Royals and the Earthquakes

Natural disasters have been dominating the news lately, first with the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, and then the even more devastating one in Japan. Visiting Christchurch, Prince William honoured the victims of both disasters with a moving speech and toured the area. In Japan, for only the second time in history Emperor Akihito addressed the nation. Respect for the monarchy may be one reason why the Japanese people have risen to the occasion so admirably. My thoughts are with the people of New Zealand and Japan, both constitutional monarchies whose royalty are serving as symbols of unity.