Forum: Europe ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5847560 Tue, 15 May 2012 20:58:20 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5847521
http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/15/11710740-say-your-prayers-attempts-to-form-new-greek-government-fail?lite

Forum: Off-topic Serious ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5847521 Tue, 15 May 2012 20:26:26 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5847472

http://news.yahoo.com/lightning-hits-french-presidents-plane-none-hurt-163923781.html

Forum: Off-topic Serious ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5847472 Tue, 15 May 2012 19:56:03 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5847109
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9261092/Queen-may-not-remain-monarch-of-an-independent-Scotland.html

Forum: British Isles and the Commonwealth ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5847109 Tue, 15 May 2012 16:11:50 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5846523
http://www.telegraphnepal.com/headline/2012-05-14/nepals-former-crown-prince-missing-no-news-is-great-news.html

Forum: Asia and Africa ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5846523 Tue, 15 May 2012 05:16:42 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5842024
http://www.royalty.nu/news/12/05/CNNKrem.html

Forum: Europe ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5842024 Fri, 11 May 2012 23:01:10 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5841994
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120508a4.html

Forum: Asia and Africa ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5841994 Fri, 11 May 2012 22:40:23 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5841914
Another important royal gem in this auction is a yellow diamond that once belonged to Prince Charles Edward Stuart, the Jacobite pretender to the English throne more widely known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie".

http://royalnewsblog.com/2012/05/historic-beau-sancy-gem-for-sale-next-week/

Forum: Europe ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5841914 Fri, 11 May 2012 21:51:13 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5841887
http://www.iol.co.za/news/back-page/emperor-s-old-underwear-sells-for-6-000-euros-1.1293986

Forum: Europe ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5841887 Fri, 11 May 2012 21:34:20 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5841879
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2142477/Kate-Middleton-Crown-pass-Duchess-Cambridges-born-girl.html

Forum: British Isles and the Commonwealth ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5841879 Fri, 11 May 2012 21:30:06 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5838720 wrote at length on reactionism and its relation to conservative and monarchist ideals. I thought it was a good idea to further expand on this, by looking at four revolutions, reactionary movements against them, and the subsequent influence on modern political thought including monarchism. These being the Glorious, American, French and Russian revolutions.

The Glorious Revolution of 1690 is the first one relevant, because it established the principles of modern constitutional monarchy even if somewhat similar ideas already existed in Poland and Sweden, whose constitutions were, prior to 1690 or 1789, depending on your point of view, were the most liberal of European monarchies at the time. Thus laying the foundations of the modern liberal constitutional state. But the reason I start at 1690 is that it is more a settlement of the ideological conflict of the previous half a century, which included 11 years of Cromwell tyranny on one hand (which, an irony lost on Daniel Hannan, established the philosophical basis of the nanny state) and the first real party divide between the Tories (successors of the Cavaliers and also known as Abhorrers, as they abhorred the bigoted principles of their Whig opponents) and Whigs (successors of the Roundheads). The Old Tories, including and especially the Jacobite faction, were very much a reactionary movement to the middle of the 18th century. They also opposed Britain's involvement in the War of Spanish Succession (the division a pre-echo to US politics exactly 100 and 200 years later!). The reign of George III resulted in reconstruction of the party system into the ancestor of the modern party system. The new Tories, supplying the High Tory principles that guided the party until about 1970, were a more liberal Whig-derived party emerging under William Pitt the Younger, and inspired by the thought of Burke. Thus it is sometimes spoken of Britain being governed by a Whig oligarchy which built the modern British state and the Empire.

The Tory and Whig labels travelled to the American colonies at the time and such factions emerged in the assemblies of the colonies, which at that time were the most democratic of any Western Hemisphere colonies (Americanists forget this completely!!!). By the 1770s, the divide was between the Radicals, Moderate Whigs, and Tories. The former groups became the foundations of the American Revolution, the last group were the Loyalists. The Tory/Whig divide existed in Canada, the ancestors of the modern Conservative and Liberal parties. In Australia, however, the line between liberals and conservatives were blurred- but it's easy to say that in the English-speaking world, the line between conservatism and liberalism is blurred anyway because politics since 1690 and 1787 has been evolutionary, not revolutionary.

That's because while the Glorious and American revolutions were on the whole wrong, resulted in many injustices being committed, and in the latter case treasonous, they were downright mild compared to the other two revolutions we discuss here. Because no monarchy actually fell, and there was no attempt to create a utopia that the Jacobins and Bolsheviks did. Given that modern constitutional monarchy on the continent only emerged after the French and American revolutions, it has to be asked how much did either of them, if at all, had any influence modern constitutional monarchy and indeed modern ideas about nationhood and nationalism? Is modern nationalism really influenced by them so much, or did such mythologies pre-date them? Was it possible for new monarchies that emerged to take some of the "independence mythology"? If some people believe it is, then perhaps the influence is greatly overstated. Certainly, Napoleon with his project for Europe attempted some kind of compromise or settlement between the old and new. And during this period, the Spanish and Sicilian constitutions of 1812 embodied liberal principles still influential today, as did the Norwegian constitution of 1814 and subsequent monarchical constitutions. Thus 1815, 1830 or 1848 could be seen as dates on the continent for the kind of "settlement" that took place in Britain in 1690 (and earlier in Sweden and Poland). In effect, we can say that two different kinds of "conservatism" emerged out of this: one a reactionary, counterrevolutionary strain and another a "liberal conservative" strain somewhat reconciled to modern developments but tempering them all the same, in the mould of High Toryism (indeed, Cavours liberals took some inspiration from them). It figures that in the English-speaking world, reactionism was never a viable option until recent decades when more profound and destructive change came along.

