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.

80th Birthday of Her Royal Highness
The Princess Margaret Rose
Countess of Snowdon
1930 - 2002

When Princess Margaret Rose was born on 21st August 1930 at Glamis Castle in Perthshire, younger sister to Princess Elizabeth, (HM Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia) she was fourth in line of succession to the throne. Princess Margaret died in London on 9th February 2002. She was the younger daughter of The Duke and Duchess of York, later to become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother following the Abdication Crisis of 1936. Glamis was the Scottish home of her grandparents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore.

Princess Margaret was the first royal baby in direct line to the throne to have been born in Scotland for 300 years. Her grandfather, King George V, was still very much alive, as was his eldest son, Margaret's Uncle David, destined to be King Edward VIII. Her father, King George VI was proud of his elder girl, because Margaret "brought delight into his life".

Though there were four years between them, the sisters were almost like twins - an exclusive and indissoluble team. But that rapidly began to change. At their father's coronation, Elizabeth had a train and Margaret did not.

Her first overseas engagement on behalf of her father, led Princess Margaret 1948 to the Netherlands, where she attended the proclamation of the new Dutch Queen Juliana. Male students from the local university were so smitten that they serenaded her from a boat on the canal beneath her hotel-room windows.

By 1948, her sister Elizabeth was not only a married woman but a mother, too. For the first time in her life, Margaret was like an only child, racketing around that great Palace at the end of the Mall, with no very obvious task and with no companion of roughly her own age. It seemed, she followed Time magazine's suggestion and became "the party animal she remained for most of her life".

She regularly danced the night away with the so-called Princess Margaret Set. She loved to sing at the piano in nightclubs, surrounded by laughing friends. During the day, she did her work, and generally did it well. Like others of her generation, she had a strongly developed sense of duty, though her official duties were not always glamorous or exciting.

Photographs from the time show an almost impossibly glamorous figure. Hats, bouquets, handbags are all apparently permanent fixtures, as is a wide seductive smile. Around her, elderly gentlemen, mayors and the like, dance attendance. All wear an expression of adulation and the Princess gives every indication of much enjoying centre-stage.

Aneurin Bevan, the Labour Minister for Health, noticed that every time she visited a hospital, recruitment of nurses - a particular problem for his new National Health Service - soared. He pressed her office with more invitations.

Then, just as she was spreading her wings, her life changed abruptly. The shy and stammering King George VI had not been in good health for some time, but his death on 6th February 1952, aged 56, was wholly unexpected.

The Earl of Snowdon’s engagement to Princess Margaret in February 1960 was a surprise, as some considered she was still on the "rebound" from her ill-fated relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend. The couple married in May 1960 and, in the "swinging sixties", they mixed with actors, artists and pop stars. They were divorced in 1978.

Pietro Annigoni's 1957 portrait of Princess Margaret.

In 1972 Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon visited Australia. They arrived in Perth on 7th October 1972 and spent more than a week in Western Australia with trips to Kalgoorlie, Kamalda and Albany among other cities.

Princess Margaret returned alone to Australia in 1975 to attend the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps 25th Anniversary. She had met Sir John Kerr and Lady Kerr and the Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and Mrs. Whitlam on 22nd October 1975. Eight days after she finished her tour the Whitlam government was dismissed by the Governor-General.


The older she became, the more the Princess seemed to attract disapproving comment. The Princess performed most of her official visits on her own. Whereas her sister was often accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Margaret cut an increasingly lonely-looking figure. Her once glamorous solitude had come to seem sad.


Early in 1985, she had a serious lung operation and was photographed looking drawn and wan. She appeared to make a good recovery, but was felled nine years later by a stroke. Again, she bounced back and seemed to be on the mend. The Queen's children, meanwhile, were taking on more and more of her duties. When Prince Edward came of age, he took his place on the list of members of the Royal Family eligible to be Counsellors of State (those with powers to act on behalf of the Queen) - and Margaret was simply removed. Yet she had carried out this role for decades, and enjoyed it.

The rules could have been amended to let her continue, but the idea seems not to have been contemplated. Not for the first time, the Princess was underemployed and under-appreciated.

She who had once been the cynosure of the Royal Family - the cleverest, the most artistic and effervescent - was slipping inexorably towards the wings.

She eventually died in her sleep on 9th February 2002 with her son and daughter at her bedside. The funeral of Princess Margaret has been held at St George's Chapel, Windsor, on Friday 15th February at 3.00pm, 50 years to the day since the funeral of her father, King George VI. HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, was present although she was not in the best of health. The Queen Mother had been staying at Sandringham but travelled by helicopter to Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park on Thursday, 14th February. Seven weeks later The Queen Mother was to die at Royal Lodge, on March 30th 2002.
More on Princess Margaret's life.

