Old Dominion Will Receive Her Majesty

Here’s an idea, maybe you should spend a few years in exile in Virginia? I can see you in wellies and wax jacket following the local hunt. Does Roger Scruton need a private secretary?

And how will andrewcusack.com be commemorating the 400th?

“Two appointees: one by God, the other by Dick Nixon.” (?)

Oh my. This post puts us all to shame.

I think this an awesome opportunity for Americans to commemorate our unique ties with The Crown. As a student of the College of William & Mary I am hoping to assist in arranging a visit of Her Britannic Majesty to our campus. I actually chose to come to William & Mary in part because of our unique ties to the British crown among American universities.

“Two appointees: one by God, the other by Dick Nixon.”

Classic.

Here’s an idea, maybe you should spend a few years in exile in Virginia? I can see you in wellies and wax jacket following the local hunt. Does Roger Scruton need a private secretary?

An intriguing thought. The life of an ex-pat Knickerbocker in the most refined state in the union does sound appealing.

And how will andrewcusack.com be commemorating the 400th?

A very good question, actually. I may as well tell you now. We will be having a series of posts celebrating the history, art, and architecture of Virginia (and Anglo-America in general) in commemoration of this great anniversary.

(?)

Ford was appointed VP by Nixon, and then succeeded him when Nixon resigned.

I think this an awesome opportunity for Americans to commemorate our unique ties with The Crown. As a student of the College of William & Mary I am hoping to assist in arranging a visit of Her Britannic Majesty to our campus. I actually chose to come to William & Mary in part because of our unique ties to the British crown among American universities.

Indeed, you have much to be proud of as a Guglielmarian. The Wren building is one of my favorite buildings in all America. Still, I partly wished that Williamsburg had developed into a collegiate university, with W&M being the first and foremost college rather than itself becoming a university in all but name. Nonetheless, to my mind it is the premier public institution of learning in America.

Great post. Many thanks, especially for the pics.

Re: (?)

True, Ford was appointed by Nixon — but Elizabeth “appointed by God”? Is it a joke?

I was telling Mr. P about this over the morning coffee. He’s interested in seeing the Queen when she’s here. Since there will be polo, so am I. May is high Pimm’s and cucumber sandwich season. Should we swing by New York and pick you up?

Of course it’s not a joke! She has her position by her birth; she certainly wasn’t appointed by any mortal!

Mrs. P, count me in. I missed this year’s charity polo match as I was still in recovery from previous revelry (c.f. ‘A Mighty Headache‘).

Certainly she has her position by birth — but “appointed” by God?

(Sorry, I thought you had meant it in a lightly humorous way — contrasting the somewhat clumsy Mr. Ford with the Queen.)

Andrew, my queen from Connecticut – the one who knighted you last summer- just rang up. She is going to be at Fraunces Tavern on Pearl Street in NYC this monday evening – 6pm- I believe. She wanted to know if you or your ‘other friend’ – we are guessing that would be Fiendish – will be in the vicinity? Appaerently, monday is the 223rd anniversary of Evacuation Day. The Sons of the Revolution – the more posh group- are hosting a big fete there and re-enacting the 13 toasts by Gov. Clinton to Washington. Some fellow who has penned something on Lost New York is the celebrated speaker. My mother is also one of the celebrated because years ago the Sons of the Revolution mistook her for a much more important DARer and invited her to speak at the Princeton Club. When she got there and met what was largely a room full of good-looking widowed men from the Ivy Leagues, she did not feel it necessary to correct their error…

Now, I could not let her know that Evacuation Day is a day you would be much more content spending wearing sackcloth and ashes rather than tossing a few back on her dime, but if you and ‘your friend’ will be in the vicinity – let me know…

Also, she’s interested in going to Virginia to see the Queen…

The humor (I feel slightly pained to point out) is in the contrast between God and Richard Nixon.

Apologies for being rather slow on the uptake, so to speak, but while I appreciate the humor of contrasting the rather dull but benign Mr. Ford (appointed by the mean-spirited & entirely worldly Mr. Nixon) with a gracious, hereditary monarch like Elizabeth, I don’t see how God comes into the picture, I mean, “politically,” as it were.

The tidbit your post reminded me that I had read somerwhere is that, at the moment President Ford asked The Queen to dance, the Marine Band was playing “The Lady is a Tramp”. Aides were red-faced; dancers pretended not to notice.

“Madam Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the Chancellor of the College of William and Mary (succeeding Baroness Thatcher) and the national chair of the Jamestown 2007 celebrations”.

