La grande tragedia d'Italia - Umberto II

The Radical Royalist commemorated King Umberto’s accession to the Italian throne on 9th May 1946 here .

Fellow blogger Matterhorn has already paid tribute to His Majesty King Umberto II of Italy who was forced to go into exile 65 years ago. Matterhorn published the King’s noble last message he addressed to the Italian people upon departing into exile. This is the last passage:

With a spirit full of sorrow, but with the serene consciousness of having made every effort to carry out my duties, I leave my country. Let those who have taken the oath and kept faith through the hardest trials, consider themselves released from their oath of allegiance to the King, but not from their oath of allegiance to the Country. I think of all those who have fallen in the name of Italy, and I salute all the Italians. Whatever destiny awaits our Country, she will always be able to count on me, as on the most devoted of her sons.

Long live Italy!

13th June 1946

On 13th June 1946 the King left the Quirinale Palace, the only official building in Rome which was still flying the royal standard. The Royal Guard saluted their King for the last time.

Il re Umberto II si appresta a lasciare per sempre il Quirinale, e qui lo vediamo nel Cortile d’Onore del palazzo con il duca Riario Sforza, comandante dei corazzieri, mentre passa in rassegna il picchetto che rende omaggio all’ultimo dei Savoia. Sono attimi di profonda commozione, per tutti e in mode particolare per Umberto chi si trova nel ruolo di protagonist del tramonto di una dinastia.

“Guardia del re, salute al re!”, dice Riario Sforza ai suoi uomini.

“Viva il re!”, gridano per l’ultima volta i corazzieri. E viene ammainata la bandiera con lo stemma sabaudo.

King Umberto did not want a throne covered with blood: Non voglio un trono macchiato di sangue."

At four o'clock in the afternoon King Umberto reached Ciampino Airport, greeted by his most fervent supporters, he is guided to the military plane, Savoia Marchetti S 95, that would take him from Rome into the Portuguese exile. He never abdicated - neither for himself nor for his descendants.

Sono le quattro del pomeriggio del 13 giugno 1946. Umberto II ha raggiunto l'aeroporto di Ciampino e, salutato dagli fedelissime, si avvia a passo spedito verso l'aereo militare, un Savoia Marchetti S 95, che lo porterà da Roma nell'esilio portoghese. ... senza tuttavia rinunciare ai suoi diritti sul trono e quelli dei suoi discendenti.

From the aeroplane's door the King greeted the Italians for the last time on Italian soil.

Dal portellone dell'aereo Umberto rivolge un ultimo saluto ai pochi che, informati all'ultimo momento della sua partenza, lo hanno accompagnato. Un ultimo, mesto, forzato sorriso. Un ultimo sguardo a quell'Italia su cui ha regnato per un solo mese e che non rivedrà più. Anche il cielo sembra intristire, in quel giorno di tarda primavera.

In 1962 King Umberto attended the wedding of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark. On the right is the father of the bride, King Paul I of Greece.

Il re Paolo di Grecia presenta ai dignitari di Corte le re Umberto II.

His private study in his exile home, Villa Italia, near the Atlantic Ocean in Cascais, Portugal.

Il re Umberto nel suo studio privato di Villa Italia, la piccola reggia del lungo esilio a Cascais. "Cala la notte e prima di spegnere la luce e riposare ho la visione della piazza del Quirinale, di Roma, della città che non si può non amare. L'Italia è sempre nel mio cuore".

The King's library in 1970. Although he received a military education, Umberto always loved books and was interested in the arts.

Umberto nella sua grande biblioteca di Villa Italia. Dopo aver recevuto una rigida educazione militare, era stato considerato dai più come un uomo dai limitati interessi culturali. Al contrario il re Umberto era un raffinato umanista, un profondo conoscitore di storia, di letteratura e d'arte.

In 1982 Pope John Paul II visited Portugal. On 14th April 1982 the pontif and the king met in the residence of the Patriarch of Lisbon. At this stage King Umberto was already seriously sick and suffered from lung cancer.

He died on 18th March 1983 in Geneva, Switzerland. His body was not allowed to repatriated to Italy and was interred in Hautecombe Abbey in France.

Un affettuoso abbraccio, spontane e informale, tra Papa Giovanni Paolo II e il re Umberto II: è il 14 prile del 1982, il Papa si è recato in pellegrinaggio al santuario di Nostra Signora di Fatima, in Portogallo, e nella residenzia del cardinale di Lisbona ha concesso un'udienza privata alla re d'Italia. Umberto si è inginocchiato di fronte a lui, ma il Pontefice lo ha fatto subito rialzare e ha voluto abbracciarlo. Il sovrano sa di essere molto malato, che gli resta poco da vivere, e di certo in quel lungo colloquio ne parla con Papa Giovanni Paolo.

