Off With His Head!

To put things bluntly, no-one likes a Nazi. There's a sort of stigma attached there (and understandably so), one that links in quite a strong way to the massacre of millions of Jews, homosexuals and gypsies, as well as the general invasion of an entire continent. Not only that, but since these events are within living memory. And so, dressing up like a Nazi and strutting around - well, that's on a par with showing off your new heavy-Goth spouse to your devoutly catholic parents. Or something along those lines. And so to Prince Harry. Now you see, when you look back at my nicely structured argument, you can almost (almost, mind) sympathise with the action that's being taken against him after his rather overt dress sense at a party earlier this week. However, there are a few things people don't quite seem to understand. Now, I might disapprove of Harry as much as the next person, but I do feel somehow that there are a few things one should note:

• He's a twenty-year-old and it's the sort of thing you do.
• Especially if you're going to a party.
• Especially if the party is with your closest friends.
• Especially if the party is a fancy dress party.

You see? Doesn't the argument seem a little less balanced at that point? Well, let's go on a little further. Why not. Let's now imagine how we would feel if you woke up, wandered into your nearest newsagent, and saw headlines varying from ones which call you a Nazi, through ones which insult your father, ending up with a nice little one about how your girlfriend is going to dump you in a little over seven hours. And then you read through, and you discover that your friends have sold their stories (and part of their souls) to brainless tabloid reporters keen to suck all they can from the story, and that your father and your girlfriend are having their first (and last) argument via the medium of the Sun's headlines. And that's before they start dragging your deceased mother into the argument.

At what point does our critique of the aristocracy become a violation of personal privacy? How would you feel if all of that descended on you? Step back a few centuries. This would not only be considered treason, but there would be many, many heads rolling - and probably at Harry's behest. If the people of this country insist on stripping all the rights and powers of the monarchy, they could at least leave them alone once they've been reduced to the average person. Who in this country actually believes that Harry meant it offensively? Did he think he was making a political statement? Was he alerting the BNP to his presence, and somehow stating that he backs their points? Of course he wasn't! He slapped a swastika on his arm. It was funny. It was thought-provoking in some retracted, bizarre way. What it wasn't intended to be was offensive. And if it hadn't been plastered over the front covers of the press the next morning, it would have offended no-one.

Please - a message to the population of this country. Go get a life. Watch Big Brother if you really have to. Pointing and tutting at the royal family is a pretty laughable way of killing time. When he's good, no-one remembers (helping send off Tsunami aid, anyone?) - when he's bad, no-one forgets.