11 January 2018

VIVAT REX (1)

Today, a little more on Professor Peter Geach, Balliol College, distinguished Catholic philosopher and husband of the equally distinguished Elizabeth Anscombe (see post of December 21). Readers will recall that 1937 was a time when the Abdication crisis had put the institution of the Monarchy under considerable pressure, and a charismatic and popular 'modern' (i.e. e.g. pro-Nazi) king had been replaced by a younger brother whose startling lack of glamour was exceeded only by the courage and resolution he was to display in the unwanted role of kingship during a difficult war ... a damn' close run thing. But, in 1937, the virtues of 'Stuttering Bertie' still awaited future demonstration.

"Fifty Oxford undergraduates championed a lost cause when, on January 31, they proclaimed Rupprecht, ex-Crown Prince of Bavaria, legitimate heir to the throne of Britain' as descendant of the Stuarts."

The proclamation was read at the Martyr's Memorial. The undergraduates did not even Anglicise the new 'king's' name to the Stuart 'Rupert' - who was a member of St John's College and who led the German forces against Britain on the Western Front. ... The proclamation sneered at the House of Windsor for failing to defend "the dignity of the crown and the liberties of the people". The ceremony lasted but a few minutes. "The undergraduates, wearing in their button-holes the white rose of the 'Legitimist' clique, raised a cheer. Mr Peter Geach, 21-year-old scholar of Balliol College, who made the proclamation ... stressed the 'loyalty' of Balliol. 'There are many in Oxford', he said, 'who would be willing to fight for the Stuarts'. ... He said the Jacobites would take no part in the Coronation celebrations ...".

Another newspaper added the information that "should former Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria become king of England, the only reward Peter Geach plans to ask is 'the right to lead a quiet academic life' ... Geach, who wore his scholar's gown when he made the proclamation, continues to peer through his horn-rimmed spectacles at the Latin and Greek tomes on which he must stand examination [Honour Moderations in Litterae Humaniores, aka 'Mods'] this spring. ... slender for his six foot height, Geach comes from Cardiff, Wales, and is of Cornish descent ..." This account is headed by a photograph of Geach waving his academic cap.
To be continued and concluded tomorrow.

5 comments:

Woody said...

Thank you Father for this reminder of Peter Geach and his attachment to generalfeldmarschal Kronprinz Rupprecht, who, the online sources say, was not only a very able military commander and opponent of the Nazis, but also very popular throughout his life. In addition to the helpful Wikipedia article one may consult this shorter version at the Mad Monarchist: http://madmonarchist.blogspot.com/2009/09/battlefield-royal-crown-prince.html?m=1

RichardT said...

50 undergraduates must have been quite a lot in 1937. I would guess 1 or 2% of the total? Far from a majority, but a high proportion to turn out for something like that.

A Daughter of Mary said...

thank you, Father, for your informative and entertaining posts. While many of your posts are serious I really appreciate your lighter offerings. Dismal world sometimes but there are moments of cheer here.

Bill Murphy said...

Thanks very much, Father, for this wonderful footnote to Royal and Oxford histories. The Kronprinz Rupprecht seems to have been an honourable and admirable man. Thanks to him, I have been able to visit the wonderful palaces of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof, which were of course constructed by a slightly earlier Wittelsbach. To quote from his Wiki entry:

"While never crowned king, he did become the head of the House of Wittelsbach after his father's death. He formed the Wittelsbacher Ausgleichfond in 1923, which was an agreement with the state of Bavaria leaving the most important of the Wittelsbach palaces, like Neuschwanstein and Linderhof, to the Bavarian people".

He is entombed in a suitably splendid Munich church, the Theatinerkirche:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatine_Church,_Munich

Arthur Gallagher said...

I thought that I had left a strong defense of the Duke of Windsor here. Perhaps the computer failed me. Yet I really must say that "stuttering Bertie" was acceptable to the establishment because he was willing to be pliant. The policy has been continued during the current reign.