Monarchy New Zealand
Volume 5 Issue 2 The Newsletter of The Monarchist League of New Zealand Incorporated May 2000
Patrons: Hon Sir Peter Tapsell, KNZM MBE; Ian Revell
ISSN 1174-8435
Editorial
Many people will have been disappointed with the announcement by the Government that knighthoods and damehoods will no longer be conferred upon New Zealanders. Not only was this decision lackin g a popular mandate, but it also shows a blatant disregard of our history and culture.
The Government proposes that the Knights Grand Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit be renamed Principal Companions, and Knights Companions will become Distinguished Companions. Such styles inherently lack the impact and international recognition of knighthoods.
The argument used by Ms Clark to justify this change is that such titles do not reflect modern New Zealand society, as they are of British origin. This is a peculiarly narrow and jaundiced view of our history. The titular styles Sir and Dame were inherited from Britain, along with many other aspects of our New Zealand culture. It is also true that nowadays only those countries that derive their honorific traditions from Britain use titular styles for members of orders of chivalry. But many countries, republics as well as monarchies, still create knights. What is wrong with retaining an established part of our history, whether it is common or unique to New Zealand?
For political reasons Canada stopped awarding knighthoods in 1935, and South Africa did so in 1924. Australia continued with knighthoods until 1986. All other realms of the Queen retain knighthoods. Canada and Australia are the exceptions, not the rule.
The dignified and prestigious style and title of a knight is not confined to any one country. It is a universally recognised and respected mark of honour. It should be maintained. Indeed, problems can arise with abolition. Since Australia abandoned official knighthoods there has been a considerable growth in self-styled knights.
It has been suggested in the past that knighthoods are contrary to the supposedly egalitarian New Zealand society. If this argument were followed to its logical conclusio n the whole honours system would have to go. Perhaps this is what some members of the present Government would like to see. Some members of Parliament do not believe that anyone should be singled out in any way for an award, no matter how deserving they may be.
Actually, New Zealanders have been particularly keen on knighthoods, with Maori leaders especially welcoming this form of public recognition. There is no logical reason why knighthoods should now be singled out for abolition.
The argument that kni ghthoods should be abolished to raise the status of the Order of New Zealand is baseless. That order was deliberately intended as a non-titular award, and modelled on the Companions of Honour and the Order of Merit. Those British orders have never been re garded as being in any way inferior for being non-titular. The status or prestige of any award depends upon the careful choice of recipients. The Order of New Zealand cannot be raised up simply by destroying potential rivals.
News in Brief
Events to mark royal centennial
Events planned to mark the centennial of the birth of The Queen Mother have been announced. They include a thanksgiving service in St Paul's Cathedral, London, on 11th July, and a celebratory pageant on Horse Guards Parade on the 19th July. A military tribute on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle will be held on the 27th July.
No official events are planned in New Zealand (although the Monarchist League will have a function). New Zealand Post will be issuing special stamps to mark the centenary of the birth of Her Majesty. They are to be applauded for doing so without the need for any pressure to be brought to bear upon them. Regretfully, the same cannot be said of the Australian post office, which has so far refused to produce commemorative stamps. Given that they have produced stamps over the years featuring a wide range of flora, fauna, people and places, one wonders whether there can be any justification for this refusal but an obstinate republicanism.
The Queen's Commonwealth Day Speech
The following is the Commonwealth Day message from Her Majesty The Queen:
"It is highly appropriate that the theme of Commonwealth Day at the start of the new millennium should be The Communications Challenge. For much of the millennium just ended, the challenge was to relay information as speedily and accurately as possible. What once took weeks is now inst a ntaneous. But the advance in technology brings a new challenge, of how to use rapid communication responsibly and for the common good. We have to strive to ensure that the advantages of modem communication systems are available to all, and are used to bri ng us all closer together, not to create fresh divisions. And we need to remember that exciting though the new ways of communicating undoubtedly are, what matters most is what we say to each other".
"The Commonwealth is an organisation so diverse and wides pread that it has always depended on good communications which are helped, of course, by having a common language. Recent advances in communication technology are particularly helpful in fostering the non-governmental networks which help to make the Common wealth so unique. The exchange of information and sharing of experiences between representatives of civil society in the different countries form an important part of the Commonwealth's activities at the start of the 21st century. Both in these networks, and in our co-operation at government level, our shared values and traditions provide a foundation for using the new technology to our common advantage".
