Friday 6 May 2011

Royal Wedding Postcript: Three Things Britons Cannot Possibly be Proud of on That Day

The Royal wedding in Britain on April 29th was a delightful event. In tradition, pomp and pageantry, no one could beat it. Everyone involved played their part to perfection, and it was a spectacle well worth seeing. It reminded Britons - white Britons in particular - of their heritage, their presence, their visibility and their power. However, when the dust has settled, there were certainly three things that did not do us proudly on the day and, if no one else is going to mention how bad they were, I will.

1. The Omission of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown
First was the denial of an invitation to the former Prime Ministers, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. That was simply shameful. Whatever reason for not sending them an invitation, it underlines just how out of touch the Royal Family is - or their advisers - with their own people and the times we live in. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown might not have been Knights of the Garter, which was the official reason given, or exemplary leaders, but they are key members of Britain's past, who have helped to shape the country into what it is.

(Tony Blair-right)
(Gordon Brown-below)

On occasions like this, just as in America with past presidents, every single Prime Minister should be automatically invited as a matter of protocol. They are part of our history, they led this country in their own unique styles, they have brought us to this position and should be treated as elder statesmen, especially on state occasions. We cannot wish them away as if they did not exist, especially after their high profile roles. This was a slap in the face for the country's Labour Party, while giving the Conservatives more than enough representation. There is something really unfair, meanspirited and sad about that deliberate omission, which really does not endear the Royal Family to the public on occasions like this. Regardless of the reasons, how will countless Labour supporters feel about the public snub of their former leaders? The chief role of the monarchy is to unite, not to divide. That petty action was divisive on such an important day.


2. The Awful Practice of Including Royal Children while leaving out their Divorced Parents
Sarah Ferguson was not at the wedding, surprise, surprise, while her children, Beatrice and Eugenie, and her former husband, the Duke of York, were well in attendance. Viscount Linley and his sister, Sarah Chatto (Princess Margaret's children) were also there, but no sign of their father, Lord Snowdon, who was quite bitter about it, in fact. Mark Phillips (ex of Princess Anne) was nowhere to be seen either. What message is being given to their children by that meanspirited and stupid policy. Here is a family that goes to lengths to be united and together in everything they do, to stress the importance of keeping the Firm or Family together, yet are so insensitive they can easily deny children of divorced parties the presence of their parents on such special moments when it matters to them. What kind of family treats children in such ways by making their parents pariahs, by emphasising the importance of one parent against another when both parents brought the children into the world?

If one parent is going to be there on such important public occasions, BOTH parents should be there, even if they are seated separately. Being divorced does not make them suddenly invisible; it does not make them any less than they were and it doesn't turn them into subhuman beings. Once again, the function of the Royal Family is not to be divisive but affirming and uniting. Life never goes completely to plan and, while no one wants a divorce, least of all in such a public institution, to then separate the sons and daughters of divorcees from their parents in such a public way is dehumanising, lacking in sensitivity and carries no kind of love within it at all. Just like the lack of invitation to the former premiers, this particular policy makes the Royals appear to be unfeeling robots who are governed by protocol and very little else.

3. The Duchess of Cornwall's Dress

I could not believe my ears when one of the fashionistas on the BBC cooed about Camilla's dress, saying how wonderful and gorgeous it was. Which dress was she looking at, exactly? Certainly not the one that I could see in front of me. The dress was just bloody awful, frumpish and OLD fashioned. The woman looked like someone's great grandmother than a royal princess. The ensemble was ill fitting, the colours boring, the style unattractive and the whole effect quite off-putting. Like the emperor's non-existent clothes, everyone thought they had to praise it in the greatest hyperboles, yet there was nothing really attractive there, nothing to please the eye or warm the heart. It was just plain ghastly.

Does one having a title tends to blind others to the truth? Back to the drawing board, Duchess!
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