Queen Windsor Reveals Opposition to Democracy

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Hereditary head of state Elizabeth Windsor feels “exasperated and frustrated” by the Prime Minister’s ten years in office according to the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. Her concerns ranged from the way the Prime Minister’s wife dressed, through his failure to accord her some undemocratic privileges, to his government’s attempts at democratic reform.
Tony Blair’s offences are said to include rudeness, not visiting Ms Windsor often enough in her castle in Scotland, a disregard for her attempts to lobby him on political issues and his half-hearted attempts to put democratic rights before “heritage”.
Ms Windsor was “seriously annoyed”, according the monarchist newspaper, that Tony Blair changed the day of his weekly meetings with her from Tuesday to Wednesday. Mr. Blair wanted to prepare on Tuesday for parliamentary questions but Ms Windsor seems to have felt that meeting with her should take precedence over the business of government. Nonetheless, the newspaper reported that Mr. Blair took these “audiences” seriously.
In a revealing, if not surprising, disclosure the Telegraph reported that even half-hearted attempts to make the House of Lords less of an affront to democracy upset Windsor. “Any change to Britain’s heritage, which the Queen considers unnecessary, is very upsetting to her”, a source told the Telegraph. Ms. Windsor and the conservative newspaper seem to agree that reform of the House of Lords is a matter of “heritage”, not of democracy.
Windsor also tried to persuade the Prime Minister to follow her lead on rural affairs and was “deeply concerned” that on this and other policies he did not give her opinions precedence over others.
Cherie Blair caused offence by wearing a trouser suit and failing to curtsey to Ms Windsor when visiting, and by yawning “while just feet from” the Windsor family head during the Highland Games.
Windsor’s anger seems to have been made public at this time because she is worried that, despite her exasperation with him, the Prime Minister may not host a dinner in her honour when he leaves office. Both Winston Churchill and Harold Wilson did so.


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