Constitutional Monarchy

[poliphilo]

Here's the deal. You get to have all sorts of privileges- money, palaces, flunkies and lots of public attention (most of it adulatory)- and in return you consent to be a national figurehead- but only a figurehead. Figureheads are handsome and made of wood. They do not get to have opinions- and especially not opinions on affairs of state. For that we elect a government.

The Queen understands this.  Prince Charles doesn't.

It breaks the deal to bombard government ministers with letters about your particular maggots. It breaks the deal to voice your opinions of foreign statesmen in public with journalists around.

It doesn't matter whether your opinions are right or wrong, sensible or idiotic. There's a deal- and you're breaking it. If you absolutely can't stop yourself from telling us your opinions you should step aside from the succession.

Comments

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

The problem with Prince Charles isn't so much what he says, it's *him* - he just comes across as a petulant little 60-some-year-old boy, rather than a full-grown man.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He's not, on the whole, an attractive figure. It will be very interesting to see what happens to the monarchy when- or if- he gets to be king.