That which is cultural is not amenable to reason.
Sociology 101.
Many societal systems are culture-bound.
Therefore, they can often look baffling to outsiders.
Perhaps none more so than the intimate outsider, someone not totally socialised because they are part of another cultural milieu.
Growing up in Britain, this Irishman could never fully process the bowing and scraping to the Royals that I witnessed.
Just by being there, I was constantly required to carry out a common sense inventory of what was happening around me.
In many ways, it was good training for what I would eventually become.
The internal monologues that novelists create for their characters are often a version of a common sense inventory.
Indeed, the entire society seemed to be built around a slavish adoration of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (aka Windsor) family.
The name change was an astute bit of PR at the start of the Great War when British proles were being encouraged to go and stick a bayonet in the dirty Hun.,
Of course, it was a minor embarrassment that the King of Britain was the first cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
The German monarch’s mother was the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria.
Therefore, the embarrassing ethnic origins of the British Royal Household had to be concealed from their subjects.
Hence Battenberg became Mountbatten.
Windsor was merely the castle that these “British” Royals lived in.
You get the idea.
Now the firm needs a new makeover for the Twitter age.
In many ways, this is all too contrived to survive the first reading by a commissioning editor.
That is why this type of commentary is much easier than my work as a novelist.
No matter how bizarre this all looks, it is the forensic truth.
That legalistic term derives from the Latin meaning “of the marketplace”.
Ever since the car crash interview with Emily Maitlis, it has been undeniable that Andrew has been damaging the Windsor brand.
When the war hero from the Malvinas realised that he could not avoid being in the witness box in New York, he showed the Dunkirk Spirit and ran to Mummy to bail him out.
If he had faced up to his accuser Ms Virginia Giuffre in court, he would have been in a jurisdiction where he had no special privileges due to the circumstances of his birth.
Consequently, this Poundland Action man shat it.
Now, here is a very reasonable question for all of the people resident in the United Kingdom:
Are you paying for any of this settlement?
As they say in crime fiction, this opens the door to an array of potential possibilities.
Are the Brits mature enough as a society to look at their constitutional arrangements?
All of my life, they’ve been enthralled by the celebrity feudalism of the Windsor brand.
When Andrew’s mummy finally passes on, the next to be the UK head of state will be her eldest son.
A slobbering dauphin who looks like a poster child for consanguinity.
It is worth noting that even if the Scots had voted YES in 2014, the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha crew were still providing the head of state of in an independent Scotland.
At any rate, the current monarch “purred down the phone” Prime Minister Cameron when he gave her the news that the referendum had been won.
Elected representatives in Britain have to take an oath of allegiance to the hereditary head of state.
Here is what they have to say in order to get their generous paycheque:
I (name of Member) do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.
So fealty is sworn not just to the incumbent on the Throne but to the entire line of Succession.
Ah yes, Succession.
Anyone taking part in that degradation ceremony is either a full-on British Royalist or a plastic radical.
Remarkably, the subjects discussed during the Putney Debates (1647) are still verboten for many Brits.
Of course, by 1701, any such notions were long gone, hence the title of this piece.
As a citizen of a Republic, I take part in the election of my head of state.
Also, we also have one of those fancy written constitutions.
Consequently, no one here is confused about what happens when a referendum result is announced.
Perhaps the capitulation of Andrew to Ms Virginia Giuffre will be a watershed moment for Brits.
The alternative is for this very public grovelling to this historically fortunate family will continue.
Viewers in Scotland do not have their own programme.
Yes, grovelling.
Not a good look.
Perhaps only outsiders can genuinely see the strangeness of it all.
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No Black’s, No Irish, No Gypsies
Cheers Phil
https://youtu.be/yNxuao2Mf-Q
He has obviously taken out a Pay Day loan…which is fair enough…We all need to do that now and again.
But what I want to know is…
Prior to this…
Where did the funding come from… for this over-indulged…arrogant…useless arse of a man and his obnoxious life-style ?
Multi-million pound properties…a fleet of classic cars…wildly expensive watch collection…you feckin’ name it…He’ll have it.
Where does the money for that come from…?
The whole set-up stinks …
In fact it closely resembles Sevco.
“Plastic Radical” 😁
You’re on the money Phil.
However, the final line of that particular commitment is also due some scrutiny. “So help me God”.
There is much in our continued commitment to indoctrinated nonsense that one free of ‘belief’ will shake their head at.
It’s baby steps. Self determination first, removing arcane traditions next, then looking to apply some sanity to address this ‘Opiate of the masses’ that just divides those who profess to have seen different shades of light.
It’ll not happen in one day, but it will happen one day.
Grotesque to watch the British media salivating before Lizzie. Wailing about how difficult life is for her. The same woman that’s reportedly helping to bail out her lurid son. There’s also much discussion about how Andrew might re-invent himself. One correspondent suggesting they might put him on Ukraine’s front line. All we need is another warmonger covered in ridiculous medals..
As time passes you see more and more antiquated notions of tradition being kicked into touch. Yet, I fear I will never get to see an independent Scotland, never mind an independent republic, in my lifetime.
There are too many toadies who, as stated in this piece, see fit to bow and scrape to their “betters”. Radical progressiveness would only serve to improve our lot in Scotland. However, that lot, an unfortunate majority, as always, close ranks and consistently keep us stuck in the dark ages. I don’t see an end to this. Not as long as the mainstream media control the discussion.
