"Your Majesty, would you like...your sceptre?"
Dooooo-doot, dooooo-doot! Dooooo-doot, dooooo-doot!"
(If you don't know what that's all about, see here and here.)
Anyhow, now that I've got that out of my system, let me ramble on a bit about my thoughts about the monarchy.
I am a citizen of the good old U.S.A.* and some of the earliest history I was taught was how King George III and Lord North were the heels of the American Revolution and that throwing out the monarchy was indisputably a good thing.
I think I still pretty much feel that way. (I do sometimes wonder if Lord North is more remembered in the U.S., than he is Britain.**) Why should some dimwit be boss just because his dad was? (Pace, 43.)
Now, 'tis true that family legend holds that my ten or eleven times great-grandfather was a Jacobite who fought for Charlie Stuart (speaking of colossal dimwits) back in the '45, which somehow explains why I live in North America rather than the Highlands of Scotland, shivering in the heather and watching sheep.
Of course, that's all ancient history, and I bear no particular ill-will towards the cadre of criminal parasites that currently occupies the throne of Great Britain. As I suspect many Americans do, I enjoy watching their antics at a distance, glad in the end that my taxes don't support this gang of titled in-breds.***
In point of fact, some of them are admirable in their way. I'm a sucker for people setting records, and Liz Two looks fair to become the longest-running British monarch in history. I'm genuinely, unironically rooting for her on that - considering that her mom lived to be a hundred, our Liz could go on quite awhile yet. Jug-Ears may not be king for very long, in the end - if at all.
Speaking of the Queen Mother, she was quite my favorite "Royal". The Luftwaffe couldn't kill that woman, and even the Reaper himself spent a long time working up the nerve to do it!
As for the Royal Wedding - I have to admit, if I was in a position to watch it, I probably would. I enjoy pageantry as much as the next man, and only the Vatican comes anywhere near the Windsors for entertaining, overblown pageantry. And for their sakes, I hope their marriage turns out better than young William's parents' marriage did.
That said, at a time of severe austerity in Britain, one can't wondering how long a hospital could be funded for on all the money they'll be spending on this.
*Stands for "United States of America"
**Stands for "Great Britain"
****Yeah, they are - they were saying on the radio this morning that Heir-Producing Girl and the Parasite Kid that are getting married tomorrow are distant cousins.
Replies
...The monarch of the U. K. is the secular head of the Church of England - in England ( and Wales , too ? ) proper , perhaps throughout the whole UK - I'd meant to add that to my post of WilCat but I may as well add it to yours - And , it would appear ( Um - I asked somebody . ) that that authority of the UK monarch within the CoE applies to the Anglican Communion - In the US , the Episcopal Church - worldwide , and the UK monarch COULD force the Archbishop of Canterbury ( The " first among equals " head of the AC . ) to resign/have them fired - Though it would really be on a " Tear the Church apart ! " level .
Note to Mods: I am NOT encouraging " religious discussion/argument " , in the sense of " My God/method of approaching such/lack of such feeling is better than yours " here , I'm speaking of facts and analysis/" What if ? " here . Okay ?
A while back , Elizabeth II visited the Pope , she was treated as " a fellow religious-Christian leader " - and the garlic/anchovies/etc. spici-er dishes were taken off the Vatican's menu for the duration ! Really !
Bless you, Baron!
Now I've seen Dr Tongue's House of Pancakes, I can die happy.
Thanks for the laugh, Baron!
I won't be watching. Coverage starts at 3 a.m.(!) in my time zone. I have an appointment with a comfy mattress and pillow that I can't miss. Besides, I'm really not interested.
Figserello said:
Emerkeith Davyjack said:
"Now I've seen Dr Tongue's House of Pancakes, I can die happy."
Topped only by the House of Stewardesses -- still the greatest achievement in 3-D ever!
Those DVD collections of "SCTV" are well worth investing in. The episode spoofing Canadian TV was hilarious. And I had never seen the shows being parodied! I can only imagine how a native Canadian would have reacted.
Ah. I thought SCTV was an acronym.