At some point, you've got to wonder, why do it at all?
It makes me think of the expression "Go big or go home" — which, I see, seems to have originated in a 1990s ad for "oversized Harley Davidson pipes."
January 15, 2024
"Denmark welcomed a new king on Sunday in a ceremony that didn’t feature crowns or scepters or multiple robes..."
"Denmark reinvented tradition on Sunday when 83-year-old Queen Margrethe II, Europe’s longest-serving monarch, gave up her throne, and her 55-year-old son became King Frederik X.... After she signed her abdication papers, Margrethe turned to her son and said, 'God bless the king.'... [T]here were no exceedingly heavy bejeweled crowns, no anointing of the monarch with holy oil behind a screen... 'We probably could have had a little more fuss, but not as much fuss as they do in Britain; that’s too much,' said Linda Martinsen, 56, who was standing close to the balcony. 'I don’t want to offend anyone, but it’s too much to wear a robe and a scepter,' Jakob Steen Olsen, a royal commentator for Denmark’s Berlingske newspaper.... 'The Brits are very heavy on mysticism. You have this old man being massaged with mysterious oils — it’s very weird. The Danish way is meant to show the link between democracy and royalty,' he said, as a contrast to 'how it was in the old days.... If it’s too ordinary, does the magic disappear?'"
From "Denmark remakes royal tradition with a new king — but no crown" (WaPo).
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"Would not conversation be much more rational than dancing?" said Jane Austen's Miss Bingley. "Much more rational," replied Mr. Bingley, "but much less like a ball." (Pride and Prejudice, ch xi, quoted by CS Lewis)
Those Harley Davidson pipes remind me of when we were kids, when we used to clip baseball cards into the spokes of our bikes with a clothespin to "make cool noise." Now the thing seems to be driving around with your high beams on in your giant LED headlight all day long, which is even more annoying. But children will be children.
Being an anointed king used to be a big deal. It was like Holy Orders or Extreme Unction. God had entered into a bargain to take note of you. No anointing, no Divine Right. I hope it works out for the people of Denmark, but there's no reason to believe that God will watch over this kingdom.....He's good looking and reasonably young. It's a shame he's married. He'd make a great choice for The Bachelor: Who Wants to Marry A King. It would be a sure ratings grabber and get everyone interested in visiting Denmark. Maybe after the divorce.
Ah yes. Those Harley pipes. They were installed as an option on my 1998 FLSTS and within days I began receiving "noise tickets" from more than one Monterey Bay Area beach towns. As if the bike drowned out the boozing and fighting at the numerous bars. Loved that bike.
Any savage can dance.
Maersk, Novo Nordisk and Lego - to name only three - are Danish companies. Living standards in Denmark are among the world’s highest as is the GDP per capita. One could rattle off a long list of “world’s best”, “world’s highest”, “world’s most” etc about Denmark.
It’s almost as if there’s a good reason why Denmark likes having a non-political head of state, to represent the nation and provide continuity with their rich past, as part of an organic constitution -- which happens to be one of the longest-lived in the world, and one of the few not to have fallen to dictatorship. Go figure.
King Frederik X, formerly Prince Frederik Twitter?
At some point, you've got to wonder, why do it at all
Resources are finite and societies are in a constant struggle of priorities, though the Denmark of just a few years ago thought they had figured out you can have it all.
I became a bit disgusted with that feed Phil guy basking in the socialist utopia of Denmark whining about why we couldn’t be more like them…
Just happened to watch the episode of The Crown in which Tony Blair tries to nudge the Queen to cut back on the pomp and ceremony “like Sweden and Denmark.” After seriously considering and investigating the subject the Queen comes to appreciate it more. I also used to see such a monarchy as anachronistic, even though the laws are made in Parliament with a representative government. But now I have seen my beloved America suffer decline in many ways and we are presently governed by people who would eroded our standards of living drastically more with the crazy Net Zero and deference to the WEF. progressivism is a disease that has rotted out our institutions from the inside: education high and low, most of the “mainstream” religions, commerce, creative arts, even science itself so thoroughly medical care is in serious decline. Progressivism has the attractive premise that we collectively have the power to remake man, to perfect humankind.
