Queen Elizabeth used to be my best monarch friend. She was always perfectly coiffed, dignified and elegant. Fastidiousness against adversity was always her hallmark, both as a young woman during the WWII German bombings of London and as the head of a large and complex family undergoing its fair share of travails. Of course, Queen Elizabeth was always an obvious choice for my best monarch friend – I grew up in Canada after all, where for the longest time she was the official head of state, with said head adorning most of our currency. I was always her loyal subject and she never ever disappointed me.
But things change and where once I was content with a staid and reserved monarch as a bullwark against the turmoil and uncertainty in the world, now I’m looking for one who provides guidance, one who is not afraid to crack that veneer of quiet sophistication in order to do and say what needs to be done and said.
Well, my search is over! I have a new Best Monarch Friend and he is none other than Spain’s King Juan Carlos. At last Saturday’s Ibero-American Summit in Santiago, Chile, Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez called former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, a close US ally, a fascist, adding “fascists are not human. A snake is more human.” This was an ironic accusation given Chavez’s cozying up to various dictators and also in light of his atrocious human rights record back home. Current Spanish PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero rose to the defense of his one-time rival, correctly noting that “[Former Prime Minister] Aznar was democratically elected by the Spanish people and was a legitimate representative of the Spanish people.” Chavez was having none of it and tried to disrupt Zapatero.
That’s when King Juan Carlos stepped up to the plate and told Chavez what’s what. He delivered a bitch slap to the Venezuelan dictator that was heard around the world when he told him to “shut up.” Chavez later tried to defend his statements, but it was too late. The video of the King’s admonition are all over the Internet, ring tones of King Juan Carlos are selling like hot cakes throughout Venezuela and Chavez was revealed as the shmendrick that he is. Kudos to the Spanish King who demonstrates that intemperate is the new regal! See the video and hear the ring tone on the BBC.
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The Hebrew and Judaic Studies dept at NYU is in the King Juan Carlos I of Spain building. Also in that building, photos by an artist whose first name is Kike. I’m completely serious:
http://www.nyu.edu/public.affairs/releases/detail/1747
My sources say that the King said “sheket B’Vakasha!”
It is about time someone told this Chavez to shut up.
speaking of best friends…
HER BEST FRIENDS
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11172007/gossip/pagesix/
her_best_friends_643816.htm
November 17, 2007 — SUSAN Sarandon will cross a picket line – if there are diamonds on the other side. The actress waded through a throng of picketers to get to a cocktail party for the Leviev jewelry store launch on Madison Avenue this week. A group carrying Palestinian flags was on the sidewalk protesting the Finesse Diamond Corp., which provides gems to Leviev, and Leviev’s construction of “illegal West Bank settlements.” They were shouting, “You’re glitz, you’re glam, you’re building on Palestinian land” and “Occupation is a drag, just say no to your gift bag.” Our source reports that Sarandon went in and “tried not to notice the yells outside.”
I usually don’t care what Hollywooders do but good on Susan Sarandon!
Thanks for the scoop, X.
“Queen Elizabeth used to be my best monarch friend.”
Sweetie, how old are you to be friends with the Virgin Queen? 😉
Fabulous post.
X,
There is a difference between a picket line–a real picket by workers on strike–and a demonstration conducted by political kooks.
–TNC
WEVS1 — it was NY Post that called it a picket line. As for “political kooks,” can you be more specific. If Leviev is constructing settlements, what makes protesting him kooky?
There was a second protest, according to this jewelry industry trade publication.
For some reason i couldnt get the embedded link to work. I know Jewlicious doesnt like when I post links in the comment window, so my apologies in advance:
http://www.nationaljewelernetwork.com/njn/content_display/diamonds/e3iebeeee1ed78e9c1cd1aa886183e96c25
QEII is still the official queen of Canada and its nominal head of state (as she is of Australia and several other countries in addition to the UK).
Hi, here is needed a Venezuelan comment,
The King said something that Venezuelans wanted to say from 8 years ago. The King suddenly became a leader that represented the Spaniard, Venezuelan people and any person with a grade of reasonable understanding of the good things that make a country life proper for the justice and prosperity .