"The challenge for the century just started will be to find ways to use ever faster communications to bring greater harmony and understanding both within each of our societies and between them, and thereby to strengthen the Commonwealth".
Elizabeth R.
Commonwealth Day Service
About 340 people attended the Commonwealth Day service at Holy Trinity Cathedral on Sunday the 12th March. The Queens message was read by the honorary aide-de-camp to His Excellency the Governor-General. The lessons were read by the Australian Trade Commissioner, representing the Auckland Diplomatic Corps. The sermon was preached by the Very Revd Michael O'Conner, Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral; the choir performed a Schubert choral mass under the direction of the acting musical director Mr Peter Watts.
Chris Barradale
Annual General Meeting
The 2000 Annual General Meeting of The Monarchist League of New Zealand will be held at 2 pm on Sunday 28th May 2000 at the International Seafarers' Centre, 114 Quay Street, Auckland. This will be followed by afternoon tea, from 3 pm, for which a donation of $5 is requested.
Candidates for office are required for election to the Council. Nominations in writing, signed by the nominee and another member of the League, should be received by an officer at least three days prior to the Annual General Meeting. The Secretary can arrange for nominations to be signed where a member does not have ready access to another member.
For the improvement of communications within the society, members are also asked to ensure that any changes to their address details are given to the Secretary. We also ask that members with access to email send an email message to the Editor, to ensure that email addresses of members are kept up to date.
Royal Opera
The Wanganui Opera House was last year granted use of the style "royal". This marks the centennial of the opera house.
HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, has been Patron of the Friends of the Wanganui Opera House since 1990.
New Councillors
Richard Girdwood, JCD CLJ joined the Council of the Monarchist League of New Zealand on the 26th March, and Neville Johnson joined on the 7th May. The existing councillors give them a hearty welcome, and look forward to working with them.
Auckland City Council fiasco
Recently several members of the Auckland City Council removed the portraits of The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh from the walls of the Council Chamber in the Town Hall. Although the Mayor, Mrs Christine Fletcher, was one of the perpetrators, the action was not in accordance with council policy, nor were the majority of councillors consulted.
The immediate response to this midnight prank (if it does not deserve a stronger term) was a barrage of public complaints. People were offended that these councillors acted in the way they did. The motives of the gang of six appears to be varied. Several, such as Mrs Maire Leadbeater and Richard Northey, are avowed republican. But others wanted what they regarded as a more representative emblem on the walls of the council debating chamber- such a piece of Polynesian tapa cloth.
At the first meeting of the council after this escapade, the councillors concerned narrowly avoided censure, and the council voted to return the portraits to their proper places, until such time as the council as a whole should decide otherwise.
Although there is no requirement that a portrait of The Queen hang in council chambers, it is an appropriate sign and reminder to councillors that they owe their authority to the constitution, and that they should always act in a lawful and responsible manner.
Queen's Birthday Service
The Vicar, Parish of Takapuna, the Revd Richard Hancock will hold the annual Queen's Birthday Service at St Peter's Church, Killarney Street, Takapuna, on Sunday 4th June.
The Service, which commences at 10 am, will be followed by refreshments provided by the League, in the adjoining St Peter's Church hall.
Local members of the League are encouraged to attend the Service, and join in marking this annual royal occasion.
Royal Diary
Prince appointed Lord High Commissioner
The Prince of Wales is Lord High Commissioner of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2000.
As Lord High Commissioner the Prince will represent Her Majesty during the third week of May. He will reside in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and entertain formally daily. The Princess Royal was Lord High Commissioner in 1996.
Overseas News
New Commonwealth Secretary-General
The Right Honourable Don McKinnon, formerly Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, commenced duties as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth in April, after being chosen at last year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Durban, South Africa.
Mr McKinnon succeeds Chief Emeka Anyaoku, of Nigeria, who headed the Commonwealth Secretariat since 1990. He is only the fourth person to fill this post, with Sir Shridath Ramphal, QC, of Guyana (1975-90), and Arnold Smith, of Canada (1965-75) having served previously.
