Monarchy

Let it be said; Princess Kate is just a glorified beauty pagent winner. Her job is to smile a lot, look pretty, promote a charity, and wave to crowds.

Princess Kate (real name Catherine Middleton), should she become queen, will no have actual power; this is because she's called a "queen consort", meaning the wife of a king. The current queen, Queen Elizabeth, took power because she was the king's daughter; this is only because when her father died, there was no son to rule in his place. So this means that as a princess, Kate Middleton is really not important.

I have no particular problem with Kate. It's normal for women to take on the smiling, supportive role, when they have political figures as husbands. The problem I have is with people who worship monarchs (like with the "Royal Wedding"), as well as the institution of the monarchy; it has no place in a civilized world.

Did you know that members of Parliament have to swear an oath to the Queen? Otherwise, they will not be allowed to serve. That's rediculous in this day and age. That would be like members of Congress being required to swear an oath to President. Imagine the sheer insanity of protests in the U.S. if this were ever to happen.

It doesn't stop there either; judges, police officers, and even bishops are required to swear allegiance to the Queen.

Bishops? Really? That would cause riots in the United States, if they had to swear allegiance to the President. We take separation of Church and State very seriously here; however, the British Monarchy is essentially both the State and Church.

A Bishop, before taking his position, must recite this:

"I accept Your Majesty as the sole source of ecclesiastical, spiritual and temporal power."

In other words, the Queen is God. Think of all the mad dictators in history who've forced people to say and swear the same thing to them, like Caligula; still think the monarchy is something to go crazy over?

It's amazing that this still goes on in a developed, civilized nation like England. Consider these quotes:

There are shams and shams; there are frauds and frauds, but the transparentest of all is the sceptered one. We see monarchs meet and go through solemn ceremonies, farces, with straight countenances; but it is not possible to imagine them meeting in private and not laughing in each other's faces.
- Mark Twain's Notebook

I wish I might live fifty years longer; I believe I should see the thrones of Europe selling at auction for old iron. I believe I should really see the end of what is surely the grotesquest of all the swindles ever invented by man-- monarchy.
- Letter to Sylvester Baxter of Boston Herald, 1889


I can't think of a worse system of government, than one in which the person in charge doesn't get the position by earning it, but by being born.


What about the lives of monarchs? Can William not be a prince? What if William wanted to be an actor, or professional athlete? Even if he can "resign" or whatever, I'm sure this is an expectation that's been thrusted on him since childhood; he may feel like he has no choice but to take the position, lest he let his family, and his nation down.

And can a prince be gay? If William admitted to being gay, would he be allowed to serve as prince? After all, the monarchy is expected to continue the bloodline, right? Also...can the Prince marry outside his race? What if Prince William married a black woman? Or a Chinese or Indian woman? Would Harry retain his future throne? Would the monarchy allow a gay or a black king?

By the way: how many tax dollars were used on the Royal Wedding? To buy Kate's dress, as well as pay the protection of the police force must have been expensive. Who paid for it? Did the Queen use her own money? If she did, where does "her" money come from?

The British monarchy has a terrible history of violence, rapes and betrayal within it's own walls. Today, forcing high-ranking members of government and churches to swear allegiance to a monarch, just like in a dictatorship. A woman can't have power in the monarchy, unless the king dies. In a world where forward, objective thinking is the ideal, is there really any reason for a monarchy?
Absolutely not.