Tag: Monarchy

It Is Good To Be The King

One of my favorite stories from last night….

This has nothing to do with our current situation here in the states but I thought my readers would like to see what can be accomplished with a king (and we have one in awaiting)….

Looks like the king of the United Kingdom will get a little richer next year….

It’s a good time to be a British royal. King Charles III’s monarchy will get a 53% bump in income next year and find itself on the receiving end of about $170 million. Here’s how that number was arrived at:

  • The bulk of the royal family’s wealth lies in the Crown Estate, a collection of lands and other holdings that now officially belong to Charles.
  • NBC News explains that in exchange for surrendering the revenue the Crown Estate generates, the monarchy receives the Sovereign Grant, which is funded by the taxpayer.
  • The Sovereign Grant had previously been equal to 25% of the Crown Estate’s profits; last year, the figure was slashed to 12%. The grant is reviewed every five years.
  • But the Crown Estate had a banner year, revealing in a Wednesday report it saw profits of $1.4 billion “driven by decades of investment in offshore wind, combined with a diverse and resilient property and land portfolio.” As the Guardian explains, “The crown estate, as legal owner of the seabed, has responsibility for auctioning offshore wind rights.”
  • Twelve percent of that is about $170 million, which is what the Sovereign Grant will equal for 2025-2026; the 2024-2025 Sovereign Grant totaled $110 million.
  • Some of next year’s money will go to the last stages of the decade-long renovation of Buckingham Palace, a project with a $475 million price tag. The royals also intend to purchase two new helicopters next year.
  • The news was met with criticism from some. The BBC has this from the head of the anti-monarchy group Republic: “We do not owe the royals a living, we do not owe them palatial homes, private helicopter travel or lives of leisure and luxury.”
  • The Sovereign Grant is far from the royal family’s only source of funds. The king gets income from the Duchy of Lancaster, while the Prince of Wales gets income from the Duchy of Cornwall. William’s first full year on the receiving end of that income saw him receive $30 million, reports the Guardian.

Cha-ching!

Like I said…”it’s good to be the king”.

Any Brits wanna comment?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–28Nov23

If you live in the UK do not die without a will!

I seems that if you die without a will then the King can reap some benefits….

The deaths of thousands of people in parts of England have increased the personal wealth of King Charles III, according to a Guardian investigation that might persuade many people—especially those opposed to the monarchy—to write wills. In most of England and Wales, the assets of people who die with no will and no known next of kin go directly to the government. But under a system that dates to feudal times, those assets go to the king’s Duchy of Lancaster property estate if the person dies in a former dukedom that covers a large area of northwest England that includes Liverpool and Manchester. In Cornwall, the assets go to the Duchy of Cornwall, now controlled by Prince William.

The duchies have long claimed that the funds, known as “bona vacancia”—Latin for “vacant goods”—are donated to charities. But documents seen by the Guardian show that only a small proportion of the funds go to charities and duchy officials have been granted permission to use bona vacancia funds to upgrade properties that are rented out for profit. One source says duchy officials consider the revenue “free money” and a “slush fund” to renovate properties including town houses and vacation homes. Charles inherited the Duchy of Lancaster when his mother died last year. Earlier this year, he received almost $33 million in his first annual payout from the property estate.

The Guardian notes that many of those who died without wills or next of kin lived in homes far more humble than the ones their assets are being used to renovate. Friends of people whose assets were claimed by the duchy say they’re dismayed that the funds are being used to increase the king’s wealth. “It’s shocking and it shouldn’t be happening,” says Charlie Briggs, a friend of retired nursery manager Val Taylor, whose assets were transferred to the king’s estate after she died last year at age 72. “It would be OK if the money was going to people who deserve it but not if it is going to an organization that has plenty,” he says. (Read more King Charles III

Please any UK readers could let my readers know if this is true and why is it so.

