Why the Monarch matters

Phillip Blond Director, ResPublica think tank, had a radio essay on the BBC. He argued that the Monarch has an important, continuing and foundational role in contemporary politics.

Here are his main points in favour of the Constitutional Monarchy as we enjoy it in Australia:

A king is a person vested with ruling and sovereign authority over land and people. He is a single personage with the right to rule over the nation.

There is a difference though between the power expressed by the monarch and that held by the prime minister. Initially we might think that the prime minister represents the democratic process. That he or she is a check on the absolute and arbitrary claims of the king.

But in reality the reverse is the case.

Does not the ideal monarch stand for a higher good and a deeper principle than that of the politician? Indeed by personifying the nation, the monarch holds politicians and democratic politics to a higher standard.

The King or Queen in seeking to stand for all members of the national commonwealth saves us from extremism and the righteous fundamentalism of those who believe only in their beliefs.

What I am beginning to suggest here is the paradox that democracy itself is not enough to ensure the continuation of democracy.

Unless we have powers that represent other interests than that of a temporary and often manipulated majority, we will be dominated by the contest for electoral superiority, and determined by the unlimited rule of those who win.

Monarchy helps to sustain the democratic process by mixing a power other than that of democracy with democracy.

And in this respect, mixed constitution - the combination of the rule of the many, the few and the one - is more effective than the division of powers in preventing elected tyranny.

Monarchy - the rule of the one - acts as a kind of umpire which ensures that the democratic process itself cannot cannot be subverted and that it displays a certain rule of fairness. In short the monarch upholds the rule of law.

Thus of some 40 constitutional monarchies in the world, 16 of which recognise the Queen as sovereign, all have clearly observed constitutional procedures.

Constitutional monarchies also comprise some of the world's most developed, wealthy, democratically accountable and progressive states.

According to the UN, seven of the top 10 countries in the world in terms of quality of life are constitutional monarchies.

Certain inherited institutions: the king, the lords and the church, representing the one, the few and the transcendent; stood guard over the notion of the objective good and the common good.

So to defend democracy, we need more than democracy.

Were we to abolish or further limit the power of the British monarch therefore, we would remove the very lynchpin that has secured our British liberties, equities, social mobility and sense of economic justice over hundreds of years.

You can hear a longer version of this essay via the BBC iPlayer.

China’s Emperors believed in morality and cared for what others thought

It is not often you see a Chinese praising the Chinese Emperors. But in today’s edition of The Age Pu Zhiqiang, a civil rights lawyer living in China and executive partner of Beijing Huayi Law Firm, compared today’s China with the thousands of years Emperors ruled the country. In comparison with the Communist oligarchy the Emperors win not only on moral grounds:

"China's emperors won their power through war and slaughter but they also believed in morality. They cared for what others thought and what their descendants or future generations would think. But in today's China, liars are accepted, judges can be bribed, evil-doers are encouraged and officials can serve the devil.

"When the Chinese Communist Party took power, it destroyed all family tradition, the middle class, and nobles. Today's middle classes are the nouveau riche - until they are targeted by bigger nouveau riche and left with nothing. There is no religion in China, the Communist Party is afraid of nothing, but it will ruin itself one day.

"Everything in China is for 'interests' and nothing is for 'isms'. As the intellectual Qin Hui says, the powerful elites use ultra-leftist methods to appropriate assets, often under the name of the environment, or justice, and once they've got them, they share among themselves in an ultra-rightist way.

"China's development is actually the bald-faced robbery of land and property by crony capitalists. Crazy development has resulted in putting poison into milk. We who are fighting for the rights of people do not expose these things for the sake of exposing the dirty side of the Communist Party. It is dirty enough already. Better to pull its necktie to make it walk forward."

The Mad Monarchist on a possible heir to the Chinese Throne:
"It is debated as to who would be the heir of the last Emperor today. In his book, Pu-Yi wrote that he designated his cousin, Prince Yu-Yan as his successor. He died in 1997 and if his line is accepted the heir to the Dragon Throne today would be his son Prince Hengzheng, aka Yuan Yuan."

Wikipedia also list a claimant of the Ming Dynasty:
"Zhu Rongji is also a potential pretender to the chinese throne, being a descendant of the Ming Dynasty Emperor Hongwu through his son Prince Zhu Bian, Zhu Rongji was born in 1928, and he also has a cousin, Zhu Yunzhong, born in 1933.

Murdoch's War

It is typical for Rupert Murdoch’s papers, that they don’t just publish a film review, but garnish it with republican propaganda. Theodore Harvey wrote an objective review of The King’s Speech, but Anna Brain of Melbourne's MX-Talk newspaper (8th Dec. 2010) could not help herself adding another attack on the Monarchy:

She and her fellow republican journos hammer it into our heads: “... the royals have no relevance to your average Aussie ... It’s great they can sit on thrones and be rich.”

One has to wonder if Rupert Murdoch considers his chair as chief executive officer of News Corporation to be a throne and himself as allmighty ruler, but he certainly accumulated more wealth than the British Royal Family.

According to the 2010 list of Forbes richest Americans, Murdoch is the 38th richest person in the U.S. and the 117th-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $6.2 billion.

In Rupert Murdoch’s own newspaper The Times our Queen held rank 214 on the 2009 Richest List with £270m – a very modest sum, which Murdoch probably earns in less than six months. Murdoch’s personal wealth is 14 ½ times the Queen’s wealth.


A comparison between the Monarch’s personal wealth and Rupert Murdoch’s immense fortune and political power is rarely made – and certainly not in a glossy junk paper like MX-Talk.

One has to wonder why Murdoch’s scribes hate the Monarchy so much. All the old accusations against our Australian Monarchy ("the royals have no relevance to your average Aussie"), had been heard and certainly printed millions of times before, but have not changed the Constitution. In the Australian Constitution the Crown plays a central role and puts the politicos on second place. They certainly do not like that.

It must be frustrating for politicians and journalists alike to realise that despite all republican efforts the number of Monarchists in Australia has not diminished.

Nobody is interested in a president

Switzerland voted for a new president. Well, not exactly Switzerland or the 7.78 million Swiss, but a combined session of both houses of parliament, called Vereinigte Bundesversammlung.