Replacing Natural Law or the Ten Commandments with fairness is an easy sale, especially to young people. But once they grow up, untethered to a higher power and disconnected from the great Western tradition of a constitutional republic there is no one left to stand for tradition and pass it on. This is where we find ourselves. At least the Monarchy has the enduring quality of representing Great Britain, of centering the British people and carrying on while other things come and go. The King is symbolic in many ways but it is not simply self-sustaining it is the very embodiment of Tradition. A child in England has that history right in front of them and there is open love for the Crown as the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II showed. I’ve changed my mind about their role and how important it is to England.
Can we find our way back, perhaps in the coming sesquicentennial celebrations? Can we bring ourselves to once again praise the wisdom of our Founding Fathers and our Constitutional Republic? I hope so. But I fear we are more like Denmark and will follow their path of folly, by regulating farming out of existence and squelching speech to control the people.
The greatest event in the history of the world was when we completely disassociated ourselves from those British creeps.
From the not too distant future...
The Democrats welcomed a new king on Sunday in a ceremony that featured crowns and scepters and multiple robes...
"Democrats fundamentally transformed tradition on Sunday when 81-year-old President Joe Biden, America’s longest-addled ruler, gave up his throne, and his 56-year-old heir became President Gavin Newsom.... After he signed his abdication papers, Joe turned to a random passerby and said, 'God bless the king' before falling down some stairs... [T]here were exceedingly heavy bejeweled tiaras, and anointing of the monarch with hair gel behind a screen...
'We probably could have had a little more fuss, but not as much fuss as in the Inauguration Tik Tok challenge; that’s too much,' said Linda Martinsen, 16, who was standing too close to Biden and got her hair sniffed. 'I don’t want to offend anyone, but it’s not too much to wear a robe and a scepter.'
Joyce Carol Oates, a columnist for the NYT said 'The RethugliKKKans are very heavy on tradition. But then you have this man being massaged with mysterious hair gels — it’s very transgressive. The Democrat way is meant to show the link between democracy and our royalty,' she said, as a contrast to 'how it was in the old days.... If it’s too ordinary, does the public obeisance disappear?'
…which isn’t to say Denmark is inferior because of the perpetuation of a royal family. I’d trade in rights divined from emanations and penumbras and perpetuated by stare decisis for a toothless monarchy any day…
So what is the point of a monarch if there isnt pageantry
Clare Danes for Queen
How much fuss can you make over being the King of Dennmark? Its better than the prince of Monaco, but still..
For some reason Kings are less interesting than Queens. I suppose if you're going to have a symbolic monarch, which is all they are, having a Queen seems better.
All the small countries of NW Europe have Kings. Belgium, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Dennmark. I think France and Germany would be better off with a Monarchy, a constitutional one, that would keep thing under control and add stability.
But the French seem to be allergic to them, after cutting off the head of one, and chasing the other out of the country. Maybe they could get a Napoleon.
For some reason Kings are less interesting than Queens. I suppose if you're going to have a symbolic monarch, which is all they are, having a Queen seems better.
All the small countries of NW Europe have Kings. Belgium, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Dennmark. I think France and Germany would be better off with a Monarchy, a constitutional one, that would keep thing under control and add stability.
But the French seem to be allergic to them, after cutting off the head of one, and chasing the other out of the country. Maybe they could get a Napoleon.
>>At some point, you've got to wonder, why do it at all?
We shouldn't, monarchy should be a dead institution.
That said. . . . .I find myself nodding in agreement with Mike above. Maybe it's useful to keep such an institution around in case (or when) democracy rots itself from within. We may need a ready-made ruling structure in place to supply some sort of order.
Any savage can dance.
Not anymore. It's "gay" you know.
What would today's macho dudes think of those WWII vets who used to go out dancing every weekend?
“ At some point, you've got to wonder, why do it at all?”
Chesterton’s fence
That's how the Danish roll.
At some point, you've got to wonder, why do it at all?
It makes me think of the expression "Go big or go home" —
Denmark is a small, cosy and unpretentious country. The modern Danish monarchy reflects that.
A king like our secretary of defense who wants the benefits without the attention due his position.
The British Royals are a tourist attraction.
"The Danish way is meant to show the link between democracy and royalty."
WHAT??
"God bless the King." What, did Frederick just sneeze?
He's a descendant of the Bicycle King.
Good on the Danes, and long may he reign.
