Monarchy New Zealand
The Journal of The Monarchist League of New Zealand Incorporated
ISSN 1174-8435
Volume 6 Issue 2 May 2001
The Monarchist League of New Zealand, Inc.
Secretary, 16/90 Remuera Road, Remuera, Auckland 1005, New Zealand
Website URL: http://www.geocities.com/Capitolhill/Parliament/7802
Patron: Hon Sir Peter Tapsell, KNZM MBE MBChB FRCSEd FRCS
Council:
Chairman: Noel Cox, Esq., LLM(Hons) PhD CertTertTchg HonCIL FCIL FFASL FBS
Vice-Chm: Merv Tilsley, Esq.
Secretary: Miss Nancy Sellars
Treasurer: John Cox, Esq., LLB MNZTA
Councillors:
Nicholas Albrecht, Esq., MA(Hons)
Roger Barnes, Esq., FHSNZ
Richard Girdwood, Esq., JCD CLJ
Neville Johnson, Esq.
Ian Madden, Esq., MA LLB FSA(Scot)
Robert Mann, Esq., MSc PhD
Lt-Cdr Ken McGrath, VRD MSc(Hons) LIBiol MNZIMLS RNZNVR(rtd)
Professor Peter Spiller, BA LLB PhD LLM MPhil PhD
League Officers:
Legal Adviser:
Noel Cox, Esq., LLM(Hons) PhD CertTertTchg HonCIL FCIL FFASL FBS
Librarian and Archivist: Noel Cox, Esq., LLM(Hons) PhD CertTertTchg HonCIL FCIL FFASL FBS
Provincial Representative, Wellington: Mathew Norman, Esq.
Provincial Representative, Southland: Carl Heenan, Esq.
Editor, Monarchy New Zealand: Noel Cox, Esq., LLM(Hons) PhD CertTertTchg HonCIL FCIL FFASL FBS
Assistant Editor and Advertising Manager, Monarchy New Zealand: John Cox, Esq., LLB MNZTA
Monarchy New Zealand is published by The Monarchist League of New Zealand Inc. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the policy of The Monarchist League of New Zealand. Correspondence should be addressed to the Editor, Monarchy New Zealand, 123 Stanley Road, Glenfield, Auckland 1310, New Zealand. Tel: +64 9 444-7687; Fax: +64 9 444-7397; E-mail: [email protected]
Editorial
Over the past decade we have become accustomed to a continuous media drive to discredit the royal family. Until recently the media have shied away from criticising the monarchy as a system- because even the media cannot ignore opinion polls which consistently show strong support for the system both in this country and in the United Kingdom. But they have regarded individual members of the royal family as fair game.
We cannot know for certain what drives these journalists. Whether they simply seek to increase newspaper sales, or whether they wish to promote a republic, the result is the same. We know that much of the media in Britain is in the hands of Rupert Murdoch, an avowed republican. This country is similarly dominated by media barons.
Amongst the worst aspects of the constant attacks is that many people are coming to believe what they read and hear. Subtle and not so subtle negative messages are being conveyed. Thus the impression that the royal family are of less than average intelligence- an idea which is quickly dispelled if one takes the trouble to consider the facts- has gained some ground. As has the notion that the royal family are ‘the world’s most dysfunctional family’- though the Broadcasting Standards Authority did upbraid a television network for allowing this absurd claim to be made in a news broadcast.
The belief that the royal family should be "streamlined" is equally ridiculous. The only members of the royal family who receive financial support from (British) taxpayers are the Queen Mother and the Duke of Edinburgh. This money is solely to enable them to carry out their public duties.
The Queen funds the public duties of all other members of the royal family from her private income. All private expenses for all members of the royal family, the Queen included, come from their own private sources, and the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall. And no one would expect the Queen to pay for her manifold public duties from private sources, even if this were possible.
It seems that whatever they do members of the royal family will be condemned and criticised. Most earn an independent income, but are condemned if they trade on their royal status (something which is surely almost impossible to avoid). Positive coverage is hard to find, for the media generally ignores good news. A rare example of a story which was run was "Prince helps farmers", for which see page five.
On the 8th April Buckingham Palace issued a press statement, which read in part:
Her Majesty accepts that despite the difficulties of recent days, both the Earl and Countess understandably want to try to pursue working careers and they have her full support in doing so. It is not an easy option and they are breaking new ground, but it is right in this day and age that they should be allowed to do so.
