LOL! This is an amusing (and true) post about which of your childhood heroes are monarchists. The tragedy of growing up British and left wing is realizing all your beloved childhood animals in waistcoats were monarchists to the core. And yes, that sadly includes Paddington Bear…
As an American this post fascinates me.
My two cents are that Narnia is kind of a theocracy/monarchy — the kings and queens are still subjects of Aslan, who — with apologies to non-Christian readers — is clearly a Christ figure. Redwall is also a theocracy — it’s unclear which god governs them (my guess is Nature personified) but Redwall is literally a monastery. Salamandastron (also from the Redwall books) is probably the most benevolent of military dictatorships.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is an anarchist and probably a communist, but again, a benevolent one — if he becomes leader of his little colony of underground beasts, it’s by virtue of his providing the food instead of collecting it from the providers and portioning it back out. And the possum wasn’t in the book; only British animals were.
The rest of them I don’t know about, by virtue of not knowing enough about British politics and/or how they influence children’s literature.
Rupert is a TOTAL monarchist!
No debate, he first appeared in the Daily Express in 1920.
Winnie the Pooh is actually pretty dark. The story is based on a real bear that was living in a zoo but HAD been a living mascot for a Canadian military unit. (Winnie comes from the supposed hometown of members of the unit- Winnepeg).
So, a Commonwealth Bear, but not British which leans towards monarchist on the surface. BUT post-war, Winnie was left behind in England and turned into a caged tourist attraction… combine being a bear during a war and then being caged… pretty such Winnie would happily help tear down the monarchy if he ever stopped dissociating/sobered up from his honey high long enough to see his reality clearly.
Hi Stevie,
Winnie the Pooh and friends are based on the author’s plush toys, which I believe are in a museum in New York at the moment. The Hundred Acre Wood is based on Ashbourne Forest. No military, except for Pooh’s cork popgun.
See, what’s going on here is they support the fictional version of the monarch, who doesn’t really do anything except be a figurehead and drink tea in a sparkly hat. That said, I disagree strongly on the Redwall one. Two of the Redwall books were explicitly analogues for how shittily the English treated Ireland and Scotland, every single book is about fighting back against colonisers, and anyone who actually calls themself a King or Queen is an antagonist – Bucko Bigbones has his face-heel turn when he gives up the crown.
*I mean heel-face turn