Royal couple to visit St. John’s; thousands underwhelmed
Posted on: Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
In November, Prince Charles and his buxom bride Camilla will be visiting Newfoundland’s shores, VOCM reports.
Anyone expecting us St. John’s-ites to be excited about the royal family’s umpteenth visit to Canada is likely going to be sorely disappointed.
Or maybe that’s just me. For almost my whole life I’ve questioned the relevance of the Windsors to modern-day Canada. In 2009, what viable role do they serve, save representing an unearned, decadent pseudo-plutocracy in a nation not our own?
I imagine the man who will one day be Supreme Governor of the Anglican Church and his devoted wife will tour all the hotspots in town: Cape Spear, Cabot Tower, The Rooms. Hell, they’ll probably hit Velma’s.
And, in truth, I imagine they’ll be warmly received by cheering crowds and smiling politicians. But what will these people be cheering for?
While the Windsors may grease the cogs of a parliamentary system which admittedly works pretty well in Canada, they also represent British classism and colonialism. In short, the whole thing seems archaic, undemocratic, and ultimately obsolete.
What have the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall done for me lately?
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October 3rd, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Couldn’t agree more, Nathan. They’re just a vestige of the empire that really isn’t needed anymore.
October 3rd, 2009 at 9:42 pm
The beating heart of the beast coming to our city. Cool.
October 4th, 2009 at 11:21 am
“hell, they`ll probably hit velma’s” lol that made my sunday morning
October 5th, 2009 at 9:36 am
The royal family might be irrelevant these days but I do really like what the Prince of Wales is doing in regards to sustainability. And his high end organic cookies (Duchy Originals, which can be bought at Home on Water St) aren’t bad either. He was on the sustainability band wagon long before it was cool.
October 5th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
The monarchy represents a tangible link to our heritage, history, and our own roots as a former colony. So while those in their 20s and 30s may see the entire thing as irrelevant, the reality is that those residents in St. John’s 60+ (of which there are many as we know) were born as Newfoundlanders and not Canadians. Those surrounding that generation grew up with a very close connection to Great Britain and the Royal Family.
What are they cheering for you ask? A chance to see a celebrity. The same as a couple thousand young Newfs line up and even pay $50 to go get a peek at Snoop Dogg – a person whom that same older generation would judge as irrelevant and someone who represents a whole lot worse in our CURRENT society than a hierarchy which once represented classism and colonialism.
While I agree that the argument can be made that this link with Great Britain’s monarchy is becoming obsolete, I disagree with putting down those that do get excited about a visit to the Rock. The monarchs and their ‘empire’ are a giant part of Newfoundland’s history. I think eliminating that tangible link to our past would be akin to demolishing Fort Amherst because that also is costing us money to keep around and isn’t used functionally any more.
October 5th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I assure you, Kiera, there are people in my age group (20-30) who’ll be pleased at this news.
Like Melissa said, Prince Charles has done a lot of work for sustainable organic farming, well before it was fashionable (indeed, he was mocked for it, at the start). He’s also lent a lot of support, logistical and financial, to the preservation of built heritage in Canada (I’m sure Shannie Duff would have a great conversation with him).