A lot of folk are having a pop at Prince Charles. Just because he had the audacity to get his mum’s fanciest hat privately chauffeured in its own car to the somewhat lavish Queen’s Speech ceremony on Tuesday amid the cost of living crisis.
Apparently this vulgar display of wealth, or tradition as some call it, seemed a bit out of touch with the plight of the plebs.
Or his subjects, as Charlie would call them.
But ask yourself this – is it really so bad that a basically unemployed since birth multi-millionaire would get a fancy hat delivered by private taxi to a ceremony where he sat on a golden throne and mumbled in posh about how hard it is for all the poors these days.
The answer is: of course, yes – yes, it is really bad.
When pensioners are having to ride the bus to keep warm and the government is telling the plebs, your subjects, to eat non-brand 50p pasta to fend off starvation – it’s maybe just common sense, hell, common decency, to put yourself and your fancy hat in the same car.
Especially if you consider yourself a bit of an environmentalist.
Out of touch? Who us?
In fairness to Charlie, his delivery of the Queen’s Speech was achieved with the conviction of a man who was at least up-to-date on the never-ending shambles that is Boris Johnson and his government.
He didn’t sound convinced, at all.
As the government laid out their plans for what they hope to subject Charlie’s subjects to in the near future there wasn’t much in the way of help for anyone struggling to make ends meet.
Instead the important topics of attacking human rights, privatising Channel 4 and Getting Brexit Done took precedence over actually dealing with the cost of living crisis.
Not that we should be surprised.
The government dealing with the crisis is led by a man who allegedly struggles to survive on his £160k a year salary.
And doesn’t know who Lorraine Kelly is.
Meanwhile, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is an American fella who is married to a woman who is richer than the prince who got the fancy hat privately chauffeured to the golden throne speech.
Normal democratic country. State TV reporting a procession of cars carrying the Imperial State Crown to the unelected House of Lords ahead of the heir to the throne Prince Charles overseeing the State Opening of Parliament. https://t.co/Uynz1YPskZ
— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) May 10, 2022
Is it any wonder the cost of living crisis is such a low priority when the decision makers wouldn’t know the poverty line if it rang up Good Morning Britain and explained it to their face?
Tradition dictates we’re not in this together
As Prince Charlie mumbled away in posh and Boris wondered if he’d successfully washed all last week’s sick out of his suit – there was that familiar, horrible air, of a dark fairytale.
Traditionalists would defend it as tradition.
The British tradition of literal royalty – covered in medals they didn’t win and jewels they didn’t earn – decreeing the mission statement of a privately educated elite (20 of our Prime Ministers have attended Eton) that explains how times are tough and we’re all in this together.
Except every single one of us knows we’re not.
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