Exposing the self-styled Polish "princes" of Adelaide, Australia. - TV Interview

One of the self-styled "princes" with his "princess" wife
and a foreign lady who, understandably, had no reason to doubt
his claims.

[YouTube video clip of the TV programme may be viewed below]

I was recently approached by "Today Tonight", a leading investigative journalism TV programme in Australia. The producers were keen to expose two brothers living in Adelaide who were posing as Polish "royal" "princes", styled "Serene Highness". Needless to say, neither individual appears in any of the historical sources or reference works for the titled Polish nobility. The evidence is clear: the brothers are nothing more than self-styled "wannabe princes" and rather sad and wilfully deluded "Walter Mitty" characters living in a fantasy land.  Normally, this would not be an issue of great concern, (in my field of work I encounter many self-styled characters) but they have managed to convince a number of well-meaning individuals that they are the real McCoy (and this includes distinguished people in other countries as well as some members of notable families inviduals in Asia and elsewhere).  Of course this should not be surprising. People are generally trusting and would have no reason for suspicion or to question someone's use of a title (why would they?) -- furthermore, Polish titles are so obscure that most people would not know how to check the authenticity of any claim. Alas, the realisation that these two brothers are not who they claim to be is bound to be extremely embarrassing to their supporters and those who have become their social acquaintances.

The documentary "Phoney Royals", Exposing Two Self-Styled Polish Princes Living in Adelaide may be viewed via YouTube in this video:

Not only do these two brothers pose as "Polish princes", one of them has also worn Australian medals and decorations which were never awarded to him (including bravery medals and the Order of Australia). A photograph of him wearing these medals may be seen in the video clip above. To wear orders and medals to which one is not entitled is a criminal offence in Australian law carrying the possible penalty of imprisonment. Bearing all of this in mind, I therefore had no hesitation in agreeing to participate in this TV programme.

It is interesting to note that after the TV programme was aired, the two brothers protected access to their website by making it available only to those who have login usernames and passwords.

London unveiling of bust of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Canadian Regiment

A bust of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, commissioned by The Royal Canadian Regiment, was unveiled at a ceremony at Canada House in London's Trafalgar Square earlier this week. The sculpture is the first bust of The Duke of Edinburgh to have been sculpted by a Canadian who has been granted private sittings with The Duke. HRH is depicted wearing his uniform as Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Canadian Regiment, a position he has held since 1953.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh was unable to attend the unveiling due to his ongoing convalescence at Windsor Castle. However, HRH The Duke of Kent graciously agreed to represent Prince Philip and unveil the bust. Opening remarks and greetings were made by HE Mr. Gordon Campbell, Her Majesty's Canadian High Commissioner to The United Kingdom. 

HRH The Duke of Kent unveils the bust of
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Canadian Regiment.
L to R: Mr. Christian Corbet (sculptor), Colonel Aitchison, HRH The Duke of Kent, HE The Canadian High Commissioner
Canadian High Commissioner's Salon, Canada House, Trafalgar Square, London

Following the unveiling, the Colonel of the Regiment, Colonel W. J. Aitchison, announced that the sculptor, Mr. Christian Corbet, had been appointed the regimental "Sculptor-in-Residence". Colonel Aitchison then asked The Duke of Kent to present Mr. Corbet with the regimental tie. 

Immediately following the unveiling (and completely unrelated to it), The Canadian High Commissioner kindly presented me with The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in a short ceremony. 

HE Mr. Gordon Campbell, Canadian High Commissioner to the UK
(and former Premier of British Columbia)
presents me with
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
Canada House, London

The bust of The Duke of Edinburgh will be taken to Canada and put on permanent display at the museum of The Royal Canadian Regiment in London, Ontario.

Debate on the UK Honours System

To coincide with the announcement of The Queen's Birthday Honours List, I was invited to debate the merits of the UK Honours System by the Speaker's Corner Trust, in partnership with the British Library.

The debate format is untraditional in that it is presented in an on-line written format of Proposition, Response and Conclusion.

The debate ("Honouring the Twenty-First Century") may be read at this link: http://www.speakerscornertrust.org/forum/forum-for-debate/

The Speaker's Corner Trust, which was founded by its current director Peter Bradley, is a registered charity which promotes free expression, public debate and active citizenship. Former Czech President Vaclav Havel is the founder patron, and the The Rt. Hon. Jack Straw MP and Sir George Young, Bt., MP. are amongst the members of its Advisory Council.

