Thursday 29 April 2010

Monarchy-hater Rupert Murdoch knows, what people expect in his papers: Royalty

The RadicalRoyalist had quoted 'The Man Who Owns the News' by Michael Wolff before. Wolff said that the devoutly anti-monarchy Murdoch admitted that "the internal cash flow of News Corporation became highly dependent on The Sun's obsession with Diana". The day Princess Diana died, in 1997, Mr Murdoch met a News Corp executive at a bar and got blind drunk. He was "mourning" the passing of a woman whose life had been a circulation bonanza.

The latest example of Murdoch's awareness that the circulation of his newspapers can be boosted by posting "royalty news" prominently. In its report on the court case of former HeraldSun editor Bruce Guthrie vs. Murdoch's News Ltd. The Age today wrote in its print edition: "There were other clashes over coverage of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark's visit to Australia ..."

On 29th August 2008 the Danish Crown Princess attended a dinner in Melbourne as international patron of Alannah and Madeline Foundation. The managing director of The Herald and Weekly Times in Melbourne, Peter Blunden, a foundation director, complained about the story placed on page 18 of the HeraldSun. Speaking as his master's voice Blunden claimed a better placement in the tabloid paper would increase circulation.

Murdoch's men know: Royalty sells.
New Zealand's newest Knight:

Sir Peter Jackson is knighted by Governor-General


The RadicalRoyalist had expressed his satisfaction with New Zealand's 2010 New Year’s honours list.

Last Wednesday New Zealand's "first lord of film" as The New Zealand Herald called him, was invested as a knight by the Queen's representative Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand. Sir Peter said, he accepted the honour on behalf of "thousands of people". He collected a raft of Oscars for The Lord of the Rings trilogy in 2004, but had issued a statement saying the knighthood was an "incredible moment" that was greater than receiving an Oscar.


Sir Peter Jackson, along with 13 other New Zealanders involved in the arts, health, scientific and public sectors, was honoured at an investiture at Premier House.

It was wonderful New Zealand was honouring the arts industry, he said.

Watch the video of Sir Peter being knighted:

HM King Constantine on the Greek economy and current events

The following statement was published on His Majesty's website:

During his short visit in the region of Pilio with HM Queen Anne-Marie, HM King Constantine addressed journalists’ questions on current events.

Asked to evaluate the fiscal measures imposed recently by the Greek Government, King Constantine stated that it would better be left to the experts. He emphasized, however, that the people do acknowledge the significant efforts on the part of the Greek Government and that everybody take part in the effort to overcome the crisis. His only wish is that despite all adversities, a feeling of collaboration and hope will be cultivated and that in the near future this great undertaking and the sacrifices made by the Greek people will bear fruit.

His Majesty was then asked about the recent terrorist activities*, to which he replied, that he does not differentiate a common thief, who harasses a family or a shop owner and puts their life in danger from a terrorist who harasses and endangers an entire community. The solution to both cases is a unified front comprised of the People, the police authorities and the Justice system. It is our common responsibility to protect Democracy and to demonstrate that public opinion is against terrorism in any form, he continued. We may even have reached the point for a coordinated, peaceful protest to take place, resembling what inspired the people of Northern Ireland a few years ago, when in a unified, silent march they expressed the spirit of a nation against those who wounded their country, the Democracy and its citizens.

In response to questions on the subject of the Mediterranean Games, which will be held in Volos in 2013, King Constantine replied that although he is not fully informed on the progress of the works, he is certain that Greece will pull through, as with the Olympic Games, even if at the very last minute. The success of the Games will depend on the good presentation of the Greek athletes and the effective presence of the volunteers. Asked whether he is willing to offer his assistance, King Constantine responded that he would of course help, if asked to do so, as he did during the bidding process which led to the 2004 Athens Olympics.

*NOTE: The interviews took place before the latest breakthrough and the arrests of alleged members of the terrorist group ‘the Revolutionary Struggle’.