While King Umberto was totally ignored by the Italian officials, the Portuguese kept an affectionate memory of the Monarch they hosted for 37 years.

In 1987 a bust of the Italian King was unveiled in Cascais, in front of the Villa Italia, where he spent three and a half decades. The ceremony in the newly named Avenida Rei Humberto II de Itália was attended not only by King Umberto's only son, Prince Vittorio Emanuele, but also by the Portuguese President Mário Soares. Also present were Queen Marie José of Italy, King Umberto's widow, Queen Joana of the Bulgarians, the deceased King's sister, and Portugal's King-in-waiting, Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Bragança.

Boringly republican Age


In today’s Queen’s Birthday holiday editorial The Age has written, what everybody – Monarchists or republicans alike – expected from this Melbourne daily newspaper. The author made clear that the newspaper is unwavering favouring “a” republic and despises our Monarchy. The Age did, what in an opinion piece on 27th January 2010 The Age’s associate editor, Shawn Carney, called a “hardy annual”:

“The republican question is now what used to be called in the newspaper game a 'hardy annual': a predictable, intrinsically inconsequential story that can be trotted out at the same time every year to little lasting effect.”

But what about a journalistic duty to report on the actual events? Would it not have been The Age’s duty as a quality newspaper, to publish something that is connected with this Queen’s Birthday holiday? What about a photo and a little article on the Royal Military College of Duntroon’s celebrating The Queen's Birthday with a traditional Trooping the Colour parade last Saturday? Or alternatively a photo from the Trooping the Colour event in London, also on Saturday? The Age may be a fiercely republican newspaper, but seems to forget that more than half of the Victorians voted in favour of retaining the Monarchy in the 1999 referendum. Would it not be a newspaper’s duty to publish something on what at least 50 percent of The Age’s readers love?

Swiss author Max Frisch once said: “You don’t have to lie – concealing is enough.” He was cynically referring to politicians, not to journalists, but a subscriber of The Age could get the impression that the newspaper’s political agenda is to conceal everything concerning the Monarchy that could be styled as "nice news". They conceal from their readers what does not fit into their conception of Zeitgeist.

For Queen's Birthday: Australian Trooping the Colour, Canberra 2011

Cadets and officers from the Royal Military College of Duntroon celebrated The Queen's Birthday with a traditional Trooping the Colour parade.

Another birthday on 10th June:
Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia

While the Commonwealth countries celebrate the 90th birthday of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, in Germany Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia can celebrate his 35th birthday.


Prince Georg Friedrich succeeded his grandfather, Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, as Head of the House of Hohenzollern on 25th September 1994. He is son of Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia Jr (1944–1977) and Princess Donata of Prussia, née Countess of Castell-Rüdenhausen. Prince Georg Friedrich is great-great-grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

On 21st January 2011, Prince Georg Friedrich announced his engagement to Princess Sophie Johanna Maria of Isenburg (born 7th March 1978), daughter of Prince (Fürst) Franz-Alexander of Isenburg (from the Catholic branch of Isenburg-Büdingen-Birstein) by his wife, Princess (Fürstin) Christine, neé Countess of Saurma and Baroness von und zu der Jeltsch. The wedding is scheduled to take place at the Church of Peace (Sanssouci) in Potsdam on 27th August 2011.

Throughout 2011 all over Germany there will be celebrations and exhibitions on the 950th anniversary of the House of Hohenzollern.

Prince Georg Friedrich is also in the line of succession to the British throne. At present he is holding position 179 according to the William Reitwiesner's list.

90th birthday of HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh

On his 90th birthday His Royal Highness Prince Philip receives a lot of praise for his role as the longest-serving royal consort. Even The Age could not help publishing an article that was not full of the usual nastiness, but gave a fair summary of his life. Many other papers and blogs refer to his achievements - and his very down to earth humor, for which is is equally loved or despised.


The Radical Royalist wants to point out his Australian connection. A very useful reminder of Prince Philip's role in Australia is Philip W. Pike's book The Royal Presence in Australia 1867 - 1986 from which the following excerpt is taken:

There has always been some confusion over the Duke of Edinburgh and his title. Sometimes he is referred to as Prince Philip and sometimes as the Duke of Edinburgh. The fact is, both titles are correct, but it wasn’t until 1957 when the Duke was still only a royal duke and not a prince that the Queen gave him a new title for his services to the Commonwealth and herself – he became Prince of the United Kingdom. He had shown that he had always been “his own man” and had avoided any inference that he was a Prince Consort living in his wife’s shadow.