All I can do is shake my head….I am in no way in awe of the monarch….I think it is a free ride for giving nothing back.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

“It’s Good To Be The King”

Anyone who saw the movie, History of the World–Part One, will recognize the quote….I thought I would open with that bit of cinematic history but the real story is the ‘bennie’ that King Charles II has just been given (I do hope my UK friends will way in on this)

King Charles III is set to receive a 45% raise. On Thursday, the UK Treasury announced details of the monarchy’s annual budget, known as the sovereign grant, suggesting it would be slashed in the coming years to allow funds to be spent on public services, as the king himself requested, the Guardian reports. But several critics say the statement is misleading as the sovereign grant is expected to increase from its current $111 million to $160 million in 2025.

Since 2011, the sovereign grant has been determined by the profits of the crown estate—a portfolio of land holdings and other assets. The prime minister, chancellor, and the king’s treasurer get together to determine what percentage of profits should be set aside for the monarchy. Since 2017, the rate has been 25%, “resulting in a steady increase in funding for the monarchy” as profits for the estate increased, per the Guardian. But profits are expected to spike next year from about $570 million to nearly $1.3 billion due to licensing revenues from the expansion of offshore wind farms.

The Treasury said the king would be entitled to 12% of the crown state’s profits next year, meaning he would receive $31 million less in 2024 and $167 million less in 2025-2026 than if the rate remained at 25%. “This money will instead be used to fund vital public services, for the benefit of the nation,” the Treasury said, per ABC News. It’s true that the Treasury will see “a multimillion-pound boost,” per Sky News. But the sovereign grant will remain unchanged at around $111 million in 2024 before climbing to $160 million in 2025 and $162 million in 2026, per the Guardian.

Seriously?

Now why does one of the richest people in the world need a pay raise?

What exactly does he do to warrant this raise?

I thought the useless US Congress was out of touch when they want a pay raise….but this….

Please let me know what this is all about….or what you think of this situation.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Queen For The Day

Today’s big story will be the burial of Queen Elizabeth II…..with that her era of influence will end and the new day of King Charles III will begin…..

Since I am not a big fan of any monarchy I thought I would post a couple of articles about the death of the Queen…..

Ukania’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, finally yielded the royal sceptre to her eldest child, who will become King Charles III. Charles’s wife Camilla will now become Queen Camilla.

The next few days will see an unparalled excess of Ruritanian/Ukanian flummery, probably the only thing Ukania is good at these days— parades with mounted soldiers and carriages; gun salutes on the banks of the Thames; special programming on radio and TV; flag-bearing crowds congregating outside the royal residences; everyone, from the new king to the archbishop of Canterbury, decked out in their finest regalia, and so on.

This will also be a rare-old-time for paparazzi and the court correspondents of the tabloids. Will Meghan Markle and Kate speak to each other? What will the reprobate Prince Andrew be up to? Which of the royal offspring will misbehave and how?

The Queen Is Dead

There is more….

On 8th September, 2022, a 96-year old woman died. Nothing unusual there. On average, 1,679 people die in the UK every day. But this time round, everyone from the British Kebab Awards to The Prodigy made gushing sycophantic statements. Britain’s idiot prime minister in waiting Liz Truss, called the deceased “among the world’s greatest ever leaders”.

As Britain was sent into 10 days of enforced commemoration, the madness also spread to Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz called her a “role model and inspiration for millions”, while Berlin mayor Franziska Giffey said that the “power of her great personality has always fascinated us Berliners.” Brandenburger Tor was lit up in the colours of the Union Flag in her honour.

Even John Lydon, who as Johnny Rotten once wrote; “God save the queen. She ain’t no human being. There is no future In England’s dreaming” got involved. He posted the following message on social media: “Rest in peace Queen Elizabeth II. Send her victorious From all at johnlydon.com”.

The Queen is Dead. Republic Now!

I doubt if the reporting will end with the burial….but it will be for this blog.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

King Charles III

This is solely an info post…I do not expect many people to care (but I have been mistaken before)

The Queen is dead….Long live King Charles III…..