When deputy to Jim Bolger, Mr McKinnon was inclined to echo his leader's republican sentiments, although the great majority of the National Party were opposed. It is to be hoped that this does not me an that he will be inclined to weaken The Queen's position as Head of the Commonwealth.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint Chief Eleazar Chukwuemeka (Emeka) Anyaoku as an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), on his retirement as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
Queen Victoria founded the Royal Victorian Order in 1896. The GCVO is a special mark of honour conferred by The Sovereign on individuals of exceptional distinction. Appointments are in The Sovereign's personal gift.
As Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty gave a speech at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Durban, South Africa, 12th November 1999. She remarked on the fifty years since the London Declaration which permitted India to remain a member of the Commonwealth as a republic.
Her Majesty said:
"Sometimes the ties of history can be confining, drawing people and countries back into past qua rrels and injustices and obscuring their future. But in the Commonwealth, the many strands of a shared past have been woven together in a forward-looking spirit of understanding, tolerance and friendship. We are not prisoners of the past, we are reconcile d to it. Indeed we build on our history to work together as we face the challenges of the future".
She then reviewed some of the contemporary social and technological changes facing the world, particularly increasing globalisation, and continued:
"The Commonwealth can and should embrace these changes- and extend their benefits to all- not only because they are the future but because the Commonwealth already embodies so many of the characteristics of this twenty-first century world. Modern technology and comm u nications are bringing together a world community of different cultures, but with increasingly common interests and values. The Commonwealth is founded on that principle. Globalisation encompasses diversity- which is something we must foster too. This is also a real strength of the Commonwealth".
New Constable of Windsor Castle
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns, GCB CBE LVO, will become Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle this month. He succeeds General Sir Patrick Palmer KBE, who has been in office since just prior to the 1992 fire.
The Constable, who receives no salary but has the use of a house in the Castle, is the representative of Lord Chamberlain, the head of The Queen's Household. The Constables were mostly royal 1833-1957, and are now senior retired officers from the services. New Zealand-born Marshal of the RAF Lord Elworthy, KG GCB CBE DSO MVO DFC AFC, was Constable 1971-78. Air Chief Marshal Johns was Chief of the UK Air Staff from 1997.
New Zealand Bravery Medals
The final step of reshaping honours occurred recently, with the announcement of the new bravery medals. There are four levels of bravery awards which have replaced various British awards. All the awards bear the inscription "FOR BRAVERY - MO TE MAIA" on the reverse.
The premier award for civilians, and military personnel for which purely military awards are not appropriate, will be a new New Zealand Cross (NZC). It is awarded for acts of great bravery in situations of extreme dange r, and replaces the George Cross (GC). This will precede all other honours except the VC.
The New Zealand Cross is similar in design to the original New Zealand Cross instituted in 1869 for acts of bravery during the land wars. The design has been amended by including gold New Zealand fern fronds (replacing gold laurel leaves) and the current Royal Crown (St Edward), replacing a Victorian Crown. The cross is made of silver and gold. The ribbon of the NZC is bright blue, a colour traditionally associated with bravery awards. The ribbons for the other awards are bright blue with two, three or four red ochre (kokowai) stripes for the second, third and fourth levels accordingly.
The New Zealand Bravery Star (NZBS) is awarded for acts of outstanding bravery in situations of danger, and replaces the George Medal (GM). It is a silver eight-pointed star, with four long and four short points. The design is the reverse of the shape of the NZC.
The New Zealand Bravery Decoration (NZBD) is awarded for acts of except ional bravery in situations of danger, and replaces The Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM), The Queen's Police Medal for gallantry (QPM), The Queen's Fire Service Medal for gallantry (QFSM), and the Air Force Cross and Medal (AFC and AFM).
The NZBD is a silver cross of similar shape to the NZC. The New Zealand Bravery Medal (NZBM) is awarded for acts of bravery, and replaces The Queen's Commendations for Brave Conduct and for Valuable Service in the Air.
The NZBM is a bronze medal bearing on the obverse (front) the effigy of The Queen.
In the centre of the NZBS and NZBD is a gold Crown within a wreath of gold fern fronds. The crown and fern fronds also appear on the reverse (back) of the medal (NZBM). The crown and fern fronds on the New Zealand Cross provided inspiration for this emblem.
The design of the awards has been inspired by the design of the New Zealand Cross and is the work of the New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary, Phillip O'Shea, LVO. Since 1975, Mr O'Shea has designed all New Zealand's major honours and awards.