Australia had always seen him as an individual. When he returned on 20th February 1965 he had already visited this country four times, twice with the Queen and twice alone. Now he was here on a brief visit to New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

The Duke, who had not always endeared himself to journalists over the years, held an informal meeting with the Australian press. He was, on occasions very outspoken and had several years before lashed out at the press after they had reported “rifts” between himself and the Queen. Elizabeth Longford in her book Elizabeth R records his response: “Those bloody lies that you people print to make money. These lies about how I’m never with my wife ... If photographers poke a long lens through a keyhole into my private life, then I’m bloody nasty” – it seems a perfectly normal reaction from someone living life in a goldfish bowl.

It was outbursts like this that didn’t endear him to the press.

His most important engagement in Sydney was to deliver the first Dunrossil Memorial Lecture established by the Institute of Radio and Electronics Engineers in memory of its former patron, Viscount Dunrossil. Viscount Dunrossil was Governor-General of Australia from 2nd February 1960 to 3rd February 1961. He died suddenly in Canberra on 3 February 1961. He was buried in Canberra at historic St John the Baptist Church, Reid, and remains the only Australian Governor-General to die in office

There were four hundred people assembled in the lecture theatre [of the University of New South Wales] and the presentation was telecast and broadcast throughout Australia and conveyed by Compac cable to the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries.
His lecture was extremely successful. Its main theme was a plea to see science and humanism linked:

“We can control everything in this world except ourselves,” the Duke said.

“... it is true without this persistent investigation we wouldn’t know half the disturbing facts about our occupation of earth, but it seems to me that unless we make a very determined effort to sort out the problems created by man in his occupation of this earth it is very unlikely that further scientific exploration will be either necessary or possible.

“You may think I am getting slightly off beam, but I went off on that tack because I want to suggest that scientific and technological progress is not only valueless, it is actively harmful unless it is modified or directed by a social and humanitarian outlook.

“Scientists and engineers must give attention to really serious problems facing humanity.

“Although the scientific and technological revolution is by far the greatest influence upon the progress of modern human civilisation, scientists and technologists cannot should the whole responsibility for the direction mankind takes in the future.”

The message was quite clear and is even more relevant today. The editorial of the Sydney Morning Herald, commenting on the lecture, added that it “cannot be said too often, and it is no small gain that it should be impressed upon the Australian scientific community with such authority”.

“The Duke’s performance was masterly with the matter and manner of his lecture. It was also a testimony to his lively understanding of modern problems and his effective way of communicating his thoughts about them."

The Duke left Sydney by Qantas Airways at 4 p.m. on Friday 26th February. The departure was even more informal than his arrival.

The offical portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Austrailia, and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, available free of charge from every Member of Parliament. Ask your MP for your copy!

You have to love the revolution unconditionally, otherwise ...

Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929) was hardly a likable politician. A fierce Jacobin to his bone he denounced his opponents without mercy. After he had banned a theatre play by Victorien Sardou at the Comédie-Française in 1891, which he deemed «pro-monarchist», he defended his action by stating his conviction that the French revolution must be accepted as a block. He had accused the play’s author to be selective on the French revolution – some aspects he liked, by others he was appalled. Clemenceau proclaimed in the French Assembly:

«Messieurs, que nous le voulions ou non, que cela nous plaise ou que cela nous choque, la Révolution française est un bloc... un bloc dont on ne peut rien distraire, parce que la vérité historique ne le permet pas.

«Gentlemen, if we want it or not, if we like it or not, the French revolution is a block … a block from which nothing can be distracted, because the historical truth doesn’t allow it.»

He explicitly included as indispensable for the revolution the time of the terror regime (La Patrie en danger et la «première» Terreur & La Grande Terreur {juin-juillet 1794}) and the genocide in the Vendée, where ethnic cleansing wiped out whole villages, because the republican troops suspected the peasants to be royalist and catholic to the core, who could not be converted to republicanism.

Once good for the revolution, always good for the revolution
For present day Jacobins the French revolution is still a sacred cow that should not be touched.

La Tour du Temple.

One recent example concerns a ten year old child that died in the infamous republican prison Le Temple. In June 2005 the council of the City of Paris expressed the wish that a place or a street should be named in the French capital after the child that died on 8th June 1795. This motion was opposed by Jean-Pierre Caffet, socialist deputy-mayor of Paris and responsible for urban development. He gave three reasons for his negative attitude – mainly because the child in matter was King Louis XVII. And obviously he was King not just for the Royalists and historians, but for the Jacobins as well. Jean-Pierre Caffet:

- «The revolution is a «block» and by retreating from this or that episode under the terror, then the whole foundation of the revolution and therefore that of the republic would be put in doubt.

- «Since two centuries the City of Paris has re-baptized places that were once named after Louis XV and Louis XVI – and not the other way round.

- «Naming a street is an honour for a person who has rendered imminent services to the City of Paris, which is not the case with Louis XVII.»

