It has been interesting watching the response to the King's speech. My favourite is below as I think it sums things up nicely;

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Welcome back to the third article in
a series looking at everyday things
with surprising royal connections.

We take it for granted these days
that female roles in movies, shows,
and theater are played by women.
This was not always the case and
England actually allowed actresses
somewhat later than neighbouring
France (although all of western
Europe allowed them by the 1700s).

The reasons for this reach back into
antiquity when the association of
actresses and prostitution were very
strong. When Emperor Justinian of
Byzantium married an actress it
caused a bit of a scandal due to just
this association. Fast forward to
England in the 1500s and female parts were still being played
by boys. All of those Shakespearean plays about love? There
was ​not a single women on the stage during their original
run. 

The 1600s were not a peaceful time in England and disputes
between King Charles I and Parliament led to civil war and
the king's regicide. The resulting republic was controlled by
Puritans who sought to eliminate anything they saw as being
'frivolous' or 'ungodly'. Christmas and Easter were banned for
being too ​rowdy and a 'threat to Christian belief'. Football,
make-up, music, colourful clothes, and even pubs were all
banned. Theater's ancient association with prostitution
(at this point mostly a stereotype) meant it wasn't escaping
the ban hammer.   

After the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658 the English
republic fell into chaos and King Charles II was invited to take
the throne. For his part the king promised to be lenient with
everyone except those who had ordered his dad's execution
(which is completely fair). The King saw that after a long
period of strife and oppression the people needed a return to
normalcy. The old restrictions were lifted and in the case of
theater the king went further and legalized female actors - and
hence the first actresses. Its probable the king did so after
seeing actresses performing in France (which had allowed
them for several decades at that point) while exiled there. This
opened up a new career path for women and by 1665
actresses, such as Nell Gwyn, were celebrities in their field.
The king was also a great patron of the arts and funded the
creation of two new theaters in London. This general return to
fun is why King Charles II is nicknamed 'the Merry Monarch'.
​
It is arguable that without royal support it would have taken
far longer for theater to regain its standing after the Puritan
ban. This would have had knock-on effects. Shakespeare's
plays survived in a haphazard fashion even in our own
timeline. A timeline where either the Puritan's republic
persisted, or Charles II didn't make restoring theater a
priority would have likely seen more of his works become lost.
​And that would have been a real tragedy.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The Gordie Howe International Bridge 
is slated to open this year. However, 
Donald Trump, possibly bribed by the 
bridge's perennial opponents, the 
Moroun family, has cast doubt on the
bridge ever opening.

A few days ago the Monarchist League sent out an email with
a proposal written by M Fagan that the League should lobby
the prime minister to invite the King to open the new
crossing. The King will be 'in the area' so to speak as he is set
to attend events in America in April marking the 250th
anniversary of the Revolutionary War.

The idea being to dangle a joint event, the bridge opening, in
front of Trump to get him to drop his opposition. Trump
seems to value prestige just as much, if not more, than money
and attending an event with the King would add to his
prestige in his mind. That this would render the Moroun
family's 1 million dollar 'political donation' ineffective is a
nice side benefit.

However, it is now March and that is a rather tight time table
to get things like this organized. Alternatively, Fagan notes
that Prince William will be here for the World Cup in the
summer which would be a good back-up date.

Historically, the UK has made much better use of the Royal
Family for pursuing its interests. This suggestion presents the opportunity for Canada to do likewise.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Welcome back to the second article in a
series looking at everyday things with
surprising royal connections. The last article
looked at the influence the French monarchy
had on the development of modern
strawberries. This article will look at how
feudalism altered how Christians ​pray to
God.

If you were to picture how pretty much any figure from the
Bible prayed you'd probably be wrong. That is because people
across the Middle East in the period of the Old and New
Testament actually prayed in the orans position; elbows by
their sides, hands extended forward, palms up. This position
was considered the proper way to show humility before God.

References to praying in the orans position are common in
the Bible: Psalm 28:2, Psalm 143:6, 1 Timothy 2:8, and
Hebrews 12:12–13 to name a few. There is some evidence the
position was seen as a physical representation of a person's
heart reaching out to God (Lamentations 3:41). The
comparisons to a small child wanting their parent to pick
them up make themselves.

​Early Christians modified this position somewhat by allowing
their arms to extend more upwards and outwards until they
were in virtual imitation of Christ's position on the cross.

But if the orans position had such a long history and rich
symbolism why did it diminish in favour of prayer with hands
​together?

The Fall of Rome was a traumatic event for Europe. Roman
law had been present in western Europe for hundreds of
years. It was such a fact of life that even after the fall there
was an expectation that the empire would return from its
eastern redoubt. In the meantime, western Europe became
far more dangerous and unstable than it had been. What
remained of Roman law and social customs merged with the
traditions of newly-established barbarian nations. In those
dangerous times a man might seek the protection from a
stronger man who in turn asked for loyalty. This likely has
partial origin in the Roman client-patron relationships.