In Britain, the second Elizabethan age ended Thursday, and the era of King Charles III began—a huge change for a country and Commonwealth where most people weren’t alive in 1952, the last time there was a change of monarch. At 73, Charles is the oldest person ever to accede to the British throne, and it will be up to him to ensure the institution has a future in changing times. More:

  • His first day. Charles, who automatically became king upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II, will travel to London Friday for a busy first full day as king, the Guardian reports. Charles is expected to meet Prime Minister Liz Truss, record an address to the nation to be broadcast Friday evening, and approve plans for a period of national mourning. He will be traveling from Scotland with his wife Camilla, who now has the title Queen Consort.
  • A lifetime in preparation. NBC looks at the life of Charles, who became the heir apparent at age 3 when his mother became queen. When he was 21, he told the BBC that he had dreamed of becoming a train driver, a soldier, or even a big-game hunter, “until I realized I was rather stuck.” His popularity with the British public dropped after the end of his troubled marriage to Diana and her death in a 1997 car crash, though it steadily recovered in the following decades as he took on a growing share of royal duties.
  • The “climate king.” While the British monarchy is powerful on paper—Charles is now the head of state of the UK, Canada, Australia, and 12 other countries—in reality the monarch only has “soft power,” and some analysts expect him to use it to advocate for environmental causes, Vox reports. He has long embraced such causes and has been warning about climate change since the 1990s.
  • Staying out of politics? But while Charles has long been outspoken on on climate change, including architecture and genetically modified crops, Max Foster at CNN says his approach will change now that he is king. “Elizabeth’s legendary ability not to offend and alienate was more strategic than many realize, but Charles has always insisted he intends to follow her lead and stop meddling when he takes the throne,” Foster writes. He notes that when the BBC asked him in 2018 if the campaigning would continue when he becomes king, Charles said: “I’m not that stupid.”
  • A “different style.” Vernon Bogdanor, a professor of government at King’s College London, says Charles will have a different style than his mother, but not to an extent that could cause a constitutional crisis, the New York Times reports. “He will be an active king and he will probably push his prerogatives to the limits, but he won’t go beyond them.” The Times notes that some of the biggest challenges Charles will face as king include healing the rift with his son Prince Harry—and dealing with the fallout from his brother Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

And now the King’s Queen Consort….what the Hell?  What about the rest of the royals?

If you think you’re going to have a hard time remembering to call Charles “king” instead of “prince” from here on out (don’t forget the “III”!), try to master that soon, because a number of other royal titles are about to undergo a shift. Here’s how the name game is set to play out for the other royals in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death:

  • Camilla: Charles’ wife will now be known as Queen Consort, which, per USA Today, is simply a “fancy name for the wife of a reigning king.” Fox News notes that when Camilla married Charles in 2005, it was announced she’d one day be called Princess Consort if Charles ever became king, out of respect to his deceased ex-wife, Princess Diana. Queen Elizabeth changed her mind on that earlier this year, noting she wanted Camilla to have the Queen Consort title. If you want to call her Queen Camilla, though, that’s said to be acceptable, too. (Read much more on the Queen Consort’s role here.)
  • illiam and Kate: The man who’s now next in line to the throne and his wife, the former Kate Middleton, were known until Thursday as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Their new main title: the Prince and Princess of Wales, a label previously held by Charles and Diana, per Today. Charles announced the update on Friday, and their social media has already been modified to reflect this change.The pair will also retain a secondary title, Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, per the Independent. The Cornwall title, which is typically held by the eldest son of the reigning monarch, was also handed down to William from Charles, per People.
  • Harry and Meghan: Nothing changes for them personally, but their kids, Archie and Lilibet, are now in the running to become prince and princess, respectively. That’s per a century-old decree handed down by King George V granting those titles to the children and grandchildren of a reigning sovereign. Charles has the right to amend that decree, however, which Fox notes “he may do in order to fulfill his reported stated objective of slimming down the royal family.”
  • Something for Edward? Charles inherited the Duke of Edinburgh title from his father, Prince Philip, when Philip died last year. But because that title has now “merged back into the Crown” with Charles’ ascension to king, Charles could opt to hand it down to Prince Edward, the youngest of Charles’ siblings, who currently goes by the Earl of Wessex.

