Winston Churchill was absent when King George VI opened a new session of Parliament last week. When the King read his seventh opening address from the throne, he wore a naval uniform, sported a visored admiral's cap where his glittering crown should have been. The normal pageantry, usually a richly costumed charade suggesting Britain's history of kings and the common man's long fight for democratic self-government, was stripped to three essentials. The indispensables were: 1) the symbol of democracy; 2) the symbol of wealth; 3) the symbol of the King's safety.
Democracy. Rights gained by toil and time permit the House of...
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