New Monarchist Party Launched

Ethiopian monarchists have launched a new party to champion the restoration of the Solomonic dynasty called the Kebra Nagast Party. They have also produced an introductory video seen below. The Mad Monarchist wishes them all the best in their efforts to restore the Conquering Lion of Judah and King of Kings of Ethiopia.

Birthday of A Great Roman Emperor

Today is the birthday (in 347 AD) of Emperor Theodosius the Great of Rome. He was one of the greatest monarchs of the late Roman Empire, the last to rule both east and west and is known for the final abolition of paganism and making Rome an officially Christian empire. For a refresher on this great monarch, I refer you back to his Monarch Profile: Theodosius the Great.

MM Salute: The Loyal Lao

Since I am currently off my regularly scheduled posts, I thought I would take this opportunity to do something I have been meaning to for a while; that is to send a Mad Monarchist SALUTE to the loyal monarchists of Laos. The country is in a terrible condition today, effectively still under Communist Vietnamese occupation, and I had heard that loyalty to the monarchial principle survived there with some people venerating images of the neighboring King of Thailand in the absence of their own monarch. However, I have lately become very impressed by the loyalty of the Lao exile community, particularly the younger generations. Since establishing the Mad Monarchist Channel on YouTube I have been surprised that of all the videos I have contributed (all of them very modest with nothing at all fancy as you all know) that it is a short video on the Royals of Laos that has been viewed more often than any other, some 21,287 times as of this posting. That so many young Lao people, having been born and lived entirely in exile, still have such an interest in their royal history, such fidelity to their ancient monarchy and steadfastly staunch opposition to the communist usurpers who took power frankly inspires me. For displaying all of these qualities in the face of such obstacles I think the loyal monarchists of Laos should serve as an example to others in similar situations around the world. So, ever-loyal, ever-faithful patriotic loyalists of Laos; the Mad Monarchist salutes you!

(so everyone will know this is true loyalty at work and not some fabulous bit of video wizardry on my own part, I submit the video in question)

MM Video: A Contrast in Styles

The Machine is Kaput!

It is bound to happen. My primary computing machine has gone KAPUT. I am hoping it is not too serious and can be fixed once I get back to civilization and can take it to the proper nerd shop, but for the time being my topic list, silly graphics and pre-done posts have said adieu. I will try to keep up best I can flying seat-of-the-pants but for someone who likes to have things planned out a considerable length ahead of time it is very disorienting. Nonetheless, while machine #2 holds up I shall struggle on best I can, appreciative of everyone's patience and understanding. With my dislike of modern machinery firmly reinforced I remain the very frustrated and very... Mad Monarchist.

MM Video: Catholic Monarchy

This video was done in something of a fit after getting a number of monarchy-bashing messages from Catholics (which rather set me off, I guess no one told them the Pope is a monarch too).

Monarchist Profile: Chief Joseph Brant

Joseph Brant was born in 1743, part of the Mohawk tribe of the Wolf clan, a member of the Iroquois Confederacy. Through his stepfather he became friends with William Johnson who was in charge of Indian Affairs for the British government in North America and later married Brant's half-sister. As a teenager he fought on the British side in the French and Indian War and was decorated for his service in Canada. In 1765 he married the daughter of a Virginia planter who had been a captive of a group of western Indians previously. After her death from consumption in 1771 he married her sister and became a member of the Church of England.

When the American War for Independence broke out Brant's mastery of numerous Indian language made him of great service to the British who were anxious to enlist Indian support against the colonial rebels. Brant hoped that by aiding the British the Iroquois would gain greater rights and autonomy. The British offered land in Canada in return for Indian assistance and when Brant visited London he was treated as quite the celebrity. He joined the Freemasons and was given his apron by King George III himself. After returning to America he participated in the campaign that retook New York with the army of General Howe. When the Iroquois waffled on which side to join Brant went out on his own, organizing his own volunteer force to fight with the British against the rebels.

In 1777 the Iroquois officially joined forces with the British. The same year Brant played a key role in the battle of Oriskany as part of the offensive south from Canada by General John Burgoyne. The following year rebel forces attacked and burned Brant's village while he was away and for which he led a raid of his own in retaliation; known by the Continentals as the Cherry Valley Massacre. In 1779 the British commander in Canada, General Frederick Haldimand commissioned Brant as a captain in the British army. Later that year Lord George Germain promoted him to colonel and Brant led a number of raids against the colonial forces, winning the battle of Minisink but the Crown forces were unable to stop the overall rebel campaign.

