King Charles Crowning

Now that all of the  pomp and circumstances of  the crowning of King Charles is over, some reflections seem apt.

The British organise events such as the crowning of a new king and/or queen, rather better in my view, than any other country in the world. Perhaps I say this as one who followed, well sort of followed, as there was no colour TV available in 1953, the crowning of HM Queen Elizabeth II. Supermarkets might have had  a couple of beer varieties on the shelves   but now there is  a surfeit of choice with for example, countless numbers of  named beers   rather than one or two such as then, Newcastle Brown ale (delicious in my view).

In 1953, the UK was still suffering rationing following WWII. Many parts of London were derelict from the blitz and other WWII fire fights. My own home had been in a   Nissen hut at an RAF base in Lytham St Annes; see Nissen Hut. 

I am no royalist but a decent monarchy saves the costs, risks and inconveniences caused by presidential rule,  which are in my view becoming more and more apparent even in the USA not to mention Russia. 

Looking back not too long ago,  Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, which to me is akin to a president, caused her country to become dangerously beholden to Putin's Russia and look where that got her and us.

Emmanuel Macron the French President is a fine man but his presidency is now ridden with issues that he appears to be finding, putting it mildly, rough.

King Charles is give  or take a few months, the same age as I. Like myself he also went to boarding school during the 1960s.

Interestingly, when he was caught by a master from his school at Gordonstoun, in a local pub at age 14 drinking a cherry brandy, the bodyguard to the then Prince Charles was dismissed. At my boarding school, the likely punishment for the same offence would have been a twice nine  beating  of the boy with the ferula. In any event the bodyguard to the Prince would surely have been employed to protect him not to lead his life for him. 

Though not particularly enthusiastic about the monarchy, it seems to me to be the least worst type head  of state.

I also  admire  the views of Charles about saving the planet, farming and housing,  in much of which he appears to have been well ahead of his time. 

Probably the apparent feud between his two sons  is par for the family course. That hardly troubles me. Harry's wife is a good actor and  very attractive lady.

Given his age, I doubt that Charles will be on the throne for anything like the number of years of his mother. If I were he, I would, before I became as old as for example the current American president, abdicate as graciously as possible in favour of his oldest son William.