International Monarchist League, Los Angeles Chapter

Welcome Message

Welcome to the official webpage of the Los Angeles Chapter of the International Monarchist League! While the presence of a group of passionate, devoted Monarchists in a city known better for its sports teams and celebrity drug scandals may seem at first glance a tad incongruous, it really should surprise no one that interest in and commitment to the cause of Monarchy is indeed quite strong in the City of Angels. This fact is owed to several reasons, not least of which is found in Los Angeles’ origins as a tiny pueblo founded and built upon royal Spanish land, the beneficiary of considerable royal favour, patronage, and largesse for the first century of its existence. Additionally, the Los Angeles metropolitan area is home to large numbers of people from various expatriate communities, many who voluntarily relocated to this sunny megalopolis, but many more who are here as political and cultural refugees from their homelands.

The fact that Monarchy is a form of government more democratically representative than those that owe their existence to mere party politics is demonstrated by the union of common efforts of monarchists of every stripe and from all over the world. Where else on earth and in support of what other cause can one find Russians, Iranians, British, Canadians, Ethiopians, Rwandans, Spanish, Belgians, Japanese, Norwegians, Jordanians, Bulgarians, Italians, Vietnamese, Swedish, Dutch, Australians, Basotho, Thai, and a whole host of others all united in common purpose? It is all these disparate groups to whom the Monarchist League seeks to give unity and voice.

Please take a moment to explore our website. Our Resources page is currently under construction. When finished it will be an invaluable source of practical information on Monarchy, including articles and essays, a debate forum, statistics, and links to other Monarchy-related web resources. In the meantime, I heartily recommend Charles Coulombe’s bracing essays Monarchists in America? and Why I Am a Monarchist. For those already convinced of the Monarchist cause I invite you to consider membership in the International Monarchist League and in our local chapter. And for those still unsure as to the value and validity of Monarchy in today’s world I encourage you to contact us or, better still, attend one of our events and learn for yourself why Monarchy is simply better.

Yours aye,

J. Anthony McAlister

President

International Monarchist League

Los Angeles Chapter

CHAPTER WEBSITE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED

On Tuesday, 18 January the Los Angeles Chapter of the International Monarchist League unveiled its official website. Following the successful acquisition of a unique domain name (MonarchistLeagueLA.org) chapter officers immediately began crafting a website that will serve both as an online portal for current League members as well as a learning resource for those interested in learning more about Monarchy. Royal news and links to other monarchist organisations will also be featured.

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Chapter News & Announcements

RAFE HEYDEL-MANKOO APPOINTED PROTOCOL ADVISOR

The Board of Trustees of the International Monarchist League, Los Angeles Chapter is pleased to announce the appointment of historian and royal commentator Rafe Heydel-Mankoo as the Chapter's first Protocol Advisor. Mr. Heydel-Mankoo is an expert on heraldry and the British honours system. He is also an editor of Burke's Peerage & Gentry. He holds a B.A.(Hons) and an LL.B. from the University of Ottawa as well as an M.A. in history from the University of Toronto. His blog may be found at Reflections of a Young Fogey. (Read his full bio here.)

As Protocol Advisor, Mr. Heydel-Mankoo's duties will largely consist of providing guidance to the Los Angeles Chapter in matters of royal protocol and formal etiquette. He will also assist in the drafting of language for various letters and formal announcements issued by the Chapter.

International Monarchist League, Los Angeles Chapter

Grand Birthday Celebration for The Queen

Friday, 10 June 2011, 7.15 pm

Crystal Restaurant & Ballroom, West Hollywood

Join us as we celebrate the 85th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with a grand ball! Reservations required. Details here.

LETTER OF CONDOLENCE TO HIH EMPRESS FARAH PAHLAVI OF IRAN

On Tuesday, 11 January 2011, the officers of the Los Angeles Chapter of the International Monarchist League sent to Her Imperial Majesty Empress Farah Pahlavi a letter of condolence following the death of her son, Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi, who died on 2 January in Boston, Massachusetts. A copy of the letter can be found in our Press Briefing Room. For the latest news from the Iranian Imperial Family in exile we invite you to visit the official website of HIH Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.

For the full text of press releases and other important announcements please visit our Press Briefing Room.

FIRST ANNUAL COMMEMORATION OF KING CHARLES THE MARTYR HELD IN LOS ANGELES

On Saturday, 29 January, the Los Angeles Chapter of the International Monarchist League held a service of solemn evensong in commemoration of the Regicide of King Charles I. The service and reception were held at St. Mary of the Angels Church in Los Feliz. It was attended by members and supporters of the Monarchist League as well as representatives of other groups, including several members of the Russian Imperial Union Order. Our guest of honour for the evening was Capt. Stuart Bird-Wilson TD, chairman of the Golden Jubilee Chapter of the Royal Society of St. George.