In following careers they are always open to accusations of exploiting their Royal status in pursuit of their own business interests. Both the Earl and the Countess vigorously deny that they have deliberately set out to do so. The Queen deplores the entrapment, subterfuge, innuendo and untruths to which The Earl and Countess have been subjected in recent days.
This is a strong statement from the Queen, and one of which the media should take note.
News in Brief
Obituary - Sir David Beattie
The Hon Sir David Beattie, GCMG GCVO QSO, born in 1924 in Sydney, Australia (which his parents were visiting), was the first judge appointed to the office of Governor-General of New Zealand.
He was educated at Dilworth School, Auckland, and then Auckland University College, from which he graduated LLB in 1948.
During the Second World War he served as a sergeant in the New Zealand Army (1941-43), then was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in the RNZNVR, in which he served 1943-46.
Sir David practised as a barrister and solicitor 1948-58, and was a part-time lecturer in law and later examiner for the University of New Zealand, 1951-56. In 1958 he became a barrister sole, and a QC 1965. He was President of the Auckland District Law Society in 1964.
Appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court 1969, Sir David served on the bench until he was appointed to the office of Governor-General in 1980. While a judge he also served as Chairman of the Royal Commission on the Courts, 1977-78, which resulted in a significant restructuring of the courts structure, including renaming the Supreme Court the High Court.
Sir David Beattie served as Governor-General 1980-85. He was a man with whom the Queen was unlikely to have had any significant prior personal contact. But he soon established a system of regular contacts. At their first meeting, Her Majesty is reported to have advised Sir David that he must try to be "the best informed person in New Zealand". He was in no doubt that the Governor-General had extensive and undefined powers to act in times of constitutional crises, and that he had a duty to keep himself abreast of political and other issues.
Other posts held by Sir David included Chairman of the Sir Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Board, 1976-80, an executive member of the Crippled Childrens Society, 1963-69, and Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland, 1967-69. He also held various company directorships from 1985, and was Chairman of the Meat Industry Association.
Active in sports, Sir David was President of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, and of the New Zealand Sports Federation.
He married Norma MacDonald in 1950, and the couple had three sons and four daughters. Sir David died in February.
New Governor-General sworn in
The Rt Hon Sir Michael Hardie Boys, GNZM GCMG, relinquished office on the 21st March, and the Hon Dame Silvia Cartwright, PCNZM DBE, was sworn in 4th April 2001 as Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of New Zealand. The Chief Justice, the Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias, GNZM, acted as Administrator of the Government in the intervening period.
Dame Silvia is the 18th Governor-General, and the 33rd representative of the Crown in New Zealand. As Governor-General she is the latest in a long line of men and women who have embodied the permanent, non-political and non-sectarian monarchy.
Being appointed, not elected, and responsible only to the Queen, the Governor-General can act from conscience, without fear of intimidation, and without having to win the transient favour of voters or politicians.
When The Queen is not in New Zealand, the Governor-General exercises Her Majesty's prerogative powers. He or she acts both as the Queen's representative in New Zealand, and as a channel of communication between the Prime Minister and the Queen. The Governor-General has an extremely important role. Neither Queen Elizabeth nor her Governor-General takes an active originating role in the executive functions of government- by binding convention, the head of State normally acts only on the advice of Ministers of the Crown.
Governors-General regularly communicate with the Queen, keeping her informed about New Zealand. The responsibility for government remains in the hands of the viceroy, as was shown by the response of Buckingham Palace to the Australian crisis of 1975, and the 1987 coups in Fiji.
Thus the office of Governor-General is not an empty one. Sir David Beattie, who had discussions with the then Governor-General of Australia (Sir Ninian Stephen), and two former holders of that office (Sir John Kerr and Sir Zelman Cowen), has publicly spoken about the so-called "reserve powers" of the office.
The Governor-General (and the Sovereign when she is resident) performs three main functions- constitutional, ceremonial, and as a unifying symbol for the nation. The Governor-General and the Sovereign are embodiments of the Crown. In its role of providing a unifying influence, the Crown is above party politics. This role is, in normal circumstances, more important than the constitutional role, and more important than the ceremonial one, whose place in New Zealand is limited.
