Big shout-out for the Jubilee event

The coverage of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was like watching propaganda from North Korea. The uniformity of the stupidity and sycophancy within the coverage was nauseating.

Every presenter was falling over themselves to proclaim the country’s admiration for the monarch.

This discounted the substantial minority who think it would be better to elect a head of state rather then have a relic of feudal times imposed upon us.

The Queen, rather than symbolise a 21st century positive version of Britain, represents the very worst elements of the past.

She is a symbol of the landed aristocracy, inherited wealth, privilege and the rigid class system.

The Jubilee celebrations were cringe-worthy and an embarrassment, and show this country’s proclivity for looking backward and not forward.The Saxe-Coburg-Gotha family are an extravagance that the taxpayer can no longer afford.

ALAN HINNRICHS

Gillespie Tce Dundee

One need not be a rampant royalist to find offensive the ill-judged and unpleasant bellicosity of Paul Whitelaw (Your report, Jubilee what’s on, 2 June). Everything is wrong with the Jubilee apparently: the Queen is nothing but a reason for holidays; there is no point to Nicholas Witchell; Huw Edwards speaks too softly for Paul’s liking; the flotilla is much too long and not nearly funny enough for this misanthrope; Gary Barlow is a self-publicist and even that most inoffensive of TV presenters, Alan Titchmarsh, is apparently not bright enough and respects royalty far too much for Paul’s liking.

To cap it all we have to endure the misery of a concert with contributions from the top international musical stars of the past 50 years and

Perhaps Paul Whitelaw needs to sense the mood of the moment more accurately or take up a career where rushing into print when you have nothing to say is not part of the job description.

Bruce D Skivington

Strath Gairloch, Wester Ross

I WAS a 15 year old telegram boy when King George VIth died. I remember well the sadness on people’s faces as I cycled around Glasgow doors with my yellow envelopes.

The man who had stood with us through the war years was gone. There was however real optimism when the new young Queen came home in haste from her holiday in Africa.Yet the optimism and the hope were rather quickly dispersed.

It was to be confirmed once again that Scotland was regarded by the Westminster establishment as a wholly submerged nation.

Insult was added to injury when the young Queen came to Scotland to receive our honours and crown jewels. She did so standing in casual clothes with a handbag in her hand.

The sense of hurt was almost overpowering. It remains with me to this day.

Alan Clayton

Leters Way Strachur