Regardless of its origins it gradually became a fact of life in
western Europe and various traditions developed. A man
wishing to enter into the protection of another (the vassal)
would typically get down on one knee with his hands together
in front of his face. This may have figuratively represented
being a captive, fully in the other man's power (the lord). The
lord would place his hands over his vassals hands in
representation of his acceptance of the vassal as 'his man' and
confirming his protection. It was a more personal way of
organizing political relationships than the bureaucratic
Roman system and suited for a time when economic, travel,
and communication links were frayed.

When Charlemagne united western Europe under his reign 
and restored some semblance of the unity that had once
existed feudalism was still in a formative stage. Charlemagne
would contribute to its development by standardizing the
ceremony of homage and required it to be done publicly. The
breakdown of his empire would lead to a more formal system
​of feudalism throughout his formerly united realm.

The peasantry slowly began to emulate the homage ceremony
when they prayed. How exactly this came about is unclear. As
stated, the ceremonies were public so commoners might on
occasion witness them. At the same time many priests in the
Medieval period were younger sons of nobles - aware of the
homage ceremony but never going to be involved in one.
Perhaps these priests started using the homage position as
a representation of their new role? Medieval historian Marc
Bloch put it, "The ancient attitude of prayer, with hands
outstretched, was replaced by the gesture of the joined hands
… Before God, the good Christian in his inmost soul saw
himself as a vassal bending the knee before his lord." An
added dimension to this is the fact homage could not be
performed alone; it was a two way relationship. Christianity
is built on a personal relationship with God and the homage
ritual is better suited to remind the believer of this than the
orans position.

The orans position never fully disappeared and even made its
way into Protestant practice. However, the fact remains that
the orans position is most common in areas that never had a
feudal structure. Meanwhile, 'prayer hands' has become an
​almost universal symbol of faith.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

To say that monarchs have had an effect 
on the practice of politics throughout 
history is fairly obvious. Less obvious are 
the effects monarchs have had on other 
aspects of life. This is the start of a series 
of ten articles where that very topic will 
be explored. First up, is how the desire for
bigger and better strawberries would lead
to the modern varieties we know and love.

Wild strawberries were common in Europe and greatly loved
by monarchs throughout the Middle Ages. However, the
berries were small, hard to harvest, and even harder to
transport - even to fulfill royal desire.

Gardeners were stymied by the strawberry's primary method
of reproduction; cloning. Seeds were rarely viable. Unlike
every other animal or vegetable the humble wild strawberry
refused to be bent to human desire.

Still, its popularity endured. It was a common sight at
monasteries where its trifold leaves reminded the monks of
the Trinity. When King Charles III of France was gifted
several pints of wild strawberries it is said he ennobled the
giver (that the story is likely apocryphal should not distract
from the very real desire for this sweet treat). In 1368, King
Charles V of France had his gardener collect 1,200 runners
for the royal garden in Paris. However, within a few years
nearly half of the plants had stopped producing and no one
could figure out why.

Still, gardeners persisted and there were occasional success.
Everbearing strawberries were discovered and by the 1500s a
cultivated strawberry was even created said to be 10-15 times
the size of wild strawberries. Better but still very small.

Experiments were carried out with wild strawberries from
other parts of Europe. The Capron variety from central
Europe became popular in England due to its cold-tolerance
and lower sunlight requirement but was largely rejected by
the French for its darker colour and general aesthetic.

Antoine Nicolas Duchesne was practically raised in the
botanical garden of the Petit Trianon. His father was
superintendent of the royal buildings and friends with the
head gardener. The gardener took a liking to the boy
and Duchesne showed some talent as a gardener. In 1759,
Louis XV ordered all known plants in Europe be brought to
his private collection. As a result, when Duchesne took an
interest in strawberries a few years later he had access to
every variety then known.

On July 6, 1764, 17-year-old Duchesne presented Louis XV
with the largest strawberries the king had ever seen.
Duchesne had combined a South American strawberry with
the reviled Capron variety. The strawberry fields at Trianon
were expanded and it was ordered that the new variety be
added to the king's personal kitchen garden.

The South American variety had already been large and had
been brought back to France by a French spy. In a twist of fate
this spy, named Amédée-François Frézier, was said to be a
descendant of the man who had once gifted his king a few
pints of wild strawberries. However, this South American
variety was not cold-tolerant - a role which the Capron variety
was well-suited to fill. Duchesne came to realize that
strawberries had distinct male and female plants. That is why,
centuries before, the royal gardeners had had such trouble
with cultivating strawberries. As they had pruned out the non-
producing male plants the female plants stopped producing
entirely. By combining the large, but heat-loving, South
American variety with the cold-tolerant, but somewhat ugly
Capron variety, Duchesne created a large strawberry that
could be grown anywheres in Europe - and it quickly was.

