http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/monarchy/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/arise-sir-john-who-dares-bring-back-the-knighthood/ Pop quiz – name an AC (Companion of the Order of Australia). Quick! Nice try but probably no cigar. At the risk of putting two and two together and coming up with 147, The Punch detects (speculates wildly) the time might be ripe for a swing back to the days of Sirs and Dames. Perhaps it’s John Howard’s induction into the Order of Merit or the fact the Queen finished 2011 with a grin as wide as the Empire of old. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/arise-sir-john-who-dares-bring-back-the-knighthood/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/arise-sir-john-who-dares-bring-back-the-knighthood/#item7472 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Alexander Downer has a disturbing lack of faith in Australia and Australians. How else to explain his column in The Advertiser where he appeared to suggest without the good graces of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Australia would slip into some sort of blood-soaked revolution. Mr Downer invoked the situation in Libya, mentioned the horrors of the Russian Revolution and even the French Revolution then pondered why our nation is “quiet, placid, peaceful Australia”. His conclusion? The Queen. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-queen-is-not-the-glue-holding-australia-together/ Alexander Downer has a disturbing lack of faith in Australia and Australians. How else to explain his column in The Advertiser where he appeared to suggest without the good graces of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Australia would slip into some sort of blood-soaked revolution. Mr Downer invoked the situation in Libya, mentioned the horrors of the Russian Revolution and even the French Revolution then pondered why our nation is “quiet, placid, peaceful Australia”. His conclusion? The Queen. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-queen-is-not-the-glue-holding-australia-together/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-queen-is-not-the-glue-holding-australia-together/#item7002 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Alexander Downer has a disturbing lack of faith in Australia and Australians. How else to explain his column in The Advertiser where he appeared to suggest without the good graces of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Australia would slip into some sort of blood-soaked revolution. Mr Downer invoked the situation in Libya, mentioned the horrors of the Russian Revolution and even the French Revolution then pondered why our nation is “quiet, placid, peaceful Australia”. His conclusion? The Queen. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/one-shall-make-a-swift-visit-to-ones-colony/ Her Majesty will be warmly and enthusiastically welcomed today because it is always a grand occasion when Australia’s head of state is actually on Australian soil. Rare, but grand nevertheless. Mind you, she is only here because of next week’s Commonwealth summit in Perth. We outsoure the pinnacle position in our democratic structure but the woman herself is splendidly separate from that awkward constitutional arrangement. She is special. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/one-shall-make-a-swift-visit-to-ones-colony/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/one-shall-make-a-swift-visit-to-ones-colony/#item6951 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Alexander Downer has a disturbing lack of faith in Australia and Australians. How else to explain his column in The Advertiser where he appeared to suggest without the good graces of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Australia would slip into some sort of blood-soaked revolution. Mr Downer invoked the situation in Libya, mentioned the horrors of the Russian Revolution and even the French Revolution then pondered why our nation is “quiet, placid, peaceful Australia”. His conclusion? The Queen. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/long-to-reign-over-us-our-immovable-royals/ What a month it’s been for our Royal Family. Yesterday we pretended to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday, even though it’s not actually her birthday at all. Despite having a perfectly functional and distinctly Australian honours system on January 26, in keeping with tradition we again used the Queen’s pretend birthday to recognise those Australians who have given of themselves to the community. While their efforts should be recognised, it seems quaint that this recognition is still linked to old concepts of Empire which our new system of publicly-elected honours recipients sought to phase out some 34 years ago. On Friday, the Duke of Edinburgh turned 90, granting a rare interview to the BBC to observe the occasion. Prince Philip said that as he entered his 10th decade on earth he now intended to shift things down a gear. “I reckon I’ve done my bit,” he said, without elaborating as to what his “bit” actually was, unless you count making off-colour remarks to dusky chaps in the former colonies as a form of employment. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/long-to-reign-over-us-our-immovable-royals/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/long-to-reign-over-us-our-immovable-royals/#item6071 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Alexander Downer has a disturbing lack of faith in Australia and Australians. How else to explain his column in The Advertiser where he appeared to suggest without the good graces of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Australia would slip into some sort of blood-soaked revolution. Mr Downer invoked the situation in Libya, mentioned the horrors of the Russian Revolution and even the French Revolution then pondered why our nation is “quiet, placid, peaceful Australia”. His conclusion? The Queen. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dust-off-your-cucumber-sandwiches-its-time-for-a-republic/ It wasn’t hard to get into the pageantry and fun of the royal nuptials. We even made cupcakes with crowns for our token wedding celebration. Our westie mates turned up, resplendent in top hats, medals, even a wedding dress. Food was anything English: Yorkshire pudding, trifle, cucumber sandwiches and a steak and kidney pie. My husband rejoiced in his English connections, while I quoted our Constitution which grants the monarch certain governing powers, even above other governing levels. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dust-off-your-cucumber-sandwiches-its-time-for-a-republic/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dust-off-your-cucumber-sandwiches-its-time-for-a-republic/#item5744 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Alexander Downer has a disturbing lack of faith in Australia and Australians. How else to explain his column in The Advertiser where he appeared to suggest without the good graces of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Australia would slip into some sort of blood-soaked revolution. Mr Downer invoked the situation in Libya, mentioned the horrors of the Russian Revolution and even the French Revolution then pondered why our nation is “quiet, placid, peaceful Australia”. His conclusion? The Queen. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-king-is-dead-long-live-the-king/ This Easter the world seems full of believers. Religious and Royal. Tomorrow, billions will celebrate the resurrection of their King, Jesus Christ. But this year, there’s another King-to-be who’s stealing the limelight. Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave over the past few days (no offence, Jesus. Thank God for Mary Magdalene), you’d be well aware the wedding of the century is six sleeps away. And with this wedding many hope there’ll be a resurrection of a different kind. The resurrection of the monarchy. There will be no heavy cross to carry. No rags. No bare feet. No beard. Quite the opposite. There will be carriages, horses with plaits, the Beckhams, trumpets and the world’s most celebrated modern couple – Prince William and Kate Middleton. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-king-is-dead-long-live-the-king/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-king-is-dead-long-live-the-king/#item5691 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Alexander Downer has a disturbing lack of faith in Australia and Australians. How else to explain his column in The Advertiser where he appeared to suggest without the good graces of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Australia would slip into some sort of blood-soaked revolution. Mr Downer invoked the situation in Libya, mentioned the horrors of the Russian Revolution and even the French Revolution then pondered why our nation is “quiet, placid, peaceful Australia”. His conclusion? The Queen. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kate-and-will-officially-not-complete-muppets/ The outpouring of saccharine dross about the upcoming Royal Marriage has thrown into sharp relief the spectacularly low expectations we have of Royals. William and Kate are being feted as the saviours of the monarchy largely because they are not foolish, badly behaved muppets and are not an embarrassment to the institution and the country. Indeed they seem like reasonably likeable, down-to-earth people considering their situation - keeping in mind that I am making a totally uninformed judgment here. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kate-and-will-officially-not-complete-muppets/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kate-and-will-officially-not-complete-muppets/#item5676 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Alexander Downer has a disturbing lack of faith in Australia and Australians. How else to explain his column in The Advertiser where he appeared to suggest without the good graces of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Australia would slip into some sort of blood-soaked revolution. Mr Downer invoked the situation in Libya, mentioned the horrors of the Russian Revolution and even the French Revolution then pondered why our nation is “quiet, placid, peaceful Australia”. His conclusion? The Queen. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-man-who-should-be-king/ When Prince Charles visited Australia in March, 2004, he boarded a large military helicopter in Canberra and flew to Gunning, a small town near Goulburn, NSW, where he spent the morning visiting some kind of organic farm. It made for a great story on ABC Radio’s Country Hour, but didn’t exactly resonate with the wider community. Compare that to Prince William, whose tour de disaster zone this week has been an absolute tour de force. When necessary, Will has overstepped the bounds of protocol, hugging the commoners as the mood struck him. He was also professionally standoffish as required, most notably when he wisely declined to answer a bystander’s question about recalcitrant insurers. It’s a gift, this business of playing the people’s royal. Will’s mother Diana had it. His father Charles doesn’t. And given that pretty much the only reason the royal family still exists is to pep up the public spirit, there’s only one conclusion – and that’s that William should be the next British Monarch. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-man-who-should-be-king/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-man-who-should-be-king/#item5430 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Alexander Downer has a disturbing lack of faith in Australia and Australians. How else to explain his column in The Advertiser where he appeared to suggest without the good graces of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Australia would slip into some sort of blood-soaked revolution. Mr Downer invoked the situation in Libya, mentioned the horrors of the Russian Revolution and even the French Revolution then pondered why our nation is “quiet, placid, peaceful Australia”. His conclusion? The Queen. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-irish-want-australia-to-be-free-of-england/ I emigrated here in 1987. As many as one million Irish had made the same trip before me and quite a few have since. Among them were convicts and radicals, priests and judges, nurses and nuns, saints and scholars. I became a citizen in June, 1994, alongside 90 other Irish expats at the Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney – a building that how houses a beautiful monument to the Great Irish Famine. It was an emotional day. The significance of embracing a new citizenship was not lost on any of us. Irish and Australian songs were played and sung. The Department of Immigration wondered why so many Irish had suddenly decided that they would become Australian citizens. It was not an impulse move. The Irish had waited patiently for Australia to change. Weeks earlier, the Labor government had gotten rid of a certain oath of allegiance to Queen Elizabeth, the English monarch. Now, almost 20 years later, we are waiting for Australia to change again. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-irish-want-australia-to-be-free-of-england/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-irish-want-australia-to-be-free-of-england/#item5380 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Alexander Downer has a disturbing lack of faith in Australia and Australians. How else to explain his column in The Advertiser where he appeared to suggest without the good graces of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Australia would slip into some sort of blood-soaked revolution. Mr Downer invoked the situation in Libya, mentioned the horrors of the Russian Revolution and even the French Revolution then pondered why our nation is “quiet, placid, peaceful Australia”. His conclusion? The Queen. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/there-will-be-an-empty-seat-at-the-royal-wedding/ Has all this royal wedding talk made you think about Princess Diana? I know she was much-derided when she was alive – what with the nutty psychics, playing the paparazzi and preying on other women’s partners. But, come April 29, there’s going to be an empty seat at Westminster Abbey and, sappy as it sounds, I know that will make me sad. Diana would have been 50 this year – a fabulous age to watch your first-born son marry the woman he loves. You can speculate all you like on how she might have stolen the show, but she was nothing if not an instinctive and affectionate mother. What was fascinating about Diana was that both her life and death provoked a visceral response – not an intellectual one. Occasionally her actions made us think (her charity work for AIDS/landmines) but, more often, she made us feel. Struggling with the same problems as the rest of us – men, parenting, body image – she was like Julia Roberts’ character in Notting Hill: “I’m also just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/there-will-be-an-empty-seat-at-the-royal-wedding/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/there-will-be-an-empty-seat-at-the-royal-wedding/#item5304 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Alexander Downer has a disturbing lack of faith in Australia and Australians. How else to explain his column in The Advertiser where he appeared to suggest without the good graces of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Australia would slip into some sort of blood-soaked revolution. Mr Downer invoked the situation in Libya, mentioned the horrors of the Russian Revolution and even the French Revolution then pondered why our nation is “quiet, placid, peaceful Australia”. His conclusion? The Queen.