Dr John Coulter ✒ as the United Kingdom prepares to bid a final fond farewell at her state funeral today, our ardent Royalist columnist looks back on his memories of Queen Elizabeth the Second and his hopes for the reign of King Charles the Third.

Today is a day which every ardent Monarchist, like myself, knew would come, but always dreaded - the funeral of the greatest Queen the UK has ever been blessed with.

Just as some people can vividly remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard that globally-known characters, such as JFK and Elvis, had died, so too, I will always picture the scene in my life when I learned the terrible news that Queen Elizabeth the Second had died.

September 8th 2022 was already a depressing day for me. It was the fourth anniversary of the funeral of my late dad, Rev Dr Robert Coulter MBE. Earlier that day, a schoolboy chum had telephoned me to tell me of the sudden death of a friend I had known since primary school days.

Surely the day could not get any worse? Media bulletins had carried news about the Queen’s failing health. While I feared the worst, we all prayed for a recovery in spite of her age of 96.

Sitting in the kitchen of my home eating my lunch of pork chops and chips the tragic news was released - the Queen had died. My reaction was instantaneous; tears and sobbing at the loss of a sovereign who had been a part of my life since I was born in 1959.

I have only physically seen the Queen ‘up close’ on one occasion - when my dad was at Buckingham Palace to receive his MBE. I was in the audience along with other members of our family; a matter of feet from the Queen.

Given my weak bladder, before leaving the Palace, I needed to use a bathroom. So after the formal proceedings, off I set through that grand building to find a toilet. No, I didn’t ask Her Majesty’s permission to use the bathroom! And no, as I dandered along the corridor trying to find my way out, I didn’t encounter any of the Royal Corgis!

In the Seventies, when I was a member of the First Ballymena Company of the Boys’ Brigade, based in First Ballymena Presbyterian Church, I gained the BB’s highest award - the Queen’s Badge - giving me the privilege (in BB terms) of being called a Queen’s Man.

As a journalist, many a time I covered Loyal Order and Unionist events at which I stood for the singing of the National Anthem, which ended with the phrase - God Save The Queen.

I have made no secret of the fact that as a political and religious commentator, I am an ardent Royalist. But I have also stood for the singing of the Soldier’s Song when, as a reporter, I have covered republican events.

If there was one attribute the Queen was known for, it was showing respect to others. As a born again Christian, I always admired the Queen’s deep personal Christian faith. In terms of peace and reconciliation in Ireland, the Queen shook hands with the late Martin McGuinness, the former Derry IRA commander and former Stormont deputy First Minister.

If the Queen can speak cordially with representatives of the republican movement, an organisation which bitterly opposes the Monarchy, then as an ardent Royalist, I should follow her example.

Perhaps, too, one of the reasons I dreaded her passing was the fear that our new King, Charles III, could not live up to the sterling Christian example the Queen set and the future of the Monarchy would be in danger.

Realistically, this fear is fuelled not so much by King Charles’ personality, but who his second wife is - the former Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles. I have always been a Princess Diana loyalist and a photo of the late Princess still hangs in my study.

Had Princess Diana’s marriage to Charles remained intact, she would have been a brilliant Queen to the future King Charles and the Monarchy would have been guaranteed to continue as a major pillar in the life of the UK and Commonwealth.

In this respect, I could never warm to the former Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles.

She has personally never done me any harm, and if I call myself an ardent Royalist, perhaps I should just ‘bite the bullet’ and accept the reality that the former Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles is now the Queen Consort and I should have the good manners to give her the proper title.

Before Charles unveiled he would be known as King Charles III, I had hoped - perhaps - he would take the title King George and possibly remain part of the late Queen’s House of Windsor. The reality is, King Charles III is now part of the Carolinian age.

But it doesn’t have a good history! And that’s tough for me as an ardent Royalist to admit!

Charles I was the only British monarch to have been publicly tried and executed for treason, heralding in the era of the Cromwellian Commonwealth, led by Oliver Cromwell.

Charles II - known as the Merry Monarch - spent many years in exile, had 13 illegitimate children and numerous mistresses. His reign also featured the Plague and the Great Fire of London and effectively paved the way for the unofficial second civil war between the Catholic King James II and the Protestant King William III.

Although Charles is Charles III, the Jacobite traitor Bonnie Prince Charlie - The Young Pretender - was known to his supporters as Charles III.

So I will again shed many a tear during today’s funeral service for Queen Elizabeth, whilst at the same time praying our 73-year-old King Charles III takes the Monarchy in a direction which guarantees we will see a future King Billy on the throne.

Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter
Listen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning around 10.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online

Remembering Good Queen Bess

Dr John Coulter ✒ as the United Kingdom prepares to bid a final fond farewell at her state funeral today, our ardent Royalist columnist looks back on his memories of Queen Elizabeth the Second and his hopes for the reign of King Charles the Third.