Imus: ..I guess [the Royals are] not there, but. I mean they haven't they haven't performed, but they they're they they they don't perform well in in virtually almost anything they do, other than wearing hideously stupid hats and looking as though they're all related through obviously more than marriage, just just an inbred bunch of goobers..
McCord: ..they do look goofy I sw..
Imus: ..jug eared..
McCord: ..[unintelligible]..
Imus: ..inbred nitwits..
McCord: ..any formal ceremony and they wander around, and they're in..
Imus: ..well..
McCord: ..the ermine robes and all those goofy little hats..
Imus: ..yeah..
McCord: ..with all the jewel..
Imus: ..the Queen and the Queen-mother and they're just sickening people. Anyway..
McCord: ..carrying scepters and..
Imus: ..But they they are the essence of that country and have been..
McCord: ..yup..
Imus: ..for hundreds and hundreds of years, and they are not going to get rid of them..
McCord: ..yeah..
Imus: ..ah if for no other reason than just to keep them around to beat up on them. Which is somewhat more entertaining..
McCord: ..keep them around for amusement..
Imus: ..yes, yeah..
McCord: ..rope them off, sell tickets..
Imus: ..rope them off, and sell tickets and charge admission to look at them. Which is essentially what they do now. Their they they their their primary source of ah, they are a tourist attraction.
McCord: ..that's right..
Imus: ..So.
September 4 1997 Imus in the Morning
The Brits have a term - "bicycling monarchies" - used to disparage the moe informal practices of European royalty.
If King Frederik X (the King formerly known as Prince) stays the frick out of political issues like telling the peasants to stop using energy while flying around the world I'm fine with a monarchy..
Howard said...
Clare Danes for Queen
excuse me? But NO! A.J. Langer (the Countess of Devon) for Queen.
That is to say, her majesty, Queen Rayanne Graff.
Obviously Many (most?) Queens change their name when crowned (for example Alexandrina becomes Vicky)
and While MOST Queens don't normally use a surname.. MOST Queens aren't Rayanne Graff
The Danish throne has not been the same since the time of Hamlet.
After the coronation did they toast with Tuborg Beer - the beer of Danish kings?
With regard to the British monarchy it must be remembered that the monarch is not only the head of the Kingdom but also the head of the Church of England - essentially its Pope. This will happen for as long as the Church of England exists which, given its caving to modernity, will not be for long. This explains the use of oils p and the heavily religious nature of the coronation.
"It makes me think of the expression "Go big or go home" — which, I see, seems to have originated in a 1990s ad for "oversized Harley Davidson pipes."
I remember the phrase from the mid-Eighties with my card-playing cohorts in NM.
And once we flattened all our institutions what will stand for our country? Who can possibly defend a tradition that no longer exists? And having no traditions or common values what will bind us together as a nation, as a people? Even a simple slogan like “make America great again” will have no purchase in the hearts of people who have become convinced that our Country was never great. If this is the premise from which we start it would indeed be impossible to believe we can be “great again.”
I don’t believe we have reached that point. Even Joe Biden refers to America’s achievements and possibilities. But time is growing short for revival of a nationalism based on our Constitution and system of representative democracy, republicanism and especially individual rights. Individualism without nationalism is hollow and nationalism without individualism is mere steps from mob rule.
I wish the new king had chosen 'Elvis' as his coronation name.
The sovereign of Denmark does not also lead a Church. That makes a difference.
I recall back in high school senior English class being tasked to write an essay about what England should do with its monarchy. That would have been in the spring of 1964, so 60 years ago. As I recall I got an A for defending the idea that there was value in separating the ceremonial aspects of a country’s leadership from the political leadership. I suspect that the Danes may feel much the same way. Certainly I’m not arrogant enough to suggest to the Danes that they need to change how they do things now, either to add more pomp and ceremony or to eliminate such ceremony as exists at present, just for my amusement.
(FWIW, I recall that one of my wise ass classmates got a somewhat lower grade for arguing that England needed to replace Queen Elizabeth with something useful — “like a king.” The teacher was not amused.)
Arthur: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering silmite held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king!
Dennis: Listen, strange women lyin’ in ponds distributin’ swords is no basis for a system of government! Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony!
