KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OUR CROWN!
ADRESSING a meeting in the House of Lords hosted by Former Ulster Unionist Leader Lord Molyneaux of Killead K.B.E. on 21st April, Philip Benwell M.B.E., National Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League and author of In Defence of Australia’s Constitutional Monarchy said
“The Crown of the United Kingdom belongs not just to Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but also to the other fifteen Commonwealth Realms. The Australian States are united ‘in one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown of the United Kingdom …’. To subject the Queen and the Crown to an authority, such as the European Constitution, which is totally alien to the other realms, goes against the spirit and intent of the Statute of Westminster of 1931”.
“The Statute of Westminster specifies that the ‘British Commonwealth of Nations’ is united by a common allegiance to the Crown and in formally recognising the sovereignty and independence of those nations prohibits the British Parliament from legislating on any matter which will subject the Crown to any authority, save that of the people of the Commonwealth Realms in their respective jurisdictions.”
”Although I believe that the Treaties of [European] Union are wiping away a thousand years of constitutional and common law and tradition, and are totally repugnant to everything that Britain once meant, this is a matter for the people of the United Kingdom to decide upon.”
“However” Mr Benwell continued, “the European Constitution is a very different matter and neither the British Parliament nor the British people have any right whatsoever to do anything which may have even the potential to slightly affect the Crown and consequently endanger the constitutions of the other Commonwealth Realms.”
“In 1999, the people of Australia, after a long and bitter campaign opted to retain our constitutional monarchy by an overwhelming majority, far in excess of that attained by any mere political party. It would be totally unjust if, through the actions of the British people, the Crown we all share was undermined and our own constitution accordingly weakened”.
To obtain a copy of Mr Benwell’s Address on the European Constitution please contact the Australian Monarchist League, P.O. Box 1068, Double Bay 1360, Australia or e-mail: secretary@monarchist.org.au