Sunday 25 April 2010

Hellenic Republic is losing its sovereignty
The Economist: "GREECE’S prime minister, George Papandreou, faced the television cameras on Friday 23rd April to announce that his government would draw on emergency aid to tide it over for the rest of the year. Mr Papandreou described the rather embarrassing request to to other euro zone members and the IMF as 'an extreme necessity.' This followed a week in which yields on Greek bonds reached an alarming 8.9%. That in part reflected an announcement by Eurostat, the European statistics agency, that Greece’s budget deficit reached 13.6% of GDP in 2009, even worse than it had previously thought. The agency added that the number might be revised up again, owing to the poor quality of the available data.

"An earlier analysis by
The Economist suggested that Greece would need at least €75 billion of official aid. ... Greece will run up an extra €67 billion of debt by 2014, by which time its debt will stabilise at a scary 149% of GDP."

The Daily Telegraph: "... the Greek crisis represents a deeper test of the entire EMU structure. Germany, which will have to pay the largest chunk of the €45bn (£40bn) Greek loan, also faces its own constitutional struggles connected with the emergency rescue package, raising the prospect that it, rather than the Greeks, may also find cause to abandon the project."

The Hellenic Republic cries out for help. The politicians do not count on the Monarchy's stabilising effects.

Symbol of Greece's sovereignty: King Constantine II of the Hellenes in Thessaloniki. Even the most vicious republicans can't blame neither the Greek Monarchy nor His Majesty for the mess, the Hellenic Republic is in. The modern Greek republic is bankrupt.

Thursday 22 April 2010

Loyalty across the Tasman Sea

The New Zealander’s must have pleased Her Majesty on Her 84th birthday. They have shown great loyalty to The Queen of New Zealand. Not only did the nation’s parliament throw out a bid to abolish the country’s Monarchy, but an opinion poll published hours before the vote showed support for a republic down from 47 per cent two years ago to just 37 per cent, with 51 per cent in favour of the monarchy, since Prince William's visit in January.

The Head of State Referenda Bill in the name of Green MP Keith Locke setting up a plebiscite on republicanism was defeated in Parliament at its first reading, 68 votes to 53.

Conversely, 32 per cent of respondents think New Zealand should cease to be a constitutional monarchy and become a republic.

Rahue Katene, an MP for the Maori Party, which voted against the bill, said it had the potential to make Maoris' relationship with the Crown obsolete.

Maoris chiefs ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria in 1840 by signing the Treaty of Waitangi with the Crown, which is widely regarded as the country's founding document.


Prince William is greeted by Sir Ralph Ngata Love on his recent visit to New Zealand. >

The figures correspond with a similar opinion poll by Angus Reid. “Most people in New Zealand reject the idea of turning the country into a republic .... 53 per cent of respondents oppose this notion."
Nothing more to add

A letter to the editor in today's Age:

YESTERDAY the Queen turned 84. No mention in The Age's FYI column. You republican rag.

Ivar Dorum, Hawthorn

Wednesday 21 April 2010

Her Majesty's 84th Birthday

Today Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, celebrates Her 84th Birthday. All Her loyal subjects wish Her Majesty a Happy Birthday, and thank Her for the impeccable service she has rendered in this indispensable office.

This month marks the 350th anniversary of the Restoration of the British monarchy and the coming to the Throne of Merrie Monarch King Charles II.

To mark the occasion, the Royal Mint plans to issue 150,000 commemorative £5 coins. The £5 coin marks a crucial episode in British history: in 1660 the system of government under the Commonwealth was abandoned in favour of a restored Monarchy under King Charles II.

The new so-called Convention Parliament assembled on 25th April 1660, and soon afterwards received news of the Declaration of Breda, in which Charles agreed, amongst other things, to pardon many of his father's enemies. The English Parliament resolved to proclaim Charles King and invite him to return, which message reached Charles at Breda on 8 May 1660.

The Convention Parliament was dissolved in December 1660, and King Charles's coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 23rd April 1661.

For the restoration of the Iraqi Monarchy
Unfortunately restorations of Monarchies are rarely witnessed these days, but the necessity for a crowned head of state is even acknowledged by republicans. Take Iraq for example. Gailan M. Ramiz wrote in The New York Times:
Although in sentiment and conscience I am a republican, as a political scientist I believe the interests of Iraqi stability and democracy — and indeed Iraq's very survival as a state — would be best served by the restoration of the monarchy. I have long held this view and still do. Why?

