Oath of allegiance , Québec solidaire find a way out.(sort of).

I like to think that I am not a mean spirited person. So. Happy Birthday to Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor in his capacity of a fellow citizen.

However I don't think I can extend it to  His Royal Highness Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales, KG, KT, GCB, OM, AK, QSO, CC, PC, ADC, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland

In December 2004,  Leanne Wood was the first Assembly Member to be ordered out of the chamber, after referring to the Queenas "Mrs Windsor" during a debate. Lord Elis-Thomas, then  a fellow Plaid Cymru AM and the Presiding Officer, asked Wood to withdraw the remark on the grounds of discourtesy. When Wood refused, she was ordered to leave^] She later said: "I don't recognise the Queen ... I don't think I was treated fairly, I don't think it was necessary. I called her that because that's her name."

Some Democracy we live in.

It would be nice if he was the last to use these titles and the monarchy ends with the death of his mother.

It is not going to however and we Republicans whether Welsh or Unionists are faced with a constant denial of our democratic right to say so in our various legislator, by being forced to swear allegiance to not only the current monarch but her heirs and successors.

Except of course Northern Ireland  I wonder why that is?

The current standard oath of allegiance is set out from the Promissory Oaths Act 1868 in the following form:

I, (Insert full name), do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.

 It is frankly humiliating and against our human rights to be forced to swear  an oath of allegiance  to an institution you wish to see an end of and to and state that you are somehow not an equal citizen n but a subject.

The same oath is taken in Canada but our friends in Quebec have come up with at least a less humiliating  solution.

It is reported that 

"Québec solidaire decided to turn its official swearing-in ceremony at the National Assembly on Wednesday into a political event by snubbing both the Queen and the Canadian flag.In a highly unusual move, the 10 newly elected QS candidates opted to be sworn in behind closed doors — thus avoiding having to pledge allegiance to Queen Elizabeth before supporters and cameras.
There is also a second oath, which is to the Quebec people. Both are required by law before they can sit as MNAs.
“We did it in private to spare you, dear friends, having to see us take the oath of allegiance to the Queen, an archaic and frankly disagreeable ritual,” QS co-spokesperson Manon Massé said stepping out from behind the throne in the historic Red Room of the legislature.

The party also had the Canadian flag removed for its ceremony. It was present Monday and Tuesday when the Liberal and Coalition Avenir Québec MNAs took their oaths of office.
While unusual, it’s all legal, National Assembly Secretary General Michel Bonsaint told reporters later. MNAs have been sworn into office in private in the past, he said, but it is the first time a whole caucus has made such a request.
“It’s their choice,” said Bonsaint.
But not even Parti Québécois MNAs went as far as the QS did. The PQ has always argued even if they want to remove Quebec from Canada, they need to be in office to make it happen so they have to take the oath.
There have been incidents were the oath was taken with preamble stating what they really think of the monarchy but the furthest the PQ went on the issue was in 2012 when then PQ leader Pauline Marois had her new cabinet do it in the anteroom before the ceremony.
“Listen, pledging allegiance to the Queen, in 2018, is not serious,” Massé told reporters later at a news conference when asked if their oath was legitimate given their attitude.
“We played the game because that’s what this is, a big game but we had to swear the oath. For us the real oath is the one to the people of Quebec.”
She insisted the oath is legal because the National Assembly agreed to proceed this way after a series of negotiations.
“It’s not about the Queen, it’s about the monarchy,” Massé said. “You know we are a party which believes in independence.
“It was very important to make the oath to the people of Quebec. The rest was not necessary. I think Quebec solidaire is different and will be different forever.”
Rumours QS would not play by the usual rules started circulating in the halls about a week ago with talk of them altering the oath.
They did not do that but QS intends to present a bill which would abolish the oath. With only 10 MNAs, it is unlikely to be adopted.
QS, however, insists Quebec can proceed with such legislation inside the federation.
QS MNAs defended their actions after.
“The lie would be to say something in public, which we don’t believe,” said the newly elected QS MNA for Rosemont, Vincent Marissal. “Go ask the 74 MNAs of the CAQ who say they are nationalists how they feel pledging allegiance to the Quebec who is, in my view, a relic from another era.”
“We are in 2018. Pledging allegiance to the Queen makes no sense,” added QS co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. “Even Australia, a Commonwealth country, has withdrawn this oath.
“They did it, so can we. We are not going to pretend we are fans of the monarchy. We are against the monarchy. We find it is an old institution which is outdated. We want Quebec to free itself of this system which is out of date and anti-democratic.
“This said, we were elected to sit so we conformed to the ritual even if in our hearts we know the monarchy is an institution we want to get rid of.”
The other MNAs sworn in this week — 29 Liberals and 74 from the Coalition Avenir Québec — all took both oaths in public.
The Canadian flag, which has a permanent home in the Red Room, was present for their ceremony".

The interesting thing is Quebec  Solidaire  did this as a caucus , I wonder if given the same opportunity Paid AM's and SNP  MSP  would do the same.