Finally there is this diamond held in the Tower of London that India is pissed about…..

In the Tower of London, housed with other crown jewels of England, lies a platinum crown created for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, so she’d have something to wear for her husband King George VI’s coronation in 1937. Earlier this year, the queen announced that headpiece would transfer to Camilla, wife of then-Prince Charles, when he one day ascended to the throne and earned Camilla the title of Queen Consort, reports NDTV. That day has come, after the death of the queen on Thursday, but now there’s controversy over what happens next to the crown—not because of an issue with Camilla, per se, but because of the giant gemstone that’s set into the head-topper. The problem with the 105.6-carat Kohinoor (or Koh-i-Noor) diamond? The people of India, where it was originally found, want it back, reports Time.

The magazine notes the gem was mined sometime between the 12th and 14th centuries, in what’s now the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh. The Kohinoor changed hands multiple times after its discovery, first ending up with the Moguls, then the Persians, and then the Afghans. It made its way back to India at one point, but then was “acquired” by the British during Punjab’s annexation in 1849 and eventually presented to Queen Victoria, per Time. The diamond was originally nearly 800 carats uncut, but it was said to have been trimmed down in 1852 at the request of Prince Albert. The UK’s Historic Royal Palaces website notes that was done “to improve its brilliance and conform to contemporary European tastes.”

India has asked for the diamond back in the past, to no avail, but now that the queen has died, the request is springing up anew on social media. “If the King is not going to wear Kohinoor, give it back,” one commenter wrote, per Time. Another claimed the diamond was “stolen” by the Brits, who “created wealth” via “death,” “famine,” and “looting.” Indian citizens aren’t the only ones clamoring for the gem: The governments in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan have also staked claims to it. More on the diamond’s centuries-long journey at India’s ThePrint.

Now don’t you feel better that you have all that information?

(Where is Pete when we need him?)

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Queen Is Dead–Long Live The King

The news of the day is that Queen Elizabeth II has passed…..and Charles becomes king…..

Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign is over. Buckingham Palace said Thursday that the queen has died at age 96. The news came after members of the royal family were summoned to her side at the royal Balmoral estate in Scotland by doctors concerned about her health. Elizabeth’s 73-year-old son, Prince Charles, will now become king, with his son Prince William second in line.

  • The statement: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the palace announced, per the BBC. Referring to Charles and Camilla: “The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
  • Her life: For a timeline of highlights from her life and reign, with photos, see Metro. She was crowned queen at age 27 in 1953 following the death of her father, King George VI.
  • Big picture: The AP sums things up: “Since assuming the throne after the death of her father on Feb. 6, 1952, Elizabeth has been a symbol of stability as Britain negotiated the end of empire, the dawn of the information age and the mass migration that transformed the country into a multicultural society.”
  • Big picture, II: “There is no analogous public figure who will have been mourned as deeply in Britain—Winston Churchill might come closest—or whose death could provoke a greater reckoning with the identity and future of the country,” per the New York Times. “Elizabeth’s extraordinary longevity lent her an air of permanence that makes her death, even at an advanced age, somehow shocking.”
  • No Meghan: One notable absence as the royal family was gathering at Balmoral: that of Meghan, wife of Prince Harry. The pair, who no longer have royal duties, were already in the UK for a series of engagements. However, Harry was traveling to Balmoral alone, reports the BBC. On the other hand, Prince William also traveled there without his wife, Kate, who was remaining behind in Britain for the time being because it was the first day of school for their children.
  • Failing health: Buckingham Palace has been relative sparse with details about the queen’s health, but it had been in decline over the last year. She recovered from a bout of COVID earlier this year, though the palace said it left her exhausted, per the Times. Elizabeth also had been using a cane of late as her mobility diminished.

