Month: July 2010
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When Subjects Became Citizens
An early draft of the Declaration of Independence referred to the people of Britain’s 13 North American colonies as “subjects”, the US Library of Congress has revealed. But, in the words of the Washington Post, in 1776 Thomas Jefferson “sought quite methodically to expunge the word, to wipe it out of existence and write over…
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A Queen in New York
The Washington Post has described the visit to New York by Elizabeth Windsor, Britain’s feudal head of state, as “subdued”. It recalled that when Ms. Windsor first visited in 1957 there was “a ticker tape parade befitting war heroes”. But when the hereditary ruler addressed the United Nations General Assembly this July “there was hardly…
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Legislators Quit Rather Than Pay Tax Where They Legislate
Four legislators-for-life have quit the House of Lords because they do not want to pay taxes in the country where they have been making laws. The three Conservative and one Labour legislator had a choice between giving up their tax-exempt non-domiciled status or leaving the legislature. One was born in Hong Kong and had been…
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Bad Week for Windsors
The Windsor clan suffered two blows last week, suggesting that its hold on Britain may be weakening. On Friday a High Court judged said that the actions of Charles Windsor in blocking modern architecture for an upscale property development in London had been “unexpected and unwelcome”. The judge ruled in favour of a claim by…
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Canadians Have Had Enough of Monarchy
Recent news from Canada has also been bad for the family. Sixty-two per cent of Canadians want a democratic head of state in place of Britain’s feudal queen according to an opinion poll by IPSOS. Fifty-eight per cent believe their country should break all links with the British monarchy when Elizabeth Windsor leaves office. The…