The monarchy

Funnily enough, the existence of the monarchy is one of the very few subjects about which I do not have strong feelings. To anyone who knows me or who reads me, this will seem odd, given that so many other people can get so incredibly worked up about it.

Generally I look at the Royal family and for some reason, for all their weaknesses, they make me feel pleasantly British, part of something. I can't put my finger on why, because from a logical perspective there's not really much solid argument for monarchy. But I suppose the flip side of that is that republican sentiment, especially when virulently expressed, comes across as so joyless, mean-spirited and cross. It's like people who berate fashion, get annoyed by good news stories becase they're distracting from the serious problems of the day, or complain about those who spend lots of money on their pets. They sound as if they would call the police if they saw someone getting beaten up rather than wading in with their fists and shouting obscenities loudly at the attacker (which is the tactic I have planned, should I ever find myself in that position).

As I explained at probably tedious length here www.stuffstillhappens.blogspot.com/2006/06/democracy-has-its-limits.html , I have a bit of an issue with untempered democracy. I think people have been sold a pup with the whole thing. I don't want to see every position of responsibility and/or power in my country filled with beady-eyed, ambitious, power-hungry people who, once in a post, spend too much of their time holding onto their power and position rather than doing the job we pay them for.

I quite like the Queen and I'm glad she's not a President with an eye on the next election and therefore hungry for popularity. I quite like the fact that she doesn't really have to try, if I'm honest. She has to accept popularity or lack of it and carry on doing her job. If the monarchy looks like it's losing the battle she'll smile, shake hands limply, ask people if they've come far, cut ribbons and wave as if nothing at all is happening.

My generation; Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward; were a bit worthy and dull and then three quarters of them went and mildly astonished us by being interesting enough to have extra-marital affairs and/or ditch their other halves, and the fourth quarter raised eyebrows by turning out probably not to be gay. Who knew? The other slightly limiting factor in my enthusiasm for them as I grew up was that they were sadly plain, however much people tried to convince themselves that Andrew was a looker.

Charles has turned out to be less eccentric than he seemed in earlier life, his talking to plants probably having had more to do with the fact that he and his wildly popular wife couldn't stand each other than any deep-seated pottiness; Anne outgrew her reputation for being rude and difficult, turned out to be quite good at something in her own right, took part in the Olympics and is now the 'hardest-working Royal'; 'handsome' Andrew, well, he has continued being a bit of a buffoon and that's starting to look embarrassing as he continues to exhibit poor judgement into his late forties and fifties, and his ex-wife worse; Edward, bless him, seems... how shall I put this politely?... solid. But they smile and ask people how far they've come and cut ribbons and wave and brighten a lot of people's lives. And frankly I can't think of a job I'd like less, but they didn't really have the option to opt out and for that reason I'm grateful to them.

I suppose I have to mention Diana. She was born at almost exactly the same time as me and I felt great pity for her from the moment she started to be pursued by paparazzi from the nursery where she worked. I wasn't a great admirer of Diana's. I didn't buy in AT ALL to the whole Diana cult, seeing her as a nice and conscientious but rather dim and ordinary woman and, although pretty, not the great beauty she was billed as (bit of Emperor's new clothes going on there, I thought). However, she did a good job as a Princess, especially considering that life at home must have been miserable in the extreme. She was also a good mother and had the backbone to bring up her young sons to be modern royals. I was sad for them when she died, but found the slightly Stalinist demands that we should all bare our souls and make mawkish declarations of personal grief unpleasant and at times threatening. I didn't know her after all.

The next generation seem like a better fit for the future. William and Harry are DOERS. Yes, they are born to a life of privilege but it's a life I wouldn't wish on any young person. They have superficial freedom to pursue a career but then they are reminded that they are not normal joes and there are walls around those freedoms. Harry's frustration at not being able to serve as a soldier with his men on the front line being a prime example. The others are generally likeable and reasonably normal, given the circumstances.

The wedding on Friday was a great spectacle - a chance to get out the heraldry, dust down the carriages, wave a billion plastic Union Jacks and have a massive knees-up. It was about unity and goodwill and FUN.

Electoral events are about discord and disagreement. When they work out how to make the whole country want to party, THEN we'll talk.