The entire world loves a lover and it would be churlish not to wish William of Wales and Kate Middleton a long and happy life together. Barry Everingham writes.
WILLIAM is third in line to the British throne and of course unless we come to our senses in this country he will be our head of state after the death of his grandmother, the Queen, and his father, Prince Charles.
William, of course, as things stand is irrelevant.
Some Republicans are suggesting we need to wait for the Queen to die before we restart the push for a Republic of Australia. This is wrong.
We need now to restart the push today, not tomorrow, not next year, not till after the Queen’s funeral.
It beggars belief that the Monarchists, headed by the ridiculous Professor David Flint, will be trotting out mushy hyperbole congratulating a foreign prince marrying a commoner.
The British royal family is a fractious group of people – and the stability of modern royal marriages is disastrous to say the least.
William’s father is a self confessed adulterer – and he eventually married his long-time mistress who he was heard on leaked telephone conversation broadcast world-wide telling her he wanted to be a tampon inside her!
When he becomes King she will be Queen — now that’s something to look forward too; not!
The young prince’s aunt – the Princess Royal – is a twice married divorcee – his uncle – the Duke of York is also divorced but he and ex-wife Fergie continue to live together.
The Queen’s late sister, Princess Margaret, divorced the Earl of Snowden after a marriage from hell, with their public spats providing tabloid newspapers with story after story for years.
David Flint is delirious with glee every time he trots out that old canard that royalty costs the Australian taxpayer nothing. He claims the Queen doesn’t pick up a pension — well, old boy, she’ll never retire so she couldn’t, could she!
He forgets that her vice regal representatives in Australia, the Governor General , six State Governors and the Administrator of the Northern Territory are paid salaries and superannuation and their palatial residences cost heaps in upkeep.
Flint will say nothing will change when we become a Republic, forgetting of course their various Excellencies will cease to be representing a foreign, non-resident head of state, and that’s the nub of the matter.
There will be a President of Australia — an Australian representing all Australians.
So good luck to Kate and William may their lives be long and happy and they can come to see us as often as they like, but as tourists, nothing more, nothing less.
