Charles to head Commonwealth

The accession of Charles Windsor to the leadership of the Commonwealth has been portrayed (at least by the more toady sections of the press) as a great victory for monarchism. Nothing could be further from the truth. The choice of Charles Windsor  as a new figurehead underscores the irrelevance of the Commonwealth.

The Australian Government for example couldn't care less whether Mickey Mouse or Goofy became head of the Commonwealth. Australia is now officially a South East Asian nation. In the terms which count to Australian big business - i.e. dollars - trade with South East Asia is seen as more important than clinging to the remnants of Empire.

Charles makes George III look like a model of sanity. According to legend, George made a tree on his estate prime minister. Charles regularly talks to his plants. If you find he tries to replace May with a hawthorn don't say I didn't warn you.

To underline how in touch he is with the modern world,  Charles told Anita Sethi that she didn't look as if she were from Manchester. This was laughed off in The Sun as "like father like son", another blunder in the mould of the loveable Prince Philip.

Anita Sethi did not find it amusing and regarded it as evidence that Charles had no business leading the commonwealth. In the Guardian article entitled "Dear Prince Charles, do you think my brown skin makes me unBritish?" she said "Most of all, I feel angry that there could be such casual ignorance in the corridors of power, an ignorance that also permeates society – not least because some British people of colour invited here have been threatened with deportation. They don’t look like they are from here, according to some."

It is way past time to sweep away these royal parasites.