Romanov exhibit in Minnesota

This morning, on the last day of my Thanksgiving visit to the Twin Cities, I went with my family to the exhibit "The Romanovs: Legacy of an Empire Lost" at The Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis, which was fantastic. I highly recommend that all readers able to do so go to Minneapolis before March 23, 2014 and see this exhibit. Highlights include a 1613 handwritten Gospel, Alexei I's legal code, 1896 coronation vestments, court china from various eras, paintings by Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, jewelry and clothing worn by the last Romanovs, video footage of the imperial family and life in Tsarist Russia, and much more; two hours was barely enough. 

Geeks for Monarchy

I don't endorse everything described herein, but it's interesting to see that monarchist ideas are being entertained even in the technology world, showing that one can coherently admire aspects of modernity like the internet (including Facebook) and antibiotics while still believing that politically, Western Civilisation took a horribly wrong turn in the late 18th century, and then another even worse one in the early 20th. It's odd that the progressive opponent quoted uses the relative stability of Britain over the past 300 years as his argument against reactionaries, when Britain is one of the few countries that (since 1660) has kept its Monarchy, and retained a largely hereditary upper house (politically powerful until 1911) of the legislature until 1999. Hardly proof that reactionaries are wrong to oppose the French Revolution!

JFK

I am not known for my enthusiasm for the American presidency, yet have long had a bit of a soft spot (more human than political) for the Kennedys, partly because they demonstrated that even the world's proudest republic cannot entirely resist the enduring appeal of dynastic politics. For musicians, John F. Kennedy is perhaps best remembered as the president who, with his wonderful wife Jacqueline, gave the arts a prestige they have not generally enjoyed in this country before or since. For monarchists, the US constitution is flawed in combining the functions of Head of State and Head of Government in one person. But whatever his shortcomings as Head of Government, surely JFK was as convincing a Head of State as a president can be. And his assassination fifty years ago today made the world an uglier place. May he rest in peace.

Here is a chart of the monarchs with whom President Kennedy had shared the world stage. Queen Frederika of Greece, King Baudouin of Belgium, and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia led the international mourners at his funeral three days later. In many ways, except for those countries then languishing under Communism (of which he was a staunch foe), the world before the Kennedy assassination was a better place, especially for Greece, Libya, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Laos, Iran, and Nepal.

Coronation Concert

Every so often, being a monarchist in Dallas is not so bad. Tuesday night at Church of the Incarnation my choir performed a concert of music from the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In between the musical selections, our Canadian Rector Bishop Anthony Burton read commentary I had written, which you can read here. It was a marvelous evening attended by many and enjoyed by all, probably the Dallas royalist event of the year.

 

Secularists challenge Coronation

I never had any problem with the British Monarchy being Christian when I was an agnostic, and neither should anyone else. This "legal challenge" is an abomination and must be defeated. The disgusting comments quoted in the article illustrate what a vast gulf exists between these evil secularist orcs and decent people. Yes, Britain is the only remaining European country with a religious coronation. For anyone with a heart this is something to be cherished, not abandoned. The ancient coronation liturgy devised by St Dunstan for the coronation of King Edgar in 973 and (despite the Reformation) substantially intact through the coronation of the present Queen in 1953 is integral to the very soul of the Monarchy. The heartless revolutionary says, "A non-religious ceremony allows everybody to feel equally valued." Well, no. Everybody except those of us who care about tradition and history. There is no "neutral" solution. Either they lose or we lose. I also think it's significant that they refer to the "next head of state" rather than the "next monarch," suggesting that the NSS are crypto-republicans as well, though there are many purely secular arguments in favour of monarchy and many non-religious monarchists (as well as, unfortunately, Christian republicans).

Stomach-Churning Politician

I have never understood why the Reign of Terror in France did not permanently discredit abolitionist republicanism. Yet 220 years later the despicable adherents of this perverted, evil agenda, which regards celebration of the baptism of a future King as nauseating, are for some reason allowed to hold public office while propagating their vile beliefs which historically have led to nothing but misery and horror. It is "British" republicans who are truly "stomach-churning."