Royal News Mash-Up

Here are some highlights of recent royal news, and my take on them. 

Birth Registration of Prince George 

     Yes, even members of the royal family must have a birth certificate and have it registered and listed in public records like everyone one else – no chance for “birthers” to make an argument here.

     On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge officially registered the birth of their son, Prince George of Cambridge, with a standard certificate issued by the registrar's office of the City of Westminster in London. The deputy registrar, Alison Cathart, paid a visit to Prince William at Kensington Palace – Kate remained at her parent’s house in Bucklebury – where the certificate was filled and signed with William’s signature.

The official birth certificate of Prince George of Cambridge. Alison Cathart, the deputy registrar said that it was a pleasure and a privilege to formally register the baby.

     What’s interesting is that William chose to name his occupation as Prince of the United Kingdom, even though he works as an RAF search-and-rescue pilot in Wales. The Telegraph seems to believe that he did so to show “solidarity” with Kate, whose occupation is listed as Princess of the United Kingdom (which the Queen also listed as her occupation on the marriage register in 1947).

Marriage register signed by then-Princess Elizabeth
and Philip Mountbatten.

However, I believe that placing his military job in the occupation space would have shown to the world that in fact, he is a “working man” in the sense that he wakes up, goes to a job for a shift with other guys doing the same work, comes home for R&R, goes to bed, and then does it all over again the next day. It shows that he is more than a prince waiting to become king, and not a primadonna celebrity who requires attention all of the time. But I can understand where he may be coming from, and after all, he may not be a search-and-rescue pilot for very long. His tour of duty in Wales ends in September, and he may choose to sign up for another three years as a pilot either in Wales or somewhere closer to London, take a desk job or instructor position with the Household Calvary (Blues and Royals) in London, or he may decide to end his military career altogether and become a full-time working member of the royal family (particularly in light of the advanced ages of the Queen and Prince Philip). He has already said that it is becoming increasingly difficult to juggle the demands of his military career (which he enjoys very much) and royal life. The Duke is supposed to make a decision on this matter in the next few months. 

Bearing Gifts From Politicians 

     The leaders of Britain’s three main political parties have disclosed the gifts that they gave to Prince George following his birth on July 22^nd. The Prime Minister and Conservative (Tory) Party leader David Cameron and his wife Samantha provided a set of 15 Roald Dahl books, including titles such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Twits. Deputy 

Prime Minister David Cameron

Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg and his wife Miriam gave George an embroidered cot blanket made by Spanish nuns, which the Clegg’s purchased while on vacation in Spain – Miriam’s native country – a few weeks ago.Ed Miliband, the Leader of the Opposition and leader of the Labour Party, along with his wife Justine, presented the prince with a three-year-old apple tree from the London Orchard Project and Brent Eleven Streets residents association. The gift is said to be traditional for a first-born son, but from what tradition, I do not know. Miliband is from a Jewish family, but I cannot (yet) find references to Jewish first-born boys being presented with an apple tree. If anyone knows something about this, please contact me, so that I can be better informed! 

William's First Parenthood Experiences and Fun Uncle Harry 

     Meanwhile, William made his first appearance since the birth of Prince George at a charity polo match last Saturday (August 3^rd) with his brother, Prince Harry. The Audi Polo Challenge supported the charities SkillForce, an education charity of which William is patron, and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, of which he is president.William and Harry played on the same four-man team and won, but William admitted after the match that his mind was not entirely focused on the game. He said that he wasn’t really “in the zone” and was thinking about diapers (“nappies” as they are called in the United Kingdom). Later, as he was being presented with a mini polo mallet for George, he jokingly asked if it were diapers, saying that he needed to pick some up on the way home. He also said that George “likes to move around a lot” and keeps him and Kate on their toes. 

Prince Harry

     As for Prince Harry, in the days following the birth of his  nephew, he has said that he likes being an uncle, and that his job is to make sure that George has fun and to assist his brother and sister-in-law in making sure he has a good upbringing (albeit joking that his baby-sitting charges are expensive). Given Harry’s penchant for having “fun”, I’m sure he will succeed in doing his bit as an uncle, providing that whatever he intends to do with George is age-appropriate! He has also hinted that he may remain single for the time being, by stating that his brother’s marriage and the new baby have taken some pressure off of him to settle down in the near future. 