Duchesne's discoveries caused a tidal wave of botanical
cooperation as other botanists sent Duchesne strawberry
varieties they had discovered. In 1770 Duchesne published a
book detailing all the strawberry variations then available in
Europe.

The modern strawberry was well-established at this point,
helped along by the French monarchy's great love of the
sweet, red, berry.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

When I last surveyed the NDP I only asked for their views on
the monarchy. This time the list was a bit more extensive
(although if you follow this blog the longer survey has been in
place for a while now with some variation in the questions
asked year-to-year):

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.

Tony McQuail
Yves Engler (Candidacy Rejected)
Avi Lewis
Heather McPherson
Rob Ashton
Tanille Johnston
Bianca Mugyenyi ​(Candidacy Rejected)

Not going to make any conclusions yet as I am still waiting for responses. I will update this section at a later date.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The third leadership candidate has 
now gotten back to me. Rob Ashton 
represents the labour wing of the 
NDP. I was particularly interested in 
hearing from Ashton as most of the 
leadership candidates for the party 
over the last little while have come 
from the party's activist wing. So, as a 
refresher here are the questions sent 
to Mr. Ashton and his replies: 

What are your personal views on the monarchy?

Ashton: "While the monarchy is not a central focus for me
personally, I recognize it as a part of Canada’s history and
one of the ways we are distinct from our neighbors to the
south. My main priority is ensuring that our political system
works effectively for Canadians today— empowering people
and strengthening democracy."

As prime minister would you make use of the
Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments
that was active between 2010 and 2015?

Ashton: "If I were Prime Minister, appointments should be
transparent, merit-based, and reflect Canada’s diversity."

How important is it to you that the symbols of the
monarchy be fully displayed?

Ashton: "While these are meaningful to some Canadians, my
focus is on building a modern, inclusive democracy in which
everyone feels represented."

How often should Royal Tours occur? 

Ashton: "These should be occasional and meaningful,
highlighting Canadian culture, history, and charitable
initiatives rather than purely ceremonial."

How else would you keep the monarchy relevant to
Canadians?

Ashton: "Relevance comes from ensuring the system serves Canadians’ interests and reflects Canadian values and diversity— not from pageantry."

Overall, Rob's response was good. Remarking that the
monarchy sets us apart from the Americans (rather relevant
these days) is a common argument in favour of the monarchy
- even if I don't personally ascribe to it. The second question is
almost a non-answer because it doesn't get to the root of the
issue; should a prime minister be able to recommend
governor general nominees on their own or should it be an
independent process? The answer to the royal tour question is
pretty much the status quo.

A common through point is that if the system works for all
Canadians then support for the monarchy will follow. This is
an argument I agree with as I have personally seen some
opposition to the monarchy coming from a person's
resentment at their own lot in life.

I was unable to find any other comments on the monarchy
from this candidate.

We are now at the halfway point in collecting replies. I will
most likely post the main page for the leadership survey in a
week or so.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The second NDP leadership 
candidate to get back to me is 
Tony McQuail. Tony is advocating
for a merger between the NDP 
and the Green Party. He describes
himself on his campaign page as a
"farmer, educator, and lifelong 
advocate for a fairer and more 
sustainable Canada." Tony notes 
in his email that he thought he 
had gotten back to me. Whether 
the problem was on my end or his 
it is good to hear back from him. As with everyone else I asked five questions:

In reply Tony stated:

"The older I get the more I realize I don't know. What I do
know (personal view) about King Charles is that I was very
impressed when I heard him, as Prince Charles, at the Slow
Food Conference in Torino, Italy many years ago. And also
when I saw him in the documentary "The Farmer and His
Prince". His understanding of the importance of an
ecological/regenerative approach to agriculture was quite
hopeful.  You can see the video at.

https://docfilm42.com/film/the-farmer-and-his-prince/ 

or if you google movie the farmer and his prince you can find
the trailer.

I haven't given the question of the monarchy much thought -
you obviously have.  I am a farmer who, for the past 45
years, has also been involved politically pushing for a fairer
and environmentally regenerative society.  My sense is we
are not making progress."

Its a more positive response vis-à-vis the monarchy than Yves
Engler gave so I'll take it. It has been interesting watching the
King's views on the environment, agriculture, and
architecture move from being fringe positions worthy of
mockery to mainstream ideas politicians fall over each other
to advocate. At the same time Tony acknowledges that he
doesn't think about the monarchy all that much which is
unfortunately common in Canada. Not surprisingly I didn't
find any comments online regarding the monarchy made by
Mr. McQuail.