In late summer of 1779 the Continental Army launched a major operation against the Iroquois in New York, burning every village and killing every Indian they encountered. It was a brutal campaign but effectively ended the war with the Indians in New York. Brant, however, continued his raids in the Mohawk Valley working in conjunction with Butler's Rangers and the King's Royal Regiment of New York. He was wounded in the fight at Klock's field (a British defeat) but recovered sufficiently to go west to oppose George Rogers Clark's advance on Detroit. He was wounded again at Ft Detroit but fought on and continued to work for British-Indian cooperation even after the surrender of Crown forces at Yorktown, Virginia.

When the war ended, even moreso than most loyalists, the Indians were extremely upset with the loss of their land to the new United States. Brant was painted as the most horrid villain by the Americans, blaming him for the Wyoming Valley massacre at which he was not even present. Brant moved to Canada and worked with the British government to set aside land for half of the Six Nations in Ontario. Those who remained in New York later fell afoul of the United States and were forced off their land as well (Brant turned down an offer of a large pension from the U.S. President in return for persuading the other Mohawk who had moved to Canada to return). Brant continued to work for the interests of his people as best he could and remained staunchly loyal to King George until his death in 1807.

Battlefield Royal: Albrecht, Duke of Wurttemberg

One of the top three royal commanders on the German side of the western front in World War I was Duke Albrecht of Wurttemberg. He was born Albrecht Maria Alexander Philipp Joseph von Wurttemberg in Vienna, Austria on December 23, 1865 to Duke Philipp of Wurttemberg and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. He was set on a military career at a young age, enjoyed the esteem of his fellows and good family connections (he was awarded the Order of the Golden Fleece by the Emperor of Austria) and when World War I broke out he took command of the German 4th Army which he led to victory in the battle of the Ardennes in August of 1914. The Duke and his army saw action at the crucial first battle of the Marne before being transferred to Flanders in October as part of the “Race to the Sea” where the Germans were defeated by a combined French and Belgian force at the battle of the Yser. The Duke also commanded at the first and second battles of Ypres, the latter of which being where chemical warfare was used on a large scale for the first time.

Duke Albrecht gained a reputation as a solid and reliable battlefield commander and received a succession of honors in the following years. In August of 1915 he was awarded the order Pour le Merite (aka the ‘Blue Max’) and a year later was promoted to the rank of field marshal. In 1917 “Army Group Albrecht” was formed and placed under his command which held the southern end of the western front throughout the final stages of the war. The death of his father in 1917 had left him as heir presumptive to his cousin King Wilhelm II of Wurttemberg but the revolutions that swept Germany in 1918 also swept away the Kingdom of Wurttemberg.

With the extinction of the senior line of the royal family the head of the house passed to the ducal line in 1921 with the death of Wilhelm II. Duke Albrecht was thus head of the House of Wurttemberg and legitimate monarch of the country until his death at Altshausen Castle on October 29, 1939.

Speaking of Yemen - It's Not Pretty

With the recent attempted attack over Detroit by the underwear-terrorist there has been alot of talk in the news about the Republic of Yemen; the only republic in that neck of the desert. However, it was naturally not always so. Formerly a British protectorate the Kingdom of Yemen lasted until 1962 when the republicans took over and a civil war ensued between republicans (backed by Egypt) and royalists (backed by Saudi Arabia). Typical monarchy done in by dastardly republican traitors right? Not so simple in this case as the fall of the Kingdom of Yemen was aided in large part by the mistakes of the royals themselves, the last presiding royal figures being King Ahmad bin Yaha and his son Crown Prince Muhammad al-Badr. Working blindly against their own interests they broke from the British and the Hashemite monarchies of the north and aligned themselves with the republican nationalist movement of Nasser in Egypt and established friendly relations with Soviet Russia and Red China (and they are still best buddied with Communist China today). Of course, in the end this spelled the end of the monarchy which was instigated by the Egyptian Arab nationalists whom the Crown Prince had invited into the country to "modernize" it. Once he realized his mistake he rallied the devout people of the desert interior against the Egyptian-backed republicans but they were outmatched and when Saudi Arabia finally gave in and recognized the new leftist government in Yemen al-Badr was forced to go into exile, ironically enough, in Great Britain. Never trust a communist folks -it's not a hard concept to grasp.
(flag displayed is that of the late Kingdom of Yemen)

Monarch Profile: Temur Khan

Temur Oljeitu Khan, Emperor Chengzong of the Great Yuan, was the grandson and successor of the storied Kublai Khan, founder of the Yuan Dynasty. Inheriting a well established empire from his grandfather he made no great conquests but further consolidated the dynasty, built up internal improvements and expanded Yuan influence over a number of independent states which accepted tributary status around the Yuan Emperor of China and Great Khan of the Mongols.