Indian Footman Forced To Leave UK 

     On the day that Prince George was born, a Palace footman named Badar Azim was seen by millions of people around the world as he helped Alisa Anderson, the Queen’s Press Secretary, to place the official notice of the birth on an easel in front of Buckingham Palace. The next day, he was on the front page of several newspapers around the world. A few days after that, he was forced to leave the Royal Household because his visa to work in Britain had expired.

     Born in India, Azim was educated in Catholic schools and took up hospitality management in college. A local charity provided the funds for him to finish his studies at Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland. He applied for jobs throughout Britain, and was eventually hired by Buckingham Palace in early 2012, where he worked for 18 months under a two-year working allowance as part of his student visa. The 25-year-old reportedly asked the Palace to vouch for him to obtain a long-term working visa so that he could continue working there, but UK visa requirements mandate that work visa applicants need to have a sponsor and a job paying at least £24,300 ($35,250) a year that cannot be filled by a UK citizen. Royal footmen are paid as little as £14,000 ($21,500) a year – although they are provided rent-free “grace-and-favor” apartments on the grounds of Buckingham Palace. So he had to fly back to India, where he lives in Calcutta with his eight-member family in a two room apartment above a local shop. But Azim remains hopeful that something will work out, and that he will be able to return to work at the Palace.

     In my opinion, Azim appears to be very enthusiastic about working in the Palace, and it is so unfortunate that he has become ensnared by immigration laws (especially given that he is from a Commonwealth country). This potentially puts the Palace in a tough position. On the one hand, if it does nothing and is forced to obey the laws passed by Parliament, which results in Azim never coming back, people will accusing the Palace of turning its back on him. On the other hand, it could intervene on his behalf, but then it would be accused of being above the law and getting special treatment. The Palace could raise the pay levels of all of their footmen so that Azim can come back under the current law, but such an increase would show up on Palace accounts, leading to nefarious republicans to accuse the monarchy of financial profligacy. (As a side note, I have read comments on republican sites that have criticized the royal family for paying certain employee’s “dirt” wages and salaries, but then accuse them of not being prudent with taxpayer money. Talking about wanting to have cake and eating it too).

     At any rate, I hope that Azim will be able to return to his old job at the Palace. It would be a sad commentary if the man who helped to announce the birth of the future king of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms (and possible Head of the Commonwealth, of which India is a member) ended up living out his life in an Indian slum with no prospects. Sure, he may find other opportunities in his native India and elsewhere, but the fact that he apparently liked what he was doing at the Palace makes for a disappointing situation, especially since he appears to be a upstanding and hard-working man who was liked by his colleagues at the Palace. On another note, it never ceases to amaze me how immigrants tend to be more enthusiastic and optimistic about their adoptive countries than many natives. 

Pregnancy of Zara Phillips 

     With all of the hoopla over the birth of Prince George, most people do not know that there is another royal baby on the way (well, sort of). Zara Tindall – the Queen’s eldest granddaughter – and her husband Mike announced that they are expecting their first child in the new year.

     Zara is the second child and only daughter of Princess Anne by her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, and is an accomplished 

Zara Tindall with the silver medal that she earned
as part of the British equestrian team during London 2012.

equestrian rider. Professionally riding under her maiden name, Zara Phillips, she has participated in – and has won – several competitions, including winning a silver medal as a member of the British equestrian team during the Summer Olympics last year in London. Zara is 15^th in the line of succession to the Commonwealth realms, which will make her child 16^th in line. As female-line grandchildren of Elizabeth II, both Zara and her older brother Peter were not born with royal titles and their parents reportedly refused aristocratic titles to ensure that they would have careers independent of the Palace, which means that they are not financially supported by the British treasury.