London's 18th Russian Summer Ball - 29 June 2013

The Russian Summer Ball, held in the sumptuous 17th century Banqueting House, is one of the jewels of the London summer.  This year's ball will be held on Saturday, 29th June. White Tie and Decorations or Black Tie.  Full details below. An experience not to be missed!

Guest of Honour: Her Highness Princess Olga of Russia
7.15-7.45 Ivan the Terrible Vodka reception
8.00-10.00 Three course dinner with wines.

During the dinner there will be toasts and an auction

9:30-10:00 after dinner guests reception
Ballroom Dancing to
The British Imperial Orchestra
Sabrage
A Grand Raffle,
Breakfast canapes served at 12.30am
followed by
Russian Gypsy Band
Complimentary drinks all night
A silent auction and Live Auction
Dress: STRICTLY White Tie & Decorations or Black Tie
Carriages 2.15am
R.S.V.P (Tickets only sold in advance of the Ball, see contact page for application) 
www.russiansummerball.com
07983939319
chairman@russiansummerball.com

The Queen's 60th Anniversary Statue -- Coming to a Town Square Near You??

I am pleased to announce the launch of The Queen's 60th Anniversary Statue project. It is hoped that casts of The Queen's statue, one of which is currently on display at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition in London's Burlington House until August 2013, will grace public spaces in towns and cities across the Commonwealth. The statue has been carved by James Butler RA, one of Britain's foremost sculptors, whose work may be found across London. He also carved the Great Seal of the Realm.

This is an excellent project, which I heartily endorse. Towns and cities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and The Queen's other realms, territories and dependencies now have the opportunity to acquire a statue of The Sovereign in much the same way as Victorian civic leaders acquired statues of their Queen (and which we can still see to this day).

To cite directly from the website:

The Aim

"HM Queen Elizabeth II’s long reign has conferred a great continuity throughout times of unprecedented change. We believe that this quality will be best represented by a statue which will be the definitive and immediately recognisable image, one which is fit to stand alongside past monarchical icons.

"Our aim is for cities, towns and institutions around the UK and in the Commonwealth to be able to endow their public spaces with a statue which will undoubtedly become a much-photographed and appreciated new landmark, and in time a familiar and much-valued centrepoint within individual local and urban settings throughout the Commonwealth.

"And at a time of great concern about public fragmentation and the need for social cohesion, the statue will represent an enduring expression of the vital role of the Queen as an impartial symbol of national unity.

The Statue

"The statue is inspired by the famous 1954 and 1969 portraits of the Queen by Pietro Annigoni. Her Majesty is shown in full Garter robes.

"The statues will be cast in 100% bronze. They will be exactly the same as the maquette and will be available in three different sizes: Half life-size, Life-size and Double life-size and prices, which, naturally may vary with the cost of metal and casting, will range from between £20,000 to £75,000 for a full preparation of cast and finishing. Please contact us directly to learn more about the pricing structure and costs.

For More Information on the statue and the project please click here to visit the Official Website: The Queen's 60th Anniversary Statue  or contact Mr. Peter Whittle:

Peter Whittle

The New Culture Forum
55 Tufton Street
London SW1P 3QL
Tel: 020-7340-6059
Email: enquiries@queenjubileestatue.co.uk

60th Anniversary of the Conquest of Mount Everest

Today is the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary KG, ONZ, KBE and Tenzing Norgay OSN, GM. Appropriately, news that the Union Flag had flown at the summit of the world reached London on 2nd June, the day of the Coronation of HM The Queen.

Sir Edmund Hillary was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 6 June 1953, a member of the Order of New Zealand in 1987 and a Knight of the Order of the Garter on 22 April 1995. He is one of only 3 New Zealanders to have received the Garter.  In 1953 he received the Nepalese Order of Gorka Dakshina Bahu, 1st Class. The Indian Government posthumously conferred the nation's second highest civil award, the Padma Vibhushan, on Hillary in 2008.

Tenzing Norgay received the George Medal on 1 July 1953 (it is believed that discussion of a knighthood had been quashed by India's president Nehru following British consultation with the governments of Nepal and India). Also in 1953, Norgay received the Order of the Star of Nepal, 1st Class from HM King Tribhuvan of Nepal. In 1959 the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan, the country's third highest civil award.

All members of the Everest Expedition, including Hillary and Norgay, received The Queen's Coronation Medal. 

Prince Charles as Prince Regent? Possibility Raises a Puzzle for Canada.

