Monarchy Divides Britain
The claim of monarchists that monarchy unites Britain has yet again been shown as false, this time by the refusal of sports people to join in singing the British royal anthem, known as “God Save the Queen”.
Welsh footballers Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy and Scottish football players Kim Little and Ifeoma Dieke stood silent while the anthem was sung at the start of Olympic Games football matches. Giggs even had to ask the Welsh crowd not to boo the song. The players defied the British Olympic Association which had issued a politically partisan instruction to athletes to learn the partisan song.
The football players seem to have been motivated by the belief that the anthem is an English one and not for Scottish or Welsh citizens. One verse does refer to the English crushing Scots who defied English rule. However, even in England the anthem is for monarchists only, as it expresses support for feudal rights that democrats do not share. The monarchist ascendency in Britain prevents the equality for republicans that would allow a truly national anthem.