The NZC is struck in sterling silver and gold, the stars and decorations are in sterling silver and the two medals in bronze. Thomas Fattorini Ltd, of Birmingham, is currently manufacturing the new awards.
The NZBM will bear the new effigy of The Queen designed by Mr Ian Rank-Broadley, FRBS FSNAD, of the United Kingdom. The effigy will shortly appear on New Zealand coins. Mr Rank-Broadley especially re-worked the design of the effigy on the NZBM.
The first awards of these new honours was announced 23 October 1999, when Jacinda Amey and Reginald Dixon received the New Zealand Cross (equivalent to the George Cross). Three awards of the New Zealand Bravery Star (the equivalent to the George Medal) were made, to Rob Hall, Andrew Harris and Walter Butler.
Six New Zealand Bravery Decorations, and eleven New Zealand Bravery Medals were also awarded, as was a New Zealand Gallantry Decoration.
The new Government's republican agitation
Green Party attacks the Crown
Green Party MP Keith Locke has called for New Zealand to become a republic, describing the monarchy as a "feudal relic".
He said in his maiden speech:
"We should break free of the British Crown and become a republic. The question is not whether the monarchy has a lot of power over us. In practice it doesn't".
"The problem is that bowing before the British Queen reflects a colonial mentality. That holds us back from true nationhood".
Mr Locke said the issue should be addressed now and he would advance the debate during his time in Parliament.
"The monarchy is a feudal relic that has no place in the 21st century. Nobody should rule, as Queen Elizabeth does, purely because of an accident of birth".
Mr Locke said New Zealanders should act and think for themselves and not do anything "just to get brownie points from other governments".
Green Party co-leader Rod Donald also supports a republic. He said it was no longer appropriate for New Zealand's head of State to "come from another country".
Monarchists must join together and counter attacks against the Crown. Such political interference must not be tolerated in a pro-monarchist state.
John Maxwell
Royal Yachts
A replacement for HMY Britannia
Britannia was undoubtedly a success, both as royal yacht, and in her later cautious forays into international commerce and business. But, due to her advancing age, the ship had become increasingly costly to maintain and refit. Until converted in 1983-84 to run on diesel, Britannia ran on oil fuel. Had she been sent to the South Atlantic in 1982 she would have needed her own tanker, as the rest of the Fleet by then used diesel oil.
The potential cost of a refit required to return her to royal duty after service as a hospital ship (£50-60m in 1982 prices (NZ$118-142m)) meant that she was never used in that role.
A review of the royal yacht was announced on 26 January 1993. This led, perhaps unsurprisingly, to the announcement on 2 February 1993, that the hospital ship role had been abandoned. On 23 June 1994 it was announced that Britannia was to be withdrawn from service in July 1997, and would not undergo the £17m (NZ$40m) five-yearly refit which had been scheduled for 1996.
It was hoped that she might continue in a useful role, though not sea-going, and to this end, tenders were invited by 31 September 1995 for her sale or conversion to a public attraction. No final decision was made as to Britannia's ultimate fate until 1998, when it was announced that she would be docked at Leith, Edinburgh, as a public exhibit.
The Britannia was decommissioned in December 1997, after a seven-month cruise, which included attending the hand-over of Hong King to Communist China, and hosting some 80 commercial functions. After almost forty-four years in service, the Britannia had certainly earned her retirement.
Whilst few monarchies outside the oil-rich Middle East have bought royal yachts in recent decades, there is every reason for the British monarch to retain such a vessel. As Queen of many independent countries, as well as quite a number of remaining dependencies, and as Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty travels extensively. Much of this travel is to island countries.
Her Majesty The Queen has reportedly accepted that a new royal yacht was not necessary for the purpose of royal travel alone, though for some years this has not in fact been the primary function of Britannia. She had been used by the royal family an average of 40 days a year. Britannia spent 157 days at sea in 1993, with some one-third of total sea-time dedicated to royal duties. Much of the remaining time was pre-positioning for official visits, or time spent on sea days and port visits, themselves important functions.
Although the Britannia was withdrawn from service because her advanced age made her continued operation inefficient, the need for a royal yacht remains. This is the subject of extensive debate, and has seen a number of innovative and novel proposals being put forward. In July 1996 a Parliamentary Committee proposed the construction of a new £80m (NZ$190m) royal yacht, to be built in a British shipyard by 2000.