This article, based upon my interview on CTV's Question Period politics programme, appeared on the CTV News website on Sunday, 19 May. 

As Canadians prepare to celebrate Victoria Day, the official date of birthday honours for the reigning monarch, there is increasing speculation that Queen Elizabeth is about to make a decision that could have constitutional implications for Canada.

When Queen Elizabeth II opened the British parliament last week, her son, Prince Charles, was in attendance for the first time in 17 years, along with his wife Camilla.

Some royal watchers interpret the couple’s presence as a signal that the 87-year-old monarch might be preparing to offload some of her duties by elevating Charles to a prince regent.

Britain’s Regency Acts dictate what happens when a monarch becomes physically or mentally incapable of fulfilling his or her duties, royal commentator Rafe Heydel-Mankoo told CTV’s Question Period.

If Charles were to become prince regent it would pose a conundrum for Canada, which does not have regency acts of its own, Heydel-Mankoo said.

Canadian constitutional experts would need to decide whether a prince regent can appoint the next governor general.

But Heydel-Mankoo suggested such a scenario is highly unlikely.

“It’s a legal impossibility to become prince regent whilst her majesty remains in robust health, physically and mentally,” Heydel-Mankoo said.

He added that while there’s no possibility of the prince becoming a regent in the foreseeable future, Charles is likely to take on more royal duties over the next few years.

The queen announced earlier this month that she would send Charles to the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Sri Lanka in November, marking the first time she has skipped the gathering since 1971.

Buckingham Palace said it was reviewing the queen’s amount of long-haul travel.

As a counsellor of state, Prince Charles already fulfills royal duties at home when the Queen is abroad.

Queen Elizabeth was briefly hospitalized for a stomach illness earlier this year, and she skipped the Commonwealth Day Observance service at Westminster Abbey on March 11.

According to the Regency Act of 1937, in order to be declared unfit to rule, at least three of the following people -- the Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Lord Chief Justice of England, the Master of the Rolls and the spouse of the sovereign -- would have to agree in writing, after seeing medical evidence, that the monarch is physically or mentally incapacitated.

Original Article: http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/charles-as-prince-regent-possibility-raises-a-puzzle-for-canada-1.1288204

The State Opening of Parliament 2013 -- my interview on LBC Radio

Broadcast on 8 May, below is a link to a short radio interview on LBC Radio in which I discuss the significance of the presence of The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at The Queen's Speech. Some of the ceremonial traditions surrounding The State Opening of Parliament, and their constitutional significance, are also discussed.

Make 10 May, Sir Winston Churchill Day. Let's Believe in Britain Once More

Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on this date in 1940, when our island nation was left standing alone against the might of an enemy who commanded an entire continent.

Equipped with nothing but his oratory and skills of leadership, Churchill kept the flame of freedom flickering for an entire year -- aware that if it were extinguished on this island, the vast mass of the world outside of the Americas would have been plunged into a new Dark Age.

As the Awards Committee said when Churchill received the Nobel Prize for Literature: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to one man."

9 April is National Churchill Day in the USA as it was the date on which President Kennedy awarded the Great Man honorary US Citizenship (the first ever to be granted).

It seems wrong and bizarre that Britain has not yet acknowledged its greatest prime minister in a similar fashion.

I would like to see 10 May officially declared "Sir Winston Churchill Day". Even better, the drearily named "Spring Bank Holiday" (which falls in late May) could be renamed "Sir Winston Churchill Bank Holiday".

A national holiday to commemorate the Greatest Briton -- what better way to mark the restoration of our full sovereignty. -- Rafe Heydel-Mankoo

Prince Charles Gets Higher Commonwealth Role as Queen Stays Home

I am quoted a fair amount in this article by Janet Davison of the CBC which deals with The Queen, the Prince of Wales and the future of the Commonwealth.

Subtitle: 

Elizabeth cutting back on long trips, helping Charles prepare to be king

Published: 

By Janet Davison, CBC News 

Posted: May 8, 2013 5:10 AM ET 

Last Updated: May 8, 2013 11:50 AM ET 

Read 66comments

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/05/07/f-queen-engagements.html

When Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth won't be going to Sri Lanka for a Commonwealth meeting this fall, the decision was more than a reflection of how a robust but aging monarch will be taking things a little bit easier after 61 years on the throne.

Opting out of the Commonwealth heads of government meeting and having her eldest son, Prince Charles, attend instead gives him a high-profile role and suggests that the 87-year-old Queen is helping him prepare for his eventual role as king.