The heirlooms that was put up for auction in June 2006 by the Princess' two children, Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto had been estimated to fetch some £3 million but they raised £13,658,728. Lord Linley and Lady Sarah needed to meet death duties on their mother's estate.

The final tally for the auction exceeded all expectations, but more than £410,000 of that total went to charities like The Stroke Association and SOS Children's Villages. In 2006 Jon Barrick, Chief Executive of The Stroke Association said: "Any donation received from the auction will be added to The Stroke Association's Princess Margaret Fund which provides medical research into the condition that causes over 65,000 deaths each year and has left around 300,000 people living with moderate to severe disabilities." Another charity bonus came from the chain-smoking princess's gem-set cigarette case, inscribed: "To Margaret from her very devoted Papa GR Christmas 1949". It was expected to fetch upwards of £3,000. It went for £102,000.

On her 80th birthday Princess Margaret is missed by more people than the media let us believe. Even the German daily Frankfurter Neue Presse commemorated the late Princess Margaret.

Tony Abbott's NO to a republic: "Not in my lifetime"

In response to Julia Gillard's idea of having "a" republic after the Queen's death, Tony Abbott reaffirmed that Australia won't become a republic in his lifetime.

Asked by The Age whether he thought there would ever be a republic, the Opposition Leader said the republican cause had been with us for a long time, "but the Australian people have demonstrated themselves to be remarkably attached to institutions that work".

"I think that our existing constitutional arrangements have worked well in the past. I see no reason whatsoever why they can't continue to work well in the future.

"So while there may very well be further episodes of republicanism in this country, I am far from certain that at least in our lifetimes there is likely to be any significant change," Mr. Abbott said.

Murdoch the clairvoyant

In an interview Julia Gillard revealed her republican attitude, which did not really come as a surprise. “I believe that this nation should be a republic. I also believe that this nation has got a deep affection for Queen Elizabeth. But I think the appropriate time for this nation to be a republic will be when we see the monarch change.” She then continued, she obviously wanted to see Queen Elizabeth live a long and happy life. “Having watched her mother, there's every chance that she will.”

What was highly speculative, because a politician’s wishful thinking cannot be forced onto the Australian people, even if this politician happens to be at present the country’s prime minister, became a fact in Rupert Murdoch’s Melbourne daily MX:


The headline does not contain a question mark, as if Julia Gillard’s idea were a fact. But still, when it comes to changing the Australian Constitution it is not Rupert Murdoch – and/or any politician – who make the decision, but the Australian people.

As the British Labour politician Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) said: “A week is a long time in politics.” When it comes to the Queen’s lifetime, it might last for another decade and more. Who can predict the political landscape in 2020? Not even a clairvoyant like Rupert Murdoch could tell the future.

Why should the Australians not show the same loyalty to King Charles as they showed it to the other Australian Monarchs? The preparation for a referendum takes years, in which the Australian people will get used to the next Monarch. They will shout in due course of time: "The Queen is dead! Long live the King!"

The Age is in mourning

It was with deep regret that the writer of today's editorial of The Age conceded: “... support for [a republic] will weaken, as an Age/Nielsen poll taken last week indicates. Only 44 per cent of respondents wanted Australia to become a republic.” The only hope The Age squeezes out of the opinion poll is that “31 per cent said it should never happen”.

They never give up hope. But neither do the Monarchists who are certain that intelligence will prevail.

The Princess Royal at 60

The Princess Royal, the second child and only daughter of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, was born at Clarence House, London, on 15 August 1950, when her mother was Princess Elizabeth, heir presumptive to the throne. She was baptised Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise at Buckingham Palace on 21 October 1950.

She received the title Princess Royal from The Queen in June 1987; she was previously known as Princess Anne. Her Royal Highness is the seventh holder of the title.

The Princess Royal has a wide range of public roles, and a very busy working schedule.

The Princess began to undertake public engagements alone when she was 18 and had left school. She first flew her personal standard in 1969 when she opened an educational and training centre in Shropshire. Her first State Visit was in May the same year, when she accompanied The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh to Austria.

The Save the Children Fund, of which she has been chair since 1970, was the first major charity with which she became closely associated. It has given her great insight into the needs of children worldwide, and an understanding of the issues affecting developing countries.

In her work for the organisation, the Princess has visited Save the Children projects in many countries, including Indonesia, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Malawi, Botswana and Madagascar.

Her Royal Highness is associated with over 200 charities and organisations in an official capacity, to all of which she devotes a large part of her working life. Search these in our charities and patronages database.

The Princess has been closely involved with the creation of several charities, notably The Princess Royal's Trust for Carers, Transaid and Riders for Health.

The Princess Royal's Trust for Carers provides support for the millions of individuals in the UK who are responsible for caring for someone.


The Princess Royal at the Melbourne memorial service for the bushfire victimes in February 2009.

