The annual British pageant is a reminder of how far England has fallen.
Trooping the Colour is an annual British event nominally performed around the time of the birthday of the reigning monarch. It has been a British custom since 1748 and was canceled only a handful of times: in 1926 due to a general strike, in 1948 due to weather, in 1955 due to a national rail strike, and during World War I and II. The multi-hour event shows the professionalism of the British military as well as the close relationship between the royal family and the British armed services. Several members of the immediate royal family, including the king, queen, Princess Anne, and Prince William, were dressed in military attire. As an American, I can neither remember the names of the various units present nor understand the order of events, however patiently the broadcaster explained what was happening; I don’t understand what people are shouting on the parade grounds. It is quite the spectacle and a reminder of when England was truly a military power.
But just like watching a great athlete at the twilight of his career or a dancer who can no longer achieve what once seemed so easy, the 2026 Trooping the Colour was a sad reminder that England is standing in the checkout lane. From the late 16th century until after World War II, England ruled the seas. She had an empire that spanned the globe. She was a leader in economic, military, and cultural realms. As late as the 1960s, the country that had Hong Kong in its portfolio and birthed the Concorde also produced the Beatles and James Bond. That was then, but it certainly is not now. This year’s event took place one week after the Defense Minister resigned due to a too-small budget. England contributed nothing to the Iran War, and its provision of weapons to Ukraine has helped to deplete its already low stocks.
Just as Moody’s can give an A- rating for a country’s financial well-being, I would argue that England is a First World Minus country, though if it keeps adding third-world faux asylum-seekers, it might officially join the third world. England has an outwardly modern appearance with all of the advanced goodies of the US. But it has become a nothing country. It is allowing itself to be overrun with illegal aliens and has put itself into an ideological straightjacket that allowed a young man being handcuffed as he was bleeding to death. His crime was being white in a country that loathes itself, its religion, its history, its accomplishments, and its continued existence. For every patriot like Tommy Robinson, there are three Keir Starmers who wish to will the United Kingdom out of existence. Starmer will not go gently into that good night, as apparently he is not good enough for Dancing With the Stars. The country that once sank the pride of the French fleet so that Hitler might not use its firepower wouldn’t know how to fight its way out of a British phone booth.
And that is the irony of the Trooping the Colour parade. It is rooted in an England that was a military power, one that could rule the waves and hold together an empire on which the sun never set. The big parade goes on as it did during England’s heyday, but the country is not what it once was. It is not a military power (it has a total of 288 tanks; China has over 6,000); it holds few overseas outposts; its economy of $4.26 trillion ranks fifth in the world, but would put it in fourth place after NVIDIA, Google, and Apple if it were a company. The vaunted British Royal Navy has a grand total of 63 ships, 25 of which are actually fighting vessels. Whom can the British fight? China? Russia? Maybe Congo. They have nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. On whom, pray tell, will they fire their Trident missiles? Again: Russia or China, who could send back 100-times the number of warheads? One cannot call a nuclear power a second-world country, but it certainly is no longer in the military ranks of the US or China. It has become the intolerant birthplace of the Magna Carta, a place where one might meet an officer of the law for the crime of expressing one's pro-British feelings on Facebook. England has many beautiful places, but so did Nazi Germany, so aesthetic beauty guarantees nothing.
One would like to root for England. They have a deep and appealing bench on the monarchy side. From the rubble of Charles and Diana have sprung William and Kate and their adorable children. William seems determined to make a well-functioning, modern monarchy that will be more than relevant in the decades to come. Even Charles seems much more personable than he was when he was an aloof youth and philandering prince. One of the strangest experiences I had involved a tour of Buckingham Palace. As the Queen was away, tours took place. We went through various rooms crammed with priceless art and treasures. I stood in amazement in the formal dining room with its Grand Service. Then we were in the background and gift shop. And then we were outside a back entrance and on the street. I somehow felt that there should be no limit to the Queen’s home. How does the palace have a back fence leading to a public space? I know that it sounds dumb, but at the moment, I felt that the Queen’s power and possession should extend without any noticeable end.
England definitely won the war but lost the peace. The country, post-World War II, lost its international possessions and also began the long decline in religiosity and international standing. The current version of the country seems to be hellbent on checking every woke box of climate change, trans, endless immigration, disinformation police, and internationalism (even wanting to cancel Brexit). The country will find itself left in the dust on AI, space commerce, military capabilities, wealth, and progress. The disease of England, the West, and the American left is that they have given up on all that made them great. It was their religious ethos and belief that their way was right that allowed them to accomplish so much. Show me an African country that was not a colonial property that today is better and more prosperous than South Africa and other countries that benefited from European knowledge and ways. Sure, it was not heaven to have Europeans take over the countries, but India, for example, being an up-and-coming power, has much to do with the lasting British impact on the country, as does any effort of the current Indian government.
The British left see the Church of England, the country’s colonial past, and its history of accomplishment as a net negative. It is due to this self-imposed guilt that it takes in millions of people who have no business being in such a gorgeous and still relatively advanced country. They want to atone for their past by destroying their future. If those arriving by boat really wanted to be English, as the Gerkhas who come to the British Army do, then the only issue would be that a proud, patriotic white England would become a proud, patriotic “brown” England in the future. But the people they bring want England to become Pakistan and London to be Lahore. The crime is on the British side, as successive Labor and Tory governments gave up on stopping the entry and forcing Britishness on newcomers. One sees parallels in the US with the 250th birthday of the nation. There are many proud Americans, but there are lots of lefties who see no good in the greatest country in the world. Let them live in Europe. They’ll realize how great the US truly is.
God save the King’s England.