This Blog offers congratulations on the forthcomming nuptials of H.R.H. Charles, The Prince of Wales and Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles.
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The only regret of the editor of Very British Subjects is the dominance of irritating soap opera comments in the majority of the British and indeed also the international press since the announcement from Clarence House on Thursday dominated the press when other more serious issues were a foot!
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Whilst the EU Constitutional Treaty Bill was granted a second reading in The House of Commons the majority of hacks, some of whom should know better, were commenting on a non existant 'crisis' brought about by a Royal Wedding in April.
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If, however, there is to be sensible debate on who is to be our future head of State I will introduce, for I hope a quality discussion, a return to the system of an elected head of state elected that is from a candidate list drawn from the ruling Royal Family. This was the system before the invasion (thats the Norman in 1066) it was very successful and could sit easerly within the Parliamentary democracy still operating (just about) in the UK.
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The ancient assembly was called a 'Moot' ( from which a moot point is derived) and those that could cast a vote were called Jarl's ( early Earls). The anglo-saxon (unelected) assembly's decision was confirmed by public acclimation at a Coronation (i) - which remains a fundermental element in the crowning of British monarchs to this day.
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This perhaps, very British of compromises, would introduce an element of democracy into the selection of our Head of State without any of the unpopular and more extreme elements of republicanism.
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So, dear reader, if, you are still with me, if there is to be a sensible debate on the future of the monarchy in our septered isle - let it contain 'moot points' and a debate on a return to anglo-saxon traditions blended with ancient British systems rather than those corrupted by French (sorry Norman and Bretton) occupying forces in the eleventh centry.
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As Mr. Read (ii) often said , discuss quietly.
Note:
i) At the Corination of William I - The Conquerer - on Christmas day 1066 in Westminster Abbey the people were enthusiastic about the Norman Duke being crowned King of England, principally on practical grounds since the English Army had been desimated near Hastings a few months previously and further resistance against what was then the effective military force in western Europe would have been ill advised.
In the English traditional manner the people 'acclaimed' William as King by shouting support at the apointed time in the ceremony, the occupying Norman soldiers took the shout as a threat (from contempory accounts it was deafening) and promptly burnt the nearby wooden buildings to the ground and massacered many loyal subjects, in order to 'subdue the rebellion'. Public enquries had not yet been invented but had one been granted the outcome would have been put down to a misunderstanding in communications from which 'lessons had been learnt'. Sometimes one simply can't win.
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ii) Mr John Read was my Latin and History Master at my Prep School, Manor House, Hanwell London W7 in the 1960's. Mr Read could not of been any thing other that a Prep School Master, a classic Mr Chips - his teachings remain frimly implanted in my mind. My early History mentor sadly died in July 1970 a few weeks after the election of the Heath government, at Mr Read's funeral I commented to my former headmaster ''well Sir, at least he saw a return of a Conservative Government.''
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I, of course never heard an expleaitve uttered from this most gentlemen of gentlemen but had he lived to have witnessed the passing into law of the most treasonable act of deception, The Eropean Communities Act of 1972 I suspect I would have heard some very anglo-saxon terms prefixinng 'discuss, quietly'. Indeed !
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Peter Troy, Editor of 'Very British Subjects'.
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