Editorial: Grand plans for the Queen Friday, 20 January 2012 04:59

Queen Elizabeth is known to have shed a tear when her favourite Yacht Britannia was decommissioned some 15 years ago. A few months from now, the British capital will  mark one of the most important events in British Royal history — 60 years of the British Queen on the throne. With budgetary deficits and unemployment statistics staring out of the papers daily, the Royalty has laid out grand plans for celebrating her Diamond Jubilee. A seven-mile long flotilla of a thousand ships will sail in the Thames to mark six decades of the British Queen. The grand pageant is going to cost £10m and will encompass a 30-mile stretch of the river.

Though colonialism — largely associated with the British empire — is a thing of the past, the grand celebrations planned for June 3 likely would hark back to those days. When Queen Victoria had celebrated her diamond jubilee, the parliamentarians of the day went to the Buckingham Palace to listen to her address. After so many decades, the British monarch will address both the Houses of Parliament to mark the occasion.

With celebration plans flowing as smoothly as the Thames, one cannot lose sight of the issues of Scottish independence and the Falklands row with Argentina.

Prime Minister David Cameron has already joined a war of words with the Latin American nation over the meaning of colonialism. He accused Argentina of colonialism by claiming sovereignty over the Falklands. Argentina retorted with its foreign minister saying that Britain is “synonymous with colonialism.”

That the exchange on colonialism comes at a time when the Queen’s diamond jubilee plans are being discussed threadbare, is a coincidence. But the significance of the subject should not be missed by any discerning observer.

The Queen and the Royal family are scheduled to visit a number of countries to mark the momentous occasion. The Queen will also visit a number of Commonwealth countries. It is a grand occasion for Britain and many other countries.

However, one cannot do without mentioning the protest plans by anti-monarchy groups. Such groups would definitely be riled by the grandiose celebrations and would not leave any stone unturned to criticize the same.

Moreover, the Scottish Independence issue staring at the United Kingdom has to be dealt with by Cameron’s government. Along with planning for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Britain cannot lose  sight of the more pressing problems that look it in the eye. The healthcare issue, the planned education reforms and dealing with the financial crisis are just a few among the many.