Royal News Roundup

Okay, the "holy" day of commercialism is almost here, I’m being hounded there and back, people are invading my home, it’s cold and I’m cranky so this is going to be a quick one. Starting in the Far East, His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan attended the premiere of “Les Miserables”, HM the King of Bhutan addressed his people on National Day, congratulating everyone on achieving democracy (yeah, hooray for that) but also reminding everyone that democracy is not “the” point and an end in itself. Over in the Middle East the Emir of Kuwait warned protesters that constructive criticism is fine but that lawlessness and disorder will be suppressed (amen) at the opening of a new parliament on Sunday. King Hamad of Bahrain stressed the need for tolerance at the opening of a new education fund for special needs students, the Emir of Qatar went on a walkabout to meet his subjects on National Day and the super rich shook their heads in envy at word that a Saudi prince is about to buy a $500 million private plane.

In Europe, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway was honored for her charity work at a gala in Berlin, Germany for the “A Kind Heart for Children” campaign. HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden held a special dinner for the Nobel Laureates, Prince Carl Philip picked up some Christmas trees and visited the Federation of Swedish Farmers. The Spanish Royal Family got their Christmas cards sent out (mine has not arrived yet) and in Britain the Duchess of Cambridge is said to be recovering from her recent ill-health and the Duchess of York opened a new cancer center for teens in Cambridge. HM the Queen (to her credit) became the first British monarch since Queen Victoria to sit in on a cabinet meeting, which she did on Tuesday. HRH the Princess Royal paid a morale-boosting visit to British troops in Afghanistan, visiting the army base at Camp Bastion, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall helped pass out Christmas goodies and Princess Eugenie helped cheer up patients at the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital in Stanmore.

And, finally, on what can only be described as a humorous note, the government of Argentina has filed a formal protest with the UK ambassador over the British government naming the British Antarctica claim “Queen Elizabeth Land” in honor of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. Yawn. Leave it to a republican government to get prissy about the name of a (largely theoretical) British claim to chunk of uninhabitable ice being given a new name as a way to honor a long-serving monarch. The Argentine senate unanimously passed the bill expressing their opposition to the name-change along with cries of “imperialism” because, of course, as the Union Jack is even being hauled down in Belfast and Wales and Scotland each have their own governments, “imperialism” is just the word that comes to mind when one thinks of the modern United Kingdom. What is next, a protest to the UN? Will their be a conflicting territorial claim? Yes, that hunk of ice belongs to Argentina whether the penguins want to be British or not! Still, I envy Argentina that things must be going so well down there that their government has no more pressing business to attend to than this.