Royal Anthem Series: VI Jordan

The Kingdom of Jordan is a constitutional monarchy in the Middle East currently under the reign of HM King Abdullah II. What follows is the National and Royal Anthem.

Royal Anthem: Long Live the King

Forgotten Yesterday

Yesterday, May 17, marked the anniversary of the restoration of the independence of Monaco in 1814 at the time under the reign of HSH Prince Honore IV. Monaco had fallen victim to the French revolutionary tide and had been annexed to France. It was not until the rise of Napoleon that the Grimaldis were able to see the restoration of their titles if not their sovereignty and several members of the Princely Family fought valiantly in the French Imperial Army just as they had previously done under Ancien Regime. Some might criticize this but surely anyone can see how hopeless it would have been to try to resist. After Napoleon's first abdication the Principality was in very real danger of being abolished altogether, however, they were saved when Prince Talleyrand managed to slip in a special clause in the Treaty of Paris to keep the principality in tact. When Napoleon attempted to restore himself during the famous "Hundred Days" Monaco was occupied by British troops which meant that the Grimaldis would play no part in the final act of the Napoleonic drama. On May 17, 1814 Prince Honore IV was formally restored as Sovereign Prince of an independent Monaco which he reigned over until 1819 when the throne passed to his son HSH Prince Honore V.

The Foundations of Canada

Today is Victoria Day in Her Britannic Majesty's Dominion of Canada, celebrated in honor of the birthday of Queen Victoria and subsequently the official day of celebration for the Canadian monarch and a day when the Royal Union Flag (still an official Canadian national flag) is flown from official buildings. It also happens to mark the anniversary of the arrival of the first loyalists from the 13 British American colonies which formed the United States. It was 1783 when this first group arrived, on this day, in New Brunswick. I am sure there are those traitors who object to the celebration of Victoria Day for the simple reason that it honors the Queen-Empress who is such a symbol of the glory days of the British Empire. However, these creatures should remember that a considerable portion of the credit for the foundation of Canada goes to those American loyalists who fled to Canada because they wished to remain under the benevolent reign of HM King George III and wanted nothing to do with the republican regime that had come to power in their former homeland. They had the choice to stay in a republic or move to a monarchy and they chose to remain loyal and go where the monarch still reigned. Canadian republicans who so detest the United States should keep in mind this part of the founding of their country and remember that remaining loyal to King and Country was the first and most paramount aspect that distinguished them from the United States. If these people had their way the Dominion of Canada would basically be betraying their entire history in order to become the United States of Northern North America. They might as well petition to become the 51st state.

Royal Anthem Series: V Denmark

The following is the Royal Anthem (not the national anthem) of the Kingdom of Denmark; the oldest monarchy in Europe. Denmark is a constitutional monarchy in Scandinavia currently under the reign of HM Queen Margrethe II.

The Royal Anthem: King Christian Stood By the Lofty Mast

A Mad Rant

The republican revolutionaries of the world are ceaseless in their attacks and one of the monarchies that has been on the front lines fighting for its life in recent years is the great Commonwealth of Australia, currently under the glorious reign of Queen Elizabeth II of Australia. I am not ranting about the republicans themselves; I actually do very little ranting about republican revolutionaries -they are traitors who should be put up against a wall and that's that. However, one of the things that seems to go hand-in-hand with republicanism in Australia is the call for a new flag -because evidently they seriously hate the British, their own history and die a little inside whenever they see the Union Jack in the canton of the Australian flag. This is the sort of stuff that makes me feel like my brain is bleeding!

I cannot fathom a country changing its national flag. For example, there is no way that the people of Texas would ever, for any reason, abandon the Lone Star. I could not imagine any circumstance, ever, that would provoke any sizeable portion of the US population to even consider ditching the Stars & Stripes for a new model. Because a flag is not just a piece of decorative cloth. When I look at the Lone Star flag I don't just see a "design", I see the 1st Texas Infantry that carried that flag into the cornfield along Anteitam creek in 1862, suffering the highest casualty rate of any regiment in American history. I see 185 men at the Alamo standing behind a line in the sand saying 'we will stay here and fight to the death rather than be pushed one step farther'. Likewise, your true-blue American types look at the Stars & Stripes and they don't just see a flag, they see the siege of Ft McHenry, they see marines storming the halls of Montezuma and the sands of Iwo Jima, they see Normandy beach.

