Real maps for imaginary kingdoms
Imaginary kingdoms; I really shouldn’t fret about such things. Life is too short. However, a recent musing on an Irish website, about what title will the Queen bestow on her grandson and wife-to-be vexes me. It seems that She still believes she has an empire, and can award privileges, willy-nilly.
The game is as follows. The next-to-the-next-to-the-next in the “line to the throne” is to be given a Duchy. Or as the rest of us think of it, the title for any letterhead used by he and the Missus: the Duke and Duchess of Something or Other. Again, little to see here. Except that the title being bandied about is “of Connaught”. I invite you to use your best map reading skills. Situate the area. Pay careful note to the actual national borders.
Yes, She wants to give the couple imaginary title to lands in another country. Without battle, without discussion. By decree. I’m hoping that wiser heads will prevail, and that she’ll pick on one of the shires within Her domain. If need be, bump one of the sitting lords (and ladies) to the other side of the table. But respect the real fact that England lost control over Ireland, almost a century ago.
There, my rant ends.
Meanwhile, in more important stories: the weather. Schools across the province were closed today, due to a forecast of freezing rain. Here, it was freezing, and it rained. Not the same thing. I admit, I did have to go and bump the cups on the anemometer, but I did get to do it, barefoot.