     In a move that has created a wee bit of controversy, Zara – now thought to be four months pregnant – has continued to ride horses. She announced that all of her competitive engagements for the year have been cancelled and that she has already qualified for next year’s competitions. But last Saturday, she took part in non-competitive exercises on the horse she used during the Olympics, High Kingdom, which she has since retired from competitions but still uses for recreation. Britain’s National Health Service warns pregnant women against partaking in activities where there is a risk of falling, such as horse-riding. But the Scottish branch of the NHS adds a caveat that pregnant women can continue to ride so long as they are professionals or experts, and Zara clearly qualifies this criteria.

     As a man with absolutely no knowledge of obstetrics or gynecology, it will be wrong for me to judge Zara (or any woman) for what they do during pregnancy (aside from drinking and smoking). For all I know, Zara may have already had discussions with her doctor over this issue, and – as an expert equestrian – she probably knows what she is doing. Let’s hope that the pregnancy goes well, and that the child will be safely delivered next year – potentially providing a playmate for Prince George and the Queen's other great-grandchildren, Savannah and Isla Phillips (daughters of Zara's brother, Peter).

Prince Philip Return's To Duty 

     Finally, there is the good news that Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh will be making his first public appearance in nearly two 

Prince Philip

months at an engagement in Edinburgh in a few days. On June 6, the Duke checked into the London Clinic for what the Palace said was a planned “exploratory operation” in his abdominal region. Afterward, he spent eleven days there, celebrating his 92^nd birthday and missing the Trooping the Colour ceremony for the Queen’s Official Birthday. Philip was then discharged from the clinic to recuperate, first at Windsor Castle and then at Sandringham, the Queen’s private estate in Norfolk, England. During that period, his third great-grandchild (and first great-grandson) Prince George was born, but Philip has yet to see the boy.

     He is now expected honor a long-standing commitment to attend a meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh – an organization of which he is a patron and honorary fellow – and present medals to Professor Sir John Cadogan, former director of research at BP and president of the Learned Society of Wales; Professor Michael Ferguson, Dean of Research for the College of Life Sciences at The University of Dundee; and businessman Sir Ian Wood. Then Philip will join the Queen and much of royal family for their summer vacation (“holiday” in the UK) at Balmoral, the Queen’s private Highlands estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland until October.

     It is good to know that the Duke of Edinburgh is getting better and doing well enough to participate in the engagement with the Royal Society. Without him, the monarchy lost one of its most invaluable assets, and the Queen was publicly without her essential partner and companion over the last two months. In an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Marr last year, Prince Harry said that he did not believe that the Queen could have gone on through the last six decades without Philip. His absence from the Diamond Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving last year was especially felt, as the Queen walked down the aisle of St. Paul’s Cathedral alone. Hopefully, the Duke will have many more years ahead of him with good heath, so that he may remain the “strength and stay” of the Queen.

Photo Credit: Mareklug via Wikimedia Commons cc, GlynLowe via Flickr cc 

The World Meets Baby Cambridge

It was as though time had stood still. 

The world waited and anticipated for this moment - the moment when it got its first look at the future King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (United Kingdom, UK, Great Britain, or Britain for short).

     Throughout the day, is wasn't at all clear if the Cambridges were leaving yesterday or today. But the official celebrations of the birth continued with the traditional 62-gun salute at the Tower of London (21 for a normal salute, 20 for taking place at a royal palace, and 21 marking the loyalty of London to the monarchy), 41-gun salute by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Green Park (21 for a normal salute, 20 for taking place in a royal park), and the peeling of bells at Westminster Abbey. The Band of the Scots Guards also played the song "Congratulations" during the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Similar gun salutes and tributes occurred in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and other realms and territories.

Carole and Michael Middleton leaving the hospital upon visiting their daughter and baby grandson.

It was the Prince of Wales who may have inadvertently let it slip that the Cambridges and the baby were coming out soon.