I simply cannot fathom how anyone in Australia, no matter how despicable a republican traitor they might be, could wish to throw away the flag their forefathers fought under at Tobruk, the flag that flew when the ANZACs stormed the beaches of Gallipoli or even hold such anger against the Union Jack which was the flag of the British Empire of which they were a part. Why would they be ashamed of that? I would dismiss it as being too ridiculous to ever come to fruition were it not for the fact that others have already done it, such as the proud Dominion of Canada. I like the Maple Leaf flag, it's a nice design, but my head wants to explode whenever I try to understand how a country could change the national flag that their fathers and forefathers fought for, saluted and carried into battle. The Red Ensign was good enough for the brave men who fought at Vimy Ridge; why did it suddenly become not good enough for a new generation?

Changing the national flag of an independent, long-established country must require a sentiment that is simply beyond my comprehension because I cannot for the life of me bring myself to any degree of understanding of it. Why not just change the name of the country while you're at it? But of course, I shouldn't say things like that because someone in the traitor's camp just might be sick enough to take it seriously. Issues such as talking about changing the flag of Australia is yet another reason why I am...
The Mad Monarchist

Royal Anthem Series: IV Cambodia

The Kingdom of Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy in Indochina, currently under the reign of HM King Norodom Sihamoni with his father, HM Norodom Sihanouk, retired, as "Great King". Although officially a democratic, constitutional monarchy the country has, since the destruction of the Khmer Rouge regime by the communist Vietnamese, been ruled by the "former" communist first put in power by the Vietnamese, Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The National Anthem of Cambodia: Nation, Religion, King

Monarchist Profile: Eastern Jewel

The woman known as Eastern Jewel was born in Peking in 1907 as Princess Aisin-Gioro Xianyu into the house of Prince Su of the Qing Imperial Dynasty. After the revolution toppled the Qing she was sent to be raised in Japan by a friend of her father's who was deeply involved in the pan-Asian movement. There she went by the name of Yoshiko Kawashima. When she was 17 she attempted suicide and began wearing men's clothing on occasion. This behavior is usually attributed to being raped by her foster-father, which would certainly explain a lot. She was later married off to the Inner Mongolian prince Ganjuurjab to foster ties between the Japanese, Mongols and the Manchu Imperial Dynasty. However, she was not happy there and soon divorced and fled Mongolia.

Eastern Jewel moved to Shanghai and there first became involved with the Japanese military as an espionage agent were her Qing dynasty connections with the upper echelons of Chinese, Mongol and Manchu society proved invaluable. Throughout her life she suffered from something of an identity crisis but the one thing that never wavered was her devotion to monarchism; be it her loyalty to the Emperor of Japan or her zeal to see the restoration of the Qing Imperial Dynasty of which she was a member. The last Emperor of China was her cousin and always welcomed her at his court-in-exile. She played a major role in persuading the last Emperor to go with the Japanese to Manchuria to establish the new monarchy of Manchukuo.

When open warfare broke out again between the Chinese and Japanese, Eastern Jewel, then going by the name of Kam Bik Fai, became an officer in the Manchukuo Imperial military and formed and led her own anti-guerilla cavalry force known as the Anguo Army. As she cleared bandits and red guerillas out of Manchuria, Eastern Jewel became a media sensation in Japan where she was known as the "Joan of Arc of Manchukuo". However, the media attention all but ruined her chances to return to the spy game which was a problem following her being wounded and unable to remain with her army. She opened a resteraunt in Tientsin as a front for Japanese espionage work and she was still there when the war ended and Japan surrendered. She tried to return to Japan but was captured by the Chinese republican forces and executed in 1948.

Cinema Royals

In "The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Adventures in the Secret Service" there is an appearance by Patrick Ryecart and Jennifer Ehle as Emperor Charles and Empress Zita of Austria. For those unfamiliar with the series, Sean Patrick Flannery plays a young Indiana Jones who joins the Belgian army during World War I. At one point he becomes a spy with the secret service and is given the task of escorting Prince Xavier and Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma to meet with the Emperor of Austria in the hope of bringing a peaceful end to the First World War. I am glad to say that the Imperial couple are portrayed sympathetically as people who sincerely want peace and know better than to trust their scheming ministers to carry it out. Sci-fi fans will also recognize Christopher Lee as Graf von Czernin, a typically villainous part for him. This part of the Young Indiana Jones saga was last released in 1999.