We can be sure that Dame Silvia, whose concern for the ordinary person is well known, will continue in the great tradition of New Zealand Governors-General.
The Queen’s Coronation Music
The Friends of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland have announced that they will be holding a concert of the music played at the Queen’s Coronation in Queen’s Birthday Weekend this year. The Concert will be staged at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell on Tuesday May 29th. The proceeds from the concert will go to the Friends of Holy Trinity Cathedral to assist in completing the Cathedral.
The Auckland Choral Society, the University Singers (conductor Karen Grylls) and the Holy Trinity Cathedral Choir (conductor Peter de Blois) will all perform. The Auckland Symphony Orchestra (conductor Gary Daverne) and organist James Tibbles will accompany the choirs under the baton of Peter Watts, the musical director of the Auckland Choral Society.
The music of Walton, Gibbons, Parry, Handel, Howells and Vaughan Williams will be featured. The programme will showcase some of the greatest Choral and orchestral music ever written.
Organiser and Spokesperson Angus Ogilvie said "the programme will evoke something of the unique spirit of that momentous service held at Westminster Abbey nearly fifty years ago. Many of the pieces are regarded as choral masterpieces and are seldom performed live except for ceremonial occasions. This concert will be a feast for lovers of Choral music".
The organisers are also pleased to announce that one of the priests who assisted at the Coronation in Westminster Abbey on 2nd June 1953 will be present. The Reverend Howard Hollis will be the narrator at the concert. He is currently attached to Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne.
Tickets for the concert are available from Robyn Bridgman on (09) 524-0241.
For more information contact:
Angus Ogilvie Robyn Bridgman
021 63 55 21 (09) 524-0241
Royal Diary
The Duke of Edinburgh at 80
The 21st June 2001 is the 80th anniversary of the birth of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.
Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh was born at the villa of Mon Repos, on the Greek island of Corfu, youngest child and only son of HRH Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, son of King George I of Greece, and of HSH Princess Alice of Battenberg, daughter of HSH Prince Louis of Battenberg, Marquess of Milford Haven, and of HRH Princess Victoria Alberta of Hesse.
He was exiled from Greece in 1922, after his father- a lieutenant-general in the Greek army- was blamed for the disastrous failure of Greek arms against the Turks. Prince Philip lived mainly in Britain from 1929. His education included Salem School in Germany, and Cheam School and Gordonstoun School, in Britain.
The prince joined the Royal Navy in early 1939. His service in the Second World War included time in the East Indies, the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic, and the Pacific. He was present at the final Japanese surrender in Tokyo, as second-in-command of the destroyer HMS Whelp, one of two escorts to the flagship of the British Pacific Fleet.
Prince Philip's engagement to Princess Elizabeth was announced in mid-1947. He had been naturalised a British subject earlier in that year, and joined the Church of England shortly before the wedding.
His last posting was command of HMS Magpie, a modified Black Swan class sloop serving in 2nd Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet, which he relinquished in 1951. The Duke of Edinburgh has been Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal New Zealand Navy since 1958.
He has also been Field Marshal of the New Zealand Army, and Marshal of the RNZAF, since 1977.
In 1952 King George VI died, and Prince Philip entered upon the difficult role of consort to a Queen. Like Albert the Prince Consort before him, this has sometimes been a thankless task, with critics always ready to disparage his work.
From the first Prince Philip (he was made Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, and raised to the rank of a British prince in 1957) took an interest in young people through such organisations as the National Playing Fields Association and the Outward Bound Trust. But he is probably best known for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which he established in 1956.
The Duke of Edinburgh has also been active as a conservationist, particularly with the World Wide Fund for Nature, which alone occupied one quarter of his time at its height.
Prince Philip has always accompanied HM The Queen on her visits to New Zealand, and has made a number of visits on his own. These have often been associated with his interest in science and technology. He is an Honorary Fellow of The Institute of Professional Engineers of New Zealand.
On Sunday, 10th
June The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will attend a Service in
St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, to mark His Royal Highness's
80th Birthday, followed by a Reception at Windsor
Castle.
Prince helps farmers
The Prince of Wales has announced a £500,000 (NZ$1.5m) donation to help farmers facing severe hardship as a result of the foot and mouth crisis in Britain.