Temur was born in 1265 the son of Crown Prince Zhen Jin and although Kublai favored him to succeed him on the throne he was never named as heir. He accompanied his grandfather on military campaigns and was entrusted with the governorship of Karakorum in 1293. When Kublai died Temur won the throne by showing himself to be the better spoken master of the principles laid down by their most illustrious ancestor Genghis Khan. In 1294 he was formally proclaimed Great Khan of the Mongol Empire and Emperor of the Yuan dynasty. He did his best to carry on the policies of Kublai and to bring about an era of recovery after the expansion and exertions of the reign of his predecessor.

One of his first orders of business was to recover from the failed wars that marked the final years of Kublai’s rule against Japan and Vietnam. Although he called off plans for further campaigns against Japan the Japanese shogun resolutely refused to accept even nominal status as a Mongol vassal and launched a number of attacks on the coast. In Vietnam, however, after repelling three previous Mongol invasions the Viets were content with having independence in return for no further harassment and Emperor Tran Nhan Tong (third emperor of the Tran dynasty) recognized the Great Khan as his feudal overlord. Temur Khan released all the Vietnamese emissaries he had been holding and a peaceful tributary relationship was maintained for the rest of the Yuan reign between the Mongol Empire and Vietnam.

At home Temur Khan attracted the best and brightest to his court regardless of their background and had Mongols, Chinese, Persians, Christians, Buddhists, Taoists, Muslims and others among his officials. He respected and praised the Chinese Confucian system but did not follow it exclusively. The Tibetans continued to rise in prominence in his government and in a very surprising move Temur Khan banned the sale of alcohol in Mongolia since, then as now, alcoholism was proving problematic among his people. He did not increase taxes and even cut them back on certain occasions and for certain groups. We also have Temur Khan to thank for the portraits he ordered painted of all the Mongol emperors.

Over time Burma, Cambodia and Thailand all recognized the Mongol Emperor as their titular overlord. In 1297 this drew Temur Khan into an internal conflict in Burma when his vassal was attacked and dethroned. Persia became a tributary state for a time under the local Mongol-descended leader and there was an appeal for a sort of reunification of the successor states of the empire of Genghis Khan but nothing came of it and the Mongol Empire remained a loose federation of independent powers with only tenuous ties to the Great Khan.

The biggest problem of the reign of Temur Khan was economics. He did what he could to make things run more smoothly but it was a daunting task with the money necessary for recruiting talented officials (1/3 of them from outside of China and Mongolia), the expenditures of producing all official documents in formal and common Chinese, Mongolian, Uighur and Persian as well as moving the entire court between two capital cities was enormous and inflation weakened the paper currency in use. Nonetheless, aside from this area, it was a prosperous, powerful and peaceful empire that Temur Khan left behind at his death in 1307 at the age of 42.

"The Empress of Farewells", A Review

Misaki Sakumo at the Reviews on Royals blog reviews Prince Michael of Greece's book on the last Empress of Mexico "The Empress of Farewells: The Story of Charlotte, Empress of Mexico". Read on for her other reviews of monarchial media.

Controversy, Carlism and Juan Carlos

Over the years I have heard from many self-described monarchists who have nothing at all good to say about King Juan Carlos I of Spain, usually from the camp of the small but committed modern day Carlists, or perhaps I should say -one of the many camps. It has happened often enough to prompt me to state my perspective on the issue even though I try to stay out of dynastic disputes here on the blog for the sake of unity amongst the minority of monarchists still scattered about the globe. Longtime readers and followers from Yahoo! Will likely already know that, in the time and place that it mattered, my own sympathies are with the Carlists. In choosing that side I have the benefit of hindsight. How the Carlist pretenders might have ruled Spain we can only guess but history certainly shows that their opponents and their policies were not good for the long-term strength and stability of the King of Spain.

Aside from this, I also take the Carlist side because of the legality of their original case as well as my sympathy with their overall attitude of rejecting the modern mass political system and so-called “enlightenment” ideals in favor of old fashioned altar and throne monarchy. They put up a long and gallant resistance and in the story of Spanish history I consider them the “good guys”. However, that does not translate to any opposition on my part to the Spanish monarchy today or King Juan Carlos personally. One of the problems the Carlists had in recent times, probably due to such a long period as the underdog, is that they fractured and as they became an ever smaller and less significant minority many became even more fanatical in their opposition to any and everyone who did not coincide with their own exact position. Such as King Juan Carlos.

Exactly who the legitimate Carlist claimant is disputed today among a number of individuals (something problematic all on its own) and despite what many may think one of those who is considered legitimate heir to the Carlist mantle is King Juan Carlos himself. However, much of the movement known as Carlism today has more to do with religion, politics, social issues etc rather than royal bloodlines. I also consider the fact that monarchists should not throw away the preferable in pursuit of the ideal, which is where King Juan Carlos comes in.