246 members had the right to cast a vote. Only 223 ballot papers were handed out, indicating that 23 parliamentarians did not bother to show up. From the 222 ballot papers cast 106 bore the name of the Socialist candidate Micheline Calmy-Rey (65). She will be the Swiss president for one year, starting on 1st January 2011.

27 ballot papers were blank, 6 void. The rest carried names of other candidates.

Anybody interested to adopt the Swiss republican model, where 106 votes from 246 electors are sufficient to make someone president?

Even the arch-conservative Neue Zürcher Zeitung was not happy with this presidential election: Calmy-Rey bricht den Negativrekord (Calmy-Rey breaks negative record).

Royal Message on Portuguese Restoration of Independence Day
His Royal Highness Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Bragança (*15th May 1945) is the 24th Duke of Bragança (Portuguese: Duque de Bragança) and a heir to the throne of Portugal. He delivered a message on 1st December, Portugal's Restoration of Independence Day (Portuguese: Restauração da Independência), this year commemorating the 370th anniversary of the end of the Iberian Union with Spain.



The ancient House of Aviz, or Joannine Dynasty, (1385 - ca. 1580) of Portugal had become extinct in the male line in 1580, at which time the Portuguese Crown had been inherited by the Spanish King Philip II who became King Filipe I of Portugal.

In 1640, however, having tired of rule from Madrid, the Portuguese people rose up and offered the Crown to the greatest noble of the Kingdom, the Duke of Bragança. The House of Bragança (Portuguese: Casa de Bragança) traced its origins to 1442 when the Duchy of Bragança was created by the Regent, Infante Dom Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, and offered to his brother Afonso, Count of Barcelos, a natural son of João I. The royal lineage of dukes that followed married into the House of Aviz and became one of the most important noble families of the country. Infanta Catarina, granddaughter of Manuel I and Duchess of Bragança by marriage to João, 6th Duke of Bragança (himself the heir of the dynastic rights of Jaime, Duke of Bragança, acclaimed heir to the throne in 1495 by the Cortes), joined the two houses in 1565. In 1580, she was one of the claimants to the throne, but lost it by military force to King Philip II of Spain.

By the unanimous voice of the people Duke João of Bragança was raised to the throne of Portugal during the revolution effected on 1st December 1640 against the Spanish King Philip IV. The Duke of Bragança, João o Restaurador, led the Portuguese to victory and established a sovereign and independent Kingdom under his dynasty's rule.

HRH Dom Duarte's Message:
Mensagem do 1° de Dezembro 2010

The daily newspaper Público 20 reported on the Duke's Message: Duarte Pio compara crise actual à da Primeira República e pede referendo à monarquia (Duarte Pio compares actual crisis with the 1st Republic and calls for a referendum on the Monarchy). The Monarchist Left (Esquerda Monárchica) reprinted Dom Duarte's Message as well.

Two setbacks for republicans
This weekend saw two considerable backlashes for republicans.

Kingdom of Spain
The Spanish autonomous region Catalonia voted against the incumbent three party coalition government. While the Socialists (PSC) lost nine and the former Communists/Greens (Iniciativa Verds-Esquerra ICV-EUiA) two seats, the Republican Left (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya - ERC) was more than halved: from 21 seats it could retain only ten. Or in actual figures: In 2006 414,067 Catalonians had given their votes to the ERC, this time 218,046 Catalonians thought it to be a good idea to vote for the republican left.

The new government will be built by Covergència i Unió (CiU), a conservative and moderate separatist oriented party that had been in power for most of the time after Catalonia regained its autonomous status and became one of the autonomous Communities within Spain in 1980.

Victoria
Victoria went to the polls on Saturday and although not all votes are counted yet, it is most likely that the Australian Labor Party’s eleven years in government will come to an end. Premier John Brumby will be replaced by the Liberal Ted Baillieu. Mind you, this replacement is not the reason, why the RadicalRoyalist calls this electoral result a defeat for the republicans, though John Brumby loved to be called an "avowed republican". John Brumby’s record as a Premier of Victoria may have been appalling, when the transport system is at its worst since privatisation took place and the continuation of stupid and expensive, taxpayer strapping PPP (public private partnership) projects became a trademark of this state government, but since there is no guarantee that the incoming government of Liberal and National Party will perform any better, the main focus of this posting is on the fiercely republican Rob Hulls, Attorney General and “Labor’s attack-dog-in-chief, Brumby’s closest mate in caucus ... the man Brumby ensured became his Deputy Premier when others wanted the job after the abrupt departures of Steve Bracks and John Thwaites in mid-2007” (The Sunday Age on 28th November).

It was Hulls who accused opponents of his decision to replace the Queen with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from New Year's Day 2010 as "rabid Monarchists".

His possible replacement as Victoria’s Attorney General, Robert Clark MP, stated in a letter to the RadicalRoyalist, “that what the Attorney-General [Hulls] has announced is beyond his powers and usurping the role of judges. It is also in direct conflict with the rules made by judges about criminal court matters, which still provide for the use of The Queen’s name.”

It has to be seen, if the taking office of Mr. Clark will make a change to the better. The RadicalRoyalist will remind the new Attorney General of his words.

On a more reconciling note, it should be said that on the personal level, Mr. Brumby had an excellent relation with his Queen. After meeting the Queen of Australia in October 2009 he said: “I was so impressed by how informed she was about Victoria and about Australia. . .she was particularly interested in the recovery, how people were faring and the status of the temporary villages.


“She's a remarkable person. She's extraordinarily well informed and deeply concerned about what's happening in Victoria and Australia. That's what so impressed me and this is something she has personally felt and personally experienced.”

Monarchy versus Republic

A reflexion on the pros and cons of a Monarchy in today's Portugal, exactly one century after the implantation of a republican system:

Queen Elizabeth holds talks with Sultan Qaboos on boosting Britain-Oman ties

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II met Sultan Qaboos during a visit to Muscat marking the 40th anniversary of his rule, on her second and final leg of a Gulf tour.

Dressed in light pink with a white bag, gloves and shoes, the 84-year-old monarch who arrived from a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, to the Sultan’s Al Alam Palace.

Omani artillery fired a 21-gun salute to the Queen upon her arrival at the palace, Oman’s official ONA news agency reported.