This money is being given to six charities which are working to bring immediate relief to farmers and rural communities facing particular hardship.
The money His Royal Highness is donating is derived from the income raised by his many charitable activities. £400,000 of the donation is equivalent to the amount contributed to his Charitable Foundation last year from the profits of Duchy Originals Limited, which the Prince established in 1990 to sell a range of food and drink products using simple, natural ingredients. A further £100,000 coming from The Duke of Cornwall's Benevolent Fund has been designated for the exclusive aid of farmers in the South West of England.
The Prince of Wales's Charitable Foundation, originally known as The Prince of Wales's Charities Trust, was established in 1979. It distributes money each year to benefit a wide range of causes throughout the world.
The causes and projects supported by the Foundation reflect The Prince of Wales's particular interests. Assistance has been given to organisations involved with health care, disadvantaged young people, educational initiatives, the environment, the arts and disaster relief funds.
The Foundation receives an ever-increasing number of requests for assistance, which are presented to The Prince of Wales on a regular basis. In 1999/2000, The Prince of Wales's Charitable Foundation made donations totalling £499,596.
A significant part of the Foundation's income is derived from royalties from the sale of books by The Prince of Wales, from watercolour exhibitions and from lithographs made from his own watercolours, together with the disposable profits of Duchy Originals.
League News
AGM
The 2001 Annual General Meeting of The Monarchist League of New Zealand Inc will be held at 2 pm on Sunday 10th June 2001 at the International Seafarers' Centre, 114 Quay Street, Auckland. This will be preceded by afternoon tea, from 1 pm, for which a donation of $5 is requested. There is no charge for those attending the AGM only.
Candidates are now being sought for election to the Council. Nominations, which are to be 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.
The Queen's 75th Birthday Dinner
On 19th April many members, with members of the diplomatic corps and civic leaders, enjoyed a formal dinner in Old Government House, Auckland, to mark the 75th birthday of Her Majesty The Queen.
The guest of honour was Cdr Rick Ryan, trustee of the Prince's Trust in New Zealand. Cdr Ryan served in the Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy 1953-78, and saw service in Suez, Malaya, and Radfan. He became acquainted with the Prince of Wales during his naval service, and he and his wife helped establish the oldest and largest of the prince's charities in this country several years ago.
Incidental music was provided by the Elysian String Quartet, whose presence was made possible by a generous anonymous donation.
Overseas News
Commonwealth Headship
Early last month the Rt Hon Don McKinnon, former Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and now Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, was quoted as stating that the Prince of Wales had no automatic right to succeed the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth.
The Prime Minister had earlier suggested that a Commonwealth President could be elected to replace the Head of the Commonwealth.
Whilst Mr McKinnon might have been at least partly correct, in that the position of Head of the Commonwealth depends upon the unanimous consent of member countries, it is scarcely credible that the office could be successfully separated from that of the Crown.
The Commonwealth evolved from the former British Empire. When Britain really did rule the waves the Sovereign for the time being was monarch of all her peoples. Later, as the members of the empire acquired independence, the Sovereign remained as the constitutional imperial link.
This was most famously stated at the time of the 1926 Imperial Conference, when it was said that these countries "are autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations".
Since then the Commonwealth has evolved further, with allegiance to the Crown no longer necessary for membership, but with the wearer of that Crown the formal Head of the Commonwealth.
This remains appropriate as a reminder of the original reason for the existence of the Commonwealth. No other international organisation possesses a formal head. No legal powers or responsibilities are conferred upon the Head of the Commonwealth. But the office remains symbolically important. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the Queen's long familiarity with Commonwealth leaders has proven significant at several Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings.
It is doubtful that it would be possible for the leaders of the Commonwealth to agree upon a candidate for the office. The Commonwealth tradition is of decision-making by consensus, and it is uncertain that this could be reached for such an important position. Nelson Mandela (suggested by Mr McKinnon) might be acceptable to many- though not all- members, but he is scarcely in the running, as he is considerably older than Her Majesty.
Miss Clark has suggested an elected Commonwealth President, but such an office would be unwelcome to many countries, who would fear that the incumbent might be tempted to aspire to actual power. Nor would it be easy to develop a workable electoral process.