     Eventually, events started to pick up pace at St. Mary's Hospital. First, Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, arrived at the hospital in a taxicab. They visited for a few minutes and later chatted with the media before leaving the area. Later, Prince Charles and Camilla paid their own visit (having flown in by helicopter after completing engagements in Yorkshire), after which the Prince told the public that they would see the baby soon. Kensington Palace then released a statement stating that the William, Kate, and their boy would in fact be departing the hospital later that evening. For the next few hours, cameras were trained directly on the door of the hospital, with crowds expressing cheers and then disappointment whenever the doors opened, only to reveal people other than William, Kate, and the baby.

     Finally, with the hospital staff lined up by the railings, it was clear the moment was soon coming. A few minutes later, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge came outside of hospital, with Kate holding the baby. As they did so, a huge roar went up, and the couple legitimately appeared to be overwhelmed by enormous crowds that had gathered there. As they made their way down the steps, the new prince raised his hands, appearing to wave. Kate then handed him over to William, and they walked across the street to give their remarks and to take some questions from the media, which is another example of breaking new ground for the monarchy. Among other things, William teased the press about their long wait, stated that he and Kate were still working on the boys name, and the remarked that the baby had more hair than him. Kate talked about the experience they had which was shared by other new parents around the nation and world. The two of them also bantered with each other about changing diapers and over from whom the baby took his looks. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with the newest member of the royal family

     The couple headed back inside the hospital for a brief period before emerging again with William carrying the baby in a carrier/car seat. He placed the child in the back seat of a Land Rover with Kate, and then he himself (with a royal protection officer in the passenger seat) got into the driver's seat and drove off to the small cottage in which he and Kate live on the grounds of Kensington Palace, another break with protocol and an attempt to show William and Kate as a modern royal couple.

     All in all, it was an exciting day with tradition and modernity mixing neatly together. Now is time for the new family to have their time alone. William has two weeks of official paternity leave before he returns to his RAF search and rescue base in Wales, and since renovations to their 21 room apartment in Kensington Palace (formerly occupied by the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret) are not yet complete, it appears likely Kate and William will spend some time at her parent's home in Bucklebury, Berkshire. It is equally likely that this baby will not have another formal appearance until his christening, which may not be until September or October when the Queen returns from her annual summer holiday (vacation, as we call it in the States) in Scotland. Today, the Queen did pay a half-hour visit to Kensington Palace to see her third great-grandchild and third generation heir to the throne (and soon afterward, Kate and William headed to Bucklebury to visit her parents).

      When the Queen met him, she must have taken some comfort in knowing that the monarchy is secure for the rest of this century and possibly into the next. Of course, the boy will be reign for several decades, but that doesn't seem to matter. His birth alone has delighted the people of the UK, the Commonwealth, and world. Only the most cynical could not find something to be happy about with the arrival of this child who will one day preside over one of the oldest and most storied institutions of the world. 

     Let us all wish him a happy and long life.

Photo Credit: Christopher Neve via Photopin cc, Steve Rhodes via Photopin cc

Tradition Celebrated as the UK Weclomes Baby Boy Cambridge

The official notice of the birth of "Baby Cambridge" on display outside Buckingham Palace

     If you're a monarchist, it does not get better than events such as this. In many ways, words cannot be found to express the joy of this occasion.

     One thing for certain is that there has been a huge sigh of relief and exultation's of celebration. After nine months of waiting (including a month-long build-up of public and media frenzy), Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, and Baroness Carrickfergus was safely delivered of a son at 4:24 PM BST (11:24 AM EDT) on July 22, 2013 after about 10 hours of labor. According to the Kensington Palace press release, Prince William was at his wife's side in the delivery room, following in the footsteps of his father Prince Charles (though not his grandfather Prince Philip, who was playing squash at the time when then-Princess Elizabeth gave birth to Charles). The press release also stated that boy weighs 8 lbs, 6 oz, and that he and his mother are doing well. There has been speculation over whether there were complications with regard to the delivery, for there was a four hour gap between the time of the birth and the time of the announcement, but I believe that William and Kate wanted a period of time to savor the moment for themselves. In my earlier post, I said that although this was an event of international significance, there ought to be ample time for the families to have their moment of solitude before the glare of camera's changes everything. I for one, am happy that this is happening.