The catered reception included Loyal Toasts to the President of the United States and to Her Majesty The Queen as well as brief remarks by Capt. Bird-Wilson and Monarchist League Grand Council member Charles Coulombe on the importance and necessity of orgnanisations such as ours. You can find downloads of the service book and sermon as well as photos from the event here.

MONARCHISTS WIN OXFORD DEBATE

Our own Charles A. Coulombe, Western U.S. Delegate of the Monarchist League, was one of a team of three other prominent monarchists who won a recent debate on the Monarchy at the Oxford Union. The 3 February debate on the question "This House would abolish the Monarchy" was the latest in the Union's well-known debate series which began in 1823. The team arguing against the proposition and in favour of the Monarchy consisted of Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, Count Nikolai Tolstoy (chancellor of the Monarchist League), actor/comedian & Cambridge undergraduate Ahir Shah, and Mr. Coulombe. Those arguing to abolish the Monarchy included Graham Smith, campaign manager for Republic, and Louise Christian, a lawyer and former Socialist Alliance candidate for Parliament. The pro-Monarchy side won handily with the measure being defeated in a final vote of 110 to 270. Full audio of the debate will be posted here as soon as it is made available.

CHARLES COULOMBE NAMED ROY GREEN SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE

The Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Chapter of the International Monarchist League have named Western U.S. Delegate Charles Coulombe as the Chapter's Roy Green Scholar-in-Residence. The scholarship, named in honour of the Chapter's late former head, was created in recognition of Mr. Coulombe's nearly two decades of service to the Monarchist League and for his tireless contributions to the advancement of the understanding of the theory and history of Monarchy as an institution.

Mr. Coulombe, who has served as a delegate of the League's Grand Council since 1993, has established a reputation as one of America's foremost and most knowledgeable monarchists. An historian by training, Mr. Coulombe has authored numerous articles and essays on Monarchy and has been invited to lecture and speak throughout the United States and Europe. In February, he took part in a formal debate on the Monarchy at the Oxford Union. "We are quite fortunate to have him and to have him on our side!", said Chapter President J. Anthony McAlister.

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN FORUM ON MONARCHY

On Tuesday, 1 March 2011, students from the Torrey Honors Institute of Biola University in La Mirada, California participated in an informal, town hall-style forum on the relevance of Monarchy in the 21st century. The event was organised by Biola faculty member and Los Angeles Chapter Vice President Dr. Robert Llizo and was recorded as part of the BBC World Service documentary For King or Country? A group of eight honors students, which included four men and four women ranging in ages from 19 to 25, were selected by school officials from among dozens more who requested to participate.

While most of those who participated identified themselves as pro-Monarcy, two identified themselves as ambivalent towards Monarchy while only one self-identified as a republican. The discussion lasted for nearly an hour and a half though only a few minutes will be able to be used in the half-hour long programme. Full audio of the complete discussion will be posted to this website once it is made available by the BBC. You can read more on this event courtesy of the Biola University student newspaper.

MONARCHISTS TO BE FEATURED IN BBC DOCUMENTARY

From 26 February to 4 March monarchists from throughout Southern California, including several members of the Monarchist League's L.A. Chapter, were invited to participate in the making of a radio documentary for the BBC World Service entitled For King or Country. The two-part series, which is set to begin Tuesday, 29 March, is the BBC's latest exploration of the relevance of Monarchy in the 21st century. The first episode will present the case against Monarchy from a Swedish perspective. The second installment, presented by Chapter president J. Anthony McAlister, will offer a rebuttal in defence of Monarchy from an American perspective.

Part two of For King or Country will be broadcast on Tuesday, 5 April (broadcast times here). The live broadcast may be heard via shortwave as well as the BBC World Service live stream. An archive version of the programme will also be available on the World Service website.

DEFENDING PRINCE ANDREW; CONDOLENCES SENT TO JAPANESE EMPEROR

On Friday, 18 March the Trustees of the International Monarchist League, Los Angeles Chapter issued a letter of support for HRH Prince Andrew. The statement was in response to repeated insinuations made about His Royal Highness in the tabloid media during recent weeks. The members of the Los Angeles Chapter felt it prudent to try to counter some of the highly prejudicial and unsubstantiated information circulated in certain quarters of the press.

On that day the Board of Trustees also sent a letter of condolence to HIM Emperor Akihito of Japan following that country's devastating earthquake and tsunami on 11 March. In the letter, the officers and members of the Los Angeles Chapter express their heartfelt condolences and commitment to assisting monetarily in the ongoing international relief efforts. You can find both letters in our website's Press Briefing Room.

Hear Us on the BBC!

In February 2011, Chapter President J. Anthony McAlister was invited by the BBC World Service to present the second installment of a radio documentary exploring the benefits of Monarchy.

For King or Country, Part 2 was first broadcast on 5 April 2011 to an international audience of millions. You can listen to the programme here on our website or download it via iTunes or the BBC Documentary Archive.

King Carlos III of Spain

Los Angeles' Royal Founder