Commonwealth chums

Gareth notes the following from crikey.com, an Australian publication:

England has lost its way in the world
Show us how small is Man! Show us how easily this Universe can make matchwood of our dreams!

From murmurings emanating from Buckingham Palace over the years, the gradual but almost complete loss of English authority and influence within the Commonwealth is The Queen's singlemost regret of her reign. In the fifty plus years she has been on the throne she has seen her English Prime Ministers variously ignore, alienate and antagonise the rest of the Commonwealth

This is not the only issue that our Commonwealth chums have noticed. I am put in mind of the following from The Anglo Saxon Chronicle:

Australia attempts to save British Constitution

On the 14th January 2005 the House of Lords will debate the Second Reading of a Bill to amend the Act of Settlement and to repeal the Royal Marriage Act. Read the Bill here

The proposer of the Bill is Lord Dubs, a working Labour Peer and a member of the Executive of the Fabian Society.

Is it not the height of arrogance for the British Parliament to debate these matters without any regard for the consequences to the other fifteen Commonwealth Realms?

Despite the horrific cost, the National Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League, Philip Benwell MBE has written individually to Members of the House of Lords to remind their Lordships that the Statute of Westminster of 1931 requires: "that any alteration in the law touching the Succession to the Throne or the Royal Style and Titles shall hereafter require the assent AS WELL OF THE PARLIAMENTS OF ALL THE DOMINIONS as of the Parliament of the United Kingdom."

Pay a visit to read the rest including Mr Benwell's letter to the House of Lords.

More here.

Posted by John at January 10, 2005 02:22 PM | TrackBack