I have certainly not agreed with every act that King Juan Carlos has put his name to. I like him personally, I would prefer it if he would take more of a principled stand on certain issues but then I could say the same for virtually every monarch in Europe. I also do not think, as some seem to, that Juan Carlos alone could stop the current trend of Spanish government and society. Were he to do so, the most likely outcome would be that the monarchy would be abolished and a leftist republic established. With the current situation there is at least the framework in place for an eventual recovery. As far as claims of legitimacy or illegitimacy (and I will say again that the current king is heir of one of the line of Carlist claimants) simply being the monarch in these difficult times counts for a great deal. I take the same attitude regarding King Juan Carlos in Spain as I do Queen Elizabeth II in Great Britain where you will still find some diehard Jacobites who insist that the Duke of Bavaria is the rightful king and they hold the reigning Queen in utter contempt. For me, in both cases, regardless of past merits, the only possibilities for Spain or Great Britain is their current monarchs or a republic and the last thing the world needs is yet another republic.

For all of these reasons, though I have the utmost respect for the Carlist tradition and though I certainly do not agree with every act King Juan Carlos has put his name to, I will recognize and support him as the King of Spain and encourage in any way I can his maintenance on the throne. If one disapproves of certain actions of the government my answer would be to give the King a more safe and powerful part in government rather than disregarding the King altogether as he has made no secret of his personal opposition to a number of bills he has felt obliged to sign. For myself, given the option of King Juan Carlos or another Spanish republic it is a very simple decision as to which side to take. Viva el Rey!

Consort Profile: Queen Sirikit of Thailand

Her Majesty, Queen regent Sirikit of Thailand was born on August 12, 1932 to the second Prince Chanthaburi and his wife Mom Luang Bua Sanidvongse. While her parents worked at the Royal Siamese Embassy in Washington DC young Sirikit was cared for by her grandparents for the first year of her life. As a child she went to school amid many dangers due to the Second World War in which Bangkok was often attacked from the air. She went to the St Francis Xavier Convent school near the palace and after the war went with her family to Great Britain where her father was appointed ambassador to the Court of St James.

In Britain Sirikit learned English, French and the piano, she was able to visit a number of countries and studied music in Paris where she also met her musically inclined husband-to-be who was then studying in Switzerland. A courtship soon developed between the pair. In 1948 the future king was in a car accident that injured his back and cost him an eye but Sirikit was ever at his side to care for him. She moved to a school closer to the Prince to be near him and after a one year engagement the couple were married in 1950.

One week later man and wife became King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit of Thailand but returned to Switzerland after the coronation to continue their education, returning to Thailand in 1952. The handsome young couple were extremely popular with the people and the King greatly loved and trusted his wife. In 1956 when the King, following Thai custom, spent some time as a Buddhist monk he named Sirikit regent of Thailand in his absence, only the second time in Thai history that a consort had been given the title of regent.

Over the years Queen Sirikit has endeared herself ever more to her people who celebrate her birthday as a national holiday and as Thai mother’s day. On the family front she gave her husband three daughters and one son born in 1951, 1952, 1955 and 1957. One of the areas that the Queen has taken a particular interest in is the Muslim minority in southern Thailand which she frequently visits and works to promote peace and cooperation. Her service in this area, as a “quiet diplomat” as she has been called, has been extremely helpful in maintaining peace in the kingdom.

Queen Sirikit has also shown herself to be a talented writer, writing a book about her travels in Europe as well as a number of musical compositions. As President of the Thai Red Cross she was of great service during the tsunami disaster and has also taken a special interest in the humanitarian service of Cambodian and Burmese refugees who have fled to Thailand. She has also worked to emphasize and preserve traditional Thai culture and history and keep it alive in new ways for younger generations. A particularly proud achievement she participated in was the production of the massive, epic movie “The Legend of Suriyothai” about the inspiring life of the most famous warrior queen in Thai history.

In recent years Queen Sirikit has suffered from several health problems but these have been kept strictly private. Nonetheless, she has been a tower of strength for her husband in his increasingly frail years. She is extremely protective of him and due to his fragile health has had to take on most responsibilities in the palace while always working behind the scenes in deference to her revered husband and king. Her years of service and her loving kindness toward her husband have been outstanding and prove her totally worthy of the immense regard in which she is held by the Thai people.