Mr McKinnon's comments have been reported as a snub to the Prince of Wales. Perhaps they were not intended to be so. But to question the continuation of the link between Crown and Commonwealth is to reject a century of evolution, and dismiss as nothing the active role the royal family have played in the Commonwealth.
Royal Martyrs
Life of the Holy Royal Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth
On 4th February, 1905, at the moment when the Grand Duchess was leaving for her workshops, she was alarmed by the sound of an exploding bomb nearby. Hurrying toward the place, she saw a soldier stretching his military overcoat over the maimed body of her husband. The soldier tried to hide the horrible sight from the eyes of the unfortunate wife.
The Grand Duchess dropped to her knees, on the street, put her arms out to embrace the torn remains of her husband. From that time on, the Grand Duchess refused the food she was accustomed to, and milk, vegetable and bread became her daily nourishment, even before she took the vows.
The lofty spirit with which she took the tragedy astounded everyone: she had the moral strength even to visit in prison her husband's assassin, Kaliaev, hoping to soften his heart, with her Christian forgiveness. "Who are you?" he asked upon meeting her. "I am his widow," she replied, "why did you kill him?" "I did not want to kill you," he said. "I saw him several times before when I had the bomb with me, but you were with him and I could not bring myself to touch him." "You did not understand that by killing him you were killing me," she said. Then she began to talk of the horror of his crime before God. The Gospel was in her hands and she begged the criminal to read it and left it in his cell. Leaving the prison, the Grand Duchess said: "My attempt was unsuccessful, but, who knows, perhaps at the last minute he will understand his sin and repent."
The murder of Grand Duke Serge Alexksandrovich brought about a change in the soul of his wife and caused her to withdraw from her former social life. The shock and horror she had experienced left a wound in her heart which healed only when she lifted her eyes to see that which is above this world.
From then on, she devoted her life to the organization of a community in which spiritual service to God would be united with caring for the poor. She moved from the palace to a building she bought in Ordinka where she reserved herself three modest rooms. She called this community the convent of Saints Martha and Mary, intending it to be as the home of Lazarus visited so often by Jesus Christ. The members of the convent were invited to unite the high aims of Mary (listening to the words of life), and the service of Martha (as if they were taking care of Christ), since he was present in his brethren, the poor.
The convent quickly developed, and attracted many nuns from the upper classes as well as from common people. Life within the convent was that of a monastery. Outside, the sisters' consisted in helping the sick, hospitalized in the convent or in their homes, giving material and spiritual help to the poor, and taking care of the orphans and deserted children so many of whom used to perish in the big cities.
A house for young women, workers, and students was organized to give inexpensive or rent-free lodging to them. There were free hospitals, ambulatory, schools for the Red Cross nurses, free kitchens, and during the war, hospitals for the badly wounded. Sisters of Saints Martha and Mary visited the houses of the poor and sick, took care of the children, did the housework, and brought peace and happiness wherever they went.
Many tiresome duties were performed by the Sister Superior of the holy Convent, the Grand Duchess. Innumerable business transactions, consideration of many requests and petitions from every corner of Russia, and other cares, filled her day, sometimes bringing her to a state of complete exhaustion. Nevertheless she often spent the night at the bedsides of critically sick people, or some other church popular among the people for it's feast day, or she would make a pilgrimage to a Moscow monastery. Her soul was stronger than her body. The only rest she got was during the pilgrimage to the holy places of Russia, but the crowds deprived her of peace and solitude. They revered her for her sovereign standing, her goodness and charity, and enthusiastically expressed their affection turning her trips into triumphant processions. She tried to hide her weariness and appeared before people with a smiling face. Withdrawing from almost everything earthly, she shone with that inner light which comes from the soul, expressing love and tenderness. No one could have been more considerate in giving pleasure and comfort to others - according to each one's spiritual needs.
It is difficult to estimate the amount of money she spent on charity. Her own personal expenses were insignificant. She lived in three small rooms, white and clean, separated from the hospital by the house chapel. They were simply furnished, with wicker chairs, icons on the walls. She slept on a wooden bed without a mattress, or a hard pillow; but after long hours of work she would fall asleep instantly. Often her sleep lasted only three to four hours a day. At midnight she would get up to pray, after which she made a round of the hospital. When the condition of a patient worried her, she would sit at his bedside until dawn trying to ease his sufferings. Intuitive and tactful, she always found the right words of comfort, and the sick testified that her mere presence affected them favorably and relieved their sufferings.