Under a constitutional monarchy, the army, police force, civil service and judiciary — the major pillars of power in civil society — would be linked to the crown and consequently placed outside the turbulent arena of political conflict.

Such a system is crucial for Iraq, where politics has ethnic, sectarian and fundamentalist roots and thus has a tendency to be violent.

I am sure that more than three-quarters of the problems of Iraq — and of America's problems in Iraq — would be automatically solved by the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. It is also fully compatible with the federal structure of government for Iraq. Furthermore, a monarchy would not be a novel thing for Iraq — it would indeed be a restoration.

Friday 16 April 2010

RSL doesn't want to take the blame

Below is a response from the RSL Victorian State President, Major-General McLachlan, to the National Chairman of the Australian Monarchist league, Philip Benwell, in which he advises that the ANZAC Day Commemoration Council have met and decided to stick by their decision to omit the Royal Hymn from the Anzac Dawn Service.

The letter is dating from 16th April 2010.

Dear Mr Benwell,

I write in response to your email expressing concern about the decision of the ANZAC Day Commemoration Council to remove the hymn 'God Save the Queen' from the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance.

The ANZAC Day Commemoration Council is the body responsible for ANZAC Day ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance and has been in existence since 1926. The Council is comprised of representatives from the State Government, the City of Melbourne, the Returned & Services League of Australia, WWII Navy, WWII Army, WWII RAAF, Post 1945 Army, Navy and RAAF veterans, Legacy and the Shrine of Remembrance.

Although the RSL State President chairs the ANZAC Day Commemoration Council, decisions in relation to ANZAC Day Commemoration activities in Melbourne are not RSL decisions. The media, however, has portrayed this specific decision as an RSL one and nearly all the public comment on the decision, both critical and supportive, has been directed at the RSL.

In view of your email and wider public reaction to the above decision, the Council met again on the 15th April to revisit its decision of the 23rd March 2010.

After much debate, the Council voted in favour of standing by its original decision and, in doing so, bring us into line with the ANZAC Day Dawn services conducted at the Australian War Memorial and in the other State Capitals, with the exception of New South Wales, where God Save the Queen is not included.

Please be assured that the Council took into consideration the comments received by both yourself and others within the community and listened intently to the comments from the veterans present at the meeting.

Yours sincerely,

David J McLachlan
Chairman
ANZAC Day Commemoration Council


Bendigo shows loyalty
In Victoria's second biggest city, ANZAC Day services will be held in the traditional way. There are no plans to dump the playing of God Save The Queen.

As the Bendigo Advertiser reported, Bendigo RSL president Cliff Richards said the anthem was a tradition that would this year and into the future despite the Melbourne Anzac Day organising committee dropping it from their order of service.

The (Bendigo) Anzac Day march committee hasn’t made the decision . . . but as president I would be insisting we have to play God Save The Queen,” Mr Richards said.

Wednesday 14 April 2010

RSL refuses to sing Royal Anthem

The Australian Returned Services League (RSL) has decided to remove Australia's Royal Anthem God Save the Queen from Melbourne's ANZAC Day dawn service.

The RSL claims the decision to drop God Save the Queen from the ANZAC Day dawn service was made "after widespread consultation". Whom did they ask? The editors of The Age?

The ABC quoted Major-General David McLachlan AO: "The question often comes up why do you have 'God Save the Queen'? It's not relevant and nobody knows it. So we've taken that into consideration." It seems, even Major-General McLachlan does not know that God save the Queen is Australia's Royal Anthem and therefore relevant.

Doesn't he realise that it is still the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)?
The Australian Monarchist League's National Chairman Philip Benwell sent the following letter to Major-General David McLachlan AO

COPY OF THE AML NATIONAL CHAIRMAN'S LETTER TO MAJOR-GENERAL MCLACHLAN
------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 April 2010

Major-General David McLachlan AO
State President
Victorian Branch of the RSL
ANZAC House
4 Collins Street
Melbourne, Victoria, 3000

Dear Major-General McLachlan,

The Australian Monarchist League wishes to register its formal protest at the removal of the singing of 'God Save The Queen', whether as the Royal Anthem or the Royal Hymn, from the Anzac Day Dawn Service in Melbourne.