Monarchist Profile: Colonel Charles Dupin

Perhaps the most colorful and controversial of those who fought on behalf of the Mexican Empire was the French cavalryman Charles Dupin. At the time of the campaign in Mexico he was already a decorated veteran of the war in China where he had earned something of an unsavory reputation. He was a zealous participant of the looting of the Summer Palace when French and British forces occupied Peking and he brought back a number of pilfered Chinese art treasures as spoils of war. When he openly advertised these items for sale in Paris he was dismissed from the army for conduct unbecoming of an officer. However, he had gained a reputation as a cunning and hard fighting commander.

When the war in Mexico, particularly along the northern frontier, degenerated into guerilla warfare it was Emperor Napoleon III himself who recalled the aging Dupin for service in Mexico. Emperor Maximilian though actually singled out Dupin for exclusion from his service since, although he had a reputation for courage and fearlessness, he was also known to employ methods ranging from extremely harsh to downright brutal. Nonetheless, Colonel Dupin came to Mexico and was given command of the contra-guerillas operating on the coast and along the Texas border. He cut an imposing figure in his braided uniform, wide sombrero and a cigar always clenched in his teeth. His mission was to fight fire with fire, to wipe out the bandits and Juaristas in the region and he had no qualms about returning harshness with harshness and cruelty with cruelty.

When the contra-guerillas seized a local village, their commander often issued a statement to intimidate the public such as this: "I am Colonel Dupin. Obey or you are dead! All resistance is futile...I protect the good but have no mercy for evil men. I kill men, I rape women, I murder children; I exterminate the enemy by fire, by steel and by blood; remember my words!" How much of these were serious threats or simply fearsome bombast is hard to say, but it all took place in an area where brutality was the order of the day on both sides. It must also be remembered that Dupin was based at Ciudad Victoria, operating in an area long held as the territory of the notorious bandit leader Juan Cortina. The men Dupin was up against also behaved in the most brutal fashion.

It was these guerillas and bandits that Colonel Dupin was charged with eradicating and terror was a primary tactic of his, realizing that without the support or at least the silence of the populace these guerilla units could not function. Therefore, Colonel Dupin launched a reign of terror across northern Mexico. His ferocity became legendary, as he probably wished it to, as stories spread of his troops hanging "invalids and cripples", executing civilians, destroying entire villages, burning crops, plundering homes, killing farm animals and burning public buildings. Those who were even suspected of being sympathetic to Juarez were killed on the spot.

Because of all of this, Colonel Dupin earned the nickname of "The Hyena of Tamaulipas" which at least one foreign visitor thought he seemed quite proud of. He and his men certainly inspired no great love or loyalty for Emperor Maximilian, but he did succeed in making himself feared all across the northern frontier. The name of Charles Dupin became like that of the bogey man and as a result of his operations his own men were often singled out for particularly brutal deaths when they happened to be taken prisoner. The contra-guerillas had good horses, good weapons and were well paid. Most of them were recruited from Matamoros, some even being Americans who had crossed into Mexico. They were a hard riding, hard fighting, totally ruthless elite within the Imperial Mexican Army. It also helped that they were so loathed by the Juaristas that any who were captured in battle by the republicans were executed on the spot.

In one of the bitter examples of the often less than cordial relations between the French and the Mexican Empire, Emperor Maximilian dismissed Colonel Dupin and sent him back to France. However, once there the old campaigner appealed to Napoleon III that with a thousand men and a free hand to use whatever tactics necessary he could wipe the northern border of Mexico clean of Juaristas. Napoleon believed him and to the outrage of Maximilian Colonel Dupin returned and took command of his own sector. The animosity was also certainly not one-sided. Colonel Dupin spoke openly of his dislike for Maximilian, dismissing him as a weakling who should stick to growing plants and flowers rather than being a monarch. However, one must keep in mind when hearing this that Colonel Dupin was the rough, ruthless, take-no-prisoners sort of man who would have called Rocky Marciano a sissy. Nonetheless, he did his job up to the end of the French presence in Mexico and while he may not have made friends of the populace he certainly succeeded in cowing them.

What finally became of the Hyena of Tamaulipas, I cannot say. Most of the information for this page came from only four sources and I have found details about Colonel Dupin impossible to come by in either French or English sources. If anyone has any further information that could be added here I would be only too happy to include it. I would assume that Colonel Dupin left with the evacuation of French troops since he was sent on orders from Napoleon and had to have known that he would have faced the most gruesome death if the Juaristas could have ever taken him alive. My guess is he returned to France and being a fairly old man, lived in retirement there until his death, though I cannot confirm that. What is certain is that he was the most shockingly brutal and the most feared man in the Imperial Army as well as being one of the most horrifyingly effective.

Happy New Year!

To all blog readers, members, subscribers and all my fellow monarchists everywhere the Mad Monarchist wishes you all a happy new year and all the best in 2010!

