MY late father was a contemporary of Queen Elizabeth II. Like the overwhelming majority of his 1920s generation, he respected her greatly. By no definition was he a monarchist, however. In a very important respect – one that doubles as a marker of our decline – his acceptance of hierarchy was nothing more than common courtesy. A man didn’t traduce the Queen but he didn’t slander a neighbour or the greengrocer either. When insolence became de rigueur from the 1960s onwards, generations came to believe – I should say, pretended to believe – that levelling and sameness of status were superior to reigning nobly in your own station. The revolutionaries had no interest in equality, of course, as today’s world leaders prove. More reckless with coffers and contemptuous of commoners than any Bourbon, they are also more pompous about slights and la-di-da about rank than any Windsor. The FitzSimonites don’t resent royalty. They resent their own royalty not being acknowledged. Yes, there is real mourning for the Queen but the fact that so many see unyielding standards, a sense of occasion, emotional continence and religious perseverance as a grandma’s adornments rather than unremarkable norms is sad.
Sad but not hopeless. I take inspiration from the rainbow that appeared above Buckingham Palace after the announcement of the Queen’s death. Representing God’s fidelity and mercy in Scripture, it also represents the immutability of goodness. We admired the Queen because – true to her word – she never walked away from “ageless ideals” and “fundamental principles” nor bowed to transient whims. Her many privileges insulated her from a thousand Average Joe second-bests but by raising her up, we protected our own patrimony and were reminded of our own nobility. Tell the anthem singers of West Ham they’re lowly dupes for honouring their Queen. Good luck surviving Old Trafford.
Something similar characterised the reception afforded John Paul II – and also the reaction to his death in 2005. Paying tribute mid-concert in Anaheim the day after the pontiff died, Bono spoke for millions: “I don’t agree with everything that he stood for but he stood for something.” Most of us yearn for truth, beauty and righteousness but in a world increasingly held hostage by what John Paul’s successor prophetically called the “dictatorship of relativism,” these have become luxuries. That we’re so pleased the uncancellable annointed like Her late Majesty preserve them may at least signify a desire to win them back for ourselves. Monarchy might even be a stronger tank against a nihilistic dystopia ripe for demolition than republicans want us to know.
The danger of royalty lies in fetishising ‘traditional values’ as though they were specimens in amber no longer accessible or alive. The latter half of the Elizabethan Age was precisely that: performative uprightness demanded of the Queen but within a culture revelling in decline. The biggest scandal of her reign was not that she was above it all when the Princess of Wales died in an accident. It was that her subjects were beyond caring when their ancient heritage was killed on purpose. This same intersection of truth and suicide is the one King Charles III now inhabits but he can only embody what’s right; he cannot decree it. If Britons will not defer to the sovereignty of either God or reason within themselves and as a nation, there is nothing he can do about it.
When the time comes, I wonder if Australia’s Catholic Bishops will use their influence to drive an effective campaign to follow Poland’s lead and seriously convince the people to incorporate into our Constitution a declaration for Jesus Christ to be crowned the permanent King of Australia and the Blessed Virgin, our new permanent Queen.
Well said C.L.
Great post C.L.
technical point . Diana was not Princess Diana but Diana Princess of Wales.
It is a shame her family could not accept the same values she had. It happened to Samuel and it can happen to anyone. Perhaps she and her husband devoted to much time and effort to their job and not enough to their family. We shall never know.
I do not know what a fitzsimmonite is.
Lastly Australia is and has never been a Christian country. The plebicisite should have confirmed that. We are certainly not a catholic country thank the lord.
It does not take much reading of the bible to find the only person to gain from a theocracy is Satan.
I really don’t care what you think NT. You clearly only put stuff up for contrarian purposes, sad attention seeking and I doubt you believe even half of it.
A rolled fool’s gold example of what CL is talking about. You revel in decline.
Corrected, Tramp.
Thanks.
Charles’s speech was a masterpiece – one of the best I’ve heard from a head of state.
Very impressed by the minute’s silence for the Queen before last night’s Panthers v. Eels match. It was almost literally a minute (rather than the usual 15 seconds). You could have heard a pin drop for the duration. I haven’t seen that before – not from a football crowd.
Which way will Chuck roll?
Farage on Prince Charles’ views on climate change and relationship with the World Economic Forum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeXTm-Rso6Q
King Charles and WEF just aligned on Great Reset agenda | Redacted with Clayton Morris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgKX6vPo6Cc
.
Magnificent.
Thank you C.L.
“It is a shame her family could not accept the same values she had.”
Ah yes, Diana’s values, she ended up in the south of France with a playboy.
“It is a shame her family could not accept the same values she had.”
Ah yes, Diana’s values, she ended up in the south of France with a playboy.
That’s how I initially read it, too. But I don’t think that’s what he means. Snot has, let’s say, a beginner’s command of English grammar. For example, in the sentence “It is a shame…”, I think Snot is referring to the Queen, not Dianna. He simply hasn’t introduced the Queen as the subject. I could be wrong. 🙂 Maybe Snot’s comments make no sense at all.
Queen as the subject..
Ha Haaa!
Basic decency should permit a period of grace and mourning before tangling with the issues of the successor. But concerns about Charles’ globalist and Green political leanings are too great to ignore, even temporarily.
Nevertheless it was a good speech, and maybe a good start. He uses terms such as “nations” and “the world”, which may refer to the Commonwealth of course. But he does refer to his globalist concerns a couple of times.
Last night Farage was very positive and respectful to Charles on his Tucker Carlson interview. But the vid posted by Andy is probably a better reflection of Farage’s true perspective.
BTW I use “Andy” instead of “and”, because otherwise it makes no sense. And and using a lower case conjunction as a moniker makes it very hard to quote or refer to and grammatically.
Non Mentis
I do not know what a fitzsimmonite is.
That shows that you are one.
Lastly Australia is and has never been a Christian country.
Yet God in mentioned in the Constitution, and Parliament has opened with a Christian prayer for over a century.
Oh, I wouldn’t read too much into that … the same people demand to be addressed as Honourable.
Superb essay, CL.
yet Australia voted in a large majority for same sex marriage.
Perhaps you should think about what a Christian country really would look like. Given that Christians in the NT are basically in a minority position and always will be there wil NEVER be a Christian country anywhere.
https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/the-monarchy/2022/09/the-queen-service-with-honour/
Why am I not surprised?
Wokeism and “indigenous” trump even a mark of respect to the late Queen.
“Garryevans41” final comment is spot-on.
Non Mentis
yet Australia voted in a large majority for same sex marriage.
There are lies, damn lies, and statistics. That statistic is one of the damn lies.
While a majority of those who voted supported the concept, less than half of the total electorate supported it.
LOL Tel.
Lovely piece, C.L. Very well done.
A very good start, indeed. It must be very hard for him, at the moment, as it was for his mum all those years ago.
An informative, thoughtful discourse, CL. Thank you.