JCC [Sorry, Jello] One less King in the world...

I am both Jello and on the phone, so damn you


Missa ab iPhona mea est.

 

Watched the whole coronation live: from the processional to the swearing in to the parade and balcony bit. Just under three hours or so. It was at an ungodly hour for US viewing but oh well.

News sites are using different pictures, but I like the timing of my screen cap



All in all, pretty satisfying. The ceremony was short and rather... modern, but it still had some pomp. Soldiers with tricorns and axes, nice pretty Spanish foils, , infantry with bayonets fixed, and cuirassier horse guards which were an honest surprise (and very pleasant) for the parade, since we were told not to expect horse guards. so there was a decent amount of pomp. The parliamentary chiefs even wore morning coats. It's nothing on, say, the royal wedding or anything... but still pretty nice considering how austere they said it was gonna be.

Felipe looked pretty boring and humorless at first but he started getting a bit more animated further on. He actually cracked a smile (quickly suppressed) when the President of the Senate announced him as king. Good to see he's at least into it, as he's a lot more reserved than his father. His daughters were adorable, especially the new Princess of Asturias who was very well behaved. Infanta Sofia was fidgeting a little. Still not sure what to think of the new queen. Nice that the whole assembled Cortes Generales paid their respects to Queen Sofia though, which was pretty nice.

And yes Dave, there were more than three people in the crowd watching. Nary a republican flag to be seen, though I bet they weren't allowed. I'm sure I'll be reading about their demonstrations soon.


Missa ab iPhona mea est.

 

What's wrong with the new queen?

 

Nothing's wrong with her -- just know next to nothing about her. She's fashionable and used to be a reporter. Oh and people fussed because she's divorced and allegedly had an abortion. That's not much to go from.

Firstly, she holds a constitutional office -- unlike the Obama daughters you uncritically worship and decidedly unlike Michelle Obama, who exercises public functions despite holding no office whatsoever. In fact, she derives all her authority -- paid for by taxpayers -- on the basis of who she married. It's positively feudal. I await your excoriation of the Obamas.

Second, she's adorable so you leave her alone.

Third, she probably saw the World Cup score and is reacting accordingly.



Missa ab iPhona mea est.

 

Elected her husband, yes. Not her. She derives all her authority by marriage. I have no philosophical objection -- but it's curious that your types don't.

That is not correct. At all.

Under that logic -- which does strike me as medieval -- I'm surprised you don't call her Mrs. Barack Obama.


Missa ab iPhona mea est.

 

It's going to be interesting to see if the relations towards the monarchies are going to change now when there is a newer generation taking over in more and more countries in Europe. Didn't watch the ceremony, not enough fashion in such a ceremony, and there's work and football to concentrate on.

 

Yeah, it wasn't nearly as grand as it could've been. I understand why, of course, but it was still disappointing.

But even a low key coronation featured more pomp and ceremonial than anything we see in the States, so I found it still worth watching.

Interestingly there are not only three new young monarchs (with Felipe VI) as the youngest, but three current female heiresses to thrones: the Crown Princess of Sweden, the Princess of Orange, and the Princess of Asturias. In the latter case, Princess Leonor marks the extinction of this branch of the House of Bourbon in direct agnatic descent from not merely Henri IV of France but Hugh Capet himself.


Missa ab iPhona mea est.

 

Which symbols were those, Dave?

It's kind of interesting -- the right that would normally be the monarchy's firmest supporters are kind of annoyed at him for modernizing, while the left (aside from the established party) would probably have never liked him to begin with. I wonder if this will end up becoming a problem for him.