Charles & Camilla in Africa

Speaking of Africa, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have been visiting Tanzania, where among other activities they have been honoured by a Maasai tribe with the titles "The One Who Makes Cows Cry" (Oloishiru Ingishi) and "Mother of the Children" (Koto Engera) respectively. Considering the source, I was pleasantly surprised by this provocative but insightful reflection in The Guardian on the implications of a photo that calls to mind the British Empire at its height. Mr Jones might not be a traditional monarchist, but his conclusions are likely to irritate republicans more.

The euro may or may not survive but the fact is that we didn't join it. What kept Britain out? Was it the Tory Eurosceptics, Gordon Brown – or a spiritual insularity that is far older and more innate? This image says it all. We never were going to abandon sterling for two reasons that precede all others. We stayed out because we have a monarchy, and because we once had an empire.