Charles has stepped in to represent the Queen in the past, and more frequently in recent years. But attending the Commonwealth heads of government meeting would be one of the more significant roles, particularly because being head of the Commonwealth is not a hereditary positon and he would likely be seen as signalling his interest in taking it on.

This move comes as the Queen has "carefully prepared her children for public duties and Prince Charles for his future role,' says Carolyn Harris, a Toronto-based royal historian and blogger. But no one is suggesting at this point that Elizabeth has any intention to abdicate in favour of her son, as the Dutch Queen did last week.

Along with the announcement Tuesday that the Queen will miss the meeting in Sri Lanka, Buckingham Palace said it is reviewing long-haul travel for the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, who turns 92 in June.

"Really the crux of the matter is that this is all to do with the toll that long-haul journeys take on elderly people," royal commentator Rafe Heydel-Mankoo said in an interview from London.

"What we have seen in recent years is an effort to try to ensure that there's a smooth transition to Prince Charles.… If anything is to be read into it, it's really also part of the deliberate effort to make sure that the public are more used to him taking on these functions."

The decision for the Queen to opt out of the summit in Sri Lanka, the palace also noted, has nothing to do with the political situation in the country, which has been widely condemned by many in the international community over alleged human rights abuses.

"The Queen's devotion to the Commonwealth would never let her become politically partisan in any way," says Heydel-Mankoo.

That devotion has been a priority throughout her reign. She's been at all the heads of government meetings except the inaugural session in Singapore in 1971 — her first appearance was in 1973 in Ottawa — and Harris says her attendance has been seen as significant.

Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, are seen before the Queen's Banquet for the Commonwealths Heads of Government in Kampala, Uganda on Nov. 23, 2007. (Ian Jones/Associated Press)

In 2011, in Perth, Australia, for example, "when succession reform was discussed, her presence … was seen as an endorsement of the succession reform and the introduction of absolute primogeniture so that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first-born child, whether a boy or girl, would succeed to the throne," says Harris.

Charles has been at one meeting, attending that 2007 session with his mother.

"Now with the Prince of Wales attending this meeting, that's also being interpreted as highly significant because the role of head of the Commonwealth is not automatically hereditary," says Harris.

"So the Prince of Wales' increasing involvement with the Commonwealth heads of government is demonstrating his interest in the institution and suitability to be the next head of the Commonwealth."

Charles became heir to the throne at age three, and has been waiting longer than anyone in British history to receive the crown.

Longtime royal watcher Ninian Mellamphy says it "must be kind of tough on Charles when you consider he's old enough to retire and he hasn't actually come into his domain yet."

In helping prepare Charles for his role as king, Elizabeth is taking an approach that differs considerably from the way in which the last long-serving monarch set up her eldest son for the throne

"It's a marked contrast to Queen Victoria's approach," says Harris, who noted Victoria had "a very difficult relationship with her eldest son, the future Edward the Seventh, and really excluded him from any situation where he would be seen as representing her."

Public expectations were low when Edward came to the throne in 1901.

"He was seen as an idler who had mistresses, who went to the races. But he actually carved out a diplomatic role for himself," says Harris, and by the time he died nine years later, there was significant public mourning.

"He was very well-regarded, but in 1901, there were real concerns that the 60-year-old Edward the Seventh would be able to step into his mother's role. This happens whenever there's a very long reign that the monarch becomes synonymous with the office and it's difficult to imagine anyone else in that role."

While the Queen may be giving Sri Lanka and any other long-haul travel a pass, there's no indication she's taking a significant step back from a vigorous public schedule in the U.K.

Queen Elizabeth arrives for the rededication of the newly refurbished Temple Church organ at Temple Church in London on May 7, 2013. (Anthony Devlin/Associated Press)

"It's very much business as usual. The Queen is going to continue taking on as many duties as she has in the past," says Heydel-Mankoo.

"Last year, she took part in over 400 engagements and when you think most people would have retired 20 or 25 years earlier, that's a pretty impressive achievement."

Many of those engagements were part of the Diamond Jubilee celebration marking her 60 years on the throne. That celebration, however, also revealed significant hints of an international retreat in Elizabeth's activities, as her children and grandchildren fanned out on Jubilee trips throughout the Commonwealth.

"That really sent the first signal that we had that she would be restricting her long-haul trips," says Heydel-Mankoo, who noted there's no sense yet that the Queen will not be making any return visits to Canada.

