Why I Will Be Watching The Queen's Flotilla Tonight

Why I Will Be Watching The Queen's Flotilla Tonight

I am going to stay up late tonight. I have logs in to keep the chill away. I have hoarded snacks, I have splashed out on a lovely bottle of Chardonnay from Pak n Save

Yes. I am an expat awaiting the first of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee fripperies - The Flotilla. And I so wish I was there.

I know all you Republicans have just about recovered from the Royal Wedding you pretended to ignore, but I can't help it.

I still have my Silver Jubilee mug given to me as a member of the Brownies (Or was it the Girl Guides? Age Sensitivity!). I remember the street parties that went on then and though I have only had a fleeting couple of visits home in the last two decades, I strongly suspect there will be many such scenes as we speak. And people will love them.

I love it all because it is part of me. I don't really care about the personalities involved, I love the P and P as most people do ( someone close to me said at "The Wedding" that he did enjoy the pageantry but did not agree with the inherited privilege, blah blah blah. ) The simple answer is , you cannot have one without the other

I enjoy being reminded of my country's vast and astonishing history. The Monarchy is (one) embodiment of that. It is not all about toffs sitting on a barge waving at the Proles.

Every Castle, every Knighthood every Shire and other such strangeness built part of the fabric of a fascinating nation that people the world over want to see and I am not going to feel apologetic for that.

The Queen was born into an ancient tradition, She was not given a choice - as was not her father who REALLY did not want to be a King. It was called duty. Something that is widely ridiculed these days but would have been shameful to have ignored or discarded at the time of her ascension.

For my part. I don't really mind if some people are richer than me and a lot of them - (most of them in fact) in our privileged sphere of the world are -. Would you hate someone who has just inherited a few thou' and a bach from Grandma just because you only got the tin teapot?)

I enjoy colour, spectacle, the interest it will spark in my country and in history - history that is much more fascinating than it was at school. Go and see it.

Have a great holiday everyone and Gawd Luv the Queen

ends

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