Critics ask, why the City was quick to name a square in the 4th arrondissement after Marie Trintignant, an actress murdered by her lover. Or what significance Mohamed Bouazizi could have for Paris, whose name will be given to a place in the 14th arrondissement to «salute the heroism of this young man».

←«Enfant roi Enfant martyr» (Child King, Martered Child), Sculpture by Catherine Cairn.

This child will not be forgotten
The boy king’s death will be commemorated today in Paris. The association «Marais-Temple» has invited everyone to join them outside the town hall of the 3rd arrondissement this 8th June 2011 Les Manants du Roi:

«This young child was captured by the political events for which he bared no responsibility and remained primarily a victim. His ordeals did not leave the Parisians untouched.

«More than two hundred years after this tragic episode of the French revolution, Paris must act to commemorate this little boy who was only convicted because of his birth.»

This year Marais-Temple will remember those people who risked their life to support the Royal Family in their audacious prison. The plaque on a town hall wall dedicated to the Royal Family, was put there on the bicentenary of the revolution by the City of Paris. After the commemoration ceremony a requiem mass for Louis XVII and all abused children will be celebrated in the St. Elisabeth church.


Life is never only black or white - that is unless you are a republican revolutionary who has no option to differentiate.

Huis Doorn: German Monarchists commemorate the Kaiser

On the 70th anniversary of Kaiser Wilhelm II's death German Monarchists visited Huis Doorn outside Doorn, a small town near Utrecht in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He passed away on 4th June 1941 and was buried in a mausoleum in the gardens as he had stated in his testament that he wished to be buried in Germany only when the Monarchy was restored. That has not happened in the past 70 years, therefore the Kaiser's remains still rest in the country that granted him asylum in 1918.

Tobias, a friend of the Radical Royalist and fellow Monarchist, took these photos on 4th June 2011 and gave permission to publish them.

The entrance gate to Huis Doorn's compound.

Huis Doorn, a classic 14th century manor house.

Huis Doorn, a classic 14th century manor house.

The Kaiser's bust in front of Huis Doorn

The Kaiser's mausoleum.

The Kaiser's mausoleum.

German Monarchists at the Kaiser's mausoleum.

From Canberra to Dublin: The Queen's favourite brooch

On her visit to Ireland the Queen wore her favourite jewellery, a brooch, which the Australian people gave her as a gift on her first visit to Australia in 1954.

Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to Croke Park on 18th May 2011 in Dublin, Ireland. An unprecedented security operation is taking place with much of the centre of Dublin turning into a car free zone. Republican dissident groups have made it clear they are intent on disrupting proceedings. (Photo by Irish Government)

On a couple of occasions The Official Commemorative Volume of the Royal Visit to the Commonwealth of Australia, 1954, published by Angus and Robertson Ltd., Sydney, printed in Australia, refers to the brooch:

"Before the banquet [in Canberra on 16th February 1954] ended, Mr. Menzies presented Her Majesty with a gift from Australia - a diamond brooch in the shape of a spray of wattle and tea-tree."

"A tribute to their Queen from the people of Australia was this diamond brooch outlining sprays of wattle and tea-tree, blooms symbolic of Australia. (Photo actual size.)"

The Queen wore the brooch on Saturday, 27th February for the Melbourne Cup at Flemington racecourse. "Her Majesty and the Duke made a 'Royal Ascot' entrance to the course, driving up the famous 'Straight Six'. They were escorted to the Royal box by the chairman of the Victoria Racing Club, Sir Chester Manifold."

It is remarkable that 57 years later the Queen keeps the gift of the Australian people in such high esteem that she wore it in Ireland on a visit that was of such immense historic importance and that was so hotly disputed by a tiny number of Irish republicans.

70 years today since Kaiser Wilhelm II passed away

This 4th June German Monarchists will gather in Huis Doorn (Doorn Manor, photos see here), a classic 14th century manor house outside Doorn, a small town near Utrecht in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to commemorate Kaiser Wilhelm II. He died at Huis Doorn on 4th June 1941 and was buried in a small mausoleum in the gardens, awaiting his return to Germany upon the restoration of the German monarchy, according to the terms of his will; his wish that no swastikas be displayed at his funeral was not heeded. He did however refuse to have a grand funeral in Berlin which considerably frustrated Hitler who had wanted to walk behind Kaiser Wilhelm's coffin as a propaganda show.

Kaiser Wilhelm and his eldest grandsons, Prince Wilhelm (1905-1940) and Prince Louis Ferdinand (1907-1994), grandfather of the present head of the Hohenzollern Family.

Baroness Ella van Heemstra (1900 1984), the mother of actress Audrey Hepburn, spent most of her childhood living in the house. The house was purchased in 1919 by Kaiser Wilhelm II as his residence-in-exile. The Emperor had the house adapted and fitted with all modern conveniences. He also makes some changes to the park (35 hectares), laid out in the English landscape garden style.