Crowds outside of Buckingham Palace following the announcement of Baby Cambridge.

     While the Duke and Duchess got to know their child, the world waited anxiously for news. At around 3:30 PM EDT, the Kensington Palace press release was issued. Soon after that, the Duke and Duchess's press secretary took the medical bulletin (containing the baby's gender and time of birth) to a Palace courtier, who then drove it to Buckingham Place. There, it was handed to a royal military aid, who then carried it into the Palace so that it could be framed. Finally, it was brought out by the Queen's press secretary and a footman of the Royal Household who placed on the easel just behind the gates so that the teeming crowds could see it. In the age of Facebook and Twitter, it's rather nice to witness the continuance of this tradition. It was also interesting to see another tradition in the form of the London town crier making his own announcement on the steps of the hospital. After days of stunts by royal lookalikes, many in the press corp were initially unimpressed by this display and were shouting him down. But by the end, it was realized that this man was literally performing his public duty as a town crier and was cheered on by the crowds as he finished. Indeed, this is what makes the United Kingdom special to me. The British people retain their traditions and are reluctant give up on them, no matter how old, archaic, or anachronistic they may be. The tradition of monarchy is remains popular in part because it connects to the history of Britain like no other institution.

The fountains at Trafalgar Square were lit in blue to mark the occasion of the birth

     Indeed, history has been made. For the first time since 1901 with the death of Queen Victoria, there are now three generations of heirs in the direct line of succession: Charles, Prince of Wales, William, Duke of Cambridge, and now the recently-born boy, who will be titled "His Royal Highness Prince [NAME] of Cambridge." But this child will not only be King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but also of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, The Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda. He will also be Supreme Governor of the Church of England, head of the Armed Forces, and possibly head of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations.

The Commonwealth of Nations. The countries in red represent the members of the Commonwealth that are realms that share the British monarch as head of state. The countries in blue represent the members of the Commonwealth that either have their own monarchies, or are republics.

      It is in part because of this international role that the monarchy retains its luster throughout the world - especially in United States - in a way the remaining monarchies of the world do not. Thanks to the fact that the British Empire once covered over 25% of the world's surface and contained nearly as much of its population, there is near-universal respect and affection for the monarchy. The Queen has been exemplary in her duties as the face of this ancient institution through the 20th and 21st centuries, and now she has three heirs to secure the monarchy into the 22nd Century. Some people have talked about the possibility of a line of silver (and potentially bald) haired monarchs succeeding to the throne at advanced ages because the Queen has reigned for so long (and may reign longer given the longevity of her mother who passed away in 2002 at the age of 101). Charles will be 65 by the end of the year and William is already 31, which means that this child will not likely reign until the after the midpoint of this century, and there are thoughts that old monarchs will not prove to be as popular as younger ones at the start of their reigns. I believe that the public will be receptive to older monarchs because of perceived wisdom and wit that comes with age and a prolonged "apprenticeship." It also potentially removes some pressure from the younger generations, so that they may have a more private and normal life, resulting in being more equipped to assume the pressures of kingship. This is all the more reason why the Queen should not, and will not, abdicate. Don't underestimate the ability of the monarchy to reinvent itself as a modernizing institution with age and experience at the helm.

Not wanting to be left out, Niagara Falls were also lit in blue to commemorate the birth of the boy who will one day be King of Canada.

     At any rate, there is cause for great celebration because of what this boy represents for the future of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, which is continuity and stability. While everything else changes at a rapid pace, the order of succession is solidly in place, and there is comfort in knowing who the next head of state is going to be, as well as having a monarchy to represent the whole nation and not a political party or faction. Now the child's name is next topic for discussion. Personally, I prefer James, since it has not been used for a British king since 1689 when James VII of Scotland & II of England and Ireland was deposed. In contrast, George has been used six times since 1714 with the accession of George I of Great Britain. But regardless of the name, this boy is already known around the world, and like William, we'll be watching him grow up to eventually fulfill his destiny.

Photo Credit: David Hart & David Hart via flickr cc, Philip Stevens via Wikimedia Commons cc