Prince Philip himself returned to Canada for a two-day visit late last month, a trip that came as something of a surprise.

"One of the reasons Prince Philip's visit to Canada in April attracted so much attention was that he was undertaking an overseas visit, whereas during the Diamond Jubilee both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh had remained in the United Kingdom while their children and grandchildren travelled to the Commonwealth realms," says Harris.

While the Queen may be easing up on some of her royal duties, there is no sense she would ever abdicate, as the 75-year-old Dutch Queen Beatrix did last week, in favour of her eldest son, Willem-Alexander.

"In contrast to the Netherlands, where abdication is an accepted custom, there's a public celebration where one monarch abdicates and the new one comes to the throne, in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, abdication is viewed as a destabilizing event," says Harris.

"The Queen vowed on her 21st birthday on her first Commonwealth visit to South Africa that she would devote her whole life, whether it was long or short, to the service of her people and she shows every sign of fulfilling that vow."

Order Spotting at the Inauguration of HM The King of The Netherlands

Their Majesties The King and Queen of the Netherlands on the
Day of His Majesty's Inauguration. The King is seen here wearing the sash and breast star
of the Military William Order. The Queen is wearing the sash and breast star of the
Order of the Netherlands Lion

HRH The Prince of Wales is wearing the sash and breast star of the Dutch Royal House Order of the Crown as well as the star of the Order of the Garter. Note the rarely seen manner of wear of the Order of Merit, suspended from HRH's aiguillette. HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is wearing
the sash and breast star of the Royal Victorian Order and, on her shoulder,
the Royal Family Order of HM Queen Elizabeth II. © Reuters

HRH The Princess of Asturias is seen here wearing the sash of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III. HRH The Prince of Asturias is wearing the sash and breast star of the Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau, the neck badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece and the breast stars of the Order of Charles III, the Spanish Order of Military Merit (white) and the Spanish Order of Naval Merit (white). Under normal circumstances (when HRH would not be wearing a Dutch order) HRH would have (usually although not always) worn the Spanish Order of Aeronautical Merit as his fourth star. © Reuters

A good image of HIH Crown Princess Masako wearing the sash of the rarely seen Japanese Order of the Precious Crown which serves a role slightly similar to that of the Royal Victorian Order and is primarily restricted to female members of the Imperial House. Note that the sash of the Dutch Order of the Crown worn by HIH Crown Prince Naruhito does not pass over his shoulder. © Reuters

TRH The Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark are wearing the sashes and stars of the Order of the Elephant.
The Crown Prince is also wearing the neck badge and star of the Order of the Dannebrog. The Crown Princess has a brooch featuring a portrait of HM The Queen of Denmark pinned to her shoulder -- it is similar to the Royal Family Orders seen in other European monarchies. © Reuters

HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and  HRH The Duke of  Vastergotland
wearing the sash and star of the Royal Order of the Seraphim of Sweden.
Crown Princess Victoria is also wearing a diamond encrusted brooch featuring a portrait
of HM The King of Sweden -- again, it is similar to a Royal Family Order. © Reuters

TSH The Hereditary Prince and Princess of Liechtenstein are shown here wearing the
sash and star of the Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit. © WENN.com

Duke of Edinburgh finally appointed to Order of Canada - A brief summary of the developments that led up to this great day

The Governor General of Canada invests The Duke of Edinburgh
As the first Extraordinary Companion of the
Order of Canada

Today is a day of celebration for monarchists and those of us who closely study the world of honours and orders. For, on his visit to Canada today, The Duke of Edinburgh was invested as the first Extra Companion of the Order of Canada and a Commander of the Order of Military Merit.

Perhaps unknown to most readers, these two orders are Canada's highest honours. Today's presentation would not otherwise be overly newsworthy, but the long journey that led to today's presentation is one which is worthy of note. For, until now, the elderly Duke had received  substantive honours from both Australia and New Zealand but, surprisingly, not from Canada, arguably the most monarchist of Commonwealth realms.

Whether by pure coincidence, the decision followed a national media campaign which some had launched earlier this year to try to influence the Government and garner public support.

The Duke of Edinburgh is the oldest member of the Royal Family to have travelled to Canada and, after Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the second oldest member of the Royal Family to have left the shores of the UK. Such is HRH's devotion to Canada, The Duke has travelled to the Great White North  more than any other member of the Royal Family.

