Crown Bowls

Her Majesty is said to be disquieted at the way events are moving in the Scottish Referendum.  One of the many grim ironies which abound in this business is that it is alleged that it was The Palace that kick started Cameron's career in politics.

As it was a Cameron of Lochiel who welcomed Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745 who had returned to claim the throne from the upstart Hanoverians, perhaps it is only to be expected.  That Cameron was involved in the real Stuarts failing to secure the Crown.

Our Cameron has gone and lost Scotland through a combination of ineptitude and ignorance.  It is pointed out that it might be that leaving it to Gordon Brown was the best way to turn an eighteen point lead into a losing figure.

Her Majesty and Prince Charles will both be deeply aware that the 2017 Scottish elections are highly likely to raise the issue of whether the Scots should continue with the monarchy in the event of a Yes vote in the Independence Referendum.

With strong elements of republican belief in both the SNP and Scottish Labour the Royals could be on a loser.  The sectarian divide in Scotland is a given and the roots of that divide on one side is a nationalism that is traditionally anti-monarchy.

It is quite possible that within the Scottish Assembly by 2017 there will be a majority for a republic.  Even if the SNP put the issue to a Referendum how on earth could a dignified and decent campaign be conducted given what has gone on in the present one?

The debate over the monarchy could be just as confusing, nasty and dishonest as the present one.  As the Royals are "carrying a lot of baggage" these days it is inevitable that the debate will not be one of principle and constitutional form.  It will descend into a ferocious and vicious mud slinging business that will smear all involved.

When the salesman says "Yeah, yeah." and cracks a joke it is time to look at the small print.  When in the time of King Henry VIII Will Sommers the jester pointed the stick and made you the butt of a joke you knew the axe was next, as the brother of a forebear found out.

So when Salmond cosies up to the Royals in his cheeky chappie life and soul of the party style there is that queasy feeling that something is not quite right and all is not as it seems to be.  My view is that the real game play is a republic and perhaps one outside The Commonwealth.

At least on these issues this blog had one thing right.  The day after the suggestion that Russia had a major interest in the Arctic and North Atlantic, Putin sends in his Navy to reopen the former naval base and port in that area.

The consequences could be profound, not least Balmoral becoming one of those hotels favoured by stag and hen parties.  What have The Royals ever done for us the Scots might ask?  Put up with and promote a great deal of the cod Scottish tourist PR activity is the answer.

For the English it could be argued that it was the East Anglia gentry who were the republicans in the 17th Century during The Commonwealth and the reason the English were lumbered with the monarchy again was largely due to the Scots foisting them on England because they were too expensive for the Scots to maintain.

Worse than that was the Scots magnates in 1707 at a time when the monarchy was at a weak point making a reverse takeover and Union to gain control over the early British Empire which they then went on to rule.

Without their ambitions and aggression England might have had an ordinary working world common market and trading area that avoided all the thud and blunder.

If Labour win the next election in rUK one wonders if they could strike a deal.  England would give the Scots the monarchy back, no questions asked.

They could give England a bit of peace and quiet for a change.