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The View From Below
How the world sees its kings and queens.
Queen Elizabeth II: legendary for her hats
Monday is Victoria Day. And while Queen Victoria herself is probably far from the minds of most Canadians this May long weekend, her descendants continue to make headlines.
Just this week, Victoria's great-great-great grandson, Prince Harry, made news when it was announced that he would not be deployed to Iraq with the rest of his military battalion.
And, it's not just in the U.K. From Spain to Nepal, Thailand and Australia, countries around the world remain fascinated and divided by their royals.
Below is a round up of world opinion on emperors, princes and kings. Click through for more information on each poll.
Europe
In Spain, where changes to the country's succession laws are being pondered, 65 per cent of respondents to a recent poll said they are satisfied with their monarchy.
In the Netherlands, meanwhile, more than two out of every three Dutch citizens want 40-year-old Prince Willem-Alexander to take over from the aging Queen Beatrix.
And in Britain, speculation about the next monarch continues unabated, where Prince William is the slightly preferred successor to Queen Elizabeth II, edging out his father, Prince Charles.
Asia
In Nepal, where preparations are underway for a Constituent Assembly election, less than one-in-four respondents see a role for the monarchy in legislation and policy. Just last year, public protests forced King Gyanendra to loosen his grip on power.
Just to the east in Thailand, meanwhile, respondents put much more faith in their king. Before last year's military coup, 70 per cent said the country's political problems would be solved if politicians listened to the advice of King Bhumipol Adulyadej.
Finally, in Japan, 56 per cent of those recently polled want women to be able to inherit the Chrysanthemum throne. Support for changes remains high, despite the recent birth of Prince Haruhito.
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'The Queen' and all her kooky clan, even the corgis. - Burgess in Bangkok
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12
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Cycling Commuter
5 years ago
Monarchism = Theocracy
Monarchism is a form of Theocracy sustained by Nepotism. Monarchist nutbars really do believe the royals are "Chosen by God." This is creepy. It sounds suspiciously like the drivel spewed forth by weasely southern U.S. televangelists.
While flipping through TV channels one Sunday I came across what at first looked like a spoof of televangelists. The preacher was standing beside a Rolls-Royce in the driveway of his huge, sumptuous mansion. He said "Tha retch paypil awr retch cuz thar choawsen baaahhh Gaaaaaawwwwd ta bay retch. An tha pawr paypil awr pawr, cuz thar choawsen baaaah Gaaaaaawwwwd ta bay pawr."
Then he brought out some mindless sheep from his flock. They explained how they were both unemployed and had nothing to eat. The husband decided to sell his blood for $10 and send the money to the televangelist. After receiving the $10, the televangelist prayed for these individuals. Lo and behold, they both landed jobs! The televangelist intimated that other poor people with nothing to eat should also sell their blood and send the money to him and he would pray on their behalf also. The televangelist didn't explain why he would be unable to pray for these people unless they first sent him money. But the Rolls-Royce and the mansion in the background said it all.
At some point, I realized this was not a spoof. It would be impossible to create a spoof of televangelists, monarchists, or the morons who send them money that would be anywhere near as bizarre as the real thing.
The only difference between the saps who send money to televangelists and the dimwits who support the monarchy is that the former tend to pronounce their beliefs as "Choawsen baaaah Gaaaaaawwwd," whereas the latter tend to say "Cheewsin boi Goowd."
Right to Bear
5 years ago
Abusers and takers all....
Supporting the Monarchy is like supporting an ungrateful, spoiled, little rich kid. With the times being as desperate as they are, not one dime should be wasted on the lavish lifestyle of these just-simply-human folks. It is unbelievable they have lasted this long...
I can't think of these abusers\takers without thoughts of the number of Canadian black bear killed to make hats for their guards to wear. How about the cruel sports of fox-hunting that the Royals partake?? The public dollars are supporting and promoting these animal abuses through supporting the Royals.
I also can't get my head around the fact that these people do not make their own “real” money… Man, what a pathetic gaff they are, and for too many years…
No, these people support the war efforts that I do not support, and stand for things that I do not. They are a waste of skin and money imo...
