FOR years, I defended my affection for the Royal family with a quote from the dark comedy Harold and Maude. The spunky octogenarian Maude explains her late-in-life mellowing to her troubled young friend Harold: ‘I don’t believe in monarchy’ she says, ‘but I miss the Kings and Queens.’
The more we tell a story, the deeper it gets embedded in our memory. A few years ago I watched the film again and discovered that’s not what Maude said. Curious about her fiery youth, Harold asks ‘What were you fighting for?’ Maude replies: ‘Oh, big issues: Liberty, Rights, Justice. Kings died. Kingdoms fell. I don’t regret the kingdoms, but I miss
