I'm re-reading The Leopard, which may be my favourite novel, and this short paragraph particularly struck me. Replying to his brother-in-law, who says that regardless of the inadequacies of any particular sovereign, the 'idea of monarchy is still the same', Don Fabrizio says:
'... Kings who personify an idea should not, cannot, fall below a certain level for generations; if they do, my dear brother-in-law, the idea suffers too.'
In Britain, our heir apparent is a mildly eccentric, semi-intelligent man. He does not necessarily possess those qualities required of greatness, but he has many virtues and many of the right instincts. However, he will not be king for long, if indeed he will be king at all. Princes William and Henry both clearly fall below a certain level. They both adhere unquestioningly to the ethos of modern Britain, and unlike their father they do not show show a genuine appreciation of British culture. Prince Charles will be the last monarch, I believe, who will feel that he is inheriting centuries of English and British culture and tradition. He possesses some of that nobility of a monarch. His sons are celebrities, and once William is on the throne I suspect the idea of monarchy will finally disappear from the minds of British subjects (who already are no longer 'subjects' in law, but 'citizens').
No comments:
Post a Comment