The #Queen on #Europe. What the Mail and Express won't tell you.
In 2015, before the date for the referendum was set and the campaign began, HM Queen Elizabeth II, made a speech in Germany unifying the subjects of this blog. Europe, Russia and indeed Wales and industrial history. I am not particularly a Monarchist (except that the alternatives seem worse) but the speech is definitely worthy of attention for its subject matter Link at end).
In the speech, Her Majesty makes strong statements in favour of European unity without mentioning specific institutions such as the EU, as is customary but her discussion of unity following war is plain. It is also very noteworthy that she discusses not just the UK and Germany, the countries involved in the state visit but also the Russian borderlands, in particular Konigsberg and Donetsk. Places which have not benefited from the unity and peace created by the EU. She points out the Welsh involvement in setting up the Donbass as well as claiming Immanuel Kant as a Scot.
Significantly, the Crimea was not mentioned. Mentioning Kaliningrad, another semidetached region with a major port, highlighted that. The main Russian naval base on the Crimean Peninsula, Sebastapol, was founded by a British Admiral employed by Russia, so a claim of connection could easily have been found to match the story of Hughes in the Donbass. Incidentally, to discuss border disputes inside the Former Soviet Union in a speech on Anglo-German relations suggests that Russia and Ukraine were a major priority for UK-German cooperation at the time.
The Queen's speeches are of course intensely discussed and edited beforehand but she is said to contribute personally too. She has her own source of opinion on Russia. Her cousin Prince Michael is a Romanov, he speaks Russian fluently and he is heavily engaged in trying to improve UK Russian relationships culturally, economically and politically
This speech is difficult to see other than Royal endorsement of European Unity and a plea to Germany, as a strong partner, to find an answer to the deadlock between Russia and Ukraine in the Donbass. The absence of Crimea in the speech suggests that Russia's annexation of Crimea has been accepted by the UK at least. The inclusion of Konigsberg in the Queen's discussion is a direct suggestion that accepting territorial change is sometimes the solution to finding peace. Germany accepted the loss of Konigsberg to Russia after World War Two. In the 1990's it was offered the territory back but declined.
There is another indicator of the Queen's position. The Queen made a pro EU message when making her formal Queen's Speech following the June 2017 General Election. The Queen's clothes aren't chosen by accident and she is known to have a sense of humour. This image shows her hat. The colours of the stars seem to have a message. The Queen does not just speak for the UK. The UK has been a route into the EU for many Commonwealth countries. This is now in doubt.
Finally, it should be noted that the Queen is from the generations that experienced the war. In 1975 they voted by at least 2:1 in favour of European integration. Even Enoch Powell agreed that the vote was about much more than a Common Market. https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/06/15/eu-vote-enoch-powells-warning-beyond-grave/ It is unlikely that the Queen, an ambulance driver in the blitz was too far out of touch with her contemporaries.
Here is the link to her 2015 speech in Germany.
https://www.royal.uk/queens-speech-german-state-banquet-24-june-2015
In the speech, Her Majesty makes strong statements in favour of European unity without mentioning specific institutions such as the EU, as is customary but her discussion of unity following war is plain. It is also very noteworthy that she discusses not just the UK and Germany, the countries involved in the state visit but also the Russian borderlands, in particular Konigsberg and Donetsk. Places which have not benefited from the unity and peace created by the EU. She points out the Welsh involvement in setting up the Donbass as well as claiming Immanuel Kant as a Scot.
Significantly, the Crimea was not mentioned. Mentioning Kaliningrad, another semidetached region with a major port, highlighted that. The main Russian naval base on the Crimean Peninsula, Sebastapol, was founded by a British Admiral employed by Russia, so a claim of connection could easily have been found to match the story of Hughes in the Donbass. Incidentally, to discuss border disputes inside the Former Soviet Union in a speech on Anglo-German relations suggests that Russia and Ukraine were a major priority for UK-German cooperation at the time.
The Queen's speeches are of course intensely discussed and edited beforehand but she is said to contribute personally too. She has her own source of opinion on Russia. Her cousin Prince Michael is a Romanov, he speaks Russian fluently and he is heavily engaged in trying to improve UK Russian relationships culturally, economically and politically
This speech is difficult to see other than Royal endorsement of European Unity and a plea to Germany, as a strong partner, to find an answer to the deadlock between Russia and Ukraine in the Donbass. The absence of Crimea in the speech suggests that Russia's annexation of Crimea has been accepted by the UK at least. The inclusion of Konigsberg in the Queen's discussion is a direct suggestion that accepting territorial change is sometimes the solution to finding peace. Germany accepted the loss of Konigsberg to Russia after World War Two. In the 1990's it was offered the territory back but declined.
There is another indicator of the Queen's position. The Queen made a pro EU message when making her formal Queen's Speech following the June 2017 General Election. The Queen's clothes aren't chosen by accident and she is known to have a sense of humour. This image shows her hat. The colours of the stars seem to have a message. The Queen does not just speak for the UK. The UK has been a route into the EU for many Commonwealth countries. This is now in doubt.Finally, it should be noted that the Queen is from the generations that experienced the war. In 1975 they voted by at least 2:1 in favour of European integration. Even Enoch Powell agreed that the vote was about much more than a Common Market. https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/06/15/eu-vote-enoch-powells-warning-beyond-grave/ It is unlikely that the Queen, an ambulance driver in the blitz was too far out of touch with her contemporaries.
Here is the link to her 2015 speech in Germany.
https://www.royal.uk/queens-speech-german-state-banquet-24-june-2015
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