From the very beginning of the war, the Grand Duchess had devoted herself unreservedly to the service of caring for the sick and wounded soldiers, whom she visited in Moscow hospitals and at the battle front.
The Dowager Empress Marie, the Empress Alexandra and the Grand Duchess Elizabeth divided among themselves the work of nursing the wounded according to the front lines: the German front, the Austrian front, and the Turkish front, the latter, although smaller in size of operations, was just as intense in fighting. They were able to draw all kinds of people into their organization, men of high and low ranks, officials, clerks, government workers and a whole hierarchy of women. The Red Cross on a white uniform was seen on everyone who could spare any time from housework in order to serve the great cause of war and victory. There was no sacrifice too great - money was given freely and personal life was not important in the time of war.
The Grand Duchess met the revolutionary storm with remarkable calmness and self-control. She continued to live in the convent nursing the sick in her hospital, where she also fed the poor. There was no change in the routine of her life except that her prayers became even more fervent. She was always composed and completely resigned to the will of God.
The communists, after seizing power during the October revolution in 1917, to everyone's surprise, allowed the Grand Duchess and all the members of her convent complete freedom; even rendered material support in the way of food supplies. It made it more difficult to bear the sudden blow when, on Holy Pascah (after Agape Vespers) the communists ordered her to leave Moscow and join the Imperial Family in Ekaterinburg. She asked for two hours to make the necessary preparations for the long journey but they were denied. She left with two novices, Sister Barbara, and Sister Katherine, escorted by a convoy of Latvian Guards.
Her future suffering could have been avoided if she had heeded the words of the Swedish Cabinet Minister who came to Moscow at the request of the German Emperor offering to help her leave the country. She answered him that he was right, that horrible times lay ahead, but she wanted to share the fate of her country and its people. Her decision was of course her own death sentence.
The Grand Duchess was told by the communists that in the South she would be working as a Red Cross nurse. They gave her a private compartment on the train. She was happy at the prospective meeting with her sister, the Empress Alexandra, and ready to serve the people at the new place. Arriving at Ekaterinburg, the Grand Duchess was forbidden contact with the Tsar's family. Sister Barbara succeeded in getting near the house of the imprisoned and seeing (through a crack in the fence) only the Emperor Tsar Nicholas II, in the garden or at a window.
The Grand Duchess was temporarily placed in the convent where she was warmly greeted by all the sisters. She especially appreciated the fact that she was permitted to attend all church services.
In the spring of 1918, soon after the arrival of the Emperor from Perm, and lodged in a dirty town inn were Grand Duke Serge Mikhailovich with his attendant R. Remez, three brothers, Grand Dukes John, Constantine, and George Constantinovich, and young Count Vladimir Paely, just twenty years old. They were placed in one room, badly treated, and kept half-starved. But they were allowed sometimes, to leave the inn which gave them a chance to meet people and even visit old acquaintances.
At the end of May, all the above mentioned and Grand Duchess Elizabeth were transported to Alopaevsk near Keaterinburg, and lodged in a school house on the edge of town. Although guarded, the Grand Duchess was permitted to go to church, work in the vegetable garden, with her own hands she weeded the vegetables and arranged the flower beds: she also painted and prayed. Lunches and dinners were served to her in her room: the rest ate together.
At times the Grand Duchess was able to send words of encouragement and consolation to the sisters of her convent in Moscow, who deeply mourned her absence.
There was some contact with the population, as among the possessions of the Grand Duchess there was a handmade towel of plain peasant linen embroidered with flowers and the inscription: "Dear Mother Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, do not refuse to accept in the ancient Russian custom the bread and salt from the loyal servants of the Tsar and the Motherland. Peasants of the Nievo-Alopaevsk district, Verkhotursk county".
Such were the conditions of their life until the fatal night of 18th July. On that night they were suddenly taken to a place 12 miles from Alopaevsk, where all were atrociously murdered. It happened in the Verkhoutsk tract of a mine called "Nizhnaya Selimskaya".