And now for a few words from King Charles III……as well as a few others….

The new king of England’s first formal statement is, not surprisingly, about his mom. “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” wrote King Charles III in a statement posted by Buckingham Palace. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.” He added that he and other members of the royal family will be “comforted and sustained” by that knowledge.

At Glamour, Kathleen Walsh likes the tribute. “There’s no easy way to say goodbye to a beloved mother, so I can only imagine what it’s like to have to publicly mourn your mum the queen.” In the US, presidents and first ladies, both current and past, were paying their respects as well, per the AP and the Daily Mail:

  • Biden: “Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States,” said the statement from the Bidens. “She helped make our relationship special.”
  • Trump: “Melania and I will always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor,” said a statement from former President Trump. “What a grand and beautiful lady she was—there was nobody like her!”
  • Obama: “Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity,” Barack and Michelle Obama said in their statement. “Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humor and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance.”
  • Clinton: “We will always be grateful for the kindness she showed us through the years, particularly during our visits to Buckingham Palace in 1995 and 2000, and for all she did to deepen the Special Relationship,” said former President Clinton, referring to himself and Hillary. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family and all the people Her Majesty inspired throughout her lifetime of service.”
  • Bush: “Laura and I were honored to have known her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” wrote former President George W. Bush. “She was a woman of great intellect, charm, and wit.” He added that “spending time at Buckingham Palace, and having tea with Her Majesty—and her Corgis—is among our fondest memories of the presidency.”
  • Carter: “Rosalynn and I extend our condolences to the family of Queen Elizabeth II and the citizens of the United Kingdom,” said Jimmy Carter. “Her dignity, graciousness, and sense of duty have been an inspiration, and we join the millions around the world in mourning a remarkable leader.”

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

This Is Just Tacky!

The UK is in the middle of the celebration of the queen’s 70th year of rule over Britannia…..and they are all sorts of things going on for the celebration books, coaster, and then there is just tacky…..

Yes, You're Seeing the Queen Plastered All Over Stonehenge

Whoever the designers of Stonehenge were, it’s probably a decent bet that they didn’t have this week’s use of their monument in mind: Visitors this week will see photos of Queen Elizabeth II splashed across the front of the sarsens on Salisbury Plain, a tribute to the monarch ahead of the Platinum Jubilee marking her 70 years on the throne, reports USA Today. The eight images represent the queen throughout various decades during her reign, from her coronation ceremony in 1953—she officially ascended to the throne in February 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI—up to a more recent depiction of her attending the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

“We’ve brought two British icons together,” English Heritage, the group that oversees the landmark, tweeted on Monday. The group added in a statement, per UPI: “We wanted to show different aspects of the Queen—of her personality, of her interests, and really show what a special lady she is.” Six Elizabeth images were also projected Monday onto London’s Marble Arch to celebrate England’s longest-reigning monarch ever. The Platinum Jubilee runs Thursday through Sunday, with a star-studded concert planned for Saturday and the wrap-up pageant in front of Buckingham Palace on the final day.

Not everyone in the British Commonwealth is in a Jubilee mood, however. The AP reports on the “apathy” and protests that have emerged as the celebration gets ready to kick off, with the former spurred mainly by the country’s colonizing past. “It’s not about her,” one Jamaican academic tells the news agency. “It’s about her family’s wealth, built on the backs of our ancestors. We’re grappling with the legacies of a past that has been very painful.” More on that here.

Seriously?

What part of this is in good taste?

Turning a historical landmark that has stood for a 1000 years into a billboard to celebrate the queen’s long rule.

Thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Just Who Was The Worse Monarch?

I like these types of things for it makes me think and hopefully my readers as well…..this post is about the worse monarchs in history.

We Americans may have a different take to this question….I am sure that many will say George III of the UK…..but with a little knowledge that would not be accurate…..

So without further ado….who were the worse monarchs in history?

