The Queen’s Speech

I wish the Queen well, she is obviously not well yet her lack of attendance at this year’s Queen’s Speech once again highlights the mockery we have of a democratic system.

According to a statement from Buckingham Palace, “The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow.”

Amongst all the pomp and circumstance we ended up with the speech given by her eldest son. 

The Queen’s Speech is the speech that the Queen reads out in the Lords Chamber on the occasion of the State Opening of Parliament. It sets out the programme of legislation that the Government intends to pursue in the forthcoming parliamentary session.

The speech is one of the important duties of the Head of State, showing the supposed separation between its position and the government. The separation is to remind us and ensure that the government is there to serve the state and its people, rather than serve itself.

If the Head of State is unable to carry out her or his duties, then it is time for a new one. Having such authority for seventy years is an anachronism and does not reflect well on our self declared aggrandisement of being the mother of parliaments. 

Instead we got her son. Offspring should not be entitled to take up such a vital position in the governance of this country. Instead a proper constitution needs to be drawn up which covers what happens in such cases. Having an elected and vice Head of State would be clear.

To add insult to injury, the Prince read out the speech in a military uniform, that of an Admiral. A suit and tie would have sufficed. We ought to be very concerned about any regime that has its Head of State overseeing its parliament in military regalia.

It’s time for a change. It’s time for a written constitution and , however big a challenge it would be, time for an elected Head of State.