My hopes are that their supporter will start supporting Mother Earth instead of the obvious abusers of Her…
Peace,
Bear
RickW
5 years ago
Quote:With the times being
Kind of reminds me of an impending humongous salary increase certain "just-simply-human" (to be kind) MLAs in this province are giving themselves. Anyone care to tell me the de facto difference?
RickW
5 years ago
As long as we Believe......
....that we need a leadership, in lieu of practicing direct democracy, with constant and continuing citizen input, then what is the difference between a virtual post-election dictatorship and a monarchy, save the time span of each?
alive
5 years ago
Unable to think for themselves
The weak always need a crutch to hang on to, in their miserable lives!
Some get in from a religion (the more bizarre the better) and others from "knowing" that the Queen has their welfare at heart.
Of course we have the working poor who thinks that the two main parties has their welfare at heart???
Poor saps all!
Bailey
5 years ago
Speaking of thinking for oneself...
A monarchy, a political party or a corporatized industry for that matter is exactly as relevant as it's actions are.
If any institution behaves well, it is worthwhile to that extent. If it behaves badly, equally reprehensible. It depends entirely on the people involved.
The price of anything worth having is always the same. Vigilance, courage and of course willingness to act on principle.
This is why a loyal opposition is so critical to any system. Power corrupts, whatever is source. A strong opposition prevents overconcentration of power.
Parliament opposes excessive Royal power. Competing parties ensure broad representation in government. And even a figurehead monarchy can act as a check on parliamentary excesses.
If they behave well.
pender paul
5 years ago
the monarchy
That we should have to swear loyalty to a foreign monarch to hold public office in Canada is a travesty. That our head of state actually represents the head of state of another country is purely ridiculous. I am reminded of the Windsors and their profligate waste and utter stupidity every time I spend a loonie or buy a postage stamp. The sooner Canada rids itself of this silly remnant of colonialism the better.
RickW
5 years ago
pender paul
You'd rather swear fealty to the foreign fellas that own our corporations.....?
Having British royalty as the titular head of our nation only signifies that we are in fact part of the Commonwealth. It's no different than having a Prime Minister in Ottawa as the head of the provinces in this nation we call Canada.........
harry
5 years ago
cycling commuter
the way you ridiculed the morons and dimwits by making fun of their accent disturbs me. while southern u.s. and british accents do indeed sound very different from canadian accents, your over-the-top representation of the sound of their speech seems to assume that people who speak with those accents aren't speaking actual english, or, that speaking with a canadian accent is somehow more acceptable than with another accent. and that would be arrogant.
kinda like how just being the head of state for an empire is arrogant. that there is still a monarch ruling over the united kingdom and commonwealth is, i think, indicative of how western civilization needs to apply the lessons learned over the last century. little by little the founding logic of colonialism is being chipped away, yet still most see the british monarchy as harmless, or a balance to parliament. i've heard tell of the queen's sometimes harsh words for blair. apparently bush jr. has more clout these days, but really he's just riding on the colonialist coattails that, in the western world anyways, the british monarchy established and that the dear queen still represents.
alive
5 years ago
dear silly queen
harry: you said a mouthful there!
she is indeed dear: as in costly!
Please try to explain how we get any value for the money we spend on her and her ridiculuos family?
For all the good she is doing any popstar would be as recognized and respected as she is, but at least they fade away, besides we do not have to support them!
harry
5 years ago
the capitalists seem happy with the arrangement
alive:
here you go, this link goes to what of the queen's business is funded by the "civil list" .... interesting history lesson.
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4971.asp
i gotta say that i agree "that the whole cost of civil government should be provided by Parliament in return for the surrender of the hereditary revenues (mainly the net surplus of the Crown Estate) by the Sovereign."
but it all smacks of one hand washing the other (in money) to me.
BC Mary
5 years ago
Who pays the Queen?
harry:
Thanks for that link explaining the amounts paid by the government of the United Kingdom for the Queen's expenses, otherwise known as the Civil List.
Which answers my question: "we" don't pay the Queen, do we? Or Charles. Or Camilla. Or all those relatives.
But I guess Canada does pay for the Governor-General and the Lieutenant-Governors in each of our provinces who act as her representatives.
And we get to provide all the security and accommodation when Elizabeth II comes to visit.
So even though we don't pay for the Queen, having a Queen as Head of State seems to add up in some strange way, doesn't it?