Queen Fabiola Death Threat

The Belgian government has just made public a letter sent to a Belgian newspaper last Tuesday which threatens the Dowager Queen Fabiola with assassination by crossbow. It is accepted that the letter was written by a lunatic, due to the rather archaic means of assasination threatened as well as the very poor quality of the French it was written in. The letter claims to come from the representative of a radical group but the authorities are uncertain as to how serious the threat is but, needless to say, they are investigating and taking no chances given the recent tragedy in the neighboring Netherlands and with the upcoming Belgian National Day. So far the Royal Palace has not commented on the threat. My own comment is that Queen Fabiola is one of the greatest queens in the world today, truly a jewel in the crown of Belgium and whoever is responsible for this threat should be dealt with using the utmost severity; where I come from that would be a few injections that would send the traitor to his eternal torment. In any event all should pray for the safety and long life of the great Queen Fabiola.

Royal Anthem Series: III Brunei

The national anthem of the State of Brunei Darussalam, an Islamic absolute monarchy on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, currently under the rule of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The national anthem is "God Bless the Sultan":

The National Anthem of Brunei

Royal Guardians Profile: The Potsdam Giants

The Potsdam Giants Guard, also known as the "Long Guys" was formed by the eccentric Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm I. He inherited the No.6 Prussian Infantry Regiment (founded in 1675) which, as king, he began to populate with exceptionally tall soldiers. The King loved military pageantry and displays and enjoyed drilling his pet regiment to perfection. Over time he became increasingly fanatical about having his Potsdam Giants be the tallest men in the world. Their official name was the "Grand Grenadiers of Potsdam" but came to be better known as the Potsdam Giants because of their height or as the "Long Guys" in German. The usual requirement was that one had to be at least 6 feet tall. The tallest of all was reportedly an Irishman named James Kirkland (pictured left) who was 7 feet tall. The king collected tall men from across Europe, recruiting them, buying them or in extreme cases even kidnapping them. His efforts to produce extra-tall soldiers let to him instigating the coupling of especially tall men and women to produce tall children to the even more extreme idea of stretching his soldiers; which was dropped as there was almost a mutiny as soon as the men heard the first hints of the idea. However, the Potsdam Giants, probably more imposing than any soldiers in the world at the time, were parade ground troops only. Friedrich Wilhelm was far too fond of his tall favorites to ever risk them in combat. When Friedrich the Great succeeded as King of Prussia he saw the Potsdam Giants as useless window-dressing and diverted most of the men to active combat units. The No. 6 was downgraded and finally disbanded in 1806 after the Prussian defeat at Jena. Those interested in the Potsdam Giants can visit the website of the 'Long Guys' Association in Germany.

Princess Lays the Foundation

Today, Her Serene Highness Princess Stephanie of Monaco set down the first stone of the foundation for the "House of Life" in Carpentras, France which will serve as a haven for those suffering from the terrible disease of AIDS. Ever since the Princess learned how prevalent the disease was in her own country she has devoted herself to helping those suffering from the disease who are, all too often, treated as outcasts. The "House of Life" is being built by Fight AIDS Monaco of which Princess Stephanie is the founder and president. The center is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2010. The "House of Life" will have facilities to accomodate 28 adults and children and will complement the Fight AIDS Monaco headquarters in Monaco. I give Her Serene Highness a great deal of credit for her work in this area and I think she is, in a way, uniquely qualified for it. My experience has been that it is often those who have been, to varying degrees, ostracized, looked down on etc, who are most able to take to heart the needs of "the least of these" around them. God bless Princess Stephanie for all the great charitable work she does.

Monarch Profile: King Baldwin IV

One of my favorite monarchs of all time was Baldwin IV of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was born in 1161 to King Amalric I of Jerusalem and Queen Agnes of Edessa. While playing as a child it was discovered that he had leprosy and thus could not be expected to live a long or happy life. However, even as a boy, he never let his terrible disease get the better of him. When he was only 13 he became King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem with Raymond of Tripoli as his regent. When he became old enough to rule, he ruled well, but even from day one this diseased young boy was a King to admire. In 1174 the barely teenage monarch led his troops in an attack on the Muslim forces threatening Damascus and Andujar. The following year when the great Muslim warrior Sultan Saladin of Egypt attacked Ascalon King Baldwin IV (better known as Baldwin the Leper) took a mere 500 men to march to the defense of the city.

