Her majesty's a pretty nice girl . . .

I thought we Americans fought a revolution a few years ago against the British monarchy. But from the media gushing, first last year around the marriage of Prince William and Katherine (or Kate, as we prefer), and now around the 60^th year diamond jubilee of William’s grandmother, Elizabeth II, one would think that we had been defeated by the British and happily settled into cheery subjection. I’ve watched what I could stand of the royal fete (admittedly, not much; it really is pretty boring), and try as I might I can’t see what all the fuss is about. It’s not like this old lady has ever done anything. Indeed, it seems her only accomplishment is having lived to the age of 86. My mother is 85, and I don’t see any flotillas or fly-overs or Paul McCartney concerts honoring that feat. In the past – like back in the early Henrys and Johns and Georges  – British royalty would actually accomplish something – ride in armor on horses leading armies into battles, vanquishing the foes, and securing an empire. The original Elizabeth, 400 years ago, at least was a patron to Shakespeare. But for at least the past couple of hundred or so years, the “duty” of the British monarchy, having no military or political function, has been purely ceremonial. And that’s just dandy – for the British. But we’ve not been a British colony for some 250 years. So why don’t we just stand back and let England be England? I guess it does make good TV (for some). And for us, good TV is a pretty good monarchy itself.