Considering his unparalleled dedication to Canada, it seems only natural that Canada should honour His Royal Highness with the nation's highest honour. However, it will come as a surprise to many that a man who has been decorated by Australia, New Zealand and numerous countries around the world has, until now, not received a grand Canadian honour.

The reasons for this are complex. Until recently, the statutes of the Order of Canada that determined eligibility for membership were limited to Canadian citizens. The powers-that-be determined that, aside from the The Queen, who, as Sovereign, is the fount from which citizenship and honour flows, members of her family are simply Britons and therefore ineligible.

The Duke of Edinburgh depicted wearing his various honours
including Orders from Britain, Australia and New Zealand.  Regrettably
no Canadian Order graces The Duke's medal bar. A shameful omission.

This contrasts starkly with the far more enlightened approach adopted by the Honours Secretariats of New Zealand and Australia, which, for certain honours, have a special class of membership for members of the Royal Family. New Zealand, the model for all Commonwealth Realms, also permits the granting of honours upon citizens of Commonwealth realms around the world -- a tremendous statement of dedication and belief in the importance of our great family of nations.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh as
Admiral of the Canadian Navy but still
lacking any Canadian Orders

By contrast, in Canada, the Duke was regarded as foreign, despite the fact that he was the spouse of The Queen of Canada, the father of the future King of Canada, a Privy Councillor of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Admiral of the Canadian Navy, General of the Canadian Army, General of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Admiral of the Canadian Sea Cadets and the Colonel-in-Chief of numerous Canadian regiments. Surely anyone with a modicum of intelligence would regard this as supremely odd. Consequently, although many patriotic Canadians wanted HRH to receive Canada's highest honour, they were told that the Statutes of the Order prevented this. HRH would have to be content with the "honorary" status granted to Nelson Mandela or Mother Teresa, rather than the "substantive" membership accorded to Canadians. The Duke, proud of his Canadian connections, may have found this unacceptable and consequently, in 1982, he politely declined the offer of honorary membership.

The message was clear: the poorly drafted statutes of the Order of Canada needed to be amended. Statutes in New Zealand create a separate substantive class of "Extraordinary" members for members of the Royal Family (viz. Duke of Edinburgh, Extra Companion of the Queen's Service Order and Additional Member of the Order of New Zealand). Similarly, Australians had no problem conferring Australian substantive honours upon members of their Royal Family (viz The Prince of Wales, Knight of the Order of Australia, Duke of Edinburgh, Commander of the Order of Australia)

Canada's Governor General presents
"Honorary" membership in the
Order of Canada upon
HM Queen Elizabeth the
Queen Mother

For whatever reason, in 2000, on the occasion of her 100th Birthday Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was presented with "Honorary" Membership in the Order of Canada (an honour reserved for non-Canadians such as Nelson Mandela).  At the time, many commentators felt is strangely odd, that Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Queen Consort of King George VI of Canada, mother of Queen Elizabeth II of Canada, mother of the Sovereign of the Order of Canada, and, in her own right, colonel-in-chief of various Canadian regiments should be deemed foreign. More bizarrely, the presentation of the insignia of an "honorary" member of the Order was presented by the Governor General of Canada -- when it would surely have been more appropriate to have HM The Queen, Sovereign of the Order of Canada, present the insignia to her mother. What a touching sight that would have been. Nevertheless, as peculiar as many thought it to be, the event was a success and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was deeply impressed.

However, as far as we know, the views of the Duke of Edinburgh remained unchanged. Those of us who are interested in such matters realised that unless the statutes of the Order were amended to enable the appointment of members of the Royal Family as substantive "Extra Companions" or "Royal Companions", there would be little chance that he would accept membership. The idealists amongst us, would have liked to see Canada follow the New Zealand model and open the honours system to citizens of Commonwealth Realms.

Supporters of the Crown agreed that, as there was every chance that this might be the last trip that HRH might make to Canada, it was imperative that steps be taken immediately to try to rectify this omission. We  suspected that senior government officials might also share our concern; but we felt that there would be no harm in involving the media as it could create a groundswell of public expectation and anticipation. "Will he or won't he?" -- which would make the actual presentation all the more eagerly anticipated and exciting. It could become "an event".

An Editorial was duly published in the Globe and Mail calling for the Duke to be invested with the Order of Canada. As a Canadian, and also the editor of Burke's World Orders of Knighthood & Merit (the definitive guide to the state orders of the world) I immediately followed this up with my own letter. I then hoped that these two pieces would be brought to the attention of people at the highest levels of government so that, if they had not been seriously considering the issue before, this might now give them pause for thought.