Kaiser Wilhelm and the Dutch Crown Princess Juliana, mother of the present Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

The Dutch government confiscated the manor house and its household effects in 1945 as German property and transformed it into a museum that is visited by approximately 50,000 people a year.

Kaiser Wilhelm II and sons

The life of Kaiser Wilhelm II is well-documented and shall not be repeated in this posting. For further information on Germany's last ruling Emperor see The Altar and Throne Monarchy Site and The Mad Monarchist in English or Paukenschlag in German.

When German Monarchists gather in Doorn on His Majesty’s 70th death anniversary, they might do so with nostalgia, but they are also looking forward to this year’s big event: On 27th August the head of the House of Hohenzollern, Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia, will get married to Princess Sophie of Isenburg und Büdingen. Prince Georg Friedrich’s father married in 1976 and was killed one year later in a training accident whilst serving in the Bundeswehr.



Germany’s Imperial Family suffered many setbacks and tragedies, but they are still there – a living reminder of the possibilities of having a crowned democracy.


Prince Georg Friedrich: great-great-grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

In Ireland the Queen wore her favourite Australian jewellery

The Irish Independent:

"Later, she reverted to a buttercream, V-necked, double-breasted coat featuring a four-button detail at the waist and ruffle detail on cuff and pockets. She wore a patterned dress and a matching hat. After relying on black accessories earlier, the queen switched to cream for her handbag, gloves and shoes.

Few could take their eyes off her sparkling diamond brooch, known as the Australian wattle brooch, a gift from a Commonwealth tour 56 years ago.

It is a personal favourite when the queen wears this uplifting colour; and the yellow diamonds, representing the Australian wattle flower, are backed by blue-white diamonds in the form of mimosa leaves.

The brooch also incorporates diamonds in the form of the blossom of the tea tree with, at the centre, a large white diamond. It was designed by Paul Schneller from Budapest, Hungary, and was a gift from the government and people of Australia."

Australia Post is commemorating the Royal Wedding

According to The Age more than 7 million Australians tuned in across the free-to-air networks, the bulk watching Seven (29.8 per cent) and Nine (22.7 per cent). The RadicalRoyalist could not get hold of the pay TV figures, but they must show a considerable number of viewers since many would have preferred the BBC or UK-TV's comments to the remarks of, let's say, Channel Nine's republican expat Kathy Lette.


Australia Post was commemorating the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton with the release of the official stamps issued on 12th April.


"Australia Post is delighted to commemorate the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, with a set of stamps that captures the happy couple on their wedding day," said Australia Post Managing Director and CEO, Ahmed Fahour.

"The official stamp issue has been very popular, with a number of post offices making additional orders to keep up with the strong demand. We are encouraging stamp collectors and royal fans to put their orders in early to avoid disappointment. Australia Post has a proud history of commemorating significant events with instant stamp issues."

The stamps with a motif of the actual wedding could be released within days of the wedding due to special technology that allows the images to be uploaded into a Royal Wedding stamp template, pre-approved by Buckingham Palace.


The stamps and associated products are available from participating Australia Post retail outlets, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at auspost.com.au/stamps while stocks last.

More than ten million hits

Any website with more than 10 Million hits can only be called a success. In the year to 12th May Australians for Constitutional Monarchy’s website achieved 10,061.101 hits.

Though it is not the only Australian Monarchist website, it is certainly the most popular and the most influential.

Republican Australians hate it with fury: “David Flint clutches at every royal straw he can find”, remarked his most passionate enemy Barry Everingham.

And David Donovan, media director of the Australian Republican Movement, complained: "The problem republicans face is that monarchists like David Flint are happy to exaggerate, distort and sometimes even deceive to argue their case. Their strategy is to try to create a myth that will plant a seed of doubt in the minds of the uninformed."

David Flint, the national convenor of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, is above all a very active writer and publisher. His opinion pieces appear daily and more often than not, he writes two or three comments. Considering that about one quarter of ACM website's visitors come from overseas explains other monarchies (i.e. Thailand) or Monarchs in exile, King Constantine II of the Hellenes.

While the Murdoch and Fairfax media empires still advocate a republican ideology and have to come to terms with falling influence, the Monarchist websites grow more popular by the day. Recent opinion polls indicated a drop in republican sympathies. This is certainly not due to an unbiased reporting in the mass media, but only because the internet offers Monarchists to publish their arguments.

Well done, David. Keep on the fight!

9th May 1946:
Accession of King Umberto II of Italy

Today 65 years ago King Umberto II ascended to the Italian throne. He succeeded his father, King Vittorio Emanuele who had abdicated in his favour.