The Sultan, the Queen and Prince Philip discussed “the historical relations binding the two friendly countries (and) aspects of the existing close co-operation between the two sides in all fields,” it said.

The visit “is an opportunity to celebrate our thriving relationship” with Oman “which has been transformed since Her Majesty last visited in 1979 ... and to look forward to even stronger ties,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement posted on the embassy’s website.

More photos on Queen Elizabeth's visit to the Sultanate of Oman at Noblesse et Royautés.

On 6th and 7th March 2011 Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands will pay a visit to Oman on the invitation of Sultan Qaboos. The Dutch Queen will be accompanied by Crown Prince Willem Alexander and his wife, Princess Maxima.

Message from The Queen of New Zealand to Prime Minister John Key

I am deeply saddened by today's news that there is now no hope for the men trapped in the Pike River mine.

My heart goes out to the families and friends of these 29 brave miners and to all who have been touched by this national disaster.

I send my thanks and deep appreciation to everyone who has worked so hard to attempt a rescue and also to those who will have a part to play in the task of healing the pain that is being felt throughout New Zealand and around the world.

At this sad and difficult time my thoughts and prayers are with you all.

ELIZABETH R

In memory of the Pike River miners

The Queen’s visit to Oman

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom begins a four-day state visit today to mark the 40th anniversary of the reign of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the local British residents hope that the tour will boost relations between the people of the two countries.


The Queen, arriving in Muscat from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after a two-day tour, last visited the Sultanate in 1979. She will have the privilege of seeing major changes that have happened in the Sultanate, from state-of-the-art technologies to international standard infrastructure.

The Queen’s arrival in Oman will delight over 7,000 of her loyal subjects who are living and working in the Sultanate, the largest western expatriate community in the country. All of them hope the visit will boost UK-Oman trade relations.

Stephen Thomas, CEO of Renaissance, cited the trade treaty of 1800 that cemented commercial activities between the two countries. An earlier one dates back even further to the year 1645, according to archives available with the Ministry of National Heritage.

“In the context of this enduring friendship, it is entirely appropriate that Queen Elizabeth should want to pay a state visit to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the people of Oman at the time of the 40th National Day celebrations. This reflects the highest standing of the relations between the two countries,” the Renaissance CEO, said.

Ross Cormack, CEO of Nawras Telecommunications, says he is proud, as a British national that the relations between the UK and Oman stretch back centuries and the bond is still strong today.

“British businesses and citizens have contributed in many ways to the development of Oman over the years and will enjoy the fruits of the Queen’s visit to mark the 40th anniversary of His Majesty’s rule. Relationships flourish on many levels and not only between nations but also to touch the hearts of individuals,” said Cormack.

Kevin Hasler, General Manager of ZEENAH PR, said the visit will be one of the highlights of the 40th anniversary celebrations and the British expatriate community is already buzzing with excitement.

“The Sultanate and the UK have enjoyed exceptionally close ties for the past 40 years. The fact that the Queen and Prince Philip will spend so long in Oman is a clear testament to the continued strength of the special relationship between the two countries. A visit of this length will also enable both the countries to build even stronger economic ties and enhance trade and prosperity between the nations,” Kevin Hassler, said.

But the Queen’s arrival is also about acknowledging the increasingly influential role His Majesty has prominently played in the international arena. His Majesty is considered by many in the West as a powerful figure in the Gulf region and also seen as the most progressive leader as well, foreign diplomats based in Muscat, said.

“His Majesty the Sultan has become a major peace arbitrator in the regional political affairs. The Queen’s visit is a direct recognition of this fact,” an European diplomat, said.

Times of Oman

The historical relations between the two countries date back to the time of the Ya’aariba Imams in Oman. During the reign of Sayyid Sultan bin Ahmed (1792-1804), the two countries signed an agreement on 12th October 1798, under which Sayyid Sultan pledged his support to the British government on issues of global concern. On 18th January 1800, another pact was inked between the two countries, which intended to beef up the 1798 agreement. According to an agreement in 1804, signed on behalf of the British government by John Malcolm, assistant to the British Resident at Hyderabad, India, Sayyid Sultan bin Ahmed allowed Britain to set up a British agency in Muscat.

The British consulate in the Sultanate was established in 1800 during the reign of Sayyid Sultan Ahmed bin Said. It is also a fact that Sultan Said bin Taimour attended the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

13 percent of the Germans want a Monarchy

This Wednesday the German magazine stern published a new representative opinion poll, which brought a surprising result: 13 percent of the 1,000 Germans asked on 18th and 19th November favour a Monarchy. 67 percent oppose it and 20 percent could not make up their mind.

Surprisingly high was the positive Monarchist response among the young Germans between 18 and 29 years. In this age group 19 percent wish to see a Monarch ruling in Berlin.

The online news site Monsters and Critics.com observed that Germans have an "obsessive interest in the royals of other European countries. ... The poll came in the wake of the announcement of the wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton - which has made the front pages in Germany."

Though 13 percent may seem insignificant, but considering that Germany lost her Monarchy in 1918, 92 years ago, practically no German alive had first hand experience with their Monarchy. The last German who shook the Kaiser's hand must have passed away a long time ago.

And by the way: The German people have never been given the chance to decide in a rair and free referendum on their country being a republic of a Monarchy.

Support for Swedish monarchy increases

A new opinion poll, published in the Swedish newspaper Expressen, showed increased support for the Swedish Monarchy.

The internet news site The Local reported, the recent publication of a controversial biography on Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf does not appear to have affected the level of support the monarchy receives among Swedes.

A Demoskop poll published in the Expressen daily on Tuesday showed that 69 percent of respondents said that Sweden should continue to be a monarchy. The survey questioned 1,381 Swedes from November 13th to 17th.

The result is an increase from the 63 percent support polled in the spring ahead of Crown Princess Victoria's wedding to Prince Daniel on June 19th. The previous measurement was conducted on April 21st with 615 interviews.

On both occasions, respondents were asked, "Do you think that Sweden should continue to be a monarchy with a king or queen as head of state or should we become a republic with a president as head of state?"


