Even a broken clock is right twice a day. The Scottish National Party MPs who turned up to the Queen’s Speech sporting the White Rose of York, long a Jacobite symbol, are evidence of this.
I suppose it’s possible they could just be showing their support of God’s Country, but it seems more likely they are, whether intentionally or not, making a cheeky reference to the Scottish Stuarts.
Whilst I doubt the restoration of the Stuart monarchy is truly high on the list of the SNP’s priorities, my inner High Tory was very pleased to see a nod, however slight, to the legitimate Royal family and its descendants.
I have respect for the current ruling set of Royals. After all, the Duke of Edinburgh is an absolute legend. But the House of Windsor Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is not the legitimate ruling family of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
No matter what some Protestant heretics may have once falsely believe about the dangers of Popery, James II and VII was the rightful king by law both temporal and divine, and a cabal of self-interested parliamentarians and clergymen had no true right to challenge or change that.
Just think of the potentially far more Catholic and aristocratic, and far less Protestant and mercantile (and possibly less imperial), history Britain might have been blessed with if the Stuarts had retained, or reclaimed, the throne. Since at least the 1640s, the great conflict in British society was been between landed and commercial interests, cavaliers and roundheads, men of tradition and honour and merchants and Masons. By the time of the ’45 the commercial interests had most certainly won that war, but with a Stuart monarchy things might have been very different.
It is likely that the rapid and near-total commercialisation of British society that followed the Glorious Revolution would not have occurred. The power of the estates might have held against the power of the merchants, as might the ancient bonds of laird and tenant in Scotland. Ireland might have been spared long and bloody savagery, and could still be united with us under the throne today, and certain calamitous and ruinous political events like the Great Reform Act and the Usurpation of the Lords may never have happened. There may even have occurred at some point a Catholic revival, however limited.
Having said that, I do not believe any of this is on the SNP’s mind. Call me crazy, but the typical SNP type doesn’t seem the sort to be concerning himself with legitimate lines of succession or longing for a return to throne and altar conservatism. In fact the typical SNP type doesn’t seem to be capable of anything that requires much significant thought or depth of intellect.
Moreover, one has to believe that the Jamies and Charlies would certainly not have looked too kindly upon the SNP’s desire to break up their United Kingdom. In fact, I’m quite sure, at least I’d really like to hope, that were the Stuarts still in power, anyone calling for the break-up of the United Kingdom would be in prison for sedition. Yet another reason to long for the return of the true King.
And who is the Jacobite, rightful King, you ask?
It’s Franz, Duke of Bavaria (who is in fact also the rightful King of Bavaria as well). And of course the legitimate heir to the ruling family who had their throne stolen only to be given eventually to a bunch Germans is, in fact, a German. History definitely has a sense of humour.
Nevertheless, right is right, and Franz of Bavaria would certainly have my allegiance if he ever desired it, I just really doubt he’d have the SNP’s.
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