maybe someone should check to make sure Italy is alright...
Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
What can be said here except "Long may she reign"? Although
maybe someone should check to make sure Italy is alright... Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour People say that a picture is worth a thousand words. What
they don't mention is that none of those words are necessarily the truth. Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour There are some poll results that get funnier the longer you
look at them and consider the scenarios that could play out. A recent YouGov poll carried out in the UK is one such example. The idea of republicans actually getting rid of the monarchy only for the people to then elect Prince William is funny to me. And then there is the fourth place finish of 'Me' as the person those surveyed would like chosen. Finally, Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn make a match made in hell at 2% of support each. But seriously, there is some interesting information to be had. For starters there is no unifying choice among respondents. Even the Queen, who enjoys widespread support has uneven support when voting is brought into the picture. There is also an obvious disconnect between who people want and who would actually get to vote for. David Attenborough has had plenty of opportunity to run for public office, takes public positions on issues, and is obviously popular but has never stood for election. Which leaves Boris Johnson as the most credible candidate on this list to be president of a British republic. Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour The Queen and Prince Philip have a solid marriage despite
the pressures their roles place on it. Or maybe its because of those pressures that their marriage has been going strong since it began way back in 1947. "If I am asked what I think about family life after 25 years of marriage, I can answer with equal simplicity and conviction, I am for it." The Queen's Silver Wedding speech at the Guildhall, November 1972. Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour The Corona virus pandemic has led many to alter their
behavior as a means of stopping its spread. Her Majesty is said to be reviewing up-coming events with an eye to whether they will need to be cancelled or postponed. There is also a plan in place for her quarantine should the out-break worsen. This is prudent as, despite Her Majesty's seeming immortality, she is in fact 93. And despite the urge to panic it is important to remember we have been here before. Be sensible about your plans and be prepared to change them. It might be helpful to look back to the pandemic known as the Black Death. We have interesting accounts of the different reactions to the disease's spread. Of note is that while there were members of the royalty who fell to the plague there is only one known reigning monarch who died; Alfonso XI of Castile. While besieging Gibraltar in 1350 the plague broke out in his camp. He refused to abandon the siege, fell ill, and died. This resulted in the Castilians withdrawing. So I will leave you all with some simple advice; wash your hands, don't go places if you are sick, and avoid large gathering for the immediate future (sieges or otherwise). Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour Not much to say about this meme. It kind of speaks for itself.
But since I'm here I think its interesting to note the chess piece we know as the queen has not always been designated as such and in some cultures is still referred to by a different title. The Persian game shatranj, from which chess slowly developed had only male figures; shah (king), fers or wazir (counselor), rukh (rook), pil (elephant), asb (knight), sarbaz (soldier or pawn). The fers piece most closely resembled the queen but was much weaker being able only to move one space diagonally. As chess spread across Europe from Spain something curious happened. The term fers was increasingly used in its feminine form before being replaced by other terms such as femina, coniunx, or Amazon. But even before the name change some chess sets depicted the fers as female. The reason for this shift is not well understood. Everything from the cult of Mary to the preeminence of certain female rulers in Western Europe has been suggested. Supporting this idea is the fact that Eastern Europe and the Arabian world still use the old term fers (or equivalent). The expansion of the queen's power on the chess board is thought to have occurred in Spain during the reign of Queen Isabella I and may have been inspired by her political power. As a final humorous aside, for the longest time a pawn could not be made a queen if the original one was still on the board (to avoid the scandal of polygamy). Eventually, it was allowed with the second piece referred to as a 'ferzia' to account for this. Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour "A monarchy conducted with infinite wisdom and infinite
benevolence is the most perfect of all possible governments." ~Ezra Stiles Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour Another meme from the Monarchists Facebook page. It
is a monarchist take on the NPC Wojak meme that flared up a little while ago. While I don't approve of the meme's implied dehumanizing of republicans it is a good collection of arguments that republicans use (often in some combination) to attack monarchy. So this might be a good chance to address these arguments in detail. Paying for royal weddings Right off the bat unless you are a British subject you don't pay anything for them and get free access to coverage of the event. If you are a British subject the government only covers the security costs of the event which for the last royal wedding were less than half the estimated boost to the economy from tourism. Monarchy is an out-dated, colonialist, relic As someone who likes rational debate this kind of argument annoys me. Take three buzzwords and try to imply that monarchy is inferior because of it, eh? Out-dated things are bad after all and the colonial period is marked by a country being under another power and not yet mature. Of the three only 'relic' has primarily positive associations in the modern- day world. But the reason something becomes out-dated because it no longer works. And republicans can't show that for monarchy. The reference to colonialism is interesting in the Canadian context because so many institutions would fall under the heading of being inherited from colonialist times. As an example; "Parliament is an out-dated, colonialist, relic" is just as valid of an argument. Which is to say, it isn't one. Why are there still poor among us? A question that has bedeviled humanity ever since we started living in settled societies. And one neither monarchies nor republics have been able to fully address. That said, Canada rates as having a fairly low rate of poverty. A monarch, no matter how good, can't be expected to fully solve this but they can help by shedding light on the problem and organizations working to combat it. Which the Royal Family does. Lets elect politicians as our head of state The most basic desire of republicans. And you'd think that since they want this so badly they would be able to show what concrete benefit it would bring. But I'm still waiting. Everyone hates Prince Charles Prince Charles gets far less credit than is his due in my estimation. And I've never been quite able to pinpoint why. There is of course the tragedy of Princess Diana which he has had to wear. And he has often come across as awkward in his interests and behavior. Then there is his reputation for 'meddling' in government business. The Monarchist League of Canada noted a while back that the heirs to the throne have sometimes tended to be unpopular but then went on to be popular during their reign. And it could be that Prince Charles doesn't fit the popular culture view of what a prince should be (young, martial, and handsome). But none of this means he wouldn't make a good king. 'Crown woman bad' It is a great annoyance to republicans that the Queen has done such a good job over the years. Such a good job that most plots for removing the monarchy include the caveat 'after the Queen's death'. It also means that republicans have tried to magnify the few missteps the Queen has made. But at the end of the day Her Majesty remains untouched by impropriety and it must drive republicans mad. Inequality Monarchies are by definition hierarchical. And responding to claims that they are bad because of it can take several forms. 1. All countries have hierarchies, including republics, so it is at least positive that monarchies are honest about this fact. 2. Monarchy is a small inequality that prevents greater acts of inequality. 3. Monarchy is not unequal at all. The monarch and people have different roles to play but they are equally valuable. 4. Or maybe monarchy is more equatable than a republic. By leaving the choice of head of state up to the one trait we all share, being born, we affirm that anyone can be thrust into an extraordinary position and be expected to do a good job. Anyways, this has been my overly-detailed dissection of a meme that likely took 5 minutes to make. Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour Makes me smile every time.
This video is from the Queen's 90th birthday celebration. She does love her animals. My mother often has the same reaction to cows, sheep, goats, etc. Loyally Yours, A Kisaragi Colour |
AboutThis 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. Archives
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