Plans for a new royal yacht were announced by the British Government on the 22nd January 1997. The ship would be completed by 2001 or 2002, in time for the fiftieth anniversary of The Queen's accession to the throne. It was to be funded, to a cost of £60m (NZ$143m), from the contingency reserves of the Ministry of Defence. The Queen would however make a contribution to the cost of furnishings, in the same way that she contributed to the cost of furnishing the private apartments of royal residences.
The new yacht was relatively cheaper than the Britannia, which, it was estimated, would cost £70m (NZ$167m) to build today. The commercial role envisaged for the new vessel, something for which the Britannia was not originally designed, would require a more elaborate vessel, and the estimate was perhaps £20m (NZ$47m) too low.
The procurement programme was managed by the Ministry of Defence. A year-long Ministry of Defence feasibility study in 1997 examined the requirements of the new ship. The outline specification was drawn up, and this would have been the basis for inviting tenders for the construction stage.
The yacht would have no wartime military role, nor would it have another primary role, as this, in the view of the Ministry of Defence, would not fulfil the "representational" role of a royal yacht. As with all earlier royal yachts, the crew would be provided by the Royal Navy, and would number about 150.
It was anticipated that the annual running cost would be £5m (NZ$12m), half the cost of the Britannia. Proposals for commercial funding of the construction costs were rejected as inappropriate. However, the previous commercial experiment, the Britannia sea days, would continue, and be given greater prominence. Suggestions that the new royal yacht might be a sailing vessel were rejected by the Government.
The cost of the proposed new royal yacht can be compared to that of a Type 23 (Duke-class) frigate, which displaces 4,500 tonnes full load, and carry 150 crew, yet cost some £130m (NZ$310m) each. The royal yacht would be much cheaper to build, and considerably cheaper to run, because of the absence of the full-range of weapons and equipment carried on a warship.
Most significantly, the contribution to the defence of the realm that the royal yacht would make would be more significant than a single frigate could ever achieve. In terms of shear presence a royal yacht has a significant advantage over any single warship, except perhaps an aircraft carrier.
A royal yacht adds immeasurably to the significance of a naval good-will visit, and is a prestigious venue for receptions on state or official visits. Additionally, through hosting business seminars and sea-days, a royal yacht can generate considerable revenue, something which no ordinary warship can achieve.
A royal yacht is not a vital necessity, but as an extension of policy it is invaluable. Britain remains a major maritime nation, and a sea-going royal yacht is the best advertisement of this status.
Regrettably, after the current Labour Government came to power in May 1997, it announced that the new royal yacht would not be funded unless demands on the defence budget allowed it, thus effectively cancelling the project.
reprinted from Navy Today September 1997 (with some alterations to bring it up to date)
Royal Poetry
Poems and songs by and about royalty will be featured in a new series entitled Royal Poetry. Amongst other items, poetry and music written by members of the royal family, patriotic poems, and Cavalier poetry and songs of the seventeenth century will appear.
The first of this series is a poem by the archetypal Cavalier poet, Richard Lovelace (1618-1657/9). Lovelace was the son of a wealthy Kentish knight. After Oxford University he took an active part in the court and artistic life of London.
In 1639 he campaigned in the king's interest in the Bishops' War against the Covenanters in Scotland. Following the victory of the Covenanters over the Episcopalians, Lovelace defiantly presented a petition to Parliament for the retention of bishops in Scotland. His stand for the king's policy against the power of the Covenantor's and their parliamentary allies led to his imprisonment for six weeks in the Gatehouse Prison, Westminster. He was released on condition that he took no active part in Royalist activities.
The terms of Lovelace's parole prevented his personal involvement in the civil war which followed in 1642. He nevertheless generously funded the Royalist cause. In 1648 he was again imprisoned because of his support of the king. He was released after ten months, following the execution of Charles I. The rest of his life was spent in obscurity and relative poverty.
Whilst imprisoned in 1642 Lovelace wrote the poem To Althea, from prison. During his second period of incarceration he prepared his works for publication, which occurred in 1649.
TO ALTHEA, FROM PRISON
When Love with unconfined wings
Hovers within my gates,
And my divine Althea brings
To whisper at the grates;
When I lie tangled in her hair,
And fetter'd to her eye,
The gods, that wanton in the air,
Know no such liberty.
