State

  • The King & his people: America calling

    The King is proud of his many connections, and few prove more important than America. Even if his studious eye leads to more important matters of late, he knows a lot about the land of the free regardless.

    His efforts to set foot on particular ground led to Washington, New York, and Virginia. These key states show a Monarch making connections with roots, and admiring the shoots. He’s adept at speaking to political leaders as much as he is at greeting crowds for a much more local shindig.

    The shining moment is tea at the White House of course, a refreshing interaction over which much is made in other cultures. The multifaceted institution shows itself better in moments that communicate to an entire room. No doubt the perspective played well for him.

  • Our values don’t contradict

    In the UK we have a historic representative Parliament that seeks to bridge natural democratic divides. This is not understood in many parts of the world, in particular republics. They have a different way of seeing things – and seeking to resolve matters. Their constitutional problems are also different to ours.

    The recent times have suggested that we have a problem in reconciling our differences. This position has no merit because our differences are not problems in a constitution. In the US, they have a problem in keeping their position as a federal union coherent, and it explains haphazard law-making of late.

    In the UK, we are reforming institutions and striving to keep to the roles we create. It’s in staffing that we now see the answers to our problems. It’s not a statement that will defend the nation. It’s not a principle that will unite us. It’s the commitment of every citizen to keep their roles and purposes that helps us every day.

  • Pomp and ceremony in Westminster