Bob Edlin: Epstein files, duty and service to the public ......

Epstein files, duty and service to the public – a British monarch and an American president have very different approaches

Simon Louisson, a Wellington journalist who briefly was a political and media adviser to the Green Party, has been prompted by the arrest of Prince Andrew on suspicion of misconduct in public office to press for overhauling our constitutional arrangements.

In a letter to the editor of The Post today, he has expressed an opinion that will be shared by many:

Ross Meurant: What is Sovereignty? What is Monarch?

Recent television coverage of the crowning of the Queen of Tainui, devoid as it was of rantings by pseudo radical Māori leaders who plagued earlier television coverage of the farewell to the deceased King, was refreshing.

Yet, within a short passage of time beyond the boundaries of the Royal Palace, utterances by self-assessed “influencers”, repeatedly referred to the new Queen as, Sovereign and Monarch.

Lushington D. Brady: Coronation vs Welcome to Country

Is there a better argument for a monarchy than Republicans?

Back in 1999, I voted “Yes” in the Australian Republican referendum. In hindsight, I’m glad I was wrong and so many more of my fellow citizens were wiser than I was, back then. In the years since, I’ve come to realise the peculiar wisdom of Australia’s (and Canada’s, and New Zealand’s) constitutional monarchy. Where, as Mark Steyn said, ultimate power is vested in someone not only without real power, but physically absent most of the time.

NZCPR Newsletter: Questions Over Our Future

The outpouring of emotion over the death of Queen Elizabeth II came as a surprise to many. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets in Scotland and England in tribute, as they witnessed the magnificent pageantry of the meticulously planned transfer of Queen Elizabeth from her Balmoral sanctuary to her final resting place in Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel, next to her beloved husband, Prince Philip.

Over a quarter of a million people queued for up to 30 hours to pay their respects to the Queen as she lay in State in Westminster Hall. More than four billion watched her funeral, televised live around the world.

Mike Hosking: The Queen is a brilliant symbol of dedication and loyalty

I love the Queen. She might be the greatest representative of most of our lifetimes in terms of dedication, consistency, and loyalty.

She has, whether you are a republican or a monarchist, shown a set of moral and professional credentials that are sadly too scarce these days.

Her life has been dedicated to service. She had no choice; she was born into it.

The celebrations this week to mark the 70th are an indication of a couple of things.

Firstly, we will not see her like again. 70 years is a trick of fate. You need to get to the throne awfully young and live awfully long to mark 70 years. Charles won't, William won't, and Lord knows what happens to the monarchy after that.

Point of Order: UK newspaper raises questions (of particular concern to NZ) about the future of the Commonwealth

How long will the Commonwealth survive? It’s a question that hasn’t aroused much attention in New Zealand, but – along with the whole relationship with the monarchy – it could become a major issue.

Commonwealth membership and the role of the monarch have a special importance for this country, because the Crown is at the centre of this country’s constitutional arrangements.

So we can’t say we haven‘t been warned when the headline on a feature in The Guardian in London asks:

After that disastrous royal tour, is the sun finally setting on the Commonwealth realms?

Chris Trotter: A Matter of Time: Reflections Of A Waning Republican

I’m a Republican. At least, I used to be. Now, I’m not so sure. And, yes, this reassessment is, indeed, the result of the just completed visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George.

So, what has changed? What’s become of that young university debater who, way back in 1981, when the royalist team called for “Three cheers for Her Majesty, the Queen!” leapt to his feet and called for “Three cheers for Oliver Cromwell!”?

The answer, I’m afraid, is “Time”.