Queens Belong Only In Fairy Tales Says Republican Centre
The Centre for Citizenship has condemned a proposal that British children swear allegiance to the Windsor family to encourage them to feel a sense of belonging to their country.
The proposal was made by legislator-for-life Peter Goldsmith in a report to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Mr. Goldsmith said that he could see no reason why republicans would not want to swear such an oath.
The Centre for Citizenship described this statement as partisan and deeply offensive. It showed how much the British establishment needed to learn about democratic principles and civil rights.
The Centre questioned how swearing allegiance to an institution that excluded most British citizens from the office of head of state could make for a sense of belonging. He added that an unwritten constitution that required that the head of state be selected from a Northern European Protestant family was particularly alienating for citizens of other beliefs and ethnic origins. Parents who are bringing up their children to value democracy and equality, and those who want Britain to be a welcoming and inclusive country, would be frustrated by this proposal, he said.
“If the British state really wishes to make all citizens see this country as their own” said the Centre, “it must abolish institutions and practices that are undemocratic. It must stop discriminating against those who come from the wrong family or who don’t have officially approved beliefs; It must allow the people to choose all their legislators and their head of state. And it must stop encouraging children to believe that queens and princes or lords and ladies have a place anywhere other than in fairy tales”.