False Criticisms

     In the last couple of days, there have some comments that have created a bit of controversy regarding the monarchy.

     On Thursday, Christopher Lee, a former correspondent for the BBC on defense affairs, said that there was “nothing exciting about” the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In his book, Monarchy Past, Present . . . .  And Future?, Lee also stated that he would place the couple on the same level of David and Victoria Beckham as celebrities with nothing substantive about them, and suggested that their desire to bend down and talk to people is not in line with the “glamorous and imperial air” that has been associated with the monarchy. He went further by saying that he did not believe that Prince George would become King, though he also stated his view about Prince Charles potentially being a “much better King than any of us believe.”

Princess Michael of Kent

     The second controversial comment came from Princess Michael of Kent, the wife of Prince Michael – a first cousin of the Queen. In an interview to promote her new book, The Queen of Four Kingdoms, she remarked that the “older generation are a bit boring for most people.”

     First, it is interesting to note the range of opinion regarding the different generations of members of the royal family. Indeed, similar opinions have been aired in the past, and can be found throughout Britain and the world. Believe me, I’ve read the comments sections of many news websites and Facebook pages.

     However, both of these views are at best, overly-simplistic and at worse, flat-out wrong.

     The comments about the older generation – such as the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh – are frivolous because they are based on nothing more than age and not on any substantive issues, and  because they suggests that the older generation have nothing to offer to the people of Britain and the Commonwealth.

     This ignores the tremendous amount of service that they have given to their country, stretching back to World War II. In addition to the Queen and Prince Philip – the Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent, Prince Charles, and other older members have served in the military, and have since been traveling around the UK and the world to represent Queen and Country. Most people do not this boring in the least, and that kind service cannot be discounted. Perhaps this is why millions of people turned out for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, because they sense an air of timelessness with regard to the older generation, who have done so much.

The Queen and Prince Philip have given much service to their country.

     In addition, such comments also forgets the value of age and experience, in which older members have long memories, and are able to remember faces and events, which can come in handy during certain engagements and occasions. This wealth of experience is also helpful to the younger generation, who can be given guidance on how to handle themselves in the public sphere.

     It’s understandable that some people are gravitated toward the younger generation like William, Kate, and Harry, for they are more photogenic and appear to have more energy and interesting lives. However, this is merely an example of style over substance.

Prince Charles is beginning to step his role as heir to the throne.

     It lends to the flippant belief that Prince Charles ought to give up his inheritance to the throne in favor of Prince William. Never mind that this flies in the face of the heart of a hereditary monarchy – a fixed and known line of succession – but it also ignores the fact that the Prince of Wales has been training to be king for decades, and has a wealth of experience in preparation for his future role. He has worked hard to bring attention to issues that are important to him, but which get little coverage by the political and media class, such as crisis in the inner cities, lack of opportunities for young people, environmental and health problems, architectural preservation, and so on. With regard to such issues, he has put his money where his mouth is, and has gone out of his way to help people through his various organizations. In addition, he has represented the Queen on several occasions in the UK and abroad, and has preformed several duties in her name. He is ready for kingship, and William will be ready in time.

     On the other hand, saying that William and Kate are not interesting is also without basis in reality. They have helped to provide a resurgence of interest in the monarchy for future generations, and will be at the heart of carrying on the work of the ancient institution.  This year, they (along with Prince George, possibly) will be representing the Queen on a royal tour of Australia and New Zealand. As time passes and they become accustomed to the affairs of state, we should expect them to grow firmly into their roles within the royal family. More formal duties will come their way, which will take care of the issues of them not be being substantive and not being much more than mere “celebrities.”

     In addition, the idea of having members of the royal family being more in touch with people and having casual conversations with them is a positive development, in my opinion. It signals – however symbolically – that the royal family cares and has an interest in what goes on in the lives of their people. Of course, this does have to be balanced with the need to preserve some if the mysticism and magic of the monarchy, and not letting everything hang out in the open for all to see and hear. However, with the time and experience accumulated by previous generations of the royal family, they will have plenty of guidance and example on how best to achieve that balance.

William and Kate will be ready in due time.

     If we know anything to be absolutely true about the monarchy, it is that it has the ability to re-invent itself time and time again and to adapt to changing times, so such comments about the inability of the younger generation to adequately fill the shoes of the older generation are likely to be false in the course of time.

     Both of these polar opposite views – about William and Kate being “dull” and the older generation being “boring” – do not bear any fruit because they are based on standards set by popular culture and by oversimplifications without any justification. The monarchy is not a popularity contest. It is a venerable institution that encapsulates all that Britain has through in its history, and therefore is much larger and more consequential that a petty popularity contest, which will do more to undermine the monarchy than its foes. As time moves forward, so will the monarchy, and the older and younger generations will work together to make it work and be relevant in the future. 

Photo Credit: Allan Warren via Wikimedia Commons cc, West Midlands Police via photopin cc, Simon Jones via Flickr cc, Government of Alberta via Flickr cc