A Royal Re-Cap of 2009

For loyalists of the British monarchy 2009 might be most remembered for what did not happen. The long listened for wedding bells for Prince William and Kate Middleton did not ring, though Lord Freddie Windsor did tie the knot after a St Valentine’s Day in engagement. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh also gained a place in royal history as the longest serving British consort, passing the mark set by Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III. Royal wedding watchers had plenty to get excited about in the Kingdom of Sweden however where engagements were announced for Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine; breaking hearts all over the world no doubt. In Japan the Emperor and Empress celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary.

In April there was tragedy in the Netherlands when a man attempted to crash his car into the bus carrying Queen Beatrix and the Royal Family killing and injuring a number of people in the crowd before he himself died of his own injuries. In Romania King Michael I endorsed the presidential bid of his son-in-law which, as most expected, ended in failure. In Denmark Prince Joachim and Princess Marie brought a new Danish prince into the world in May. In Belgium the dowager Queen Fabiola was faced with the first in a string of death threats, which she met with courage and humor on a tense occasion. In the summer disaster befell the Imperial House of Brazil when Prince Pedro Luis died along with over 200 others when their plane crashed into the Atlantic.

Charlotte Casiraghi, granddaughter of Princess Grace of Monaco, gave the world a scare when she was involved in a car accident in Italy which she thankfully escaped with only minor injuries. The Kingdom of Denmark voted to abolish male primogeniture and in July King Albert II and Queen Paola of the Belgians celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary. In Russia rumors of a Romanov restoration began to circulate with one government official saying such a proposition had been discussed inside the walls of the Kremlin.

In September Princess Maria Christina of Bourbon-Parma passed away, Archduke Rudolf of Austria turned 90-years-old and the Prince and Princess of Orange visited New York to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of the first Dutch colony in North America. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, set to lose his role in politics for refusing to sign a euthanasia bill was honored by Pope Benedict XVI. The heir to the throne of the Ottoman Empire passed away at the age of 97 and Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Parma became engaged in October. The French Prince Jean of Orleans announced the start of a campaign for royal restoration in France on his part.

In November Prince Henrik of Denmark visited his boyhood home in Vietnam with the rest of the Danish Royal Family, nearby the kingdoms of Cambodia and Thailand broke diplomatic relations and rattled sabers over a long standing border dispute and monarchists and many others were killed in the streets of Iran in a government crackdown following protests over election results. The King of Tonga announced he was giving up his authority in government to become a more symbolic constitutional monarch and another Commonwealth island monarchy, St Vincent and the Grenadines, voted in a referendum to remain a monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II rather than become a republic. In Spain the Infanta Elena announced her long expected divorce, Prince Alexandre of Belgium passed away and this last month the heir of the Orleanist pretender to the French throne had his first child. The Crown Prince and Princess of Belgium celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary and the King of Thailand celebrated his birthday after a long stay in the hospital that gave his people quite a scare.

So, once again, a rather mixed bag for the monarchies of the world. There were threats, there were victories, births and deaths, wedding bells for some and continued silence for others. Good news seemed to abound most in the Scandinavian monarchies with new life beginning and new marriages planned. The British continue to ‘wait and see’ expecting a development soon. So, in a nutshell, that was the royal news of 2009 and this has been ...... The Mad Monarchist.

Royal Profile: Prince Edward Duke of York

HRH Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany was the second son of Frederick Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha; he was the younger brother of HM King George III. Edward was born on March 25, 1739 and was baptized Edward Augustus at Norfolk House by Thomas Secker, Bishop of Oxford. His godparents were King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia (Edward’s great-uncle) who was acted for by the Duke of Queensberry; the Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuettel who was acted for by Lord Carnarvon and his aunt the Duchess of Saxe-Weissenfels who was acted for by Lady Charlotte Edwin, daughter of the fourth Duke of Hamilton.

As a boy the Duke of York, with his brother, went through long hours of schooling in arithmetic, Latin, geometry, writing, religion, French, German, Greek and even dancing to be well rounded. For the future George III the young Prince Edward, Duke of York, was his only constant companion but it was Edward who was their mother’s favorite. As he grew up, quite unlike his simple and solitary brother, the Duke of York became a very popular figure in London society. Having an interest in the sea the Duke requested and was granted a commission in the Royal Navy in which he served during the French and Indian War, taking part in the threatening moves and raids on the French coast and saw action in the British defeats at the battles of St Malo and St Caste in 1758. On April 1, 1760 Edward officially received his titles from his grandfather King George II and was created Duke of York and Albany and Earl of Ulster.

