Princely Visit to Ireland

(Apologies for my absence, University work is piling on and I had some personal issues to get over before I returned to regular blog updates. I have several pieces I wish to discuss backlogged on top of my already backlogged issues that I probably won't get to discuss in detail before the next interruption to regular blog business. I beg your forgiveness and thank you for your patience) I was of course, more then a little delighted when I was made aware of the Princely House of Grimaldi's visit to Ireland. However, sadly mostly to do with issues I have already mentioned, I could not indulge my innate monarchist urge to glue myself to the news of the event and follow it as enthusiastically as I would have loved to do. The Visit had the usual formalities one would expect of state visits, guards of honour, exchanges of gifts, meeting the public, etc. And frankly most news reports I've seen over the matter have been resounding positive... if somewhat muted. This of course bothers me because it is nowhere nearly as big an issue as I would have liked it to be. ''Oh its just an official state visit by a reigning crowned Head of Europe, its not as if we need to publicise this all that much, why its not as if the Irish public are deeply unhappy and depressed during this recession, our economic enslavement to Europe and the slovening cynicism of our crapsack of a political governing system and desperately need something positive to keep their minds off of it all.'' You can see why I am displeased by the lack of exposure in practical terms. Britain has the Royal wedding to look forward to, we had a Royal visit, why couldn't that have been a scene of goodwill and wholesomeness in the Irish view? Because the media didn't want it to be too exposed.

Actually, I'd like to take this time to mention how much I actually like the design of the Irish Defence Forces Officer Uniforms. Reserved but dignified, if a little utilitarian. Makes for a nice contrast with the uniform of the Monegasque officer as the Sovereign prince is welcomed at McKee Barracks to a 21 gun salute and inspects the Irish Guard of Honour respectively. Although in my humble opinion things could've been better if the Republic hadn't of disbanded the Blue Hussars.

However, catching up, I am delighted to report the state visit was a resounding success, and the Irish public were introduced to reigning monarchism that could not be simply be campaigned against or capitalised by Irish Republicans. After all as I often point out in Ireland, however erroneously, monarchism is associated with Britishness, Britishness is un-Irish, therefore monarchism is un-Irish, or stupid, or just evil to those who don't care about patritoism enough to worry about their own damn culture. This cannot be done against His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, nor the Princess-to-be.

Pictured left-to-right: Mr. McAleese, Mrs. McAleese President of Ireland, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II and Charlene

Afterall, the House of Grimaldi is Roman Catholic isn't it? Suddenly the religious issue the more sectarian of Irish Nationalists have against the House of Windsor and their perception of Monarchism is thrown aschew. For most Nationalist this doesn't prove that monarchism isn't un-Irish, but it goes a long way to shake a rather ugly, unspoken, underlying belief that being a monarchist is 'un-catholic'. (This is an ugly disease of a belief that isn't pushed too strongly by the Republican movement in Ireland but it is pushed nonetheless, however covertly), Now there was the real kicker, the Sovereign Prince is, afterall, the son of an American woman of Irish and German descent, Princess Grace. Now the republicans are presented with a real problem when it comes to His Seren Highness, they cannot say he is un-Catholic, and given the Irish Attitude to welcoming even the most distant of Irish descendents, could they really say that the Prince is not Irish?

Not after attending a traditional music session in County Mayo, his ancestral home through his mother they can't.

Now, the more machievelian side of me plans to exploit this wholesale in my dealings with Irish Nationalists not convinced of the Monarchist Cause, the sort who equate monarchism with Britishness. And yes, I am sad to say, no matter how unjust people think it is, it is a given fact, there is a resounding unbelievable resentment towards 'west britonism' in Ireland, and this is the result of History, and while I'm pretty sure most Irishmen don't resent the English or Britain in general nearly as much as past chuvanism would imply. They still absolutely resent being even remotely considered 'British', which is highly ironic given the current prevalent Anglo-American culture in Ireland that is slowly poisoning us. Also you may think it unseemly of me to use the nature of the Sovereign Prince's ancestry via the good Princess Grace as political ammunition against republican nationalists here, and you'd be right, but I have to do it anyway. Irishmen respect family a tremendous deal even if it isnt overtly admitted in public *cough*political-families*cough*, and sometimes the only way you can get through to them is with a living example of how its possible to be a good catholic, of Irish descent AND a Monarchist to break through the revolutionary twattle that has brainwashed the majority of the world as well as the Irish. Sides, I need something to counter the blather over the American President's Irish Descent which the news machine in Ireland is already warming up for his potential visit.

In my next few posts I plan to deal with a few nagging issues, firstly the Issue of Jacobitism in Irish Monarchism, which I have recieved interest from a number of readers for my views on the Irish Jacobite Cause. As well as that a study on the origins of Irish Nationalism, and how my study of it has actually help foster my dissent from the 'traditional' republican view of Irish Nationalism. (Ironically enough this was also the subject of my more academic concerns in University recently) As well as my other project studies such as my Restoration series, which looking back on, needs some re-working.

Slan Go Phoile