Why do the royals still lord it over us?
Two books on how they keep their palaces and privilege. And a satire on losing it!
Image by Iris,Helen,Silvy / Pixabay
This Week Those Books is chock-full of crucial context — from fiction and non-fiction — to the shouty, doomscroll news cycle.
Go to this link for a quick read
The Big Story:
- In Europe, the institution is in the spotlight, with emails, texts and photos linking royal figures to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
- In Nepal, which goes to the polls just months after Gen Z-led turbulence brought down the government, some royalists are calling for the return of a king dethroned nearly 20 years ago.
- In Iran, there are scattered chants for US-based Reza Pahlavi, son of the autocratic last Shah who was forced to flee the country in 1979.
- In Ghana, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, traditional king of the Asante (or Ashanti) people, has reigned since 1999 as the venerated spiritual and cultural heir to a 400-year kingdom.
- Morocco’s King Mohammed VI marked 26 years on the throne last year with a nod to data that showed falling poverty.
This Week’s Books:
- Two reads on the great conundrum: How do royal families survive?
- A rollicking satire on what can happen if they’re forced to live like us.
Originally published at Medium.com