Here is the letter:

Honours enthusiasts are therefore delighted that this staunchly-monarchist Government, which has done so much to ensure that Canadians fully understand and appreciate the importance of the Crown in our political and cultural life, have seen fit to provide The Duke of Edinburgh with the highest honours they could possibly bestow. The Canadian Government's efforts to ensure that the Canadian Monarchy returns to the heart of national life, helping to ensure that Canadians appreciate the vital role that it has to play at the centre of our understanding of Canadian national identity, are worthy of the greatest praise. We celebrate them for that.  I do not know whether the media campaign we launched had any impact on the ultimate decision to confer the Orders upon HRH but, ultimately, that is meaningless. For we simply rejoice in the fact that The Canadian Government have brought its honours policy in line with those of Australia, New Zealand and the UK and, most importantly, now acknowledge that the Royal Family is Canadian.

Rafe Heydel-Mankoo  Web: wwww.heydel-mankoo.com

My interview on BBC News following Lady Thatcher's Ceremonial Funeral

After the moving ceremonial funeral for Baroness Thatcher, I was interviewed on BBC News by the absolutely charming Kasia Madera. The video may be seen on YouTube or by clicking the link below  

Thatcher and the Sufragette -- For One Night Only

Lying-in-State in Westminster Hall for
Sir Winston Churchill. A hallmark of a State Funeral

As we now know, Lady Thatcher expressly stated that she did not wish to have a full state funeral. This honour, traditionally reserved for the Sovereign but, in exceptional cases, an honour to be conferred upon Britain's Praetorian Guard, was deemed inappropriate for one who, despite her global stature and almost unparalleled charisma and cult of personality, remained, nevertheless, a divisive rather than unifying force in the nation. The distinctions between a state and a ceremonial funeral are technical and unlikely to be noticed by the general public. However, whether ceremonial or state, the funeral of Thatcher has been marked by two major omissions: 1. The absence of a formal "lying-in-state" (which normally occurs in Westminster Hall, England's greatest and most historic secular building) and the refusal to have a military "fly past" -- a truly thrifty Thatcherite decision. And so, instead, we have ceremonial funeral lite. But, this has been counterbalanced by the presence of HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh (the first time they have attended a PM's funeral since that of the Great Man himself, Sir Winston Churchill in 1965). Some have declared that their attendance elevates this to "state" level -- nice, but wrong. Ditto the decision to silence Big Ben (the principal bell inside the Elizabeth Tower -- until the Diamond Jubilee previously known as the Clock Tower) and its sister bells for the duration of the funeral service -- a scene (sound?) not heard since that same funeral of Sir Winston in 1965. Impressive but, however grand, not part of the definition of a state funeral.

Baroness Thatcher resting in the Chapel of St. Mary Undercroft

And so, instead of a multi-day lying-in-state in that most glorious of locations, Westminster Hall, which stands, ever ready to bear witness to the thousands of sympathetic souls who feel duty bound to doff their caps and pay sincere respects to an individual who shaped so much of our modern life, we are instead informed that Lady Thatcher wished to have no such displays of emotion -- far too foreign. No, she is to rest in the crypt of St. Mary Undercroft located in the bowels of her true home, the Palace of Westminster, there to be honoured by a select few from within the political establishment.

St. Mary Undercroft is itself a very special building. Small, intimate and atmospheric, it is a "Royal Peculiar", a status that befits a chapel located in the royal residence otherwise known as the Palace of Westminster (a.k.a. the Houses of Parliament). It may lack the melancholic grandure of Westminster Abbey or the sombre simplicity of St. Margaret's Westminster; but that matters not -- for it is Pugin at his best. The walls scream with echoes of the glories of Britain's spiritual past, are filled with sentiments of chivalry, nobility, truth, piety and the desire for spiritual elevation. It's atmosphere is almost unequalled in the chapels of this land.

Sufragette Emily Davison trampled by the horse of
HM King Edward VII

My first visit to the Undercroft occurred many years ago, when I was but a slight, svelte, naive swot. Late one evening, after a lengthy and jovial dinner in the Lords, a senior peer led me on my own into this dark, unlit crypt. Turning on a faint light, he opened the door to a broom cupboard and invited me to follow him in. My gut instinct was predictable but, being British, one did not wish to seem churlish or in any way unappreciative of the kind hospitality one had thus far been afforded. Therefore, with considerable trepidation, I followed said peer into this small broom cupboard. Once inside, "His Lordship" asked me to read the brass plaque that had been affixed to the inside of the door. Having read it, I relaxed immediately and any suspicions were well and truly banished. For this was the cupboard in which that famed suffragette Emily Davison had hidden on 1 January 1911, the day of the official national census. The consequence of her audacious act, was that she listed her address as the Houses of Parliament, a building in which she asserted her right to sit and sleep -- despite the fact that this was denied to all other members of her sex. Tragically it was Emily who was the sufragette now forever remembered for running to be trampled under the horse of King Edward VII at the Derby (pictured supra).