Feeling supremely confident Saladin split his forces to take Ascalon and the supposedly defenseless Holy City of Jerusalem. However, Baldwin summoned the Templars who joined him in defeating the troops at Ascalon and then rushing to overtake Saladin at Ramleh. The Christian knights were vastly outnumbered but were devoted to their young monarch who, despite his disease, led from the front and they were encouraged by their faith with the Bishop of Bethlehem on hand with the relic of the True Cross. In a stunning and, to the eyes of many, miraculous battle Baldwin IV and his army totally defeated Saladin's forces. The Sultan himself only escaped because his guard sacrificed their lives to give him time to get away. Saladin tried and tried again but the leperous teenage king bested him at every turn; at Belvoir castle in 1181, before Beirut and at Kerak castle in 1183. In those final campaigns Baldwin's leprosy was so advanced that he was blind, could not walk, was covered in bandages and had to be carried on a litter, yet he still led his troops in the field. King Baldwin IV survived longer than anyone had expected him to but finally died on March 16, 1185 not long after the death of his mother. With the brave warrior-boy-king gone Saladin soon came back and in his next major campaign conquered Jerusalem which prompted the calling of the Third Crusade.

The Pope & Royals in the Mideast

The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Middle East has come to a close and one of the most commented on aspects was his visit with the Jordanian Royal Family. Throughout his trip the Pope made all the expected comments calling for inter-faith dialogue, peaceful coexistence between the religions, solidarity with the Christian community, sympathy for the past sufferings of the Jews and solidarity with the Palestinians (as the Syrians in Israel like to call themselves). On the whole he probably impressed more Muslims than Jews with the visit but even then I doubt he won any converts (so to speak) amongst the Muslim community. The problem is that the Muslims most in need of his message are the ones most assured not to be listening to him. From Queen Rania's extensive coverage of the visit it seems the Pope was a big hit with Her Majesty, but of course Queen Rania is a very kind, tolerant and modern-minded woman and the Kingdom of Jordan as a whole probably stands above all other countries in the region for being stable, peaceful and open. Jordan, along with most of the Gulf states, serve as examples of the benefits of monarchy compared to the plight of republics like Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

I leave out the State of Israel because the problems there have very little (if anything) to do with the form of the government. Saudi Arabia is also a rather unique case but even in that case I would prefer to see the House of Saud maintain their position given that the only thing likely to replace it would be a theocratic republic in the mold of Iran. Everyone knows the Pope is going to advocate for peace, dialogue and tearing down the security wall, which is good to push for the ideal, but I cannot help but being pessimistic as to how realistic such 'reaching out' is. I won't go into the whole mess, but I think that Islam as a whole, especially the radical elements, know that such calls for peace on the part of Christians are coming from a position of weakness, and there really can be no denying that. Muslims have now surpassed Christians in number around the world and Islam is the fastest growing religion in Europe and Canada. Muslims also have the advantage of having a very clear world-vision to advance alongside their religion whereas the "Christian" world has mostly abandoned its own culture as well as its religion and for the most part those elements that are left are not working together. However, monarchy should not be forgotten amongst the turmoil because history has shown, including such cases as Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, that stemming the tide of radical Islam must go hand-in-hand with defending the Islamic monarchies. That holds true even in Saudi Arabia where the government seems to be pushing a brand of fundamentalist Islam that often comes back to bite the hand that feeds them as in the case of Osama bin Laden.

The King and Queen of Jordan represent about the best that the modern Islamic world has to offer. Pope Benedict XVI represents (I think) the best of traditional, Christian Europe. The problem is that not too many people seem to be following these examples in the Muslim or Christian worlds.

Royal Anthem Series: II Bhutan

Below is the National Anthem of the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan or Druk Yul "Land of the Thunder Dragon". The current reigning monarch is HM King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

The National Anthem of Bhutan

Happy Anniversary!

Today marks the 5th anniversary of Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Frederick (son and heir of HM Queen Margrethe II) and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (the Australian beauty who met the Prince at the Sidney Olympics and quickly won the hearts of the Danish public). The Mad Monarchist wishes the future Danish King and Queen many more years of wedded bliss and a secure future for the oldest reigining monarchy in Europe.

Today is also the 47th anniversary of the marriage of His Catholic Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain and HRH Princess Sofia of Greece and denmark. The two were married in Athens in Catholic and Orthodox ceremonies. At the time, Generalissimo Francisco Franco was still ruling Spain but later designated Juan Carlos as his heir with the monarchy to be fully restored after his death. This happened in 1975. The Mad Monarchist wishes Their Catholic Majesties a happy anniversary and many more years together on the throne of the Spains.

