Music fit for a Queen

[McClef]

Are you disrespecting my Queen, sir?

Yes she is Queen of Canada too!

(and quite a few other places like Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland etc etc etc)

[GMan]

I really do like the variety of music that bands can play.

A local Irish pipe band plays Scotland the Brave on Kazoo's

[SnakeEyes]

Yes she is Queen of Canada too!

(and quite a few other places like Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland etc etc etc)

Don't forget Australia and New Zealand .

Unfortunately a lot of Canadian people don't even realise that she is infact the Queen of Canada, and still refer to her as "The Queen of England".

[McClef]

I didn't forget SnakeEyes, I was just including all the rest of UK besides dealing with your original point about Canada.

If I remember rightly she doesn't appear on all Canadian banknotes (whereas she does here) but I am amazed that you say some Canadians don't realise her relationship to Canada and I seem to remember she does appear on some banknotes.

Mind you when I was there in 2000 there was a news item about many Canadians not being able to sing O Canada! so you never know!

But the phrase "Queen (or King) of England" does seem a common misconception in some parts of the world. Some talk of England thinking it encompasses all of the UK. Of course it is the most populous and some would say "dominant" country and London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom as a whole.

She is Queen of an amazing amount of countries and territories, I can't list them all offhand. She is still a figure of importance in those former countries of the British Empire which are now republics as if they are in the Commonwealth she is still, head of that.

And I can't help suspecting that she still has a popularity amongst quite a few denizens of certain rebellious colonies!

[SnakeEyes]

If I remember rightly she doesn't appear on all Canadian banknotes (whereas she does here) but I am amazed that you say some Canadians don't realise her relationship to Canada and I seem to remember she does appear on some banknotes.

She's on our $20 bill, and on all of our coins. She also used to be on the $1, $2, and $1000 bills before they stopped making them. Still, a surprising amount of people just don't make the connection.

Speaking of Her Majesty, has anyone seen the movie The Queen yet? I haven't, but I hear good things. I also understand there are some scenes at Balmoral Castle, so I expect there should be some kilts.

P.S. The isssue of some people not knowing the words to O Canada is probably true, but I imagine its mainly because they keep trying to change the words on us!!!

[Warhoover]

She is Queen of an amazing amount of countries and territories, I can't list them all offhand. She is still a figure of importance in those former countries of the British Empire which are now republics as if they are in the Commonwealth she is still, head of that.

As the old saying goes, "The sun never sets on the British Empire".

[McClef]

P.S. The isssue of some people not knowing the words to O Canada is probably true, but I imagine its mainly because they keep trying to change the words on us!!!

I wasn't aware of that although there had been different versions vying for position in the past. Also in Quebec there is a French version where the words are somewhat different.

We havent given her up either(yet), she's also Queen of Australia.

Al

Indeed not and you even had a referendum about it which decided not to plump for a republic.

[SnakeEyes]

I wasn't aware of that although there had been different versions vying for position in the past. Also in Quebec there is a French version where the words are somewhat different.

Some people figured that our anthem wasn't PC enough.The main thing they tried to change was "in all thy sons command", and for some reason "native land" was found offensive by some natives (huh?).

And yes, the french version is somewhat different, it talks about bearing swords and crosses, and how Canada's brow is wreathed in garlands of victory.

Anyways, what were we talking about?

[AL-58]

Indeed not and you even had a referendum about it which decided not to plump for a republic.

It was simply the way the question was asked.

if it was simply asked "should Australia become a republic?" it would have passed without a problem.

Most of us have great respect for the Queen. That doesn't however mean that we want a British Queen or King as our head of state though. It's a figurehead position only and that figurehead might as well be Australian.

Al

[McClef]

Some people figured that our anthem wasn't PC enough.The main thing they tried to change was "in all thy sons command", and for some reason "native land" was found offensive by some natives (huh?).

Aha the "sexist language" bit - no "true patriot love" for daughters. "Native" doesn't apply to people who weren't born there really either.

But it's a thumping good tune and I hope they play it at Buck House sometimes!

It was simply the way the question was asked.

if it was simply asked "should Australia become a republic?" it would have passed without a problem.

Most of us have great respect for the Queen. That doesn't however mean that we want a British Queen or King as our head of state though. It's a figurehead position only and that figurehead might as well be Australian.

Al

I seem to recall that the wording or the proposed alternative way of how a Head of State could be arrived at didn't go down too well. But such a simple question as the above surely has its own problems as it only defines a principle, not when and how and whom.

Both countries have Governor Generals who represent the Queen and they undertake all Constitutional stuff on her behalf. In the old days it was someone from Britain who was sent out to undertake that position but nowadays it is always a native of the country. The appointments are, I believe, made by the Queen in Council but advice is taken from the appropriate Governments etc.

Coming back to the music bit, Edward VIII, later Duke of Windsor, could play the bagpipes but more at Balmoral or Fort Belvedere rather than the Palace.

The Queen has her own piper and you can read the interesting history about the post at http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page3332.asp .