I am dismayed to see that Nicola Sturgeon (who I genuinely believe could not give a ha’penny toss about the royals) demean herself like that in the reopening of the Scottish Parliament. This May sees the 15th anniversary of the SNPs historic victory which allowed them to form a government for Scotland, albeit a minority one. This is also Nicola’s 8th year in charge. I see no natural successor and the Tories are a constant thorn in their side. This is a Tory party, remember, led by Douglas “Red Card” Ross. An oaf of a man.
The unionist loyalists are not going away, as much as we’d like them to. They refuse to grow with the rest of society. It’s like a never ending nightmare. Why don’t they just die?
As for Randy Andy. It’s just like Boris. England holds its nose and looks the other way. There’s nothing we can do about that as part of this blessed union. Yes, we really are “better off together”. Until England decides otherwise, of course.
Randy Andy ???? My understanding is that he can no longer deny taking advantage of a young woman who had been trapped and repeatedly abused by a string of wealthy people to satisfy their whims. Randy Andy sounds a little dismissive of that fact to me.
Randy Andy is a name he was given by the toady press in the 80s.
Thinking about in entitled and A’ that,did you checkout Labi Siffre wi Mr Alan Yentob,fantastic insight ,always myself a John Martyn man!, anyways they talked naturally about “Something inside so strong”,with singing at Nelson Mendela’s inaugaration and what comes up in the footage “Paradise” singing ! Says something about our club,maybe that’s what The Ange gets!!!
The Queen had come to a town near us to launch the QE2 and my friend and I were probably the only people not going to “see her” as we were demonstrating our support for the IRA. I kid you not. After a while, we decided to leave the deserted village and go down to where she was and ignore her down there. On our way, we noticed a rather large limo heading in the direction from whence we had come. Prince Phillip spotted us first and waved to the two rebels, staring at him open-mouthed. He then nudged the queen and she leant forward and waved enthusiastically. I like to think it was politeness that overtook us as our resistance lasted around a nanosecond but in later times when cousins would sing such songs as “Kevin Barry” etc. I couldn’t help feeling like Gypo Nolan in ” The Informer”.
Its difficult to know how to describe them at the moment. When it comes to succession they would be well advised to skip a generation. That is for sure. Though I would be very curious to see the public turnout for the current heir and his consort.
Indeed so.
However, even if the more palatable younger generation were to be deployed it is still the hereditary principle within an unwritten constitution.
None of that is redolent of a grown-up 21st-century polity.
As someone who supports Independence for Scotland this level of grovelling by Sturgeon to the head of the Windsor family left me and I would think the majority of Independence supporters embarrassed. The only way Scotland can rid itself of this dysfunctional family is by gaining Independence from its Westminster overlords and voting in a government that promises to give the Scottish people the choice of a Republic or a Monarchy.
In Scotland we’ve got a Unionist Alliance of the Orange Order, the Tory Party, Lib Dems and the loyalists within the Labour Party which includes a fair number of Celtic supporters. A Labour Party some of whom call themselves Socialists whilst supporting the concept of the House Of Lords and their members taking the ermine robes.
The support for Independence in Scotland stands at around 50% this is a big increase in the past 10 years and a good starting point to fight a referendum but it is always going to be hard fighting against the project fear and and misinformation which will come from 90% of the media both broadcasting and print.
Indeed ! But we must have faith that eventually we will break the shackles of English rule and their Scots erse lickers. Our younger people are my hope !
Project Fear ?
Is that what its called when the SNP numbers Never add up ?
Like the recent spectacle of Sturgeon being convinced that the UK will pay Scottish pensioners ?
What about the party that wants to cut the bottom off of fire doors in schools , is that also project Fear?
The SNP are a busted flush full of useless ideas , open your eyes man.
The UK treasury is where the Scottish population have paid national insurance contributions, Of course the post Scottish Independence UK treasury would continue to pay the pensions of the the people who have qualified for a full or part pension dependent on what contrbutions they have paid.
After Independence the Scottish people would pay their contributions to the Scottish treasury.
When you have a UK government so corrupt with issues such as Tory donations for honours, Russian Oligarchs, Rees-Mogg, Johnston”s father and their Tory friends and many others allowed to hide their money in UK protected tax havens etc etc
And you can get yourself annoyed about cutting the bottom off classroom doors that says it all..
Absolute belters of the most apt nomers there #LovelyJubblee
Yes, whether you are a Royalist or not it is just weird that whilst the population has generally embraced equality, diversity and inclusion in recent decades…
there remains a HUGE blindspot with this entitled, rich family – which continues to receive benefits funded by us taxpayers!
An open and honest public conversation about the ‘Windsors’ is long overdue.
I totally agree Bob the Original. That honest and public discussion will never happen though. You know that as well as I do.
With 60% of wishaw’s loyals all seeing eyes. Loving the German’s, during and after the wold wars, have now took offence to seeing a fleg flying from the roof of a pub named the cross keys in north Lanarkshire , the council also did not like it also but have no problems with a German supporting fleg one country put them to work the other put them in the oven
Could someone please confirm exactly where Randy Andy found the alleged £10m to pay off his accuser and therefore prevent the whole shoddy mess being laid bare in court?
Whilst the agreed settlement includes a no fault, no admission of guilt, that bumbling royal eejit is free to roam the streets safe in the knowledge that Mum will be there to bail him out should another similar incident occur.
If anyone was in any doubt that in the UK there is one law for the rich and priveliged and another for us plebs then this scandal is a resounding reminder that money and power can solve most problems.