Thursday, February 02, 2012

Awkward honours

Although I am made to feel wimpishly uncomfortable by the elements of mob rule & fits of morality which go with the removal of Fred Goodwin’s knighthood, or even the idea that those who made the decision seem to have much in common with those who returned their honours to the Palace to mark their indignation at the award of MBEs to the Beatles, I cannot really bring myself to care very much either way.

Compared with what the mob might do & have done in other times & places to those who played a part in making life so difficult for ordinary people, losing a handle to ones name seems getting off very lightly indeed.

I should like to know what Her Majesty the Queen really feels about it however. In his book Our Queen, Robert Hardman told how the (then still Sir) Fred remained a member of a committee which advised The Palace, despite his disgrace. There was no desire to kick a man who had given good advice just because he was down.

Although the Queen merely does as she is advised in the matter of these ‘political’ honours, it cannot be very comfortable for her to be put in this position.

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