When King George III came to the throne he made the Duke of York a privy councilor. As was typical in the House of Hanover, family warmth and family loyalty did not all go together. Edward was there to welcome his brother’s bride to England, being very courteous to her, but he also later joined with members of the opposition to the King’s government. Those who knew the Duke of York described him as silly, frivolous, rather a chatter-box, someone who loved a good practical joke and who did not keep the most upright company. He was rather put off when his brother the King did not make him bishop of Osnabruck (which oddly enough did not require one to be a cleric) and the two never returned to the close companionship they had as children.

In 1767 the Duke of York was on a tour of the continent. He became ill while in France at a ball but refused to stop but insisted on going on his way to Genoa where he was to meet a mistress of his. On the way he stopped in at the Principality of Monaco where he stood in his full admiral's uniform while the Monegasque troops saluted and fired their artillery in welcome. Becoming more ill by the minute the Duke had to be taken to bed in the Princely Palace. HSH Prince Honore III rushed home to look after so prestigious a guest and saw to it the Duke received the best care he could provide but it was to no avail and the Duke of York passed away in a bed room in the Princely Palace of Monaco which has been known as the York Room ever since. Before his death on September 17 he dictated an apologetic letter to his brother George III (whom he had earlier forbidden Honore III to contact) and thanked Prince Honore for all his care. Prince Honore took great care to follow all protocol exactly with all of the pomp and ceremony for the lying in state and the send-off of the body that Monaco could muster. Afterwards the British king sent the Prince of Monaco two of his late brother's finest race horses and invited him to Britain.

British society mourned the loss of the Duke of York, known as a rather frivolous dandy but popular for all of that. There are a number of lasting reminders of this long past Duke of York, his name having been given to a peninsula that is the northernmost point in Australia, a group of islands off Papua New Guinea, a county in the Commonwealth of Virgnia and a room in the Princely Palace of Monaco.
(more details on the Duke's passing can be found at The Death of the Duke of York at Mad for Monaco)

Bhutan Joins 'One World' Bandwagon

The world's youngest reigning monarch, His Majesty Jihme Khesar Wangchuk, King of Bhutan gave a speech on his recent state visit to India in which he spoke about globalization, how all countries and peoples depend on each other, how the wealthy must help the poor, how we are all inter-connected and basically all of the "we're one world" stuff everyone has heard before. Oh, how the mighty have fallen...... First, I should make clear that there was nothing inherently wrong with anything that the young King said, I just tend to recoil at the sound of it and it probably hits me all the harder because of the high pedestal I kept Bhutan on for so many years.

In the past, the little Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan was my idea of a monarchial paradise. I've never been there, never been anywhere close to there, but it was my ideal little monarchist Shangri-La in the Himalayas. It was just comforting to know it was there; a country isolated from the outside world, untouched by modernity, where the people loved and were absolutely loyal to their absolute monarch, a very religious country where there was little to no government as we would understand it, no politics, no political parties or factions and no ideologies; just the people and their revered monarch. Now, of course, all of that has changed and it simply breaks my heart.

In recent years, starting with the current King's father, Bhutan embarked on a policy of modernization and openness (yuck!) which included allowing in TV's, the internet, cell phones and the formation of political parties to participate in the democratic process as the King surrendered his absolute authority in preference of a more "modern" constitutional monarchy. This was something handed down from on high, not something the people were clamoring for. The Bhutanese were peaceful, content and while they lived modestly by our standards they were very happy. They seemed perfectly comfortable having as little government as possible and allowing the king to handle national affairs while they concentrated on their own lives. They had to be dragged into democracy kicking and screaming. Now they've started preaching the whole 'we are the world' gospel. Again, nothing actually wrong with what the King said, but hearing it from the King of Bhutan especially makes me want to break down in sobs.

All of these changes were not desired or longed for by the people, they were not needed to save the monarchy from a crisis; Bhutan has long been a peaceful country, no threat to anyone and no bother, content to mind their own business and let the rest of the world stew in its own juices. Now, they seem determined to leave utopia behind them in favor of "progress". Call me a reactionary stick-in-the-mud and you will, but I hold to the old saying that when change is not necessary it is necessary NOT to change. Look at any country in the world you like, it is a fact confirmed by history, that no nation has done well once political parties have taken hold.

So, now Bhutan is anxious to be open to the rest of the world and follow their example. Now, instead of quiet family time they will have soap operas from India on TV. Instead of wearing their traditional clothes they will have American fashions that make everyone look like street bums. Instead of chanting and throat singing they now have ipods stocked with rap "music" rotting their brains out one Bhutanese teen at a time. Instead of a happy, united nation unconcerned with government and unfamiliar with politics they now have competing parties and soon will be able to enjoy the sort of political contests all too familiar in the west, bombarded by accusations from one party that the members of the other party are villains who want to poison the water, make you slaves and who probably eat little puppies for breakfast -vote candidate X!

