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Royal Visit
- Camilla Parker-Bowles
It’s time for those of you who have put St
George flags on your cars ready for the World Cup to take
them off and wave them in earnest. Royalty is coming to Lewes!
Our town is blessed with the great honour of a visit from
Her Majesty to be or not to be, the Duchess of Cornwall aka
Camilla Parker-Bowles. The local lass with the colourful history
is coming to open a new wrought iron gate leading into the
garden at Anne of Cleves House Museum, designed by Ben Autie
of Fisher Street. Now, I am not sure if Anne would actually
approve - chaste wife of Henry VIII that she was - but we
are all desperately excited about the visit of course. The
local constabulary must be busy bussing in the crowd barriers.
Though maybe not all of us will be so thrilled. I am sure
that Tom Paine, Lewes's great revolutionary, will be turning
in his grave. Like him, I am not sure that we really do get
value for money with the monarchy. You stand out in the rain
for hours with a thermos flask, and then they turn up without
a horse-drawn gilt carriage or crown in sight. Really, for
all the cost they should be made to wear ermine-trimmed robes,
garters, gold chains, orb and sceptres and be escorted by
drum-playing Welsh guards in bearskin hats at all times. Pageantry
is what our kids need. Perhaps it is time someone made a protest.
JW
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