The old proverb, a cat may look at a queen, dating back hundreds of years but less used now, shows that even before human rights, no one should feel inferior in any company.
And this cat certainly doesn’t feel inferior when having the daily battles with her Editorship over access to the Dreamie cupboard.
But however old the proverb, we are lucky to have a monarchy, or are we?
It is well over two years since we lost the monarch who, for many of us, reigned our entire lives. The outpouring of grief at her passing was an indication of the high esteem she was held, not only in her United Kingdoms, but across the Commonwealth and the wider world.
There are many who feel that had we not had the stability she brought to the monarchy or the graciousness with which she reigned, our monarchy would have gone by the wayside, and it is difficult to argue against this.
In her later years, she had to deal with much discord within her family. With her eldest son and his divorce from his first wife and her subsequent death, her eldest daughter and her divorce and the divorce of her second son and the subsequent allegations against him, one can only imagine the heartache she must have felt.
But we are now in a new era of our monarchy with much changed from the journey she navigated.
Our new King elected to remarry which was and still is very awkward for the Church of England he now heads, although that pales into insignificance considering the problems the Church faces with its clear safeguarding failures.
But I digress.
We have a new King, a man long waiting to take on this mantle, who sits alongside a queen who herself was divorced and who’s first husband is still alive.
And we have the unedifying spectacle of Price Andrew clinging onto his privilege while he barricades the doors of the Royal Lodge to prevent his brother evicting him.
Strangely, despite having his financial support withdrawn, he appears to have some friends who continue to bankroll him while his ex-wife is with him, helping to repel boarders.
Andrew is no longer welcome to represent the Crown in any official capacity thanks to his friendship with a paedophile, links to an alleged Chinese spy, and his visits to Pizza Express.
And then we have the Californian section of the family, Prince Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Montecito, sorry, Sussex who appear to want to bring the monarchy down having decided to withdraw from all royal duties five years ago and become ‘financially independent’.
The good news is that we have another section of the family who continue the work and legacy of the late Queen. Leaving aside Prince William, Prince of Wales, and his uncle, Prince Edward, whatever one’s views on the Royal Family, we have the Princess of Wales, and the Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, both commoners who now stand as cherished members of the Royal Family carrying out royal duties (yes, I know, Kate has been ill, but she is resuming her duties) and bringing joy to those people they meet.
We also have the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, often regarded as the hardest working Royal, who can be heard belting out Flower of Scotland at the drop of a scrum cap at Murrayfield!
While we cannot dispute that our Royal Family brings much wealth to the country – just think of how many tourists just have to be photographed by the gates of Buckingham Palace or Castle Hill, Windsor – the errant Royals do bring the whole monarchy into disrepute and that is hard to overlook.
While this cat, while being able to look at a queen, is happy to give the working Royals the benefit of the doubt, but I do so wish those who have forsaken their duties yet still expect to lead privileged lives, would do one!
About Cumbria Cat
Born in Cumberland and now back living in Cumberland, having spent most of the past 50 years in some place called Cumbria, this cat has used up all nine lives as well as a few others.
Always happy to curl up on a friendly lap, the preference is for a local lap and not a lap that wants to descend on the county to change it into something it isn’t.
After all, you might think Cumbria/Cumberland/Westmorland is a land forged by nature – the glaciers, the rivers, breaking down the volcanic rocks or the sedimentary layers – but, in reality, the Cumbria we know today was forged by generations of local people, farmers, miners, quarriers, and foresters.
This cat is a local moggy, not a Burmese, Ocicat or Persian, and although I have been around the block a few times, whenever I jump, I end up on my feet back in my home county.
I am passionate about the area, its people, past, present and future, and those who come to admire what we hold dear, be it lakes and mountains, wild sea shores, vibrant communities or the history as rich and diverse as anywhere in the world.