So, congratulations on joining the rest of the world Bhutan. Soon, you too will be enjoying the full benefits of modernity. Soon they too will have, to quote the late TV series M*A*S*H, "freedom, achievement, hyperacidity, affluence, flatulence, technology, tension, the inalienable right to an early coronary sitting at your desk while plotting to stab your boss in the back." Seriously, I could just sit down and cry, my Shangri-La of Bhutan wants -progress- God forgive them.

Max Mex Movies Post V: Veracruz

“Veracruz” was released in 1954 and starred Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Denise Darcel and Cesar Romero. Unlike many other films regarding the period of the second Mexican Empire, “Veracruz” is considered by many to be one of the greatest classic westerns of all time. It was also, as far as I know, the first such film to be shot on location in Mexico and the filmmakers make great use of the natural beauty of the landscape, even though it at times clashes with reality in the story (given the setting of the film we really should not have seen any pyramids) and also unlike many of its fellows it was shot on a truly grand and epic scale with a huge cast, big battle scenes and some great shots of the scenic castle of Chapultepec. It is also one of the films about the war in Mexico to actually feature Emperor Maximilian (played by George Macready) though it is, unfortunately, a small though important part and a grossly inaccurate portrayal of the man.

The movie also includes a list of truly legendary actors of the western genre in supporting roles such as Jack Elam, Ernst Borgnine and Charles Bronson. It also marked a new, more violent and gritty era in western films. The story follows former Confederate soldier Ben Trane (Gary Cooper) who goes to Mexico to find work as a mercenary and hopefully earn enough money to save his devastated plantation back in Louisiana. Along the way he meets up with the gang of Joe Erin (Burt Lancaster) who is very much the anti-hero, an aggressive, arrogant outlaw dressed in black which Lancaster plays to perfection as someone with some depth to him and wickedly cool. Although Erin and Trane are opposites they each recognize the abilities of the other and realize that, for the time being at least, they need each other.

The group is met by the Marquis Henri de Labordere (Cesar Romero -TV’s Joker from the old Batman series) who the pair describe as a shifty fellow with a crocodile smile though such a description could be applied to Lancaster’s character as well. The whole party is almost captured by a Juarista general but are thwarted by Joe Erin in a display of extreme potential viciousness which thankfully does not go as far as threatened. As usual the Juaristas are portrayed as simple, righteous peasants fighting the good fight against the oppressive Emperor. Unlike many such movies, although the French are referenced and French names are heard, French troops are not really seen and the focus is instead on the imperialist forces of Maximilian. That would be a welcome change but after the Marquis takes the group to Chapultepec to meet the Emperor we see that Maximilian is played as a callous schemer, seemingly genteel and refined on the surface but totally ruthless underneath. Of course, as all readers of this blog should know, that is the complete opposite of historical reality. Maximilian had not a malicious bone in his body and rather than being untrustworthy was far too trusting of those around him who did not always deserve it.

Maximilian enlists Trane, Erin and crew to escort the Countess Duvarre (Denise Darcel) to Vera Cruz as she insists on returning to Paris. However, along the way it is discovered that the Countess and the Marquis are harboring a secret; a French payroll in gold. As expected the outlaws, Juaristas and Imperialistas end up fighting over the loot. Trane and Erin do not trust each other, with good reason, for Erin and the Countess are also plotting to abscond with the loot though it means the Countess must betray her beloved Marquis who is staunchly loyal to the Emperor; but then the Marquis is not quite the dupe others take him for either. It all ends in an epic battle at Vera Cruz for the gold, a feature which is so common in films about the Mexican Empire that the uninformed might think Maximilian was made of money rather than being perpetually cash-strapped. We also get the usual inaccuracies of hopeless saintly portrayals of the Juaristas, the imperialists portrayed as dastardly villains and once again the Imperial troops are given a Gatling gun (never ceases to baffle me).

Those, sadly but truly, are the rule rather than the exception with these movies but putting the unavoidable prejudices aside “Veracruz” is a great movie and one of my favorites. It would be worth viewing simply for the performances of Cooper and Lancaster and the great visuals, the epic scale and glittering style of it. I’m always up for a good cavalry charge and this movie delivers with racing Mexican lancers in shining breastplates and helmets, shoot-outs with Maximilian’s Palatine Guard and they throw in just a splash of humor and romance but never enough to detract from the primary story which is something few films today seem to be able to accomplish. So, to sum up, aside from the usual unavoidable aggravating inaccuracies the performances are great, the visuals are epic, the story is exciting and will keep your attention. All in all one of my favorites and certainly one of the all-time great westerns.

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