I did tune in today. There may well have been other things on, but I stuck with it. Most of all I was amazed at the way they all kept smiling, even though the good old English weather chucked them a soggy curve ball. Even old Phil had a grin from ear to ear.
The Royals looked wonderful, though I noticed they kept the two frumpy sisters out of the way and highlighted the stunning Cleopatra like Duchess of Cambridge (wife of Wills) - heaven knows the family could do with an injection from a good looking gene pool.
The Queen was magnificant, regal as ever, just human enough to keep the crowds cheering, and animated enough to keep the taxidermists at bay. And her gown was beautiful. I don't blame her one bit for not sitting on the bespoke throne, for one thing it was probably a big soggy, what with all that rain, and one cannot plonk one's arthritic arse on a damp chair for an hour, or one would need an stanner stair lift.
I jest, and couldn't help but noticing the way they focused the camera on 'Traitor's Gate' as they sailed by. I am sure there is a tory focus group somewhere plotting its re-opening. So I had better tone this down - as if?
I watched the 'royal' programmes last night too, and couldn't help but notice Prince Andrew was beside himself, trying to show what a jolly good fellow he is, by sharing snobby stories of his privileged childhood with the plebs. HRH Andrew played footers in the great hall at Windsor with his siblings, what ho, guffaw, and never broke a stain glass, priceless window. All good, clean fun. What thoroughly normal regular little scamps they were. I felt like squeezing his chubby little chops and telling just how precious he is.
Of course, I can also see why they rarely let him speak and restrict his social interactions to those whose first language is not English, he probably dances like an embarrassing Uncle too. To be fair the minor royals didn't get much of a look in, as far as I could see, although I see the Middletones got a mention. That should send the wind up the Amanda Platell.
Princess Anne looked great dressed in her tight navel (sp, hic) gear, alongside all those equally smart officers and gentlemen. And, I thought 'you go gal'. Albeit she had the very dull looking hubby standing between her and the booty. Ah well Princess, welcome to the world of dreams.
The people waived their flags and cheered. The news reported millions, but I personally thought the crowds were 3, maybe 4 deep, even in the 'packed' photshots. Any excuse for a party say I, and hopefully, it will draw people together in a good way. I hope not too much store is put on the whole ideology of this weekend's pageant. Its a long weekend and hopefully an opportunity to say hello to people you would otherwise pass by on the street.
I cannot endorse patriotism, too many bad things are done in its name. Today however was great, I cannot deny it. Some would say it is mass hypnotism, and to a certain extent it is. Every corporation in the land is cashing in. Try buying anything from a cupcake to an oven chip, that isn't red, white and blue.
I see that the people are happy, and I think, what right do I have to fuck it up? Why should I be the party pooper? Why can't I stand up and shout 'stop with the flag waving' Has history taught you nothing? Because someone will jump in and stop the conversation with the 'Godwin' theory or pull the plug, because they are board monitor.
I see the good effects of our mutual love of the queen, I really do, love is all around, ha ha, but I am also chillingly aware of the undercurrents that lie beneath. Please someone, explain it to me. What and where is that fine line between patriotism and hate? Why is it so blurred?
Old cynic and leftie that I am, I actually enjoyed today's spectacular. When older (and sometimes, wiser) son, asked why I, would be watching such a thing, when The Big Bang was on the other side, I pompously replied, it was history in the making. I was witness to the spectactularly beautiful Katherine, and wondered if she and Wills would sailing down the Thames in a similar such barge (complete with Posh and Becks thrones, tee hee) 60 years hence.............
I think I have found a flaw in my republican arguement, the monarchy gives a sense of history and longevity, a time, a place, an age....... I had never really thought of it like that before........
The mass of the peasants needs to be instilled with a sense of pride and loyalty to the royal family to enable them to feel good within themselves and to blot out the reality that the royal family don't really give a monkey's feck about the mass of the peasants, and in fact the royal family come from a long line of paper tiger royalty that have fooled their peasant subjects into doing and agreeing with unspeakable acts of cruelty towards other peasants, that they knew was wrong but that wrong was blanketed from them by the pride in the royal family that overwhelmed their sense of guilt.
ReplyDeleteAlone I may be in feeling in no pride for the royal family but not so alone as the empty peasant souls that need to express mickey mouse loyaly en masse to give themselves a feeling of pride and loyaly to somehow make them feel good in themselves.
I myself have more pride and loyalty towards my Cat even when she scratches me.
Not once in her long reign, has the Queen appealed to the richest in our society to stop being so greedy and not once has she appealed to the likes of Tesco and the other big food chains to lessen their profits for the sake of the less well off and not once has she appealed to the Bankers to shave their bonuses down to a tidy amount that we wouldn't see as disgustingly unfair.
ReplyDeleteIf she had appealed all that, on behalf of her less well off subjects, all those big concerns would have listened to her and it would have made a big beneficial difference to the lives of the majority of her poorer peasantry.
But she didn't because Royalty expects respect from everyone but they will only show respect back when they have no choice but to do so.
So all in all, the Queen has done nothing at all to help no one else but the richest of us by not speaking out for the poorest of us.
Things could have been so different if she had been a strong decent Queen that wanted all her subjects to have a decent life and not just the selected rich.
But things could have been worse I suppose but the indifference she has shown towards the less well off in this country, in her long reign has been, to put it frankly, disgusting.
So probably it couldn't have got much worse than it is for the poorest and it was all her fault by not being as a good Queen should be.
Anyone going to nominate me for an OBE lol.
The Diamond Jubilee. 60 years of doing nothing at all to help your subjects, except to wave a condescending wave at them now and then, there's a fool such as I. Viva La Republica way of rule I say Bell and I know you feel the same way too because I am a psychedelic psychic and know how you really think. The feeling of pride that is hovering over the country right now, is controlled by the Divel himself, so it is. But he cannae control the likes of you and I. Only you and I can do that.
ReplyDeleteI liked her speech tonight when she thanked the people who organised everything but no thanks to the peasants who turned out lol.
ReplyDeleteis it you ted ? not that you tell me if it was ? yours denise
DeleteIt may be me, it may be me, the may be me did say
Deleteor I may be just a Donkey, going bray, bray bray, bray bray.
I may be a ferocious Lion with a very ferocious roar
or I may be just a pipe smoking old fart who is such an abominable bore.
I may be a load of various things to people from here and from there,
but all I am, me darling, is a little Teddy Bear. *-;-
I'll take your word for what went on Bell - I stuck to my principles and haven't watched or listened to any of it - even at the expense of missing a 'party' no way could I acknowledge the 'queen' or think of her as any kind of asset to this country! The whole lot of 'em are a waste of time and money imo ;-)
ReplyDeleteJo xxx