Today is a day which every ardent Monarchist, like myself, knew would come, but always dreaded - the funeral of the greatest Queen the UK has ever been blessed with.

Just as some people can vividly remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard that globally-known characters, such as JFK and Elvis, had died, so too, I will always picture the scene in my life when I learned the terrible news that Queen Elizabeth the Second had died.

September 8th 2022 was already a depressing day for me. It was the fourth anniversary of the funeral of my late dad, Rev Dr Robert Coulter MBE. Earlier that day, a schoolboy chum had telephoned me to tell me of the sudden death of a friend I had known since primary school days.

Surely the day could not get any worse? Media bulletins had carried news about the Queen’s failing health. While I feared the worst, we all prayed for a recovery in spite of her age of 96.

Sitting in the kitchen of my home eating my lunch of pork chops and chips the tragic news was released - the Queen had died. My reaction was instantaneous; tears and sobbing at the loss of a sovereign who had been a part of my life since I was born in 1959.

I have only physically seen the Queen ‘up close’ on one occasion - when my dad was at Buckingham Palace to receive his MBE. I was in the audience along with other members of our family; a matter of feet from the Queen.

Given my weak bladder, before leaving the Palace, I needed to use a bathroom. So after the formal proceedings, off I set through that grand building to find a toilet. No, I didn’t ask Her Majesty’s permission to use the bathroom! And no, as I dandered along the corridor trying to find my way out, I didn’t encounter any of the Royal Corgis!

In the Seventies, when I was a member of the First Ballymena Company of the Boys’ Brigade, based in First Ballymena Presbyterian Church, I gained the BB’s highest award - the Queen’s Badge - giving me the privilege (in BB terms) of being called a Queen’s Man.

As a journalist, many a time I covered Loyal Order and Unionist events at which I stood for the singing of the National Anthem, which ended with the phrase - God Save The Queen.

I have made no secret of the fact that as a political and religious commentator, I am an ardent Royalist. But I have also stood for the singing of the Soldier’s Song when, as a reporter, I have covered republican events.

If there was one attribute the Queen was known for, it was showing respect to others. As a born again Christian, I always admired the Queen’s deep personal Christian faith. In terms of peace and reconciliation in Ireland, the Queen shook hands with the late Martin McGuinness, the former Derry IRA commander and former Stormont deputy First Minister.

If the Queen can speak cordially with representatives of the republican movement, an organisation which bitterly opposes the Monarchy, then as an ardent Royalist, I should follow her example.

Perhaps, too, one of the reasons I dreaded her passing was the fear that our new King, Charles III, could not live up to the sterling Christian example the Queen set and the future of the Monarchy would be in danger.

Realistically, this fear is fuelled not so much by King Charles’ personality, but who his second wife is - the former Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles. I have always been a Princess Diana loyalist and a photo of the late Princess still hangs in my study.

Had Princess Diana’s marriage to Charles remained intact, she would have been a brilliant Queen to the future King Charles and the Monarchy would have been guaranteed to continue as a major pillar in the life of the UK and Commonwealth.

In this respect, I could never warm to the former Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles.

She has personally never done me any harm, and if I call myself an ardent Royalist, perhaps I should just ‘bite the bullet’ and accept the reality that the former Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles is now the Queen Consort and I should have the good manners to give her the proper title.

Before Charles unveiled he would be known as King Charles III, I had hoped - perhaps - he would take the title King George and possibly remain part of the late Queen’s House of Windsor. The reality is, King Charles III is now part of the Carolinian age.

But it doesn’t have a good history! And that’s tough for me as an ardent Royalist to admit!

Charles I was the only British monarch to have been publicly tried and executed for treason, heralding in the era of the Cromwellian Commonwealth, led by Oliver Cromwell.

Charles II - known as the Merry Monarch - spent many years in exile, had 13 illegitimate children and numerous mistresses. His reign also featured the Plague and the Great Fire of London and effectively paved the way for the unofficial second civil war between the Catholic King James II and the Protestant King William III.

Although Charles is Charles III, the Jacobite traitor Bonnie Prince Charlie - The Young Pretender - was known to his supporters as Charles III.

So I will again shed many a tear during today’s funeral service for Queen Elizabeth, whilst at the same time praying our 73-year-old King Charles III takes the Monarchy in a direction which guarantees we will see a future King Billy on the throne.

Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter
Listen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning around 10.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online

5 comments:

  1. Sorry for your loss, John.

    Maybe you could explain the logical connection between (a) your affection for the late Mrs Windsor, and (b) why UK citizens have no say in electing the head of their own state?

    ReplyDelete
  2. The only good things about a parasite dying are a few extra bank holidays (there will be one when Charlie boy is crowned king) and some women looked good in black....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am personally agnostic about the monarchy but describing an elderly woman who many, like it or not, admired and respected, as a parasite does not form part of my rhetorical flourish.

      Delete
  3. Must confess I'm surprised you lot give a solitary shit.

    ReplyDelete