Great discussions on several topics, beginning with the Coronation, monarchists, the pledge of loyalty to the king, etc., then on to Boris Johnson and the BBC. Most enjoyable!
This weekend, I read a lengthy account of the many holdings and enormous annual income from landholdings, etc., of the Royal Family. The extent is so vast that there has never been a total amount successfully ascribed to it, as there’s always a forgotten duchy, crate of precious stones, or the odd dozen Leonardo da Vinci paintings in a closet of a little-used castle somewhere.
That’s all fine. If the British people don’t mind, it’s nobody else’s affair. And I’m not suggesting that Coronations shouldn’t be held with the greatest of pomp and extravagance.
My question is this: with a coronation price tag of $250,000,000.00, and no coronations in the past 70 years, would it be fair for the Royal Family to foot the bill? Establishing a modest “Coronation
Savings Account” with annual contributions of merely $3,571,428.57/year for the past 70 years would have added up to that quarter billion dollar party’s cost, in principal payments. And the Royal Family could still keep the interest on all that money, probably compounded quarterly!
Wouldn’t it be a boost for the Royal Family to know they were paying their way and not placing the burden on taxpayers? That Nigel Q. Public, watching on tv as the new King attempted to dance at his coronation concert, wouldn’t have to pay for the extravaganza to which he wasn’t invited?
Perhaps the taxpayers feel a bit overwhelmed by the Royal extravaganzas for which they’ve paid the bill in th past 15 months: the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, then the enormous funeral, and now the Coronation.
Certainly all of these events have brought a tourism dividend to the city of London, but not everyone benefits from tourism, especially taxpayers in cities and towns far from the Capital.
My mind keeps coming back to the sand-filled potholes dodged by the golden carriage. Of course the Royal Family isn’t responsible for road maintenance, but the city of London surely could have returned some of the tourist dollars from the two grand events of 2022, to fill the potholes and avoid the rather graphic appearance of a pre-French-Revolution class division.
And yep, I think by mutual no-love-lost, Elton John won’t participate in future events hosted by Diana’s nemesis and husband, HRH.
I think that bit about the golden coach and the sand-filled potholes is pathetic. Is it true?
Calls to mind “Let them eat cake.”
This is something they could come to regret. People who are denied the right to protest peacefully may turn to violence.
Does the Church of England allow divorce? Or only for its founder?
Carlos , thanks for the interesting history. I never knew of the unfortunate dilemma Henry VIII forced on the Pope. Who could afford to displease the Holy Roman Emperor?
Do you know why, in this very public ceremony, the anointing with oil was done behind a screen? It seemed very odd.
Splinter , I'd like to know more about the arrests of the protesters. Was there a protest perimeter set up, so people could be heard without ruining the coronation?
I was wondering about that too. Why that, of all the elements, I wonder?
Penny Mordaunt looked fabulous by the way. And that sword...
a couple of tweets about Penny:
Liz Truss made Penny Mordaunt Lord President of the Council to keep her out of the spotlight.
She has spent most of the day carrying a giant sword in front of millions, so that turned out well.
And
Penny Mordaunt has now been holding that sword longer than Liz Truss was Prime Minister.
I don’t want to disappoint you, Splinter , but I was expecting that.
Incidentally, what happened to the beloved late monarch’s request that her son’s wife be called “Queen Consort,” rather than “Queen?”
My husband’s rude response was that Charles-In-Charge said “Right. Well she’s dead and I’m making the rules now.”
OK. Just when I was beginning to think I was starting to get the “her indoors” reference, I must say that seeing it refer to Camilla really cracked me up!
I partially woke up around 5:15 am (central US time), and alternately cat-napped and watched.
Coming so soon after the Queen’s elaborate funeral, I found it a bit overwhelming.
