My entire family on both sides is Welsh. They mined coal outside of Cardiff and then moved to the foothills of Appalachia in southern Ohio and mined coal there.
As there is now a new prince and princess of Wales, I’ve been keenly watching the events surrounding the Queen’s death. Even the Queens dogs were corgis – a Welsh word that literally means “small dog.” Honestly I’ve never given much thought to what I think of the British monarchy, but I am now.
All the coverage of the funeral and the distinctly British pomp and circumstance has made me feel a bit strange. Given our history with Great Britain it seems almost sacrilegious to have an American opinion. After all we haven’t been loyal subjects for nearly 250 years.
But something pulls at my ancestral heartstrings. Other nations are known for their food, their art, their dance or their craftsmanship. Great Britain has the monarchy. I have to admit I feel some sort of weird dormant patriotism when I have heard them singing “God Save the King.” I may be a 7th or 8th generation American, but am I still a Tory at heart?
I’ve often wondered where I would have stood if I had been alive in the American colonies in the late 1700s. American Quakers were around then and not all of them supported a violent revolution. Many wanted to negotiate with the British. If you wonder how that might have turned out, we can look north to Canada.
I’ve learned a few things while watching the coverage from across the pond. For instance I didn’t realize that Prince William didn’t automatically become the Prince of Wales, the new King had to appoint him. King Charles III has already completed that task. King Charles III served as the Prince of Wales for 60 years, which means I have never known a time when he wasn’t sovereign over my historical homeland.
The King went on to address the Welsh parliament in Welsh. That’s no small task for anyone like me who has tried to master that very difficult language. I’ve said it’s the only language where you can have a word with 15 characters and no vowels.
I have to say I admire the British on the way their relationship with their monarch has evolved. While the reign of some royals in other parts of Europe ended with a guillotine, the British have managed to keep the traditions of hundreds of years alive while still moving ahead as a modern country. They seem to be virtually unique in this.
Some in the Commonwealth have used the occasion to call for the abolishment of the monarchy and have been highly critical of British colonial rule that went on for centuries. They say the monarchy is an archaic dinosaur that is expensive for taxpayers and in the end is just a ceremonial position. While I see some of the points, I don’t think now is the time for those discussions. Let the family mourn before you start stripping away their titles, castles and blaming them for things Queen Victoria did 200 years ago.
It seems to me that the Brits should consider their sizeable annual contributions to the throne as a tourist marketing expense. They can be a kinder, gentler representative to old colonies and a visual sign of encouragement and hope for those at home. After all we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year on beach nourishment to attract people here. Why shouldn’t the UK use the monarchy for tourism promotion? Who goes to London without seeing the changing of the guard?
Figures released recently by Brand Finance claim the monarchy will deliver a net profit of precisely 1.144 billion pounds to the U.K. economy this year alone. That’s a cool 1.64 billion U.S. dollars. The total economic value of the British monarchy is estimated at more than $83 billion, a lot of royal dough.
Much of the value of the monarchy comes from the personalities of its members. Queen Elizabeth II was such a beloved character that is hard to see how the new King will even come close to the warm and humorous personality she displayed.
I also had a bit of nostalgia for what might have been. Can you image a Queen Diana? I’m sure she would have gone on to even greater things. I suspect that Queen Consort Camilla will have a more traditional role.
“Endearing” is not a word I would use to describe the new King and Queen Consort, but with a typical British stiff upper lip I’m sure they will do their duty. The children sure get a lot of press, unfortunately not all of it good. I don’t see any of them being as popular to Americans, including this one, as Diana and some of the others were.
Even if you don’t have a great opinion of the Brits and their old traditions, be sure watch the pageantry. Both the Queen’s funeral and the national celebration of a coronation that will follow promises to be over the top. You just know there were some “real” queens doing that choreography.
With apologies to George Washington, “God Save the King!”
Greg Stemm is a longtime resident of Pinellas County and a founder of St Pete Pride. He currently sits on the board of the award-winning LGBTQ Resource Center of the Gulfport Public Library and is an outspoken activist on many issues, including HIV/AIDS education.