So, I would assume, Madam Justice O’Connor is made of wood, or is she a Danish Modern metal chair?

Andrew, have you seen The Queen (playing now, I’m sure, in a theater near you)? I’d be very interested in your views on the portrayal of HM. I thought it was very sensitive, nuanced, and well done … compelling juxtaposition of ‘celebrity culture’ vs. the enduring values which HM has labored so faithfully to uphold.

This is exciting news, although I find it a bit odd that an Arizonan is the chairman of the Jamestown committee. I must try to see her when she is here. My mother saw her during her first visit to Chicago many years ago.

“Two appointees: one by God, the other by Dick Nixon.”

By God, are you sure? We can say that God allows her to be the queen, but isn’t she protestant, and wasn’t she crowned by a false bishop?

“By God, are you sure? We can say that God allows her to be the queen, but isn’t she protestant, and wasn’t she crowned by a false bishop?”

I believe the point of the caption is primarily to make a jocular passing remark, surely its not meant to be taken so damn seriously?

Regarding the College of William and Mary: may I ask what criteria you use to judge it the “premier public institution of learning in America”? Fighting words, those.

Mr. Harrington, she is indeed appointed by God, and as such, she has the free will to do the right thing; return herself and her country to the Catholic Church. However, since she made her husband leave the orhtodox Church to marry her, I doubt this will happen. Her husband in the last few years has returned to his church which must have delighted his mother, a nun, to no end. His funeral shall be a very intersting one to say the least because the Orthodox have much nicer hats that the Anglicans.

If the Queen were to feel the call to Rome, she would have to forfeit the throne. Now, if she were a Queen like they were in the old days, where her advisors were very trusted and like-minded sorts as opposed to being made up of which ever took whichever election, then perhaps things could have been different…

Mrs. P, apologies for my delayed response and inability to attend the festivities in question. Evacuation Day is actually November 25, so today would merely be, for the SAR, Evacuation Day (Observed). Actually, I already have a little post, just a photo really, prepared for Evacuation Day.

I think we should get the entire Flying Corps et femmes together for a royal bash; don’t you agree?

Andrew, have you seen The Queen (playing now, I’m sure, in a theater near you)? I’d be very interested in your views on the portrayal of HM. I thought it was very sensitive, nuanced, and well done … compelling juxtaposition of ‘celebrity culture’ vs. the enduring values which HM has labored so faithfully to uphold.

I’ve seen it, I enjoyed it, but I think it was far too easy on Mr. Blair, and neglected to show the much seedier interventions he attempted to interject himself into the proceedings.

Regarding the College of William and Mary: may I ask what criteria you use to judge it the “premier public institution of learning in America”?

By the best criteria, which are intangible and ineffable.

Would you propose a different institution for the title?

“Dieu et Mon Droit;”

That’s what it says on the Royal Arms of the UK; “God and my right,” the historic justification for why a monarch rules, whence Andrew’s comment.

Hmmm… “intangible” or “ineffable”… or simply “opaque”? Although I’m merely a humble graduate of two august institutions myself (one a Colonial college and the other an ancient Scottish university) I must defer to the universities at Berkeley and at Charlottesville as our greatest public institutions of learning: for the excellence, rigor, and breadth of the curricula and for the production of ideas and leadership they’ve provided to our country and to the world since their founding (whether I agree with those ideas or not, they matter.) Not a slight on W&M, mind you – I just would not call it the “premier” but instead the “oldest”. Your blog is always enjoyable to read, by the by.

Happy Thanksgiving, Andrew.

“She is indeed appointed by God, and as such, she has the free will to do the right thing; return herself and her country to the Catholic Church.”

I rather think the revolution of 1688 suggests that, theological questions of God’s grace aside, she reigns at the pleasure of Parliament and is no more free to return her country to the Catholic Church than any of the de facto English, Scottish, and British monarchs since 1688 have been free to do so.

Happy New Year everyone! I Just got 4 tickets for the family for the Americas 400th Polo Match, USA vs. England in Leesburg on May 12th. We wont make the drive into Jamestown since they are making everyone go on buses and that doesnt sit well with the Darling Husband. We have a good source from husbands Alam Mater (UVA) that informed us Dave Matthews is performing at the Polo Match!

You all seem to know each other here, Don’t want to butt in. But the Queen is supposedly appoited by God. It’s an old Medieval idea called The Divine Right of Kings. This idea stated that the Monarch was God’s supreme representative on Earth. Load of crap naturally.