The standard political science justification for a modern king was the one Rich gave above: it separates the "head of state" and the "head of the government". The king can be non-political and do all sorts of ceremonial stuff, opening of supermarkets and so on. Or in Rich's poetic words: "to represent the nation and provide continuity with their rich past, as part of an organic constitution".
I am a rock-ribbed conservative in so many ways, with strong connections to the U.K., but that doesn't extend to monarchy. I am a small-R republican to the marrow. Get these preening grifters off the public dole.
"When Adam delved and Eve span, Who was then the gentleman?"
What would today's macho dudes think of those WWII vets who used to go out dancing every weekend?
My old man was a pilot in WWII, and definitely one of the "macho" sort. Slept in a warm bed in England every night while most of the local young men were in foxholes hundreds of miles away. Danced his legs off with the lonely British girls and said it was the greatest time of his life, except for a cumulative ten or twelve hours when he was actually being shot at. Even that seemed like a smashing great adventure when it was all over, through the rose-tinted reminiscences of later decades...
What would today's macho dudes think of those WWII vets who used to go out dancing every weekend?
My old man was a pilot in WWII, and definitely one of the "macho" sort. Slept in a warm bed in England every night while most of the local young men were in foxholes hundreds of miles away. Danced his legs off with the lonely British girls and said it was the greatest time of his life, except for a cumulative ten or twelve hours when he was actually being shot at. Even that seemed like a smashing great adventure when it was all over, through the rose-tinted reminiscences of later decades...
Growing up in Massachusetts, where Kennedys were considered royalty and voting for them was a sacrament, I have often thought that it would make sense for this country to have an apolitical royal office so that the people who vote for candidates, or "messiahs" based on popularity rather than politics could do so, and those who are more focused on governing could do so, and the serious people could run the country.
This is sort of how Britain operates.
Seeing how the political and governing elites have completely screwed up Britain and are working on screwing up the Greatest Nation on Earth, I am no longer inclined to think that way.
Those damn loud Harleys ride past my home, which is in a "touristy" village, all day long on beautiful weekends, disturbing the peace.
A fellow member of the town's Insurance Committee, who is also a Harley man, told me that the loud pipes were for safety, so that other drivers would know that you are coming. I responded that if they were really worried about safety they could wear dayglo vests and fly little dayglo flags like bicyclists.
He conceded my point. The noise is there for the same reason the chrome and the black leather is there--to tell the world how tough and manly you are.
There is something rotten in the state of Denmark. There is a reason that a coronation takes on the trappings of a sacrament with the anointing. It is a consecration of the sovereign to God, and hence to all goodness and justice for the nation itself.
Danish Royalty succumbs to Casual Friday
Follow the money. The new King is worth about $40million, per google, and he doesn't own a lot of revenue-producing property in Denmark, unlike Charlie over in GB, who has vast tracts of land and controls wealth of about $2.3billion. The entire royal allowance for everything from castle maintenance to pocket money for the lesser nobles in Denmark comes to less than $15million a year in Denmark, and is $125million per year in Britain.
The monarchy in Denmark is not just more aligned with the democratic principles of the nation in forgoing pomp in favor of economy, it is also much more financially limited than the last big monarchy that had a showy transfer of power. I also suspect the already elderly Charlie needed the publicity, lest he be overtaken by the constant and growing British desire to end the monarchy there.
Here's wishing the new King of Denmark and that wonderful little old lady the former Queen a continuing positive presence in their nation.
It's weird (to me) that they don't understand the tradition of anointing with oil. See here:
Of course, the word משׁח (mashaḥ) is best known in the context of anointing someone—a process where oil is poured and smeared on the head of a new king, priest, or prophet to denote divine sanction. For example, a king is anointed in 1 Kings 1:39: "There the priest Zadok took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed (וימשׁח) Solomon." In Exodus 28:41, a priest is anointed: "You shall put them on your brother Aaron, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint (ומשׁחת) them and ordain them and consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests." In 1 Kings 19:16, a prophet is anointed: "You shall anoint (תמשׁח) Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place."
In any case, the one who is anointed becomes the "anointed one," or messiaḥ (משׁיח), a noun form of the verb משׁח (mashaḥ).
Nothing wondrous nor strange, either in heaven or earth. Horatio's philosophy no longer even dreams. Such things're forgotten in Denmark.
One of my best friends and his little brother--both certifiably intelligent guys--used to put glasspack 'mufflers' on their cars. Naively, I assumed they were meant to dampen the noise.