The unofficial, tell-all biography "Carl XVI Gustaf - the reluctant monarch" ("Carl XVI Gustaf - Den motvillige monarken") went on sale on November 4th, providing details of supposed "wild parties" and "affairs with young women".

Despite worries that the book would damage the royal family and confidence in the monarchy, it appears the opposite is the case, Expressen reported on Tuesday.

"There is no doubt that support for the royal family strengthened after the wedding. However, no wedding in the world could have saved the King and his popularity if it were not for him. The Swedish people's new record support says it in clear language: The King, you did it," Johan T Lindwall, the newspaper's court reporter concluded.

Accession Day: King Juan Carlos I
35 Years on the Spanish throne


On 22nd November 1975 Don Juan Carlos, the Prince of Spain, was proclaimed King of Spain in the Spanish Cortes. Spain had been a Kingdom without King since 1947, when a referendum approved the Monarchy that had been toppled by republicans in 1931.

For 35 years King Juan Carlos of Spain has enjoyed the unquestioning loyalty of his subjects and the discreet respect of the media. The King's role in helping restore democracy in Spain after the dictatorship of Franco won him the enduring gratitude and respect of a majority of Spaniards.

Born in Rome on 5th January 1938, the King returned to Spain at the age of ten, where he studied and was groomed as the successor to Franco. He was proclaimed King after General Franco's death, but steered the country toward a parliamentary system and now has little actual power.

During an attempted military coup in February 1981, the King went on television to denounce the putsch and urged the Spanish people to support the democratically elected government.

The Royal Family remains popular among Spaniards, who in May 2007 voted King Juan Carlos the greatest Spaniard of all time, beating out Christopher Columbus and Miguel de Cervantes, the author of "Don Quixote."

70th Birthday of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos of Oman


Sultan Qaboos ibn Said Al Said (Arabic: قابوس بن سعيد آل سعيد‎;) was born on 18th November 1940. He ascended to the throne of Oman on 23rd July 1970 deposing his father, Sultan Sa‘id ibn Taymur.

Since 1962 the Dhofar Rebellion, a Marxist rebel group supported by the neighbouring South Yemeni’s Marxist regime threatened the country. Since his father seemed unable to fight back the Marxist terror, Sultan Qaboos had to act. He introduced major social reforms to deprive the rebellion of popular support and modernised the state's administration. The rebellion ended in 1975 with the intervention of Iranian Imperial ground forces – the last time a Monarch gave assistance to another Monarch in need - and major offensives by the expanded Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces.

Sultan Qaboos is the only son of Sultan Said ibn Taimur and Princess Mazoon al-Mashani. He is one of the 8th generation of the Al Bu Sa‘idi dynasty. He received his primary and secondary education in Salalah and at Pune, in India, and was sent to a boarding school in the UK in 1956. At 20 he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After graduating from Sandhurst, he joined a British Infantry regiment, The Cameronians, and served in the 1st Battalion in Germany for one year. He also held a staff appointment with the British Army.

After his military service, Sultan Qaboos studied local government subjects in Britain and, after a world tour, returned home to Salalah where he studied Islam and the history of his country. Sultan Qaboos ibn Sa‘id is a religious liberal Muslim of the Ibadi school of jurisprudence, which has traditionally dominated Oman.

His Majesty’s rule has made Oman one of the best administered countries – not only in the Middle East. In November 2010, The United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) listed Oman as the most-improved nation in last 40 years from among 135 countries worldwide. On the Index of Economic Freedom, Oman is ranked third freest among the seventeen countries in the Middle East/North Africa region; its economy overall is ranked forty-second freest in the world, reflecting a score higher than the regional average

Despite Oman’s economic liberalization, the Sultanate remains dependent on the oil revenues that account for 75 percent of the country’s export earnings and 40 percent of its gross domestic product. But oil production is declining and is bearing on the country’s economy, which His Majesty tries to counter by diversifying Oman's economy. In recent years Oman became a popular tourist destination.

The future of the Monarchy
Sultan Qaboos ibn Sa‘id has no children and has three sisters. There are however other male members of the Omani Royal Family including several paternal uncles and their families. Using primogeniture the successor to Sultan Qaboos would appear to be one of the children of his late uncle, His Royal Highness Prince Tariq ibn Taimur Al-Said, the former, first and only Prime Minister in Oman's history.

Republicans catch a cold, while the Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition is in royal wedding fever

Once again The Age demonstrated its mediocre journalism. On day two after the news of the engagement of Prince William and Katherine Middleton The Age’s Europe correspondent Paola Totaro’s report A match fit for the times was placed on the front page, while yesterday’s Age had the news hidden on page 12 as “World News”. Today’s page 14 was exclusively dedicated to “the Royal Wedding”.

Tony Wright, not the usual royal editor of The Age, wrote:

“Julia Gillard could hardly looked more radiant ...: ‘The world awoke this morning to happy news,’ Ms Gillard beamed to the House of Representatives, delivering the glad tidings of a new betrothal.

"No sooner had Ms. Gillard finished gushing and offering the nation’s best wishes than Tony Abbott was on his feet, declaring himself ‘Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition’. “I rise also to congratulate Prince William, our future king and Miss Kate Middleton on their engagement,” he said. ‘Every Australian should rejoice at their happiness.’

”Malcolm Turnbull, once the most prominent republican in the land, peered into the middle distance.

“Mr. Abbott was so swept away that when Speaker Henry Jenkins childed him a little later for interjecting when normal political combat had resumed, he pleaded ‘royal wedding fever’.”

The Age’s editorial “Here’s to William and Kate” had the usual republican rants like: “The Age, which believes in a republican Australia, can also believe in fairytales. Congratulations!”

The printed version contained an opinion piece by Monica Hesse from The Washington Post. Why The Age had to fall back on an American writer remains a mystery. Was an article from the Guardian newspaper not available? What about the usual suspects from the republican Australian journo camp, didn’t they want to spread their well-known hatred of the Australian Monarchy?

It could be asked why The Age did not find a Monarchist columnist who could comment of the good news from Buckingham Palace, but gave space to an article of Klaas Woldring, convenor of Republic Now Association Inc., "Time to breathe life into an archaic constitution". Although he admits that “the republic has been removed from the public policy agenda”, he calls the Australian Constitution “this costly, undemocratic and inflexible document”. And he also states: “A sovereign people can rewrite its Constitution at any time. That is the essence of its sovereignty.” Did he forget that in 1999 the sovereign people of Australia said NO to a republic?

