Today’s Royal Tour 4 Peace event was a sing-a-long. You can sing along, too…

Today, July 1, 2011, Prince William and Duchess Catherine attended a Canadian citizenship ceremony.

Some of the media coverage noted that new citizens to Canada pledge themselves as subjects to the Queen of England. The Duke and Duchess of Peace find that pledge to be problematic and undemocratic. The Duke and Duchess believe it is problematic enough for people to pledge alliance to a flag, as in America, especially knowing that to some people, the pledge means going to war at the command of the US government. But, it seems even worse, and somewhat humiliating, to be required to pledge allegiance to one person, an unelected leader.

So, for their Royal Tour 4 Peace, Duke Augustus and Duchess Susanna stayed home, and commemorated the days events by singing the song “Because All Men Are Brothers“. The song is about the dignity of all people, and speaks of defeating tyrants. The Duke and Duchess thought it was a good reflection on what it means to have people still subjected to royalty in the 21st century.

Evidently, The Duke and Duchess of Peace are not alone in their concerns about people as subjects of royalty. Because, a story at the Globe and Mail about the other royal couple noted that there were, “A small handful of protesters who oppose requiring Canadian citizens to pledge allegiance to the Queen were also on hand at the Canadian Museum of Civilization to register their displeasure.” Story: here.

Duchess Susanna also found an interesting story from The Independent, from back in 2001, about the idea of people being “subjects” instead of “citizens” in Britain: here. And, an interesting opinion piece, on a similar strand, from today, called “Why The Monarchy (sigh) Still Survives in Canada”, at the Globe and Mail: here.

It has been fascinating to reflect on the culture and politics of other countries. The Duke and Duchess realize that it is easier to see the mote in the eye of another, while there may be a beam in one’s own eye. So, to reflect on parallel concerns in the United States, we will mention the use of the term “Honorable”. Yes, the United States is not a pure democracy, it is a representative democracy. And, elected officials do have many responsibilities and duties. Though, there are many local elected officials who do not seem to be worthy of the term “Honorable”. And, it seems oppressive to be asked to address them in that way, and cringe-inducing to see others do so.

The Duke and Duchess enjoyed flipping through the pages of their copy of “Rise Up Singing” to find an appropriate song for today’s activities. The Duke and Duchess hope you might find a song to sing this evening, as well.