Who deserves a chance?

The Sunday Age has urged its audience to vote for the ALP: “With no great enthusiasm, we say the ALP should be returned on Saturday.” Why? “Gillard deserves her chance”. That really sums it up.

Interestingly enough, the editorial did not mention one reason for a Gillard vote that is usually so dear to the Fairfax media: A republic. Not one hint to vote for Labor because of the party’s republican agenda. What does this tell us? No hope for “a” republic under Gillard? In order not to embarrass her, better don’t mention “a” republic. Or should Monarchists not be driven into the Coalition’s arms? After all, a third of the Labor voters said No to a republic in the 1999 referendum. In this close electoral race every vote counts and could decide who shall form the next Australian government.

During the election campaign Julia Gillard has kept quiet on the republic issue. At the National Press Club in Canberra mid-July “Ms Gillard has said that she does not sense that the republic debate is a burning issue for Australians and has refused to promise that she will hold a referendum if elected.”

"Where the republic debate went wrong was that it became too much about what people like me think and not enough about what Australian community thinks. This has to be about a community consensus and I don't believe we are there yet."

What if she never gets there?

Envious republicans

Everybody is entitled to a holiday. A Royal or a president, a few weeks away from daily routine are necessary for everyone. Well paid critics in the media or in politics are less generous, they try to sew dispute.

This holiday season in the Northern hemisphere saw two cases of envious reporting.

US president Barack Obama’s wife Michelle and daughter Sasha were were on a four-day visit and stayed at the five-star Villa Padierna, rated as one of the world's top 30 hotels, with 40 friends. The party has reserved 60 rooms. The First Lady went to the city of Granada and enjoyed the spectacular Alhambra Palace. Mrs Obama and her daughter also paid a visit to Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at their summer palace on the island of Majorca, a short flight from Marbella.
From the website of the Casa de Su Majestad el Rey: Sus Majestades los Reyes y Su Alteza Real la Princesa de Asturias, acompañados de la primera dama de los Estados Unidos de America, Michelle Obama y su hija, Sasha

Mrs. Obama left no doubt that this was a private tour at her own expenses. Fair enough and the Kingdom of Spain is worth more than one visit. She will certainly be welcome whenever she wants to return to the Iberian Kingdom.

Some 250 Spanish officers and military personnel protected the Obamas during their stay. They include police divers, bomb disposal experts and dog handlers. About 70 US Secret Service agents are also in Marbella, some of them dressed undercover as tourists.

US Republicans have criticised Mrs. Obama for taking a holiday in the Kingdom of Spain instead of visiting the Gulf of Mexico. While the US security staff was paid by the US taxpayers, the cost of the 250 Spanish security personnel was shouldered by the Spaniards, and despite the country’s dire financial situation there was not criticism about the unknown bill.

Had this happened in Australia, would the republicans be up in arms against the expenditure for a foreign tourist? Certainly not, if it was a family member of a foreign republican head of state. What would they have made of the second example.

This July the Australian Royal Family had a cruise around the Western Highlands and islands of Scotland on the Hebridean Princess, a converted ferry. The Queen has paid £300,000 out of her own pocket, but that did not cover the security surrounding her, including the protective shadowing of her vessel by a Royal Navy frigate and divers.

In August 1979 Lord Mountbatten, Prince Philip’s uncle, was killed when the Irish Republican Army blew up his boat.(Sinn Féin vice-president Gerry Adams said of Lord Mountbatten's death: “The IRA gave clear reasons for the execution.”) The Royal Family is still on many terror groups’ death list. In civilised countries security measures are paid by the public for ex-prime ministers like Tony Blair as well as for authors like Sir Salman Rushdie. Only the Royal Family is always under criticism, because of the cost to protect their lives.

Gerald Warner:

„ ... By an extraordinary coincidence that [amount of money] is precisely what the frigate would have cost if it had carried out the same exercises purely in theory, without the presence of the Queen to make them more focused and realistic. The only way to avoid costs would have been to put the ship in mothballs which, with our services currently so overstretched, would hardly be practical. Don’t forget the divers! snivel the critics. Right, so, Royal Navy divers should never venture into the water, on grounds of expense – is that the idea? Should our divers keep their flippers dry while any terrorist who can use a snorkel attaches limpet mines to the vessel carrying half of the royal family?
Or if al-Qaeda were to raid the ship and hold the royal family hostage, would that be less expensive?”

Imagine, the Royal Family had decided to take a holiday in Australia, just like Michelle Obama wanted her time off in the Kingdom of Spain. The republicans would be running amok, crying foul and murder over the cost for a couple of security officers who would have to be paid anyway, since in analogy to Gerald Warner, they would have cost the same amount sitting at stand-by.

Republicans – in the US and in Australia or in the UK for that matter – just play political games, and very cheap and obvious ones as well.