Joanna Bogle

Mrs. Bogle is on the left in this photo.

I've only known of her because she and her husband James have a show on EWTN, which I find charming and informative. Now Mrs. Bogle has a blog, that I find charming, homely, and somewhat informative. I like her very much, finding her much more engaging than her husband. (He tends to be a bit Trandemish for my taste...) However, I'm pleased to link to her blog.

Disappointed however that a comment I left was never answered - she has "comment moderation" operative. Here is a section of one of her posts I commented upon:

"In the evening, went to see the new film "The Queen" about events at Balmoral surrounding the death of Princes Diana. It shows the Queen in a sympathetic light, and altho' it presents Tony Blair as something of the hero of the hour, the message is also in the end a fairly positive one about monarchy and continuity. But I wondered where people like me fit in: I was not there among the weepers and mass-grief-and-floral-tributes crowd and thought it all absurd and frightening. But I am certainly not Royal and wasn't at Balmoral, nor am I a politician involved with making events happen. Where do ordinary patriots of a once-mainstream kind, with a love of British history and a sense of the continuity of things, fit in to a country which sees Royalty as soap-opera and which talks in psycho-babble or slogans?"

I asked her, as an American who cannot understand the British Monarchy, why they exist. The Monarch has no power and the lives of the Royals seem so shallow. I then asked why the phenomena of the great outpouring of sympathy for the Princess Diana was "absurd and frightening" in her opinion. I found it curious. Nevertheless, she did not post my comment, nor did she respond.

I work with people who are "monarchists" and several traditional Catholics seem to be as well. I don't get it at all. There is absolutely no remaining absolute monarchy remaining in the western world. What on earth is the attraction? Is it even plausible to hope that a monarchical system could be re-established?

I wish Mrs. Bogle would have responded to my comment. It's not very cordial for a Brit not to have done so. Of course the Queen often doesn't acknowledge anyone either. (Nobility has its privilege.) Which brings up another point - as far as the Church is concerned, or let's say, the faith, has there been a legitimate monarch since Henry VIII? After all, the rest have been schismatics and heretics - well except for maybe one or two Catholic monarchs. But is a pretend monarchy sufficient for continuity? Continuity of what?

During WWII, Elizabeth's parents, indeed the entire family, were certainly morale boosters. Elizabeth II has maintained herself well all of her life and presented a very dignified and respectful presence, yet she does not rule Britania. The monarchy is nothing but a figure head - they do not rule. I don't get it - what's the point? In my estimation, the British seem to be a collection of eccentrics - intelligent and cultured perhaps - yet sometimes rather eccentric.