Return of the Kings?

An unusually optimistic article on the future of Monarchy from a mainstream source. Let's hope the answer is Yes! Bravo Ed West!

HRH Crown Prince Kardam of Bulgaria (1962-2015)

I am saddened to learn of the death of the Crown Prince of Bulgaria, Prince of Tirnovo, who never recovered from a 2008 car crash. May HRH rest in peace.

Belle Époque Rulers

I've added a new page to my website that collects four assemblies (three posters and one actual photograph) of rulers of the "Belle Époque" (1871-1914), one of my favourite periods in history (in spite of the fact that France was already lost to republicanism), at four different dates: 1896 (below), 1903-05, 1908, and 1910. These are beautiful mementos of what in many ways was a better time, when most of Europe though rapidly modernizing still rightly accepted Monarchy as the norm.

Return of the Kings

I'm back in the United States after a uniquely memorable trip to the United Kingdom (my sixth) during which I enthusiastically celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with great views of every event, met a number of fellow royalists I had previously known only via the internet, attended a fascinating conference on the history of the monarchy at Kensington Palace, went on a Tudor history tour focusing on Executed Queens (Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Jane Grey, and Mary Stuart), celebrated the Queen's official birthday (Trooping The Colour), and generally had a wonderful time.  I'm not sure what else to add here to what I posted on June 5, which was undoubtedly the highlight.  Another valuable aspect of this trip was the opportunity to attend a variety of religious services at some of the leading Anglican and Roman Catholic churches of London and Cambridge, all of them integrating beautiful music into the liturgy, my list of which is online here.

Meanwhile, looking beyond Britain, my friend Charles Coulombe offers this excellent article "Return of the Kings" on the future of monarchy in Europe. The success of the Diamond Jubilee, with millions in London and throughout the UK and the world joining in the celebrations, demonstrated that the popularity of the British monarchy is as secure as it has ever been.  Why shouldn't the inhabitants of those currently republican countries which once enjoyed splendid royal traditions of their own  be inspired to restore their monarchies, providing them with opportunities for the incomparable joy and unity this month's glorious events gave to Britain?

 (The four men who should be ruling the Balkans: King Simeon II of Bulgaria, Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia, King Michael of Romania, King Constantine II of Greece)

Nine Kings 1910

I should have compiled this page in time for the centennial of the death of King Edward VII in May 2010, but didn't think of it until tonight. Here is a tribute to one of my favourite photographs of royalty: the nine kings who assembled in London for Edward VII's funeral in 1910. I wish that someone with the power to bring it about had had my idea of re-creating the photo a hundred years later with those kings' present-day heirs.

Balkan Kings

Thanks to Radical Royalist for this report (including the photograph shown here) on a recent gathering of the four rightful sovereigns of the leading Balkan countries and their families. King Simeon II of Bulgaria, Crown Prince Alexander (II) of Serbia [Yugoslavia], King Michael I of Romania, and King Constantine II of Greece were together to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary of Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine. As far as I'm concerned, the alleged "Fall" of Communism in Eastern Europe is a sham and a fraud as long as these four men are denied their rightful thrones. If only they and not common politicians were ruling the Balkans!

New Genealogical Tables

I have long been interested not only in the monarchist cause and royal history but also in the minutiae of European royal genealogy. Recently, as a follow-up to a comment of mine on a thread at my monarchist forum on the engagement of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden about relationships between reigning European monarchs eventually growing more distant as unequal marriages continue to be the norm, I prepared this table of relationships between current European sovereigns. Liking the way the table looked and inspired to attempt a bigger challenge, I then prepared this similar table for 1914. I am grateful to forum member Peter for his help in revising and refining the tables; our discussion is here in the thread on which I originally posted them.

Bulgarians in Spain pray for Kardam

Bulgarians living in Spain gathered to pray for the recovery of Crown Prince Kardam, who remains hospitalized, as does his wife.

Bulgarian Crown Prince Injured

Crown Prince Kardam of Bulgaria is being kept in an artificial coma after being severely injured in a car crash in Madrid on Friday. Messages of support from Bulgarians have poured in; I too hope he will recover as swiftly as possible.

Keep pretending

The Economist, which in the past has made clear its contempt for the world's surviving monarchies, provides an irreverent "retirement guide" for pretenders to vacant thrones.

What next for Gyanendra?

Deposed monarchs of the past have explored a number of options, the BBC helpfully informs us, as King Gyanendra is formally evicted from the palace.