Head of state update: Queen Elizabeth II vs President Merilwees

Published: March 29, 2014 at 8:06pm

Queen-Elizabeth-II-coronation-photo-1953

Queen Elizabeth’s coronation ceremony was three hours long. President Merilwees’s, because she doesn’t stand on ceremony, is to be six hours long.

Queen Elizabeth’s ceremony featured a cathedral. President Merilwees has eschewed the cathedral (no additional expense required as it is there already) in favour of a very costly tent for a thousand people.

Queen Elizabeth’s ceremony was imbued with the protocol and tradition of hundreds of years. President Merilwees has invented her own ceremony because the usual one is not sufficiently self-aggrandising and offered little scope for bigtime hamallagni.

President Merilwees doesn’t stand on ceremony and doesn’t like fuss and privileges, but unlike Mrs Fenech Adami, she’s ruddy well going to live in that palace and make the most of it, ghax wertit hafna.




20 Comments Comment

  1. Joe Fenech says:

    I don’t even think that these people fit in with the Chinese. North Korea will be perfect.

  2. Dicky Cliffs says:

    Nahseb il-Papa fil-Vatikan dam inqas biex issirlu l-beatifikazzjoni bic-ceremonja. Haga qaddisa bi d weyy.

  3. jack says:

    @DCG

    Just watching ex-Minister Godfrey Farrugia solitary walk – http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140329/local/update-7-new-ministerial-responsibilities-announced-several-responsibilities-shifted.512635, reminded me of ‘The Lonely Man’ theme from ‘The Incredible Hulk series’ – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzMSfaNXYZg

  4. Dicky Cliffs says:

    I like Godfrey and Marlene. Nahseb nies dicenti

  5. Jozef says:

    Beaton at his best.

    Twiggy remains his most iconic.

  6. Dicky Cliffs says:

    U l-faqar m’ghadux jissemma.

  7. M. Cassar says:

    In one of my eureka moments it occured to me that this government and the new President are using the dazzle camouflage principle.

    While dazzle did not conceal a ship, it made it difficult for the enemy to estimate its type, size, speed, and heading.

    This is akin to when someone SAYS that she does not like pomp and then splashes out on a six-hour ceremony. The dazzle idea was to disrupt the visual rangefinders.

    Its purpose was confusion rather than concealment. An observer would find it difficult to know exactly whether the stern or the bow was in view; and it would be equally difficult to estimate whether the observed vessel was moving towards or away from the observer’s position.

    By being a moving target this government makes it hard for anyone to pin anything on it.

  8. C C says:

    HADD ma joqghod fiz zarbun ta Mrs Fenech Adami. Kienet mara ta’ vera li kienet taf kif tkun first lady ma’ nisa ta’ kapijiet ta’ stati ohra u mara tal-poplu ma’ nies normali bhali.

  9. Anthony says:

    And like Victoria the Good she will also have her villeggiatura on the sister island at taxpayers’ expense.

    Il-Palazz tal- President

    Il-Palazz ta’ San Anton

    Il-Palazz ta’ Verdala

    Osborne House on Gozo. Or the Villa Rosebery if you like.

    U halluna tridux.

    Balmoral jonqosna.

    • Anthony says:

      PS fuq l-gholja tal-Maghtab.

    • Dicky Cliffs says:

      Insejt Sandringham u Windsor.

      • Anthony says:

        Tibza xejn. Meta nbighu aktar passaporti fasulli nahsbu f’dawk ukoll. Dejjem biex nghinu nl-foqra.

        X’cuc hi Elizabetta it-tieni.

      • Barabbas Borg says:

        There’s a distinction between the personal property of the Queen and the Palaces of the State. I believe Balmarol and Sandringham are actually owned by the Queen, all the other residences are owned by the state.

  10. Alexander Ball says:

    In five years, after a year of PN rule under Simon Busuttil, who will be the new president?

  11. Barabbas Borg says:

    I’m not sure the Queen is the right person to compare it to. Not only is her spending often controversial but the ceremony itself is full of pomp and pageantry!

    • H.P. Baxxter says:

      As one-time head of state of Malta before this island of atavistic fools opted for republic status, you couldn’t find a better comparison.

  12. Conservative says:

    I beseech you Madam, not to mention Her Majesty on the same page as Mrs Preca. One is the epitome of class and dignity and the other one, well, it need not be said.

  13. verita says:

    Everything at San Anton Palace has been nicely refurbished or has undergone professional restoration. Each room and corner, chapel or garden was restored mostly by the staff and other professionals as required. President Marie Louise, enjoy it.

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