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Britain’s track record of human rights is at own son. Camilla is an adulterous woman,
its worst. In India Churchill was responsible a marriage-breaker who broke a fairytale
for the Bengal famine and let’s not forget marriage to be queen. It would be unwise
the Jalianwala Baug massacre,” a Professor to ignore this fact. One wrong step and the
of Black Studies in the UK commented, media would tear her apart — the question is
adding: “If this isn’t the biggest celebration would this be end of the monarchy. Everyone
of white supremacy, I can’t think of what is, hates the wicked stepmother. I wonder what
especially when you think about the lengths, kind of effect this would have had on William
the pageantry, the jewels and all this stuff, and Harry that both their parents were
right?” running around to find sex.
The coronation ultimately boils down
to the spectacle of a hereditary billionaire
riding in a solid gold coach to an abbey,
where a diamond-encrusted crown was
plonked on his head in the middle of a cost-
of-living crisis. The coronation cost Britain
approximately £250 million (If there is no
bread, let them eat cake).
Once upon a time, and not so very long ago,
Charles’s crowning was the world’s biggest the case for the monarchy could be summed
religious pantomime, dramatising the up in just two words: The Queen.
relationship between the divine and the royal Throughout her 70-year reign, which
family and by extension with Britain itself. ended with her death in September last year,
What is surprising is the amount of people Elizabeth II sucked the raison d’être out of the
who showed up on the streets to wave the republican cause. Morphing from the nation’s
British flag on the royal procession despite sweetheart into its kindly grandmother, she
the rain. But then, most of Britain grew up was a reassuring presence in British life who
believing in the stories of kings, queens, opened parliament and popped up on our
and Cinderella’s evil stepmother and prince TVs every Christmas day to offer sage, Yoda-
charming, Barbara Cartland’s love stories of like observations.
dukes rescuing maidens in distress. Not to
forget the queen and Alice in Wonderland.
Put a tiara on a person’s head and you will
have crowds who will gravitate towards
crowns because we aspire to be like them.
We would like to be kings and queens
ourselves even if it’s only in our little
universes.
However, few could have imagined over the
years of careful campaigning that will finally
lead to Queen Camilla being anointed and The queen worked hard at her image.
crowned next to the king on Saturday, that Appreciating that her role lived and died on
one fly-in-the-ointment would be the king’s its mystery, she remained deliberately aloof;
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #48 | JUNE 2023 15