Only Grand Duke Sergey Mikhailovich was shot, the rest were blindfolded and thrown into the mine alive, after which the murderers threw into the mine some hand grenades and some junk. The mine was about 200 feet deep, but the corpses of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Grand Duke John Constantinovich were found on a ledge only 50 feet from the top. The Grand Duchess Elizabeth had remained alive for a long time. Near the mine, one could hear hymns - some say from hymns from the Vesper service, and these hymns continued through the following day. A peasant driving by on his cart heard the singing. In fright, he drove hurriedly to the camp of the White Army not very distant from there and told them about it. They reproached him for not giving any help, at least by throwing a piece of bread into the mine. When the White Army was able to reach the spot they removed the bodies of the murdered. Investigation showed that the Grand Duchess Elizabeth, herself mortally wounded, had dressed the wounds of Grand Duke John. Near her body were two unexploded hand grenades, on her chest an icon of Jesus Christ. The holy martyr had sung hymns for herself and for others, funeral hymns, hymns giving thanks or glorifying God, until the hymns of God's kingdom had sounded her. Thus the holy martyr's crown of thorns was placed on her head for her to join the saints.
By the order of Admiral Kochack, the head of the Siberian White Army, the body of the Grand Duchess and all who were murdered with her were solemnly buried in Alopaev Cathedral (November 1st 1918). Later, when the White Army had to retreat under pressure from the Reds, the bodies were taken to Irkutsk (July 1919) and later to China (February 28th 1920).
At a point near the Chinese border the communists were able to attack the convoy. They had time to throw out the coffin of the Grand Duke John, but some Chinese soldiers arrived in time to stop the sacrilege. On 3rd April, the bodies were buried at the church of St. Seraphim of Sarov at the cemetery of the Russian mission in Peking. Later, the body of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth and that of sister Barbara, through the care of Princess Victoria, were taken to Palestine. There, on December 15th, 1920 they were solemnly met in Jerusalem by the representatives of the British Government, by the Greek and Russian clergy, and by innumerable Russian immigrants and local residents.
The Grand Duchess Elizabeth was buried in the church of St Mary Magdalene of Gethsemane, the church built in memory of the Dowager Empress Maria (wife of the Emperor Tsar Alexander II) by her august children. The Grand Duchess had been present with her husband at its consecration in 1888, and they say, she loved the church so much that she expressed a desire to spend the last days of her life near it.
"Like a beautiful apparition, she passed through this world, leaving behind her a radiant trail," wrote her biographer, His Eminence Metropolitan Anastassy. "Together with the other sufferers for the motherland she is at the same time the atonement of former Russia, and the foundation of the Russia to come, which will be built on the remains of the new holy martyrs. Such images have lasting significance: their predestination is eternal memory on earth and in heaven. Not in vain had the voice of the people of Russia proclaimed her a saint while she was yet alive. As if to reward her for her glorious deeds on earth, and especially for her love for Holy Russia, her martyred remains (which according to eyewitnesses were found in the mine untouched by decay) were destined to rest near the very place of the sufferings and holy Resurrection of the Savior."
Archpriest Michael Polsky, The New Martyrs of Russia" (Montreal, 1972) 124-32
Royal Poetry
Robert Herrick (1591-1674) was deeply affected by the strife and disorders that followed the outbreak of civil war in 1642. His despair and anguish at the aftermath of the Parliamentary uprising against Charles I is perhaps best captured by his poem The Bad Season Makes the Poet Sad, published in 1648.
The text appeared in Hesperides, published by John Williams and F. Eglesfield, in London. The book was sold by a Thomas Hunt.
Tye were famous for its purple or crimson dyes (Tyrian dews).
THE BAD SEASON MAKES THE POET SAD
Dull to myself, and almost dead to these
My many fresh and fragrant mistresses;
Lost to all music now, since everything
Puts on the semblance here of sorrowing.
Sick is the land to th' heart, and doth endure
More dangerous faintings by her desp'rate cure.
But if that golden age would come again
And Charles here rule, as he before did reign;
If smooth and unperplex'd the seasons were
As when the sweet Maria lived here;
I should delight to have my curls half drown'd
In Tyrian dews, and head with roses crown'd.
And once more yet (ere I am laid out dead)
Knock at a star with my exalted head.
Royal visits
Edward Prince of Wales, 1920
Edward Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, and after the Abdication, the Duke of Windsor, visited New Zealand 24th April to 22nd May 1920.