Message from the Governor-General

Your Royal Highness,

on behalf of all Australians, Michael and I send our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to you and Miss Catherine Middleton upon the announcement of your engagement to marry next year.

Australians were delighted, earlier this year, to have the opportunity to welcome you to Australia. Our time with you in Sydney was memorable and thoroughly enjoyable. [Did the Governor-General forget that HRH was also in Melbourne and country Victoria? RR]

Your genuine fondness for Australia and Australians shone through in all your interactions, and I know that these feelings are very much reciprocated.

I am sure that Australians look forward with anticipation and excitement to hearing of your wedding preparations as they unfold. It is a unifying time of much joy and celebration. And, naturally, we will take immense pleasure in welcoming you both on the occasion of your first visit to Australia together some time in the future.

Your Royal Highness, your announcement has warmed our nation’s heart.

The Duchess of Cornwall attends a service to commemorate journalists

The Duchess of Cornwall joined families of British journalists who have died over the last decade reporting conflicts around the world, in a memorial service held in their honour on 10th November 2010.


Attending the service at St. Bride’s church on Fleet Street, which is often regarded as the spiritual home for journalists throughout the world, were also a number of well-known media figures.

Addressing the congregation rector David Meara, said: "As consumers of news in a fast-changing world, we demand a great deal of our journalists and foreign correspondents.


"We expect them to keep us informed about difficult and complex situations in the trouble spots of the world, often at great personal risk, and sometimes, tragically, they pay the ultimate price.

"Their families, many of whom are with us today, know only too well that bearing witness to the truth has a personal cost."

Among the congregation was Helen Garston, the widow of Sunday Mirror defence correspondent Rupert Hamer, 39, who was killed in January in Afghanistan. He died when a vehicle he was travelling in was hit by a bomb while he was embedded with the US Marine Corps.


After the service, The Duchess attended a reception where she met with the families and those who attended.

The Queen met Australian Victoria Cross and George Cross holders

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Queen of Australia, met Australian Victoria Cross and George Cross holders (left to right) Michael Pratt GC, Mark Donaldson VC and Keith Payne VC, at a reception for the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association on 10th November 2010.

Rare Species
Panda bears are a rare species, but equally rare are real Monarchs.


Here Queen Sofia of Spain meets a baby Panda bear in Madrid's zoo. At the Madrid Zoo & Aquarium a pair of twin pandas were born on 7th September 2010, conceived through artificial insemination in a joint effort by Spain's National Research council other scientiests. The cubs are the first of their species to be born in Spain since 1982 and only the third litter to be born in Europe.

US for revival of active monarchy in Nepal?
Since Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned on 30th June under pressure from the Maoists, the Constituent Assembly, which has failed to draft a republican constitution and could not agree on anything but to depose King Gyanendra, has failed for the tenth time to elect a Prime Minister.

The Telegraph, Nepal, reported on moves to give the country the Monarchy back:

Can the world lone super-power, United States, afford another failed state in South Asia? Perhaps not!

With war torn Afghanistan already a failed state, Pakistan zeroing in the failed state status and, continued political instability already pushing Nepal to imminent economic collapse, should the US revise its Nepal policy?

The Nepali Patra Weekly, October 29, 2010, claims that the US has all of a sudden acquired an active posture in Nepali politics. The US is entirely convinced that the Nepali political actors and political parties were an incompetent lot and to expect positive results from them would be a self defeating exercise, writes the weekly referring to various sources in Kathmandu.

"The US is overly concerned over the increasing hobnobbing between leaders of the largest party in the Constituent Assembly, Unified Maoists and Communist China. The current state of Nepali politics is not appropriate for institutionalizing democracy in the country. And, the continuation of political deadlock could lead to the state capture by the Maoists with the support of the Chinese", the US has also comprehended.The US basically fears that Nepal could become ultimately another North Korea in Asia, the weekly reveals.

Sources have told the weekly newspaper that the US is in favor of "reviving monarchy in Nepal".

Interestingly, the report reveals that the US is not in favor of reinstating Gyanendra Shah as just as a Constitutional Monarch but it wants to see the former sovereign as an "active monarch". Sudden twist in Nepali politics?

Prince Charles declared Commonwealth Games open

There was no mucking about: The Indian daily The Hindu put it in its headline: Prince Charles declares Games open. In a colourful ceremony the Indian capital Delhi the heir to the throne and to the title as Head of the Commonwealth received the Queen’s baton, which has traversed 190,000 kilometres through all 71 participating countries and territories. The Prince of Wales read out Her Majesty’s message and under the applause of some 60,000 spectators declared the Commonwealth Games open.


After Prince Charles, Ms. Pratabha Patil, or “Madame President”, as the Prince of Wales addressed her, read out her welcome message and added: “Let the Games begin.”

Considering the row ahead of the Commonwealth Games, this was a compromise everybody could live with.

The South African team entered the arena with the meanwhile infamous vuvuzelas. A new national symbol of South Africa?

Drummers from various Indian states dominated the opening ceremony.

Prince Charles to open the Commonwealth Games – not another politician

At the beginning of this week, Prince Charles’ office sought to play down the reported row over whether the heir to the throne or Indian president Pratibha Patil would open the Commonwealth Games saying at both would have “a prominent role” in the opening ceremonies.

“The Prince of Wales will read out the Queen’s baton message, ending by declaring the Games open," it said in a statement. The reference to “declaring the Games open” left it open to interpretation, according to observers.

“There is no row. Both the Prince of Wales and the president of India will have a prominent role in the opening ceremony in Delhi. The Queen has asked the Prince of Wales to represent Her at the opening of the Commonwealth Games.”

Earlier The Daily Mail quoted an anonymous Indian “official source” as saying: “Although there has not been an official announcement, we have decided the president will open the Games.”