Thus real and viable reaction and counterrevolution was a consequence of the horrors of the French Revolution, owing to the fact it went further than any revolution before then in trying to create a new order and a "new world" to their liking. Which is, of course, what also underpinned the Russian Revolution and Nazi Germany- utopian and eliminationist principles.

A "settlement" or "post-revolutionary evolutionary politics" means that politics regardless of labels needs a starting point to proceed from, certain shared root ideals. A revolutionary/reactionary dichotomy may exist, but not if all groups accept certain common ideals. Thus we could say that all political factions in Britain after 1760 (when George III ascended to the throne) accepted certain Whig, and thus "liberal", ideals. And just the same, all American politics (even the most conservative, paleoconservatism and libertarianism- those of which find certain common ground with monarchists in assessing modern America) is rooted in the Whigs of the American Revolution, thus imparting a certain liberalism. In Iran, all legal politics is based on the root ideals of the Iranian Revolution, though this is fraying as even many of its participants question it. As I did say, we look at post-Communist Central and Eastern Europe to see where reactionary thinking is presently strongest- the divide between those who accept the Communist legacy even if they've moved beyond it (post-Communist) ideologically and are not uncritical of it, and those who are absolutely anti-Communist (even left-wingers) who utterly reject that legacy. Ultimately, that line of thinking can only have been made possible as a reaction to the French and Russian revolutions, because only such hideousness could provoke such strong reactions in decent humans.

Forum: General ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5838720 Thu, 10 May 2012 15:02:51 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5836474

Forum: Off-topic Social ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5836474 Wed, 09 May 2012 02:54:20 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5836386 http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/power-players-abc-news/presidential-perks-paying-carter-postage-bush-bills-clinton-100551264.html  

Forum: Off-topic Serious ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5836386 Wed, 09 May 2012 01:55:37 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5835022 http://www.norepublic.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4102&Itemid=1

The thing about Commonwealth republics is that there has never been any chance of reverting to being a Commonwealth realm again, the chances of restoration would seem less there than even in Western European republics. Further to it, many African Commonwealth republics do have their own sub-national monarchies but that's another thing.

One exception could be Fiji, which became a republic and left the Commonwealth in 1987 after a military coup, yet the Union Jack remains on its flag, and the Queen's portrait remains on its coins and notes, and many Fijians still consider Her Majesty as their Queen. The coups of 1987 and 2000 were the result of race-based politics. The 2006 coup, however, brought Frank Bainimimarama to power with support of both Fijians and Indians, apparently tiring of the rampant corruption and racism of Fijian politics.

Now don't get me wrong. I do find this military regime no less distasteful than any other. But Baininimarama has one thing in his favour, and that he's a monarchist who keeps a portrait of Elizabeth II on his desk. It's thought he actually wants to restore Her Majesty as head of state, which would happen when democracy is restored. The basis for this was sound- unlike other Commonwealth republics were constitutional change or referendum severed links with Britain, in Fiji this was entirely done by military coup and thus has no legal basis.

Baininimarama's regime is opposed by the governments of Australia and New Zealand, not least because of the uncertainty over when or whether democracy will be restored. But will there be any complaints if democracy and monarchy are restored at the same time?

Forum: British Isles and the Commonwealth ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5835022 Tue, 08 May 2012 07:37:43 GMT http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5834091 Vladimir Putin was innaugurated as President of Russia once again today amid much pomp and circumstance at the Kremlin in Moscow.  The President was sworn into office in St. Andrew's Hall, the former throne room of the Moscow Palace, in the presence of his wife Ludmilla, out going President Dimitri Medvedev (who now becomes Putin's Prime Minister) and First Lady Svetlana Medvedeva.  Patriarch Kirill was present to bless the President.  Also in attendance was the widow of Russia's first President Boris Yeltsin, Naina, and numerous other members of Russia's new republican elites.  Then in a ceremony harking back to the coronations of the Tsars, the Putins and the Medvedevs came down the great Red Staircase, crossed the Cathedral Square courtyard of the Kremlin as the great bell of Ivan the Great tolled, to attended services at the Annunciation Cathedral, once the family church of the Romanovs and the smallest of the Kremlin Cathedrals.  Why oh why couldn't this have been Maria Vladimirovna wearing the crown of Catherine the Great in the larger Assumption Cathedral?


St. Andrew's Hall in the Moscow Kremlin where Vladimir Putin was innaugurated as President of Russia.  On the dias are the thrones last used by Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feordorovna and Dowager Empress Maria Feordorovna.

Meanwhile across the Moscow river, hundreds of protesters were arrested as they chanted "Putin thief". 

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wbaa/news.newsmain/article/0/13/1927202/Top.Stories/Putin.pledges.unity.on.return.to.Kremlin

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/07/11573329-400-protesters-arrested-hours-before-vladimir-putins-return-to-russian-presidency?lite

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/07/world/europe/russia-putin/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

http://rt.com/news/inauguration-putin-kremlin-president-716/

Forum: Off-topic Serious ]]> http://royalcello.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5834091 Mon, 07 May 2012 16:38:39 GMT