Respecting Real Royalty

With the chance of sounding completely ‘Royalist’ I would like to say that when I first saw on the news that HM the Queen had passed away, I was truly upset, and also even though this dreaded news was inevitable, it was still a shock to my system. Every time I would see coverage of The Queen stoically carrying out her royal duties, her frailty was always offset by her regal yet charming attitude and steadfast determination to do ‘what needs to be done.’ For most of the world, there has never been another Monarch that they have known, or a face so familiar within their lifetimes. 

My sister Dinushka and I started travelling to London for our holidays when I was eight years old and she just six. My grandmother who grew up in Colonial Ceylon accompanied us, along with our parents on that first visit, and many more times thereafter. Her influence, explaining in detail about the royals, and their impact on global culture, along with the many visits as a family to the numerous Royal properties in the United Kingdom surely influenced my unabashed anglophile sentiments. Much to the amusement of my family my O’Level mathematics teacher used to call me, “Child of the Queen” because even at fifteen years of age am guessing the many books and brochures procured on our travels were a bit of a giveaway!

I maybe a ‘royalist’ but above all I pride myself on being a ‘realist.’ We are now in the time of the 21st century where in the vapid minds of many, crinkly cash equates some sort of perverse distorted self-proclamation of ‘regal status.’ For those who know my writing, the reason I use the term ‘crinkly cash’ is because ‘new money’ fresh off the mint, makes a ‘crinkly’ sound. The crinkles are in abundance in all parts of society, but its when on the threshold of their misguided idea ‘haut society,’ that they go even madder. Suddenly its all about the ‘cash and flash,’ imagining that this crass show of everything that glitters, is a ‘status symbol’ unto itself. Symbol yes, but of tackiness and bad taste for sure. 

Take some of the ‘self proclaimed’ who decide to theme their frighteningly tasteless soirees as ‘royal parties.’ The venues are packed with anything and everything either painted gold, or strewn with vile crystals in a sad attempt at trying to re-create some grand aristocratic room in some far distant palace, that the poor event coordinator is forced to bring to life. Of course, the contactors are in heaven since they get to charge the ‘crinkles’ obscene amounts for the ‘re-creation’ and since the money is usually ‘acquired’ not earned, the spending is shamelessly lavish. Guests are given some far off ‘royal’ dress code’ where the brocade curtain fabrics in Colombo are all used up, and suddenly everyone is ‘royal.’ The hosts usually reserve the worst in bad taste for themselves where they end up looking like footman and shiny gowned extras from ‘Sleeping Beauty’ or background ‘fillers’ from the Bollywood genre. Sure the social media magnets draw in the ‘looks and likes’ since the saucy spectacle is so bizarre one cannot avert one’s eyes. Through laughter we behold these escapades, these ‘royal revelers’ who are as far from ‘royal’ as the proverbial ‘chalk and cheese.’ 

We also see the many little ‘Princes and Princesses’ having birthday parties with the child’s name actually including these eminent regal titles. I do totally understand that to every parent their child is a true treasure, as should rightly be so. It is when one puts the royal titles before the little one’s names in the invites and décor that the disturbing sense of complete disconnection from reality becomes evident. These are not the usual “Princess parties’ where all the little kids are Princesses, but a well-planned event where the one and only royal in the room is the little royal birthday girl or boy. How fascinating that, parents so readily achieve royal lineage, and also pass it down to the next generation. From the adults to the unsuspecting and unaware children, there seems to be a massive effort to purchase some tinge of ‘blue blood,’ at whatever shade, and whatever cost. Unfortunately, it is the lack of any common sense that makes these characters the epitome of  ‘common’ in these instances. 

Maybe in the days of waiting for the ‘newsreel’ to be shown at the movie theatres, or waiting to open the ‘special edition’ of a paper to know what ‘royalty’ was doing meant that one was not really fully aware of how ‘real royalty’ behaved, dressed, entertained, etc. In those far away days in the past, perhaps one could cast some forgiveness towards the very tacky who aspired to royalty. In this day and age with the entire world at one’s fingertips, one has absolutely no business being so misinformed as to think that any of the ‘real royals’ would want to dress like the chandeliers in their state rooms, or throw frighteningly ‘over the top’ parties to celebrate, well, anything. Have we seen massive birthday parties for Prince George or Princess Charlotte of the United Kingdom? What about holiday festivities? Photo-op parties, with the royals trying to match the Christmas tree? I should think not. 

Maybe it is the self-assured innate confidence of knowing oneself that makes someone shy away from trying too hard. Can we forget the wonderfully humorous ‘skit’ including the Queen and Paddington Bear, during the recent jubilee celebrations? The ability to not take oneself too seriously, and look at life without ‘self importance’ was again highlighted in that instance. The global ‘real royals’ certainly have nothing to prove with their homes strewn with inherited artworks, their ‘real jewelry’ being passed down for generations, and their aversion for ‘obtrusive’ being part of their code of upbringing. The ‘republican contingent’ who with their ‘off with their heads’ anti-royalist banter may have a lot to say am sure, but my opinions are purely based on the disturbing disparity of the ‘real’ vs. ‘the wannabes.’

As the world watches the new ‘Carolean age’ under the aegis of King Charles III take shape, we are also aware of the immense respect and reverence with which the royals are held in the hearts of their loyal subjects. No matter the age demographic, the streets fill up on royal occasions, and the sentiments displayed at the passing of HM the Queen underlines the love of the People. Would it not be amazing if we in our beautiful Island had any leader who could inspire tens of thousands to show up, not to throw them out of office, but united in celebrating the leader? Aspirational thought perhaps, but one can certainly hope.