When some asshole blows by in a car or on a motorcycle that they've spent time and money to make even louder, I put in quiet prayer that they spin out and die. Does that make me a bad person?
We used to have empires, ruled by emperors.
We used to have kingdoms, ruled by kings.
Now we have countries...
Countries that have ended their monarchies in modern times include Afghanistan, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, China, Egypt, France (reinstated twice, re-abolished twice), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Laos, Libya, Portugal, Spain (later reinstated), Romania, Russia, Yemen, Yugoslavia.
What do most of them have in common? After they abolished their monarchies, dictatorship was just around the corner. Monarchy is valuable as a way of (Chesterton) fencing dictatorship out, though it is not 100% effective, as the coexistence of Benito Mussolini with King Victor Emmanuel III illustrates.
“It makes me think of the expression "Go big or go home" — which, I see, seems to have originated in a 1990s ad for "oversized Harley Davidson pipes."”
In the 70’s there were movies on tv every week in the evening. I remember a Burt Lancaster film, I don’t think it was Elmer Gantry but one about a old time criminal robbing a bank or something, there was a line he said that impressed me, “ My momma told me something about Saturday Night, go big or stay home”. I like the stay home better than go home, because you don’t go home unless you are already out, so what is the point.
I thought, as a 12 year old, that this was great philosophy. Up there with “no guts, no glory”. Which my dad, a ww2 marine quoted to me when I was slacking.
So I don’t think Harley invented the first saying.
There was that one time, in the middle of the last century, when a bunch of invading assholes decreed every Jew in Denmark should wear a yellow star of David. Then the king showed up with one on his arm and the rest of the nation followed suit.
A small monarchy the size of a large monarchy!
JSM
Madison Man said, "The sovereign of Denmark does not also lead a Church. That makes a difference."
According to Wikipedia (I know, but still) the state church of Denmark is the "Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark" and its Supreme Authority is Frederik X and the Danish Parliament.
Some religious ignorance displayed above. The secular head of The Church of Denmark is the reigning monarch.
Apparently parliament also has a role in the Church, though I’m not certain what it is. The Church of Denmark is the official state religion.
The subject of royalty brings out such bile and disdain among Althouse readers. I see no reason to be either interested or offended by foreign royals. They do as they please, and it seems to suit them. So be it. The US system of a combined head of state and chief executive also has many flaws, but it is what we do.
i was Really Impressed with a idea of a Harley; Back when i was 12 and watching Easy Rider on WGN.
Actually Having one was a HUGE Letdown.
Very Expensive
Very Loud
Very Slow
Made me REALLY Miss my RD400, which was Pretty Fast
Truthavenger @226: excellent! I'm stealing it.
The point at which you should have started wondering that was approximately 70 years ago.
"We may need a ready-made ruling structure in place to supply some sort of order."
"Our Democracy" is working on that. The sort of order they're hoping to supply may not please everybody.
Anointing has deep roots in the Bible. Objects are anointed as a symbol of divine use. The sick are anointed as a symbol of divine healing (which may or may not involve a cure). Kings and Queens are anointed as a symbol of their divinely given vocation. And so on. Anointing introduces a dimension of transcendence lacking in modern democratic life.
Agree that there is a substantial benefit in having non-political "royalty" to handle ceremonial things.
In the UK, absolutely no one wants the dimwitted Prime Minister (even less some cabinet secretary) to cut the ribbon at the new dog park: they want a member of the royal family. In the U.S., unfortunately, incumbent politicians gain unearned benefits of the office by showing up for ceremonial stuff. People will be impressed--even though they shouldn't be--if a senator or governor shows up for an event, and that translates into people giving these incumbents respect and status they don't deserve (i.e., they only deserve status or respect from effectively carrying out the functions of their office).
I propose a reality competition to choose "America's Royal Family," who would perform all these ceremonial functions for a 9-year period. The competition could be used to raise money to pay off a tiny fraction of our government debt, and inveterate attention-seekers (like Chris Christie, Marianne Williamson, RFK Jr., Bernie Sanders, etc.) could focus their energies on that competition--which they would lose ignominiously--rather than wasting all of our time by running the grift of "running for President."
I think if you aren’t going with the ermine robes and bejeweled golden scepters then why bother?
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