Happy birthday Mrs Windsor.

 

 

Today the Queen otherwise known as Mrs Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, turns 96,  a long life indeed, she happens to share a birthday with my own grandson who himself turns 10 today, so salutations to him as well. 

Gun salutes will mark Mrs Windsor birthday today, although the monarch herself was expected to mark the occasion with little fanfare after a troubled year hit by health concerns.

Royal officials released a photograph of the horse-loving head of state with two of her fell ponies, as family members wished her well.

Her grandson Prince William and his wife Kate called her "an inspiration to so many across the UK, the Commonwealth and the world."

In the British capital, 62 gun rounds will be fired later from the Tower of London and 42 in Hyde Park, where a military band will also play "Happy Birthday."

Royal tradition since the 18th century has also seen the monarch have a second, official birthday, typically celebrated in warmer weather in June.

This year's official birthday coincides with four days of public events from June 2 to 5 to mark the queen's record-breaking 70th year on the throne.

No official engagements are planned for today and the queen is spending time at her late husband Prince Philip's cottage on her Sandringham country estate, where he lived after retiring from public life in 2017.

The trip is being seen as a "positive step", given the queen's recent health problems, British media reported.

Since an unscheduled overnight stay in hospital last October, she has cut down massively on public appearances on doctor's orders.

A back complaint and difficulties standing and walking have seen her cancel a number of engagements, including recent church events to mark Easter.

A bout of Covid-19 in February left her "very tired and exhausted", she admitted earlier this month.

But William's brother Prince Harry told US broadcaster NBC in an interview aired on Wednesday that she was "on great form" when he saw her last week.

The queen was last seen in public at Westminster Abbey in central London on March 29 at a memorial service for Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99.

The queen's enforced retreat from public life in her Platinum Jubilee year has increased attention on the succession and future of the monarchy.

Her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, has assumed more of his mother's responsibilities in preparation to take over the throne.But a fair few believe Charles, 73, should step aside for William, who turns 40 in June.

Aside from questions about the queen's health and the succession, the royals have rarely been out of the headlines due to a succession of scandals.

Last month there was controversy after the queen's disgraced second son Prince Andrew supported her at Prince Philip's memorial service.

In February, he settled a US civil claim for sexual assault that had earlier seen him stripped of his honorary royal military titles and charitable roles.Andrew’s self-inflicted humiliation has shone a withering spotlight on a spoilt stupid man who has lived a life of unimaginable privilege without having to do anything to earn it. Let Prince Andrew be the very last of the royal freeloaders sunning their bloated bellies on some dodgy billionaire’s yacht.

The palace is said to be bracing for fresh revelations about royal life from Harry, who is due to publish his memoirs later this year.

The former British Army captain quit the royal frontline last year and moved to California with his American wife Meghan Markle.

From there, the couple accused the royal family of racism, while Harry claimed his father Charles and brother William were "trapped" within the system of the British monarchy.

The future of the royal family's global reach is also far from assured.

The queen is head of state of Britain and 14 other Commonwealth countries around the world. But Barbados became a republic last year and a number of other Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, have since indicated they want to follow suit.

Many of Mrs Windsor's subjects instead of joining in the sycophantic celebrations that will be taking place later this year  would instead actually like to have a debate about Britain's future. After all no-one should be head of state for decades without any elections.

A long life is not an excuse in itself for a long reign. The fact that the Queen is now the longest reigning monarch I do not see in itself as a cause for celebration, but an opportunity and reminder of how much we  need real radical democratic reform. Millions of us are simply not interested anymore in royal milestones, in times of austerity,facing a crippling cost of living crisis, harder times, a winter of discontent,  who  as usual are being denied the opportunity to hear any real debate about the future of the monarchy. 

Anti-monarchy group Republic is set to launch a "Not Another 70" campaign, aimed at calling for an end to the monarchy.The campaign will coincide with the run up to the Queen's Jubilee, and will culminate in a conference on the weekend of June 2nd.

Graham Smith, speaking for Republic, said :

"While a vocal minority will want to celebrate the Queen's seventy year reign, we must all start looking to the future. The prospect of King Charles is not a happy one, and there is a good, democratic alternative on offer."

"It's time to have a serious debate about our constitution, accept that Charles is not the best the country has to offer, and that as a nation we are quite capable of choosing our head of state."

"It's time to reject the nonsense arguments about tourism, stability and widespread affection for the royals, and take a more sensible look at what the monarchy really is, and what it really costs the country."

"That cost isn't just financial, it is a cost to our democracy, to our status as citizens and to our principles."

"In just twelve months the royals have been accused of racism, climate change hypocrisy, abuse of public funds, secrecy, cash-for-honours, cash-for-access and all the various things associated with Prince Andrew, including sheltering him from justice."

"This is a shabby institution that does not deserve to continue. It is set against our nation's deeply held democratic principles, it is corrupt and secretive and it is bad for British democracy."

"Now is the time to look to a democratic future, a future without the monarchy."

Details of the "Not Another 70" campaign will be released in due course.

It's about time  we held a referendum on the future of the British monarchy after the Queen's death. Is it not the case that as long as we remain subjects not citizens, of our country, our political and social attitudes will continue to retain an archaic flavour that is harmful equally to our image  of ourselves and attitude of others towards us. Until we turn our back on  hereditary  power at the top of our political, military and religious institutions we have little chance of shaking of the mentality of society defined by class that serves to prop up the same elitist status quo.

Prince Charles  is next in line to the throne. But public opinion suggests that he is not the most popular member of the Royal family, Given that he did have an affair with none other than Duchess Camilla while he was married to the late Princess Diana. 

Not only that, but reports also suggested that Prince Charles was the one who had expressed reservations about Prince Harry’s son Archie’s skin color.

Once Mrs Windsor has gone the future of the monarchy looks very bleak.

How can the Royal family survive? How can we continue to tolerate a hereditary monarch representing the feudal society of medieval England in a modern democratic state. How is it is still acceptable that the British taxpayer still has to pay £75,000,000 a year to support one of the richest families in Britain ( wealth accumulated and robbed from people during previous centuries) when people are made homeless, forced to sleep on the streets, how can we justify spending this on relics that serve no purpose while 13 million of us are in poverty and 913,000 of us are having to rely on foodbanks.The monarchy like slavery , sexual and class discrimination and colonial exploitation is a throwback to our shameful past and an impediment to a bright future.Increasing numbers of people are now finally starting to see the unelected, parasitical Royals for what they are. 

So happy birthday Mrs Windsor, she's had a long 'glorious' reign. but please let the British public decide now whether we want her or not. For some she remains a strong figurehead as our head of state,steadfast, constant, dutiful, regal, wise and respectful,  an an image carefully orchestrated by PR and media, but for others a constant  reminder that  she is nothing more than an undemocratically elected individual who  has succeeded only in serving the monarchy and the status quo whilst robbing the taxpayers money for  her and her greedy family.  

It is now time for the country to look to the future. The monarchy is outdated and does not serve our modern needs, just an irrelevent drain on our society. It's time to end this symbol of privilege once and for all .Viva republic. No pictures of Mrs Windsor with ponies, here's one of my grandson instead.

http://republic.org.uk/