While this blog is pretty much agnostic about politics outside
of the monarchy, in a hypothetical world where Tony wins the
leadership and the NDP and Greens do merge it would be
good to see someone not opposed to the monarchy at the
helm of the combined party. Elizabeth May has been a vocal
champion of the monarchy for many years but its also been
clear for a while she wants out. At the same time its unclear
how monarchist the Green base is.

A big thanks to Tony for getting back to me.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

A few days ago the BBC published an article on the British 
government's upcoming announcement of new towns to be 
built to alleviate Britain's housing crisis. A large proportion 
of the article goes into how the King's architectural vision has 
greatly influenced how these new towns will be designed. 
 
This is certainly a change from when the King was still just a 
prince. His famous comment describing a proposed addition 
to the National Gallery as a "monstrous carbuncle" was not 
well received by the architectural community. His initiative 
to build a town to showcase his ideas regarding community 
planning was derided as a 'toy town', 'doomed experiment', 
and a 'kitsch Disneyland'. However, Poundbury has been a
great success and this is largely due to the then-Prince
insisting on his vision despite opposition from within his own
team.

The civic planning of the 60s, 70s, and 80s was defined by car
centrism, brutalist architecture, a lack of community spaces,
and radical separation of how space was used. These ideas
destroyed many areas of Britain and other communities
around the world. One commenter recently quipped that
car infrastructure destroyed more of Halifax than the Halifax
Explosion ever did.

In taking on the thankless task of showing that communities
built to the human scale (walkable, mixed use, and nice to
look at) were not only possible but what people want, the
King has done a great service to the people of the UK.

Now, if only the planners in Canada's major cities could get a
similar wake-up call.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

I've been meaning to do an article
on games that have a tendency to
lead people to monarchism (which
will end up being a list of Paradox
Studio games) but in the meantime
I wanted to write a bit about a game
I have played to absolute death;
Emperor of the Fading Suns.

I came across this game almost completely by accident. In the
90s my brother's friend gave me a bunch of demo disks that
came along with issues of the PC Gamer magazine. This game
(and Heroes of Might and Magic II) were included and would
provide countless hours of entertainment. It helps that
Emperor of the Fading Suns is a turn-based game and the
demo gave the player 50 turns to play it which was more than
enough to beat the game.

At the time I mostly appreciated that it was very different
from other games that I'd played (I hadn't found the
Civilization series yet) but as I've gotten older I've grown to
appreciate the historical inspiration behind the game. The
game wears its Dune and Warhammer 40K inspiration on its
sleeve but its much more grounded in European Medieval
history than either of those two settings.

Emperor of the Fading Suns plays much like Civilization
except the large number of maps give it a bigger scope. Some
games and spin-offs in that series would make use of a 'world
congress' or 'United Nations' mechanic. Emperor of the
Fading Suns did it first. Every ten years all factions cast votes
for who will be regent in the coming years. The regent
meanwhile can assign various ministries of government to
their supporters.

​The fact that the easiest way to get elected is by bribing the
various electors to vote for you is an issue the Holy Roman
Emperors knew well. The 1519 imperial election had the kings
of Spain and France out-bidding each other for the throne.
But even in more normal times it was not always easy for a
dynasty to keep the throne. Having to give government offices
to supporters in exchange for their support was an issue
across Europe.

Even the relative powerlessness of the regent mirrors the Holy
Roman Empire where the Emperor could really only rely on
their own lands for money and soldiers. This became
especially true after the Peace of Westphalia which
guaranteed non-interference in each state's internal affairs.

In the game the Merchant League is a union of guilds that
primarily sell things to players and give out loans. In medieval
Europe this is the role the various Italian republics played in
the Empire. They didn't really have any great love of being a
part of the Empire and were eventually able to leave it as a
bloc. Likewise, the Merchant League will declare was on all
other factions once it amasses enough money (although their
aim is to restore the republic).

The Church is heavily modelled on the Catholic Church. It
even has an Inquisition it sends out if some noble decides to
research technology that goes against Church doctrine. The
Church is divided into several sects in a manner not to
dissimilar to how the Catholic Church has different orders.

Emperor of the Fading Suns has had a troubled history.
Rushed to release and saddled with the worst advertising
campaign I've ever seen, it seemed set to become a footnote in
the history of gaming. However, the game has heart and it
earned a loyal fan base. Through years (and no small amount
of piracy) the game kept being played until earlier this year
the game got its first patch in over a decade and a Steam
release. And there in the credits...

...you'll find a Maple Monarchist.

Loyally Yours
A Kisaragi Colour