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I don't mind praying to the eternal Father, but I must be the only man in the country afflicted with an eternal mother.


Here you can see a statue of Edward VII, who would have to be one of the most-statued dudes (that's the technical term for "subject of statues") going around. You know about the Edwardian period, the start of a new century, lots of sunshine and frolicking, significant changes in technology and society yada yada yada.

His work in trying to get everyone in Europe to just get along earned him the soubriquet of the Peacemaker. Fair enough. The trouble is, I’m not sure how much he deserves it.


I mentioned before about the whole “war that was supposed to end all wars but really just ended a bit inconclusively at the cost of something like 37 million casualties, then became a diplomatic shambles, then fostered resentment, fed into a volatile international financial and political scene, then led to a whole bunch of small wars, then one ruddy great war that had an estimate 72 million casualties”.

Yeah that one.

Anyway, I’m not sure that the King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and the Emperor of India really did earn that tag of Peacemaker. I think that sounds like a deliberately paradoxical nickname for some cowboy’s six-shooter anyway.

So this post has occurred in solidarity with the blogging fraternity over at Theme Thursday. Can you guess the theme for this week?

Comments

Anonymous said…
looks like Statue is the theme. posted one myself today. Agree with your comments.
Jim Klenke said…
I tried to guess by your tags, but no luck. Did he give himself the Peacemaker name?
Statue could be the theme. His mother gave him that peacemaker title, eh?
EG CameraGirl said…
Truth be told, I don't believe a whole lot of what's written, Kris. Seems like most writers are presenting the "facts" from their own point of view. It's difficult to be totally objective and not add a bit of spin, whether it's today's newspapers or yesterday's statues.
Kris McCracken said…
Mo, I would imagine that London has quite a lot of Edward VII statues around.

No doubt covered in snow.
Kris McCracken said…
Jim, I believe that the press gave him the nickname. His main interests lay in the fields of foreign affairs and naval and military matters, and he was fluent in a number of languages and routinely visited other countries.

To put it into perspective (and give you an idea of the incestuous absurdity of the monarchy Edward VII was related to nearly every other European monarch. The German Emperor and Russian Tsar were Edward's nephews; the Queens of Spain, Sweden, Romania, Greece and the Empress of Russia were his nieces; the King of Norway was both his nephew by marriage and his son-in-law; to top that off, the Kings of Greece and Denmark were his brothers-in-law; the Kings of Belgium and Portugal, as well as the Tsar of Bulgaria and Queen of the Netherlands were his cousins.

That said, and Peacemaker or not, he didn't like nephew Wilhelm II (Kaiser Bill), and his reputation can't escape the fact that his firming up Britain’s relationship with France (and by association, Russia) and attempted isolation of Germany kind of had something to do with the whole World War One business.

I’m sure that he thought all this Great Power nonsense would assure peace, but I would suggest that it pretty much guaranteed war on a massive scale, as was proven.
Kris McCracken said…
Diva, I think she would have been dead by that stage. Whatever the case, should would probably not have been amused.
Kris McCracken said…
EGTG, well, everything that is written is coming from one angle or another. The best we can hope for is look at it all and try and work it out. From our own angle of course!

Objectivity is bunk!
Baino said…
Haha . . and not a pee in sight!
e said…
Hi,

Thanks for visiting my Blog. Having once worked in print media, I know that objectivity is pretty much bunk, however, I think presenting as many sides of an issue as one can is as interesting for those who write as for readers.

As for incestuous royalty, I recently viewed a PBS programme on the illigitimate children of royals and their descendents, many of whom, living in present-day UK or the States, were unaware of this lineage until experts from the UK knocked on their doors to inform them. History is certainly provacative at times. Please visit again and nice to meet you.
Kris McCracken said…
Baino, I'm pretty sure that Royal statues can a free pass on the urine.
Kris McCracken said…
E, the royals certainly did put it about, the filthy beggers.

Thanks for dropping by.
Vince said…
"Peacemaker" was a nickname for a Colt revolver in the Wild West at some stage, too ...
Kris McCracken said…
Vince, maybe that's what got me thinking about the wild west...
tut-tut said…
Statue vs. sculpture: see, I think there is a difference. Someone elevated who doesn't (necessarily) deserve it.

Unstatuesque: Beautiful photo of you and your son in the sidebar.
tut-tut said…
photos/sons, plural.
Kris McCracken said…
Tut-tut, I'm thinking of erecting statues of both my sons. They'd like that.
Megan said…
Hey sorry I forgot to link this earlier over at the Thursday home. And after I had advance warning and everything!

*hangs head in shame*

But it's there now. Great picture!
Kris McCracken said…
Megan, no shame, it's all good!
That would be like Bush being called "The Ambassador of Goodwill".
Squirrel said…
powerful looking statue!
Kris McCracken said…
Simstone, I am sure that he a number of nicknames!
Kris McCracken said…
Squirrel, as one would expect of any son of Victoria.
Anonymous said…
Interesting subject here,Kris. And I like your blog header. Thanks for stopping by. G'day!
Kris McCracken said…
Subtorp77, I have been thinking about jazzing up the header. I just need an idea...
Now that is a huge piece of...art (I guess he is bigger than he seems?)

hmm War and peace...I wonder how many works of art there are out there portraying the theme...too many to be counted I believe.

take care
peace and love (see even my greeting:-)
xoxo
Reyjr said…
I am not a fan of wars or anything like that, just one thought for you:
If you were the leader of a powerful country, and you knew that 72 million people will be killed in a war you will wage against another country, but that at the end of this war, there will be peace will for 80 billion people, will you wage that war?

(I'm only happy I don't have to make a choice like that!)

Theme Thursday: Statue!
thanks for playing tt...

excellent contribution....

it is amazing how often a word like 'peacemaker' can be twisted and attributed to something or someone quite opposite .... and of course I'm having flashing of the u.s. recent experience with g.w.b....argh...

peace....really!
Anonymous said…
Well we have seen some beautiful statues on this theme- and now a political one! Just to remind us that statues often make a poitical statement. And think of those imposing statues which have been knocked down when the political climate changed...thinking of Saddam- the drama of watching that on TV.
Cuppa Jo said…
well, I've never actually thought of him in this light. Of course, that might be the fault of history lessons from school, but still. Not a bad statue though he may or may not have been an actual peacemaker, which you're right does sound kind of like a gun.
tony said…
I Often wonder what those Blokes would think if they cae back to Life And saw those statues of themselves!!???

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