Why is it that politicians always try to set themselves in the first fiddle, when they obviously have no right to do so? There is no doubt that The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth and therefore the one and only person to open the Commonwealth Games. Her heir and successor is Prince Charles – also as Head of the Commonwealth - and he will be sent to represent Her Majesty. She did not ask the Indian president or any other politician to be her representative. India may try to override the shortcomings in the preparations to this year’s Commonwealth Games by setting new rules. But being the second biggest nation on earth does not give India the right to embarrass the heir to the throne and all other Commonwealth nations who are loyal to the principle of this free association of nations.

The only acceptable compromise could be that His Royal Highness and Ms. Patel will both proclaim the Games open simultaneously.

A majority of the Belgians want a unitary Kingdom

While the parties in Belgium are still trying to form a government after the 13th June elections, the daily La Libre Belgique published an interesting opinion poll.A demonstration in favour of a united Belgium, 16th May 2010.

According to the newspaper only 12 percent want a split of the Kingdom of Belgium. Even the Flemish aren’t really keen on a separate state. Just 22 percent desire the final end of Belgium and the birth of an independent Flanders. On the other hand 40 percent of all Belgians would like to see the unitary state back, which existed until the early 1970s. Obviously, they have enough of the internal border that is dividing the country along the languages. 32 percent favour handing over more power to the existing regions.


La Libre Belgique's comment is a big question mark : «A return to the unitary state is impossible. Why such an opinion poll ? Or is it because a re-unified structure carries, in the eyes of the people, a promise that the handling of the public affairs would be less chaotic? We noticed that the return to ‘papa’s Belgium’ was more desired by the young one than by the elderly. For those who did not live in that period, is it more desirable than the present time?»

It would not be a Belgian opinion poll, would it not show a difference in the answers given in the regions. In Flanders only 22 percent want to see the unitary state again, while in Brussels and the Wallonie 50 respectively 51 percent are in favour of the old idea.

Just eight percent favour the status quo – and that figure is the same throughout the regions.

Vive le Roi! Leve de Koning! Es lebe der König!



Discours de S.M. le Roi - Fête Nationale 21/07/2010

A Royal summit in Serbia

The website of the Serbian Royal Family is certainly one of the best of a royal dynasty – easy access, accurate and well up-to-date. Of special significance are the photos displayed on the website. All living Balkan Kings (with the exception of King Leka I of the Albanians) posed for a photo: HM King Simeon II of the Bulgarians (*16th June 1937), HRH Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia (*17th July 1945), HM King Michael I of Romania (*25th October 1921) and HM King Constantine II of the Hellenes (*2nd June 1940).

On 17th September Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine celebrated their 25th wedding. Among the guests were among others Their Majesties King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes, King Simeon and Queen Margarita of the Bulgarians, King Michael of Romania, Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Margarita and Prince Radu of Romania, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, Princess Irene of Greece, Princess Desiree, Baroness Silfverschiöld of Sweden and Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld, Princess Margarita of Baden, Their Serene Highnesses Prince Philipp Erasmus and Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein and Her Serene Highness Princess Ira von Fürstenberg.

Good journalism?

To illustrate Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom on 17th September The Age had chosen three photos, the biggest showing the Pope holding his white pileolus (The Age called it “skull cap”) while The Queen braved the strong wind with a stiff British upper lip. The Age propably chose this picture because Her Majesty could be thought of having a grumpy look.


There are alternative attitudes to reporting on this visit. The Age might be more oriented to the English media. Continental European newspapers published much friendlier of The Queen, when she received her Vatican guest.

At Paper Media you’ll find 37 front pages of mainly German newspapers, all published on 17th September. Fifteen of them had a photo of the Pope with The Queen (except The Guardian, which had the popemobile instead). Out of these 15, six had chosen the same picture as The Age, but nine had opted for a much more sympathetic scene. Have a look for yourself.

It is well known that The Age follows a strict republican agenda, but don’t you feel, that sometimes they overdo their republican preaching?

This style of picture editing is hardly good journalism.

Scandal-ridden republics

Canada has a proud royalist tradition, however, this does not exclude that the media try to create scandals were there aren't any. Patricia Treble of MACLEANS.CA looked at the Monarchies in Europe and came to the conclusion: Europe’s monarchies: scandal-ridden but such good fun.

When the term "scandal-ridden" comes up, republics outdo crowned democracies by miles. However, on one point Patricia Treble was fair to Monarchies. She admitted that in the end they do not come more expensive than an uncrowned head of state.

And presidents—the other alternative—aren’t any cheaper, as even the Swedish Republican Association acknowledges. (No country is nutty enough to adopt the U.S. model of combining ceremonial and political leaders into one person, so not having a monarch means having a president.) In June, Germany got a new head of state. Christian Wulff, a state politician in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party, was elected after three bitterly fought ballots. With the title comes the neoclassical behemoth of Bellevue Palace, the venue of all those state dinners, receptions and official tours. The budget: $40 million.

Of course Patricia Treble - and most other foreign media people - did not cover the latest scandal concerning president Wulff. His meddling in German politics had the daily newspaper Die Welt publish an article under the headline Christian Wulff, das Problem des bürgerlichen Lagers (Christian Wulff, the bourgeois camp's problem, 17th September 2010)

The royal origin of the Oktoberfest 200 years ago

What started as a horse race at the first royal wedding of the newly created Kingdom of Bavaria in 1810 has become one of the world's best known folk festivals: the Oktoberfest in the Bavarian capital Munich, which was opened yesterday. And before you ask, yes, the Oktoberfest actually starts in September, just as the October Revolution started in November.

On 12th October 1810 Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen (grandparents of the more famous King Ludwig II of Bavaria). To pep up the ceremony, a horse race was proposed and a race track built. Deutsche Welle gave an insight into the royal origin of what the French call "la fête de la bière".

Charging horses weren't the only spectacle at the ceremony, though. Munich came alive with music and decorations, and the rich feast provided by Bavaria's future king prompted archivists to describe the event as a full-scale folk festival. The horse race followed about a week later and drew 30,000 spectators. Visitors could catch a glimpse of the nobility, who entered in an elegant procession and went to a separate pavilion from where they would watch the race. They were followed by another procession of 16 pairs of children wearing the traditional attire associated with various regions in Bavaria. Each pair paid homage to Ludwig and his wife.

