[Ansteorra] What is a Royalist?

C.L. Ward gunnora at vikinganswerlady.com
Sat Oct 8 10:45:00 PDT 2005


One distinction I've seen is that some people (not all, by any means)
describe themselves as royalists to indicate that they unthinkingly will do
whatever the Crown says.  A matter of the when the Crown says "hop" asking
"How high?" on the way up.

My personal belief is that peers and nobility have not just a right but an
obligation to advise the Crown.  I don't just mean making award
recommendations, either.  If the Crown is about to step into a big steaming
pile of something that should be used as fertilizer on the Back 40, I think
we ought to advise them of the fact and offer alterative paths.  If the
Crown insists on stepping into the poo, well, at least it was an informed
decision, if not perhaps wise. And I've had people get in my face about my
belief in this obligation, telling me that they are "royalists" and that I
am "a bad peer" or even "a bad person" for daring to disagree in even the
smallest way with the Crown.

Looking at medieval royalty, most were very constrained by their nobles and
councils.  I can't think of a king who had the power to disregard the
opinions of his nobles, frankly (though I'll guess there might be a couple).
I like having the Crown have the final say-so, and so in that respect I'm a
royalist... but I also believe that a *wise* Crown pays careful attention to
those who have wise suggestions to make, be they nobles, peers, or absolute
beginners with no awards. (The unwise ones who ignore such warnings and step
into the aromatic stuff provide objects of long laughter for many years to
come when we tell "You won't believe this..." stories of The Far Past).

::GUNNVOR::

(From a culture in which the king is just the wealthiest farmer.)




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