered due to
a bit of vagueness. He seems to know
the monarchy is important but doesn't
​say it is important to him.
Score:
Picture
Picture
Brian Graff (No Photo)
Mr. Graff's reply was highly detailed
and greatly opposed to the monarchy.
This is unfortunate as he made clear
​he once supported it.
Score:
Picture
Picture
Ibrahim Bruno El-Khoury
Mr. El-Khoury's reply noted the
historical importance of the monarchy
while dwelling on Canada's ability to
change if it chooses to. In the end the
reply advocates nothing resulting in
​a low score on both sides.
Score:
Picture
Picture
Jagmeet Singh
In light of Mr. Singh's unfortunate
remarks during the Montreal debate
his score has ​been adjusted.
Score:
Picture

NDP Supporters and Monarchists Quotes

I have run across a few interesting quotes from people who
would like to support the NDP or a specific candidate but are
put off by the party's knee-jerk republicanism.

"After reviewing Jagmeet Singh's comments against the
Monarchy I became deeply concerned. As a Federal NDP
supporter since Jack Layton, I do not have confidence in a
leader who does not understand that the Canadian Crown is
completely independent and unique from the British Crown
and of it's powerful force for national unity and Canadian
identity. I certainly don't support someone who doesn't
respect or even understand the Canadian Crown."
~Darren Brierley

"I'd vote for him [Jagmeet Singh] if the NDP weren't so anti-
monarchy. Because of that, I now usually vote Green. But
Jagmeet might convince me to vote NDP next election, if he
can show that he doesn't plan to waste time with
constitutional amendments to remove/relocate the Crown in
Canadian governance."
~marnas86

"I agree that sharing our monarch with the other
Commonwealth realms has largely been beneficial to
Canada since 1867. It is for most Canadians both a Canadian
and international symbol of continuity, non-partisan
authority, and civic participation in an increasingly
globalized society. Canada’s colonial history has many
shameful memories, but they are primarily tied to the
policies of past governments and exploitative practices of
commercial interests. The monarchy is largely a reflection of
our times and it’s current incarnation should be used to
celebrate and cultivate the best that Canada has to offer."
~James Bromilow

"I am not myself a member of the New Democratic Party,
but often find myself more sympathetic to many of its
policies than I am to those of the Liberals when concerning
the rights and concerns of the working classes, and the little
guy, generally. However, one reason I always find myself
cringing away from being able to actually support the NDP
is certain members’ stances on the monarchy... I know that I
and many people like me would feel infinitely more
comfortable with the NDP if it took a firm public stance in
favour of the Monarchy." ~Jonathan Banks 

"Republicanism is a failed governmental concept. Compare
the peace and relative stability of the United Kingdom with
the constant strife and unrest in France, or the unparalleled
quality of life and happiness in Norway, Sweden and
Denmark. It’s no coincidence that having a uniting symbol in
the form of a King or Queen helps bring people together and
creates a better life. Republicans often point to Monarchies
being undemocratic, but I see no lack of democracy in any
Constitutional Monarchy-led country. I would see Peter
Julian be the candidate that stands up for our Monarchy;
who says “There is plenty wrong with our government and
system of electing MP’s, but not in the Canadian Monarchy. I
see no reason to do away with the unity and stability that
having a Monarchy has brought Canada over the past 150+
years.”" ~Brian Appel

​I would like to thank all of the candidates for getting back to
me. While I might disagree at times with the replies I receive
it is at least good to know that politicians still take the time
to reply to ordinary Canadians.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
0 Comments

NDP Leadership Candidates and the Monarchy: Jagmeet Singh

8/16/2017

3 Comments

 
Picture
I have received another response in my effort
to learn what the candidates for leadership of
the NDP think about the monarchy. This time
the response is from Mr. Jagmeet Singh. I had
previously received a reply directing me to
look at Mr. Singh's platform. I decided to
pester a bit longer to get an actual answer and
late yesterday I received the following reply
​from a campaign staffer:
​"Jagmeet respects that Canada is a constitutional monarchy and the roles and
responsibilities that go hand in hand with that."
~Brian
Let's start with the good: its a statement supportive of the
monarchy. The only problem is that it is vague. It is rather
unclear what 'roles and responsibilities' are being referred to.
This may be a result of an aide only being able to get a very
brief reply from the candidate. Given how busy the candidates
are I am not surprised. The other policy questions I sent had
​answers that were similarly brief and to the point. 

As always I checked the internet to see if Mr. Singh had made
any comments about the monarchy. As he is a Member of the
Ontario Legislature I held out hope there might be one or two.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to find any. I did find one person
on Reddit who stated that they would vote for Mr. Singh and
the NDP if they were more supportive of the monarchy. This
sentiment has popped up quite a bit and I would hope all the
candidates are paying attention.

UPDATE: During the leadership debate in Montreal Mr.
Singh received a question on the monarchy. Below is a
translation of his reply:

"I don’t support the Monarchy at all. So I want Canada to
remain a democracy without having a link to the
Monarchy."

I also contacted his campaign team for an explanation. Here
​is the message I sent:
Greetings Brian,

During the debate in Montreal Mr. Singh received a question on the Canadian
Monarchy and gave an answer much different than the one you sent me:

As spoken: Je ne suis d’accord pas de tout avec la monarchie, donc je veux que le
Canada reste une démocratie sans avoir un lien avec la monarchie.

Translation: I don’t support the Monarchy at all. So I want Canada to remain a
democracy without having a link to the Monarchy.

This is greatly disappointing and displays a lack of understanding about the
benefits of the monarchy to the well-functioning of Canadian democracy.

This is unfortunate as monarchy has been shown to have advantages over
republics in a number of areas including the quality of democratic norms. In a
2008 study titled "Presidents with Prime Ministers: Do Direct Elections Matter?"
by Margit Tavits she found that directly-elected presidencies did nothing to lower
voter apathy and were in fact associated with increased voter fatigue and a 7%
drop in voter turnout for legislative elections. Likewise, she found that indirectly-
elected presidents were not as non-partisan as we tend to believe them to be (since
they are still an electoral asset). The recent Austrian election shows how a
essentially powerless presidency can become divisive with the far-right challenger
being barely defeated late last year. Further, a 2009 study titled "Constitutional
Power and Competing Risks: Monarchs, Presidents, Prime Ministers, and the
Termination of East and West European Cabinets" by Petra Schleiter and Edward
Morgan-Jones found that constitutional monarchies had a marked preference for
using elections when governments lost confidence of the legislature. Both legislative
and (especially) executive presidencies had a marked preference for shuffling the
people in cabinet and continuing to the end of term. If you feel the people should be
consulted when a government falls this is not a good thing.

A Canadian democracy without the monarchy would be a degraded democracy.

Regards,
[Name Redacted]
​I received this reply from Mr. Singh's campaign:

"Thanks for writing in. I respect your opinions on the matter
and your beliefs in what makes an effective democracy. This is clearly at odds with Jagmeet's opinions on the matter."
~Brian, Team Jagmeet

These new remarks are worrisome and completely change my
​assessment of Mr. Singh's stance on the monarchy. And not
for the better.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
3 Comments
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    This website is intended to be a resource for those arguing in favour of Canada's monarchy, researching Canada's royal past, or wondering what the various vice-regal representatives of the Canadian Crown are up to currently. As well, articles about other monarchies may appear from time to time. 

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