The Italian cabinet approved Crown Prince Umberto's assumption of the throne on 10th May 1946, and it decided that King Umberto could approve decrees "up until the referendum date". He was able to sign as Umberto II, King of Italy, but the Cabinet ordered the elimination of the phrase "By the grace of God and the will of people." Right from the beginning of his reign the socialists ridiculed King Umberto as the King of May.

Nevertheless King Umberto appeared eight times on the palace balcony to acknowledge the acclaim of an estimated 10,000 cheering Romans
.

The referendum on the Italian Monarchy was held on 2nd and 3rd June 1946. For details see Wikipedia.

Although the official result that declared a republican victory has been highly doubtful, King Umberto decided to leave the country to avoid civil war. He settled in Cascais, Portugal. The republican constitution not only exiled King Umberto but forbade all male members of the House of Savoy from setting foot in Italy thereafter. This harsh order condemned the exiled King to die abroad.


King Umberto lived 37 of his 79 years in exile. He is buried in the Abbey of Hautecombe, France, which was founded by the Savoys. Thousands of Italians paid their last respect to their King. The only official Italian representative was the Italian consul from Lyon.

The ABC's undergraduate style

The ABC continues to deny being anti-monarchist. It is more as if the ABC sees itself as a victim of a “royal censorship”, especially after the BBC threatened to block the ABC from its entire royal wedding coverage unless the ABC cancelled plans for as “alternative” Chaser’s Royal Wedding Commentary on ABC2. Known for their “undergraduate style” (The Age), ABC’s director of television, Kim Dalton, implied the incident was a form of censorship: “In Australia, we’re not used to these sorts of conditions being placed on the media and you can’t help but observe these restrictions are being placed on the media on behalf of a future head of state of Australia.”

This remark came shortly after Trevor Graham, “a filmmaker best known for his progressive documentaries" (The Age, 21st April 2011) had his own encounter with the ABC's attitude. When Graham, who was described by The Age as "firmly believing that Australia should become a republic” suggested his latest documentary on Australia’s Royal Family A Royal Romance to the ABC “there were sneers that the line he was taking wasn’t as pro-republican as it ‘should have been or could have been’.”

In the end the film was shown on ABC1, but it is obvious, that the public broadcaster’s sympathies lies more with a royal satire which the Chasers thought they could provide.

Another example of a pro-republican bias? Here’s one that announced a discussion between Deputy Chair of the Australian Republican Movement John Warhurst, Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League Philip Benwell:

On the eve of the Royal Wedding Statewide Mornings presenter Leon Compton took the opportunity to analyse the on-going question of whether Australia should become a Republic or remain a loyal servant to the British Monarchy.

An equal treatment would look differently. Since when is an Australian Monarchist “a loyal servant to the British Monarch”? The ”republic” as a neutral term, but the Monarchy connect with a negative inclination. Is this really the open-mindedness the ABC is officially proclaiming?

And we won’t mention the last Sunday's “Insiders” programme that made up a story about the Queen’s republican tendencies. Just ridiculous, not even good as an April’s fool joke.

The ABC must do more to dissipate doubts of its objectivity.

Heir to Libyan throne under Brussels spotlight

Just before Easter Libya's Crown Prince Mohammed as-Senussi made a high-profile appearance in the European Parliament EurActive reported. He presented himself as a constitutionalist and lobbied for his country's 1951 monarchic constitution to provide the building blocks of the future Libya.

The heir to the throne of Libya addressed, in Arabic, a crowded meeting room before taking some questions. The event, organised by the Conservative and Reformists (ECR) group, was attended by MEPs across party lines, curious to see the monarch-in-waiting of the oil-rich country.

Crown Prince Mohammed as-Senussi told the story of his family. Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi ousted his great uncle, King Idris I, from power in 1969, and today's Crown Prince and his family faced the brutality of the regime too.

In 1988, he was banished overseas by the regime and lived in the UK with other members of the Liyan Royal Family. Before dying in 1992, his father, Prince Hasan as-Senussi, appointed him as his successor as Crown Prince and head of the Royal House of Libya.

After 1992, he said he had been working with his brothers with the Libyan opposition, organising different events in Europe.

Crown Prince Mohammed as-Senussi said he wanted more Western nations and Arab countries to join France and the UK, the leaders of which he personally thanked for enforcing the no-fly zone, in putting pressure on Qaddafi. He did not enter into details of what this pressure might be.

Asked to explain his attitude vis-a-vis the Benghazi-based Libyan Interim Council, he said he had good relations with them, but stressed that the key word was that this was indeed an interim body. He insisted that the Libyan constitution of 1951, which marked the country's independence from Italy and set up a constitutional and hereditary monarchy, provides the building blocks for the future of the country.

But he left the door open for adaptations to the constitution to be made and for the Libyan people to decide which form of democracy they wanted, whether a constitutional monarchy or a republic.