The festivities also served as a kind of image campaign for Crown Prince Ludwig's father, King Maximilian I. Napoleon had granted King Max I rule of Bavaria just four years prior, and there were still many foreign influences in the region which worried the nobility. The wedding and revelry were a way to strengthen solidarity in the region.

That may explain why similar celebrations took place the next year and onward. By 1819, the event was declared an annual festival. Today's Oktoberfest takes place on the grounds where the original horse race was held.

Well into the 19th century, the Oktoberfest was much more about the King's solidarity with the folk than a certain beverage with hops. Uncivilized behavior was left to the many animals at the event, including the racehorses, prize-winning bulls and rams, and the soon-to-be-plucked game that served as targets for the marksmen.

The first few carousels and swings appeared in 1818. By the late 1830's, beer and fish stands were on the lawn, but there were still few attractions and merchants. Even in 1881, records show that the festival offerings remained limited. There were 23 show booths, six rides and 12 gaming stands.

Nonetheless, the number of visitors was on the rise, with hundreds of thousands of annual guests on record in the 1880s. By then, Munich's population had increased six fold since the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig in 1810.

An expanding rail network also made it easier for other Bavarians to visit the festival, and German unification in 1871 was enticing more and more people from beyond Bavaria's borders to visit the festival.

Oktoberfest's "big bang" came in the 1890's, along with electricity and a host of clever entrepreneurs. New rides, attractions, magic shows, menageries and wax figurine cabinets shot up all across the festival grounds.

At the end of the 19th century, Oktoberfest still wasn't a beer fest - in fact, some songs that encouraged drinking were forbidden. But beer and sausage consumption was growing, and the festival was extended to more than 14 days.

Oktoberfest's 100th anniversary in 1910 was held with the rather exaggerated motto: "The biggest Oktoberfest of all time." But it was true that the event had grown immensely and visitors would have scarcely recognized the Munich experienced by author August Lewald in 1835: "The moon hanging in a cloudless sky, the mountain tops ringed with haze, forests lying nearby and the thousand city lights burning alongside a few from villages beyond."

In the new century, the villages grew together and crowded out the forest. The thousand lights became 10,000, powered by electricity rather than gas. Those on the Oktoberfest lawn were drowned in the lights from the Ferris wheels, carousels and increasingly competitive beer halls.

The Kingdom of Bavaria sadly came to an end with the Revolution of 1918-19, and Oktoberfest brought revelers a glimpse of the good old days prior to the war and the loss of the beloved Bavarian Monarchy.

King Fouad II of Egypt

Surprise no. 1: Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal published an article on His Majesty King Fouad II of Egypt.

Big surprise no 2: The article is not only fair to the Monarch in exile, but refers also to his increasing popularity in his home country:

"Farouk fever" has been sweeping Egypt. A TV soap opera on King Farouk was such a hit its producers just unveiled another series about the royals. Books set in the era are selling briskly at the popular Diwan bookstore chain in Cairo. A tour company is marketing cruises along the Nile on a yacht with a "Farouk Suite."

"You are and you left as the king," says Youssef Makar, a friend who is seated nearby. "And to us you will always be the king."

In July 1952, the young Fouad, swaddled in fine Egyptian embroidered cotton, boarded the royal yacht with his parents and three half sisters as they fled the country during the revolution. He was in the arms of his nanny, and Farouk ordered them to walk in front of him. "He is the King," Farouk declared. They landed in Capri and Fouad, carried by his nanny, was the first off the boat.
His father's "comeback" has given Fouad a new optimism. He longs to return to Egypt in some capacity—perhaps as cultural ambassador. Monarchs such as the King of Spain, Juan Carlos, have helped their countries move to democracy, he says: "It works for Spain beautifully."

A Royal Response

After last week’s Sunday Age published the result of the latest opinion poll indicating that support for a republic in Australia has slumped to a 16-year low, today’s Sunday Age published three letters to the editor. None came from a republican. The first writer points out:

"Perhaps we wonder what we'd get if we appointed our own head of state or, more likely, had one appointed for us by whichever boy's club was making decisions at the time.

"After all, in Victoria we have an unelected premier who, in the company of a couple of mates, makes decisions related to planning or public works on our behalf behind closed doors and refuses to tell us how much the consequences of those decisions will cost us (for example, the desalination plant).

"At the same time, he's entertaining people who can financially benefit from these decisions and seeking donations from them to enhance the finances of his own political party, with the intention of using that money to advertise that party [in order] to keep himself and his mates in power. Well, we wouldn't want an Australian head of state like that, would we? God save the Queen!"

The second asks:

"If the media has its way and we pass a referendum, what model would be adopted?

"The American public is split down the middle with their "popularly elected" president. The US president is elected by far fewer than 50 per cent of the voters. The British monarch presides over the British Commonwealth of nations of which we are a part. The current monarch has held the position since 1952. In that time, the US has had 12 presidents and are about to embark on the divisive process again. Please do not inflict that on us.

"Let us adhere to what works for us."

The third has a particular demand to the editor of The Sunday Age:

"Does the new opinion poll mean that The Sunday Age will return to reporting in a fair and unbiased way on the Australian monarchy?"

The editor did not give an answer to this question. Only time will tell if unbiased journalism returns to The Sunday Age or any other Fairfax publication.

"What a beautiful three days and nights"

Good old Taki Theodoracopulos was invited to attend last week's wedding of HRH Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark and Ms Tatiana Blatnik on the Greek island of Spetses.

"... King Constantine’s speech which was unsurpassed in expressing his love for his son and his country and its people without being awkward in the least. So much so I got up and told him so and he thanked me and put his arm around me.
Many of us were very moved. When I saw the king speaking to a prominent Cretan, I remembered that 69 years before, Constantine and his sister Sophia, the Queen of Spain, were in Crete both suffering from the onslaught of Cretan bedbugs. They were two and one years of age. The royal family was retreating from the German invasion, which came days later."

Republican self-criticism

With support for "a" republic having dropped to a 16-year low,
self-declared republican Leo Shanahan commented:

"Modern Australian republicanism always comes off as a group of people bored for a cause rather than a cause that people have any natural desire to flock to. You get the feeling that plans for an Australian republic are hatched on Saturdays by people watching Sydney club rugby and looking up from the pages of the Good Weekend, desperate to lay some claim to being disenfranchised."