To commemorate Emily Davison's life and passion, the 2nd Viscount Stansgate (otherwise known as "Tony Benn") erected a small plaque to Emily, which is located on the inside of the door to the broom cupboard (and therefore rarely seen by anyone other than the most keen).

The Chapel of St. Mary Undercroft, a Royal Peculiar in the
Palace of Westminster

Whether Thatcher and Davison would have shared much in common is impossible to know. However, I, for one, think it absolutely fitting that two such towering and powerful female figures should now be united through the fact that they are, I believe, the only two women to have rested over night in the Chapel of St. Stephen Undercroft.

The Honours and Awards of The Rt. Hon. The Baroness Thatcher LG OM PC FRS

Baroness Thatcher on Garter Day
wearing the robes of a Lady of the Garter

The Right Honourable The Baroness Thatcher LG OM PC FRS lived a life "crowded with incident".

As far as I am aware, the tributes and articles published in the days following her death have failed to provide full details on the offices she held and the honours she received. The list below is provided for public record.

It is lamentable that Lady Thatcher remains the only Oxford graduate prime minister not to have received an honorary doctorate from that academic institution.

Armorial Bearings:

Blazon: On a lozenge circumscribed by the Garter and the Ribbon of the Order of Merit with Cross pendant
therefrom, surmounted by a baron's coronet, per chevron azure gules, a double key in chief between two lions combatant a tower with portcullis in base all or, with supporters: dexter: An admiral of the British Navy; sinister: Sir Isaac Newton holding in his left hand weighing scales, both proper. Motto: CHERISH FREEDOM. 

Non-Honorary Academic Qualifications:

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Called to the Bar and admitted to Lincoln's Inn

Offices:

Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service: 1979-1990

Leader of the Conservative Party: 1975-90

Leader of Her Majesty's Official Opposition: 1975-1979

Shadow Secretary of State: 1974-1975

Secretary of State for Education and Science: 1970-1974

Shadow Secretary of State: 1969-1970

Shadow Secretary of State: 1968-1969

Shadow Secretary of State: 1967-1968

Parliamentary Secretary (Ministry of Pensions and Insurance): 1961-1964

Member of Parliament to the Constituency of Finchley: 1959-1992

Lady Thatcher in the House of Lords

National Honours:

1970: Appointed to Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council

1975: Honorary Bencher of Lincoln's Inn

1983: Fellow of the Royal Society

1990: Order of Merit

1990: Entitled to the style of "Lady Thatcher" following the creation of a baronetcy for her husband, Major Sir Dennis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, MBE, TD.

1992: Created a Life Peer (UK) as The Right Honourable The Baroness Thatcher, of Kevesten in the County of Lincolnshire.

1992: Received a Grant of Arms from the College of Arms

1992: Chancellor Buckingham University

1995: Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter

2012: Freedom of the City of Westminster

2013: Ceremonial Funeral with full military honours

President George Bush Sr. presents Margaret Thatcher with
the Presidential Medal of Freemdom

Foreign Honours:

1981: Donovan Award (USA) (for distinguished contribution to democracy and freedom)

1989: Honorary Doctorate from Technion University

1991: US Presidential Medal of Freedom (the nation's highest civilian award)

1994: Chancellor of William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA

1998: Honorary Doctorate from Brigham Young University (USA)

2008: Honorary Doctorate from Pepperdine University (USA)

Miscellaneous Honours:

1975: As Leader of the Conservative Party, Margaret Thatcher became the first woman entitled to full membership rights in the Carlton Club.

2007: A statue of Margaret Thatcher erected in the Houses of Parliament, standing across from the statue of Sir Winston Churchill by the entrance to the House of Commons.

Falklands Islands Honours:

Since 1992 Margaret Thatcher Day has been celebrated on the Islands ever year on 10 January.

Thatcher Drive in Stanley and Thatcher Peninsula in South Georgia (where British troops landed) were named in her honour.