Asked to specify if he was appealing for ground troops to be sent to Libya, His Royal Highness explained that for any decision, the will of the Libyan people was of primary importance. He added that this was not the case at present, but that the situation might change over time.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were married at Westminster Abbey

Members of The Royal Family including Her Majesty The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attended the service at the Abbey, along with around 1,900 guests.

Thousands of people gathered to line the procession route, cheering the couple as they made their way to and from the Abbey.

The official wedding photographs for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, now known as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Couple are pictured in The Throne Room with (from left-to-right)back row: Master Tom Pettifer, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, The Bridegroom, The Bride, Mr. Michael Middleton, Mrs. Carole Middleton, Mr. James Middleton and Miss Philippa Middleton.
Front row: Miss Grace van Cutsem, Miss Eliza Lopes, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Queen, The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, Master William Lowther-Pinkerton.

Prince William arrived at the Abbey with Prince Harry, his Best Man. Prince William wore the uniform of Colonel of the Irish Guards, while Prince Harry wore the uniform of Captain of the Household Cavalry.

Catherine arrived with her father, Mr Michael Middleton at 11am.

Stepping out of the Rolls Royce Phantom VI, Catherine revealed her wedding dress, designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen.

After blessing Catherine’s wedding ring, The Archbishop of Canterbury said: “I pronounce that they be man and wife together, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

A number of musicians, including the Choir of Westminster Abbey, The Chapel Royal Choir, The London Chamber Orchestra, The Fanfare Team from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force and The State Trumpeters of The Household Cavalry played music during and after the service.

The Bride, Bridegroom, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and Mr and Mrs Middleton, along with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Westminster, then entered the most sacred part of the Abbey – the Shrine of St. Edward the Confessor – to sign the register, officially binding their marriage.

On leaving the Abbey, crowds cheered as the couple proceeded in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, where members of The Royal Family stood on the balcony to watch the flypast over the palace.

The evening wedding reception was hosted by The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.

Following the marriage ceremony, Prince William and Catherine Middleton became known as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, titles conferred on them by The Queen and announced by Buckingham Palace on the morning of the wedding.

The Couple are pictured in The Throne Room with (left-to-right)back row: The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, The Bridegroom, The Bride, Master Tom Pettifer, Master William Lowther-Pinkerton.
Front row: Miss Grace van Cutsem, Miss Eliza Lopes, The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones.
The portrait in the background of the photograph is Richard Colley Wellesley, Marquess Wellesley (1760-1842), c.1832 by Sir Martin Archer Shee (oil on canvas).

For the first time during a Royal Wedding, the service was live streamed on The Royal Channel, accompanied by live commentary from St. James’s Palace. The live stream features highlights of the wedding day, as well as the option to watch the wedding on replay for a limited amount of time.

The official wedding photographs for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, now known as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The photographs were taken by Hugo Burnand.

The [republican] Age gives in!

Front page of The Saturday Age and the "Souvenir Edition" giving honour to TRH The Duke and The Duchess of Cambridge.

The Age's website on 30th April 2011.

Of course their editorials and opinion pieces were as vitriolic and nasty against the Monarchy as ever, but that does not sell. The editor knew exactly, what would attract readers - and buyers of their paper: Pretty pictures and the glamour of a Monarchy that unites peoples across the oceans.
Long live the Queen of Australia!
Long live the Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge!

Another ex-pat lectures us

If one would be as rude as republicans usually are, one could say, The Sunday Age’s new attack on the Monarchy came from a typical suspect. Kathy Lette’s photo in today’s paper showed a woman with short hair and long dingle dangly earrings. Sorry, the photo is not online, but the article is: Where there's a Wills …

However if you check her website you find, that Kathy Lette actually does not live in Australia: “She lives in London with her husband and two children and has just finished a stint as writer in Residence at London's Savoy Hotel.” But Fairfax media hide this fact, giving the impression of an Aussie writer publishing for other Aussies. The Sunday Age loves British authors who lecture the stupid Monarchists down under that they should grow up and do, what their senior teachers in the media keep telling them to accept. Of course it is rather impolite and ungentlemanly towards a lady who calls herself “a full time writer, demented mother” to point to her stereotype appearance, but considering what she wrote about our Royal Family, it seems rather adequate. Here are some quotes of her latest oeuvre with false and insulting accusations:

- does the prospect of a tree-hugging, pinstripe underpanted heir to the throne

- why has a pampered Pommy Prince [William] won our affection?

- In royal circles you're considered an exhibitionist if you wear open-toed sandals.