When flowing cups run swiftly round
With no allaying Thames,
Our careless heads with roses bound,
Our hearts with loyal flames;
When thirsty grief in wine we steep,
When healths and draughts go free,
Fishes, that tipple in the deep,
Know no such liberty.
When (like committed linnets) I
With shriller throat shall sing
The sweetness, mercy, majesty,
And glories of my king;
When I shall voice aloud how good
He is, how great should be,
Enlarged winds, that curl the flood,
Know no such liberty.
Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for an hermitage;
If I have freedom in my love,
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone that soar above,
Enjoy such liberty.
Richard Lovelace
Royal Residences past and present
Thatched House Lodge
This royal residence, is at Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey. The house was built in 1673 for two Richmond Park Keepers, as Aldridge Lodge. It was enlarged in 1727 by the ranger, Hugh Walpole, son of Sir Robert. The two houses were joined and renamed Thatched House Lodge in 1771 by Sir John Soane.
The house was used by various members of the Royal Household, including General Sir Edward Bowater, and General Lynedoch Gardiner, respectively Equerry to the Prince Consort and to Queen Victoria. Later it became the home of Wing-Cdr Sir Louis Greig (equerry to King George VI as Duke of York), and then the Duke of Sutherland. It was the London home of General Eisenhower during the Second World War.
Since 1963 Thatched House Lodge has been the residence of HRH Princess Alexandra and Rt Hon Sir Angus Ogilvy, on a lease from Crown Estate Commissioners.
The main house has six reception rooms, six bedrooms, and stands in four acres of grounds. The gardens include an eighteenth century thatched two-room summer house which gave the main house its name.
Book Review
Sisters to the King, by Maria Perry
This is the eagerly awaited paperback edition of the acclaimed biography of Henry VIII's extraordinary sisters, Margaret and Mary. Much has been written about Henry VIII and his six wives, but his sisters, Margaret and Mary, have had less of the limelight.
Margaret became Queen of Scotland at the age of thirteen. Mary, Henry's famously beautiful younger sister, was married off to the aging King of France. Against convention both chose their second husbands for love; Mary risked her head by proposing to the handsome Duke of Suffolk; and Margaret defied protocol by twice seeking a divorce.
Maria Perry wonderfully illuminates the characters of these two remarkable women in this engrossing study, as well as uncovering radical new evidence on Henry VIII.
Actress and writer Maria Perry is the critically acclaimed author of The Word of a Prince: A Life of Elizabeth I, Knightsbridge Woman and Mayfair Madams.
Letters to the Editor
Dear Sir,
The Prime Minister said recently that we don't have an inherited aristocracy. In a narrow sense she is right, but the following may be of interest in determining whether, in the broader sense of our constitution, she is also right.
There are some words in English ending in -cracy which have to do with our constitution. They are, in alphabetical order, aristocracy, bureaucracy, democracy, plutocracy, and snobocracy. The -cracy bit comes from the Greek word Kratos meaning power, so these words mean, aristocracy, power to the best, bureaucracy, power to the central administration, democracy, power to the people, plutocracy, power to the wealthy, and snobocracy, power to those who despise others.
There are some words in English ending in -archy which have to do with our constitution. They are, in alphabetical order, anarchy, monarchy, and oligarchy. The -archy bit comes from the Greek word arkho, to rule, so these words mean, anarchy, no rule, monarchy, rule of one, oligarchy, rule of the few.
Basically the -cracy words are about power and Parliament, the -archy words are about rulers and the monarch. In a monarchy the people give power to Parliament to make laws, so that we can stick to monarchical rulers. In a republic we would give power to Parliament to make laws, so that we can stick to the rulers of whatever political party happens to be in power at the time, a very dangerous and ultimately anarchical procedure for our civilization.
We are in real trouble when our government tries to take our monarchical responsibilities, as they have already, with our honours and awards. Through the ballot box we are able to determine what governance we want in our society, we have probably all the powers of governance, mentioned in this letter, working to a greater or lesser degree.
It is rather strange, therefore, that our Prime Minister is threatening to "smell" out what we don't have in our society, when we don't seem to understand what we do have.
Norman McLeod
Published by The Monarchist League of New Zealand Inc. Editor: Mr Noel Cox, 123 Stanley Road, Glenfield, Auckland 1310, New Zealand. Tel: +64 9 444-7687; Fax: +64 9 444-7397; E-mail: [email protected]