Anniversary of the Grand Monarch

Today marks the 366th anniversary of the accession of His Most Christian Majesty King Louis XIV of France and of Navarre, also called the "Grand Monarch", "Louis the Great" and "the Sun King". Love him or despise him, Louis XIV remains a historical colossus who gave his name to an era, who became synonymous with a certain style of grandeur and absolutism. For much of his life he was the dominant figure in western Europe with almost every major historical event being in reaction to some action of his. As I have often said, Louis XIV was remains a hard man to like but also a hard man not to admire. He had some very good points and some very bad points but no one could dispute the fact that he mattered, that he was a force to be reckoned with and that his legacy is still felt today. Some might find it strange that a Catholic absolute monarch like Louis XIV was opposed by Rome throughout his reign and many of his most ardent fans and glowing tributes came from the ranks of liberal "enlightenment" types such as Voltaire who compared him to Augustus Caesar and called his reign the "Great Century". France reached a height and glory and greatness under his reign that has seldom if ever been seen before or since. Perhaps the most obvious reminder of the importance of Louis XIV we can still see today is in Spain where a descendant of his, a prince of the House of Bourbon, still reigns as King. Today Louis is most often seen as the quintessential absolute monarch and I think, were he alive today, he would be rather disappointed by the modern French Republic. He might smile at certain loosening of the public morals but I think he would see the country as rather too dreary for his taste, too complacent and bickering. For Louis XIV, I think, France had to be great, grand and glorious or it would not be France at all. In any event, love him or hate him (and there are reasons for both) the man who built Versailles, the man who made France the most dynamic power in Europe, who left his footprint on an era of history and whose daily life was compared with the rising and the setting of the sun, first began his reign 366 years ago today.

Royal Anthem Series: I Bahrain

The first in a series of national and royal anthems, the national anthem of the Kingdom of Bahrain currently under the reign of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifah

Bahrain National Anthem

Anniversary of the Red Fort

Today marks the anniversary of the completion of the famous Red Fort in Delhi, India in 1648. Originally called the 'Blessed Fort' it was built by the great Emperor Shah Jahan and was meant to be the crown jewel of his new capital city of Shahjahanabad which was to replace the former capital city of Agra. It remains one of the great monuments of the Mughal dynasty and a powerful symbol of the grandeur and glory of imperial India. It took roughly ten years to build the massive palace complex and imposing fortifications, the Delhi and Lahore Gates, the Rang Mahal where the Emperor kept his wives, the Pearl Mosque, and the massive "Life Bestowing Garden". The Red Fort of Delhi remained the seat of power and the most grand symbol of the Mughal Empire throughout the years of its height and slow decline. The last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II lived there until the great Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. The Emperor was liberated by the rebels, proclaimed the ruler of a free India but was eventually captured by the British, who defeated the uprising and the aged monarch was brought back to the Red Fort as a criminal for trial. Nonetheless, the symbolism of the Red Fort remained constant. The British used it as their military headquarters during the period of the British Empire of India and when India became independent the occasion was marked by the raising of the national flag over the Red Fort by Prime Minister Nehru. To this day the political leaders of India make use of the Red Fort as a powerful backdrop to address the nation on independence day.

New Face of Free Speech?

Since answering a question from a gay activist that her religion tells her that marriage is between a man and a woman Miss California Carrie Prejean lost the Miss USA crown and almost lost her Miss California title until pageant owner Donald Trump ruled in her favor. In the interim Prejean was attacked and slandered in the most vicious fashion as well as having "racy" photos of her publicized in an effort to discredit her as a Christian. I was on her side from the start for standing up for her beliefs instead of giving in to the tyranny of political correctness. When the photos came out I was not scandalized in the least for a number of reasons. First, the photos were pretty tame, it was under-handed how they were made public and even if they had been even more "racy" I don't care about what mistakes people have made, but what they are for now. Christians are supposed to forgive and never condemn people as being beyond redemption, there are others I could go into but this is not the time. What I find alarming is how this fits in with a world-wide trend that has been building up for some time now.

Carrie Prejean is attacked for giving her opinion against gay marriage. Queen Sofia of Spain has been criticized for the same reason (though usually, thankfully, with more tact). Now, it can be argued that this is totally different because royals (these days) are supposed to be non-political. However, where was the outrage when the same Queen said she did not approve of the Spanish tradition of bullfighting? Where is the outrage when the Prince of Wales speaks out about "climate change" and environmentalism. No one seems to object to royals speaking out on those political views. Yet, have someone speak out against gay marriage and suddenly they are vilified in the media. Why does the effort to silence only seem to go one way? It seems that if you have liberal opinions your freedom of speech is championed and upheld by everyone but if you have traditional opinions you will be met with efforts to silence you, discredit you and slander you. In other words, the modern idea of "free speech" seems to be a one-way street.