- British royals make the Addams Family look normal. What with the toe sucking, the bulimia, the affairs, the fancy dress Nazi uniforms, Andy's paedophile pals and Fergie and Sophie Wessex's cash-for-access scandals, the Windsors put the 'fun' into 'dysfunctional'

- it's time Australia had a Windsor-ectomy

Her claim ”...which is why recent polls have revealed a steady decline in support for the monarchy...” shows, how out of touch she is with Australia: The figures show a rise on the Monarchist and a decline on the republican side, with the latter having fallen far behind the figures of 1999, when they lost the referendum by 54 to 46%.

You have to feel sorry for the Fairfax media. They tried their best to find another writer than the usual three republican pens – and then they have to rely on someone who lives overseas and lectures the Aussies what is best for them. And fails to understand the reality.

Victoria's new Governor was sworn-in

"Ladies and Gentlemen. His Excellency, the Governor, has assumed office."

The Age could not help being cheeky in its report on the inauguration of The Queen’s new representative in Victoria, Alex Chernov: “[He] was sworn in as the state's 28th Governor with all the formality that monarchists would require for such an occasion.” Indeed they do!

Channel Ten was more solemn on this occasion and broadcast Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu’s remark on the Constitutional Monarchy which the Governor represents: “[...] because it reminds us all that the head of our government of state has an independent and respected arbiter who will act without fear or favour.” It goes without saying that ABC Victoria did not include this sentence in its reporting. Unlike the public broadcaster, Channel Ten also included the oath of Allegiance of the new Governor:



And the full Oath of Allegiance can be heard in this video:



Alex Chernov, AO, QC was born in Lithuania in 1938 to Russian parents. His grandfather had held a post there in the imperial administration. But when the Russian revolution came he returned to Russia to become a minister with the white administration, which had monarchist associations and was opposed by the Red Army.

Chernov's grandfather was eventually captured and murdered by the reds, so his grandmother returned to Lithuania. The sanctuary there was shattered when the Soviets moved in in 1940.

"Because of our association with the white government, our family was on what I call the hit list of the communist government. And when the Red Army marched into Lithuania, my family scrambled out and kept going south until they came to Australia," he said.

But his father never made it to safety. Like his father before him, he was murdered by the Red Army.

The family settled in Salzburg for four years, knowing they were safe from the Red Army as the city was in American hands following World War II. When he arrived in Australia as a postwar migrant in 1949 at the age of ten he couldn't speak a word of English.

Alex Chernov was created an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2007 Queen's birthday honours list for service to the law and education. After the Queen appointed him Governor he told The Age: "We live under the constitutional monarchy at the moment. That's the basis on which I was appointed. I'm happy to continue in that role."

In 59 seconds historian Dr Ray Wright explains the Westminster System in the following video . He was Usher of the Black Rod of the Victorian Parliament from 2000 to 2005:

Wreckage and bodies of Air France flight 447 found

This week wreckage and bodies of Air France flight 447 were found in the Atlantic Ocean. The Airbus A330-203 was on its way from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, when it crashed into the Atlantic on 1st June 2009 killing all 228 passengers onboard. Debris of Flight 447 was found 3800-4000 metres below the surface by the Alucia search vessel. Investigators may be able to recover flight recorders, or black boxes that store detailed records of the pilots' conversations as well as technical information. According to the French Secretary of State for Transport, Thierry Mariani, the wreckage contains corpses of some of those on board.

The corps of the heir presumptive of the Brazilian throne, His Imperial and Royal Highness Dom Pedro Luiz de Orléans e Bragança, Prince of Brazil, was among the victims. His body had been found in 2009 and he was laid to rest in July 2009 next to his grandfather H.I.& R.H. Prince Pedro Henrique de Orléans e Bragança (13th September 1909 – 5th July 1981) at the cemetery of Vassouras.

In the Cathedral Nossa Senhora do Carmo in Rio de Janeiro the father of the deceased Prince Dom Pedro Luiz, H.I.&R.H. Prince Antonio de Orléans e Bragança and other members of Brazil's Imperial Family paid their last respect to the victims of flight AF447.

On 5th April 2011 the Australia Post issued this year's stamps to commemorate the Australian Queen's 85th birthday.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, celebrates her 85th birthday in 2011. Among the many artists who have painted Her Majesty’s portrait are Australians Brian Dunlop and Rolf Harris. The Queen sat for Brian Dunlop at Buckingham Palace to commemorate the sesquicentenary of the State of Victoria in 1984. Artist and entertainer Rolf Harris’ affectionate portrait was painted as a celebration of the Queen’s 80th birthday in 2006.


Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, was born at 2.40 am on 21st April 1926 in Mayfair, London, and celebrates her 85th birthday this year. Following tradition, the Australian Monarch’s birthday is celebrated every year on the first Monday in June, with the exception of Western Australia, where it occurs in late September or early October. To honour the Queen’s Birthday in Australia an annual ceremony is held at the Royal Military College at Duntroon in the Australian Capital Territory.