Australian republicanism at 16-year low

That must have cost The Sunday Age some tears: To admit that "more Australians [are] favouring retaining the monarchy" than to make Australia a republic.

Despite some re-emerging political momentum for the republican cause, voters appear increasingly apathetic about the idea of replacing the Queen and governor-general with an Australia head of state, although many are prepared to accept a republic after Queen Elizabeth's reign ends.

An Age/Nielsen poll taken earlier this month shows support for a republic is now running at 44 per cent. This is the lowest level since 1994, and well down from the peak of 57 per cent in 1999, the year the question was tested in a national referendum.

The national poll of 1400 people found almost half (48 per cent) are now against the idea. Such a level of hostility has not been recorded since the late 1970s, when about 61 per cent were against a republic.

Republicans put all their hope in the Queen of Australia's death - as if the people would rush out in a referendum and kick out King Charles. Can you think of anything more "un-Australian" than to deny a newcomer a fair chance to show his talents?


This idea shows that Australian republicanism is an inplausible concept.

Royal wedding in Greece

Finally, there is good news coming from Greece. On 25th August the seventh in line to the Greek throne, King Constantine II of the Hellenes second son, HRH Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark married Tatiana Blatnik at the church of Aghios Nikolaos, on the island of Spetses. The last Greek royal wedding took place in September 1964, when the ruling King Constantine married 18 year-old Danish Princess Anne-Marie in a lavish ceremony in the nations' capital Athens.


His Majesty's website describes the Spetses wedding as following:

We are delighted to announce that the wedding of HRH Prince Nikolaos to Tatiana Blatnik took place at the church of Aghios Nikolaos, Spetses.

The ceremony was officiated by His Eminence the Bishop of Hydra, Spetses, Aigina, Ermionida and Trizinia, Efraim.


During the dinner that followed, His Majesty King Constantine delivered the following speech:

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Your Eminence, Your Excellencies and dear friends….as the King of Siam put it in the musical The King and I….etcetera, etcetera, etcetera...

Nikolaos…..at last! As Shakespeare wrote in Romeo and Juliet..”Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast”…and Tatiana….“One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sun ne’er saw her match since first the world begun”…..

A little morality tale for my son on the occasion of his wedding:
A married couple in their early 60s was celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary in a quiet, romantic, little restaurant. Suddenly, a tiny and beautiful fairy appeared on their table. She said, 'For being such an exemplary married couple and for being loving to each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish.

The wife answered, 'Oh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband.' The fairy waved her magic wand and - suddenly! – two tickets for the Queen Mary II appeared in her hands

The husband thought for a moment: 'Well, this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again. I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me.'

The wife, and the fairy, were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish. So the fairy waved her magic wand and suddenly!...the husband became 92 years old.

The moral of this story? Always remember this, my son: however magical they may be, fairies are always female!

So…. Pavlo brought into the family a shining diamond, Alexia brought a bright star, and you a beautiful pearl. I remember when you were born, I was in the delivery room and the doctor said in a loud voice “2” meaning the medical team should be alert as the umbilical cord had gone twice round your neck! In my ignorance, I thought my lovely wife was about to produce twins! Thinking back, I am not convinced that the world is quite ready to cope with two Nikolaos’!

Your negotiating skills were apparent to me from the moment you went to Brown University. Whenever the occasion presented itself, and you had to submit your work or an essay which, more often than not, wasn’t ready, you always managed to persuade The Dean to give you an extension.

You impressed me a great deal that you wanted to follow your elder brother, Pavlo, into the Army. Having left the regiment, Pavlo volunteered to re-join at the beginning of the Gulf War and you approached the Brigadier commanding 7th Brigade requesting to join the front line alongside your fellow officers. It was quite a difficult period for your mother and me when it became apparent that you might have to go to war.

I know I don't need to remind you of our country's history, but from the day your great great grandfather, George I, was elected by the Greek national assembly unanimously to become King of the Hellenes until today, when our lives have changed and Greece has become a republic. Service to our country and the Greek people has always been our tradition, and always will be.

As you know, Nikolae, our country and all of us Greeks are going through and will continue to endure difficult times. I have great confidence in the resilience of the Greek People. I can only wish that there is a sign of hope soon so that the crisis is terminated and that Greece finds its way to redevelopment.

This is the first wedding of our family in Greece since we left and we are delighted that it is taking place on this beautiful island, Spetses, with it’s wonderful people. It is a place we have come to love and, don’t forget, very close to here is where your mother and I spent our honeymoon and just across the sea on the mainland, we have started to make our home.

With deep gratitude to the people of Spetses and to the people from different parts of Greece who have come here today – our love and sincere thanks. We would also like to thank the Municipality of Spetses for welcoming this wedding on their island and for their understanding, the Police Authorities represented, the Port Authority and the Fire Brigade for the long hours they have all put in and for their discretion.

Anne-Marie has asked me to mention, as happy as we are to have you here today, we would be really thrilled if you would return and spend some time getting to know this beautiful island.

The advice I gave to your brother in law, Carlos, when he married Alexia, I give to you now….

“To keep your marriage brimming
with love in the loving cup,
whenever you are wrong, admit it,
whenever you are right, shut up”.

There is a song written by Rogers and Hammerstein which you will all be happy to know I am not going to sing… which goes…

"It's a lovely day for a wedding
Every heart is bursting with pride
It's a lovely day for a wedding
But not for the parents of the bride."

Why? Because today they lose their daughter to my son Nikolaos. To my brand new daughter in law… I say from my heart - welcome to our family.

Tatiana, I heard you ask your mother in the midst of all the planning for this great day, how far have you got…..what have you accomplished….the answer, without doubt…..her greatest accomplishment is you….

My friends, it is a lovely day for a wedding and my heart is indeed bursting with pride.

Tatiana, look after your husband. He's not a bad fellow.

And Nikolaos, look after your wife. She's a treasure.

God bless you both.


By the way, the state controlled TV-station ERT reported nothing on the wedding. And there is no hint on the website on what happened on Spetses. That's called freedom of information. Well done, you republicans!

Your Kingdom Needs You

This poster is from Portugal, but is applicable everywhere.