He arrived on HMS Renown, accompanied by, amongst others, Lord Louis Mountbatten as ADC to the prince and flag lieutenant to Rear Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey, Chief of Staff to the Prince of Wales.
Just as the 1902 visit of his father, King George V, had been to thank the empire for its support during the Boer War, so the Prince of Wales was on a Commonwealth tour to give thanks for support during the First World War.
The Governments of both Australia and New Zealand had ignored requests for moderation, and the tour proved to be exceedingly arduous and complex. In spite of the taxing programme, the tour of New Zealand went extremely well, and the prince was everywhere welcomed enthusiastically.
The visit began with a commemoration service in St Mary's Cathedral, Auckland, for the loss of life during the war. Later the prince visited Pukekohe, Hamilton, Rotorua, Wanganui, Marton, Feilding, Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Havelock, West Coast, Christchurch, Ashburton, Temuka, Timaru, Waitaki, Oamaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill. Much use of made of a special royal train, though this was delayed for a few days in Auckland by a railway strike.
As Frances Donaldson has observed, the prince "aroused emotions then which attached people to the Crown, survived the restlessness of the post-war years, the abdication crisis, and the transfer of loyalty to the new King and Queen, and brought the Dominions in to stand unquestioningly by Britain's side on the declaration of the second world war."
Although history may have been less generous than Lady Donaldson in its assessment of Edward Prince of Wales, there can be no doubting the importance of his visit to New Zealand, at a time when this country was establishing its own identity and independence.
Royal Residences past and present
Nether Lypiatt Manor
Situated at the village of Bisley, near Stroud in Gloucestershire, Nether Lypiatt Manor is the country home of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Built in 1702-5 by an unknown architect for Judge John Coxe, with one wing added in 1923, the small house forms a perfect square of only 46 feet. It comprises four floors, including a tall basement and an attic floor. Inside much of the early eighteenth-century panelling survives, as do original stone fireplaces. A fine staircase runs from basement to attic.
For many years the manor was used as a farmhouse. Before 1980, when it was bought by Prince and Princess Michael, it had been the home of the well-known harpsichordist Violet Gordon Woodhouse.
The house, in 35 acres of grounds, has four reception rooms, eight bedrooms, and four bathrooms.
Letters to the Editor
Sir,
There is much talk about republicanism and our recently established New Zealand Royal Honours System.
Our educators have given republicanism and socialism much sympathetic backing for the last eighty years or so, but the performance of these forms of governance worldwide has been pathetic, and they have been major contributors to instability and chaos in many countries of the world. As a concept, republicanism is as dead as socialism, and should be buried with it.
The recently established New Zealand Royal Honours system, with its mixture of monarchical and republican features, and controlled by a committee of politicians in the Cabinet Office, also looks to be decidedly unworkable. It is odd even to call it an honours system. An honours system in the past has always been concerned with examinations without supervision, relying on a person's honour. This may well be appropriate for an educational establishment but it falls far short of what we require as a nation to honour our citizens.
But it is the republican idea of honouring merit, rather than the monarchical idea of the monarch giving awards for service which will cause us the most grief in the future. The American merit system is the practice of giving public office to those they consider to be the most competent for it, whether elected or not. It is their idea of appointing their cabinet from the public at large rather than from elected officials and in some respects it is like our MMP system, but it would otherwise appear to have no useful application to our democratic monarchical form of government.
The country's highest honour, the Order of New Zealand, was instituted to recognize outstanding service, not merit, to the Crown and people of New Zealand. The usual way of showing outstanding service to the Crown was to serve with distinction in the Armed Forces, and the usual way of showing outstanding service to the people of New Zealand was to serve with distinction in some way which benefits the population as a whole.
The people so honoured at the moment have not served with distinction in the Armed Forces and many have served with distinction in that particular part of the nation in which they have chosen to exercise their talents, but there would appear to be no general service to the Crown or nation which distinguishes the group, and which should have been the criterion for their appointment to our highest honour.
The New Zealand Order of Merit now grades us in accordance with the political philosophy of whatever party is currently in power, and sets us up to becoming not a democracy (power to the people) but a meritocracy (power to those selected according to merit in competition).
We still want a democracy in New Zealand. We must now amend our present New Zealand Royal Honours system, to ensure it is controlled by the Monarch, and to ensure that politicians have no part whatever in its functioning.
Norman McLeod