Wow,
Allison must have really been ticked off by HRH, The PoW (not to be confused
with a POHM). Note to the Beeb, it’s HM the Queen. HRH’s are for mortals like
the PoW and his Duchess of the Kingdom of the Stannaries (land of my birth – so
I guess I owe fealty to the Duchess). Did Allison contract food poisoning from
a jar of Duchy Originals jellied eels? In another age the Old Bill would be
fingering her frock and locking her up in that great movie back-drop of a
prison, the White Tower, in the next cell to Rebekah. Talk of the Queen
abdicating has largely been quelled but according to Allison, not so in the
case of HRH the PoW and Duke of Cornwall, before he even has the chance to
emerge from his mother’s death bed-room as HM in his own right. There’s no
doubt that Prince Will & Princess Kate, HRH’s Flt. Lt. the Duke (RAF) and
Duchess of Cambridge, would win any kind of popular poll over the Cornwall’s. I
guess Cambridge is now a much more important place than the remote Stannaries.
A thought (non-seditious, I hope). HM The Queen is now 86, so she has at least
15 years to go to pass her mother’s final age of 101. In November, HRH The
PoW will be 64. Add 15 makes 79. The Duke of Cantab will be a mere 45 (he turns
30 in a couple of weeks). Just a bit of idle Royal arithmetic for you, of no
real consequence, but just in case you were contemplating seditious thoughts
with Allison.
As
an aside it might be worth remembering how the Queen regnant’s
great-great-grandmother, the then Princess Victoria of Hanover, Kent and
Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld came to the throne as a mere 18 year old. Her uncle, HM
King William IV, managed to cling to life until just past Victoria’s 18th
birthday in 1837, to ensure that her mother – much detested by William – would
not become Regent. William’s elder brothers (incl George IV) and his own
(legitimate) offspring had all pre-deceased him. His younger brother, the Duke
of Kent also obliged in 1820; leaving Victoria of Kent as heiress presumptive.
Victoria reigned 63 years from 1837;
until expiring in 1901, a mere 81 years old thereby ushering in the new Edwardian century. What money on Elizabeth II
ushering in the new age of William V (before the heir apparent ascends as
Charles III). Idle speculation (but utterly non-seditious)? William would I believe be the first King of England to be an OE. That should make Henry VI proud.
Another less than useful tidbit. Elizabeth I knighted Sir Walter Raleigh and appointed him Lord Warden of the Stannaries in 1585. Probably to compensate him for the unfortunate failure of the Colony & Dominion of Virginia at Roanoake Island the previous year. He maintained the office until her death in 1603; whereafter he spent the rest of his life, prior to his execution, in the White Tower at the displeasure of King James I. And now the ungrateful Scots Nats (current would-be king - Sean Connery) want their own kingdom back. Time to agitate for the recall of the Parliament of the Stannaries and declare Cornwall (and Devon) independent of Scotland. I shall contest the seat for Falmouth.
An
update on Christine’s faux pas à la Gréque. The Chief Greek tax collector (a
man much worried about his immediate redundancy) has sprung gallantly to Christine’s
defense. He’s seen the books, sent out claims to Greek bigwigs and has been
studiously ignored by all and sundry. (See lovely photo of Christine, handsome
as ever with foulard to match her hair color).
Charles
Moore (authorized biographer of Maggie of Maastricht and former editor of the
Spectator) writes here a very serious and thoughtful piece about the
relationship of Britain to the EU/Eurozone (bad and getting worse). The photo
depicts Frau Angela pretending to shoot Dodgy Dave in the chest (he had just
told her to keep her hands off the Square Mile). Moore joins my lampoon of
little Georgie Soros and reminds us of the Euro-bicycle metaphor. Everyone has
to keep pedaling furiously to prevent the unwieldy contraption becoming
terminally unstable and skinning the knees of its rider(s). One can only
imagine a multi-tandem multi-cycle – with 27 riders, many of whom are facing
rearwards – all pedaling in disharmony and the Greeks (sensibly perhaps) riding
on the pillion, well out of reach of any pedals. A metaphor stretched to
breaking point by reductio ad absurdum. I think that is what Charles is saying.
Bring on the referendum to end all referenda.
Here
is one of my very favourite scribblers – Mark Steyn, Canadian born, English
educated, resident of the Granite State of NH. http://www.steynonline.com/ A man of
acerbic wit, a nice line in sarcasm and one who can boil current affairs down
to their essential oils in a heart-beat. Not one of the reigning POTUS’ biggest
fans – that much is clear. (The mighty dairy state of Wisconsin has rung the
POTUS’ tocsin, I venture).
Meanwhile
we await with breath bated the announcement of the deal to end all deals with
the Spanish Banks to make them citadels of confidence and financial probity.
The bail-out that cannot speak its name. Georgie Soros and friends can now turn
to the Banco’s d’Italia. When they come cap in hand, the Spanish won’t be on
the bailing team, one assumes. Hollande rules his Paris domain in blissful
ignorance of the coming storm. Why doesn’t he retire now – surely he’s old
enough by any French standard?
Simon
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