Statistics

I have just updated (for the first time since 2004) my page on Population of the World's Monarchies, to reflect events in Nepal and the latest population estimates from Wikipedia. My conclusion is that, sadly, with the loss of Nepal (a country of about 29, 519,000 people) and other factors, the percentage of people living in monarchies has declined from about 8.6% to about 8% of the world's population. That may seem like a small change, but it's significant when we're talking about percentages of such a huge number (6.7 billion).

Another interesting development is that due to population growth in Britain and the Commonwealth Realms compared to relatively static figures in Japan, Queen Elizabeth II has overtaken Emperor Akihito as the monarch with the most subjects.

Kingdom of Nepal (1769-2008)

It looks likes it's over for the world's only Hindu monarchy, with Nepal poised to formally become the world's newest republic, as reported by the BBC and the New York Times. I don't have much to add to what I wrote last month and in other Nepal posts. The modern era has offered few good times to be a monarchist, but this would appear to be a particularly dismal one, and I cannot think of any positive spin to put on what has happened.

This is a black day for Nepal and the world. The gang of thugs and murderers currently in charge of Nepal have "swept away more than two centuries of history," as the Telegraph put it. Will those photographed dancing in the streets still be dancing after they've experienced Maoist rule? Whatever happens, the new republican "government" is an abomination and while we may have to deal with its existence for the foreseeable future, we should never accept it. Once again Revolution, the diabolical enemy of all that is good and beautiful, which has been poisoning the world since the late 18th century, has claimed another nation as its victim. Let's make sure this is the last time.

Auster on Edward VIII

Right-wing blogger Lawrence Auster reflects on the abdication of King Edward VIII, as dramatized in 1978 by ITV. I don't agree with a reader's posted dismissal of the current Prince of Wales, but otherwise some interesting thoughts.

Gyanendra leaves the palace

In a sad development for monarchists, King Gyanendra has vacated the palace of his ancestors as Nepal continues to move toward the establishment of a republic. The Telegraph reports, almost happily, that the King's image is disappearing from souvenirs and currency, but admits that many ordinary Nepalis still support the institution of the monarchy. The Maoists now in control are unlikely to listen to them, much less to us monarchists in other countries who can only shake our heads in distress as Nepal follows that tragic path, which those of us too young to remember the 1979 Iranian revolution had previously observed only in history books, of consigning its monarchical heritage to oblivion.

Danish royal wedding

In a ceremony attended by representatives of the Scandinavian royal families, Queen Margrethe II's second son Prince Joachim of Denmark (previously divorced from Alexandra Manley) married Marie Cavallier (b 6 Feb 1976) in Møgeltønder.

Queen's grandson marries at Windsor

With most of the royal family attending, Peter Phillips married Autumn Kelly at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Autumn Kelly

The Telegraph profiles Autumn Kelly, who will marry Peter Phillips at Windsor Castle's St. George's Chapel on Saturday.

I couldn't help but be mildly irritated by her father's comment that prior to his daughter's relationship with the Queen's grandson he hadn't known much about the Royal Family because "it's not something we follow that closely in Canada." Who is "we"? Speak for yourself, Mr. Kelly. Maybe you didn't care about your daughter's future in-laws, who happen to be your country's Royal Family as well as Britain's, but there are other Canadians who do.