Some may say that a Monarchy is the abrogation of democracy but, with respect, I think they confuse Monarchy with Dictatorship. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second is said to be the most photographed person on Earth today and, in an incredible period of seemingly-accelerating change, she has been a remarkable constant. This was one of the points made by HRH The Prince of Wales in his Diamond Jubilee tribute to his mother. Broadcast on Friday, this was a wonderfully-endearing personal tribute to his “Ma-maa”; a reflection upon her 60 year-reign; and a whole lot more: It included a lot of previously-unseen cine film footage shot by his parents (before and after the death of his grandfather in 1952); including behind-the-scenes footage of both public events and very private family occasions. This is viewable (if you live in the UK) on the BBC’s iPlayer or (if elsewhere) on You Tube. It is 60 minutes of very entertaining viewing and, if ever issued on DVD, I would be willing to bet it will be a top-seller. Prince Charles pointed out that, just as Sir Winston Churchill, the UK’s octogenarian Prime Minister in the early 1950s, was a source of inspiration and comfort to our young Queen, so she herself has become the same to her equally young Prime Ministers today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN9EC3Gy6Nk However, as my personal tribute to Her Majesty, I should like to propose some less jingoistic replacement verses for our National Anthem; more appropriate to the times in which we now live:
God help us all today, Even though we don’t pray, What’s right to know. Please help those in denial, To put aside their bile, And from folly resile, Carbon must go. Our Queen’s out-lived a lot, She does not lose the plot, Great her insight. We don’t want ecocide, Please help us to decide, We need to turn the tide, And do what’s right.
Anthropocene Reality 
Oh, brilliant link to the full programme of Prince Charles’ tribute. We watched it last night and it was a beautiful, honest and intimate reflection from Prince Charles. I shall use that YouTube video in the small tribute that is coming out from Jean and me on Learning from Dogs (08:00 BST Sunday)
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I felt sure you would not have missed it but was, nonetheless, delighted to (eventually) find the whole thing on You Tube as I think people everywhere should watch it. Guardian columnist and republican Polly Toynbee was on the Andrew Marr show decrying our hereditary monarchy but I preferred the contribution of the Bishop of London; who said the Queen was an apolitical Head of State of whom everyone could and should be proud.
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