You say that “the decision was made based on feedback from veterans and young people alike” (ABC News 13/4/10). The Australian Monarchist League has a membership representative of both young and older Australians many of whom are patriotic attendees at the Dawn Service and yet not one has advised that their comments were solicited. Surely when making a ruling of this magnitude, the wishes of servicemen and the families of those whose memories we commemorate should have precedence.

We presume that, if a survey was done, it was amongst the crowds that attend. I would point out to you in no uncertain terms that the Dawn Service is not some sort of sideshow to be 'tweaked' so as to provide a better entertainment. It is a solemn memorial to those who fought for their country. As one old digger said to me today, the Royal hymn is to him, a fitting conclusion to a sad but memorable occasion.

The singing of the Royal Hymn has nothing to do with the debate on a republic and it is totally wrong for anyone to be swayed by prejudices in this regard. The last occasion on which the opinion of the Australian people was sought was in 1999, at which time the people resoundingly rejected a republic.

The Queen is Queen of Australia by Act of the Australian Parliament and now confirmed by a vote of the Australian people. She is our head of state and the personification of the state. It is to the Queen that all servicemen swear allegiance and it is therefore highly appropriate that 'God Save The Queen' be sung on such a meaningful occasion.

We therefore request that you restore the singing of 'God Save The Queen' at Dawn Services now and in the future.

Yours sincerely,

Philip Benwell
National Chairman


International Protest
Protests arose in Canada and New Zealand as well. Robert Finch of The Monarchist League of Canada called the RSL's decision "a foolish example of creeping republicanism".

I think it's disrespectful to the Queen, it's disrespectful to the war veterans and the general public,” said Noel Cox of The Monarchist League of New Zealand.

Wednesday 7 April 2010

Bye, bye, Mr. Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull’s departure from politics is good news for all Australians. Considering the media coverage he received after announcing he would not seek re-election in the forthcoming renewal of the federal parliament, you could have assumed one of the greatest leaders Australia has ever seen, had passed away. But Malcolm Turnbull has only political failures plastering his path – and personal success by become a multi-millionaire and the richest man in parliament.

The media will miss this fierce republican and The Age wrote in today's political obituary:

Mr Abbott offered another reminder this week that he is not the moderniser that Mr Turnbull could have been. On ABC television, he scoffed at questions about a republic, saying that "a republic is generations away and I don't expect to be in Parliament when I am 100". By contrast, Mr Turnbull identified where Australia's destiny and heart lay more than a decade ago. The 1999 referendum result does not alter his prescience in leading the Australian Republican Movement.

Mr Turnbull might have been the one to oversee the reformation of the Liberals as a 21st-century party. On defining issues such as climate change and a republic he stood firm on principle.

Obviously Tony Abbott’s Monarchist conviction is not acceptable for the newspaper’s journalist who is not willing to praise Tony Abbott for standing “firm on principle” since they despise the Monarchist principles. Only republican principles are good principles?The Age:
Mr Abbott has been central in Mr Turnbull's two major political setbacks. Not only did he knock him out of the leadership but he was a main player in defeating the republic referendum in 1999, for which Mr Turnbull had fought.
Thank you, Tony Abbott for the double knock-out. Let's hope, Malcolm Turnbull gave himself the final blow.
In June 2009 King Juan Carlos of Spain met the then Leader of the opposition, Malcolm Turnbull, who acknowledged His Majesty's role in the Spanish democracy.

Tuesday 6 April 2010

Queen's Birthday Stamps issued

Her Majesty’s actual birthday is on 21st April, but this year's Queen's Birthday stamp was issued today.


The Queen's stay in Australia in March 2006 coincided with Commonwealth Day, which is held annually on the second Monday of March.

Traditionally, the Queen, as Head of the Commonwealth, attends the multi-faith Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, from where her message is broadcast across the globe.

In 2006 she delivered her address from St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney, where she is shown in the stamp image following the observance.

At St. Andrew’s she spoke about the pressing need to address issues of health and vitality for all within communities across the Commonwealth and beyond.

Issue date: 6th April 2010

FDI withdrawal date: 4th May 2010

Saturday 3 April 2010

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