From ‘Bad King John’ and the debauched Gaius Caligula to the “useless” Mary, Queen of Scots, historian Sean Lang rounds up nine of the worst kings and queens in history…

History has no shortage of disastrous rulers; this list could easily have been filled with the Roman Emperors alone. Rulers have been homicidal, like Nero or Genghis Khan; incompetent, like Edward II; completely untrustworthy, like Charles I; or amiable but inadequate, like Louis XVI of France or Tsar Nicholas II.

Some royal stinkers were limited in their capacity to do serious harm: the self-absorbed Edward VIII by his abdication, the narcissistic prince regent and king, George IV, by the constitutional limits on his power. And the mass murderer and self-proclaimed ‘Emperor’ Jean-Bédel Bokassa of the Central African Empire might have featured on this list had his imperial status been international recognised, but it wasn’t.

Nearly-rans include the French Emperor Napoleon III, whose delusions of competence led to disaster in Italy, Mexico and finally defeat at the hands of Bismarck, and the German Kaiser Wilhelm II, a ludicrously gauche and immature ruler but not actually responsible on his own for launching Germany, and the rest of Europe, into the First World War.

https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/9-of-the-worst-monarchs-in-history/

There you have this person idea of the worse…..do you agree or do you have someone to add to the list?

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

Class Dismissed!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

What’s In A Name?

Update:  This was suppose to be posted on 17Jul….but news and brain farts kept that from happening….so I offer it today…better late than never….

The US fought a war many years ago and basically to rid ourselves of the monarchy and ever since we have climbed up their butts.  Look at the royal weddings…nothing could be more boring but we Americans eat it up all the pomp and ceremony…..it is kinda disgusting.

The English royals are from the House of Windsor…..but did you know that is only about 100 years old….actually they are descendants of a German line.

Say huh?

That is correct until 1917 then the name change……to House of Windsor.

On 18July1917 the English papers carried the proclamation that the English monarchy would from that day forward be known as the House of Windsor.

Since the marriage of Victoria – the last of the Hanovers – to Prince Albert, Britain’s royal family had been “of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha”, or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. In a time of brutal war with Germany, a more German family name would be hard to find.

After three long years of World War I, anti-German feeling had approached fever pitch, fuelled by wild tales of alleged German atrocities.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6904531.stm

File this away for if you play Trivial Pursuit or a form of Bar Trivia then you could have the winning answer right here on IST.

Turn The Page!

What’s Going On in Saudi?

For over 50 years the US has been trying to convince the people that Saudi and yet the more we dump cash and supplies into the country the less good we do….civil rights suck, dissent is being eliminated and all the while the US keeps letting the Saudis get away with murder (in more ways than one)…..

Recently the House of Saud had a shake up eliminating one prince in favor of another……so what is the long game being played by the Saudis?

Activists say authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested at least 40 people—including clerics, scholars, and political commentators—in the past week, the Wall Street Journal reports. Saudi authorities, who won’t name or quantify the arrested, say they were working against the government on behalf of foreign powers, according to the New York Times, which adds a poet, journalist, and prince to the tally of arrested individuals. An unidentified Saudi official says the arrested were receiving funding from two foreign countries. And authorities say many of them have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned in Saudi Arabia. They say the arrested were in the early stages of planning a coup against the government.

But critics of the government don’t believe that to be the case, with rights groups characterizing the arrests as a “coordinated crackdown on dissent,” Al Jazeera reports. They say it’s possibly a result of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman consolidating power as he prepares to take over. Bin Salman became heir to the throne in June, and Amnesty International says things have “deteriorated” since then. “In recent years we cannot recall a week in which so many prominent Saudi Arabian figures have been targeted in such a short space of time,” says the Middle East director of campaigns for the organization. He says the message is clear: “Freedom of expression will not be tolerated” under the new ruler. In addition, many of the arrested had been critical of the Saudi government’s decision to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

There is a game afoot in the Arabian Peninsula….but so far it is difficult to see where these events are taking the monarchy.  One thing for sure….it will cost the US dearly.