[Christmas Dynasnow]

The celebrations of the Coronation are an expression of all these harmless
hopes. The ceremony itself is, as a matter of fact, only a small part of what
will make us happy on Coronation Day. The real cause for rejoicing is that,
despite all our problems in Britain, we live in a reasonably prosperous,
reasonably peaceful society.

If you sometimes feel depressed about the state of the nation, imagine being
an American, who will likely have to choose between a dodderer and an old
crook at their next presidential election. Imagine being in Putin’s Russia, or
Macron’s faction-torn France. Think of the countries of the Middle East; think
of Sudan.

The British have much to be thankful for. Without quite spelling out what
those things are, they will be mysteriously expressed, not only by the
Coronation ceremonies we watch on our tellies, but in the street parties,
family get-togethers and jolly noises coming from pubs. Vivat! Vivat!