2 minute read
Letter to the Editor
from January 2023
By R.C. Tino Bella*
Dear Editor, Re: “Legal Anecdotes and Miscellanea” (2022) 80 Advocate 925
I have just finished perusing (and reading in full) some articles in the November 2022 edition of the Advocate, and two things arose or hit me:
1.There has been a strange death of the Grumble column sometime after the publication of the March 2022 edition and the publication of the November 2022 edition. Pray tell, why is that?; and 2.I just wanted to thank you so very much for your wonderful and at times humourous and entertaining column on the demise of the Crown in this latest edition.
In order for David Roberts, K.C., to now be a subject of his “fifth” monarch, he would have had to have been born on or before 12:25 a.m. Greenwich time, January 21, 1936. Mind you his “first monarch”, His Majesty King George V, died at Sandringham, and I believe his practice was to always have the clocks at Sandringham posted one half hour later so that people would always arrive on time or even ahead of time, as he loved punctuality. Therefore, when his biographers track that as the moment of his death, they may be relying on the remembrances of those present at the old King’s death, and their notations may have been based on “Sandringham” time, which would have made the moment of the old King’s death actually 11:55 p.m. Greenwich time and thus the previous day of January 20, 1936.
Mr. Roberts’s second monarch, His Majesty King Edward VI, very much detested this adjustment of
* Letters to the editor may be e-mailed to <mbain@the-advocate.ca>. Letters published do not necessarily reflect the views of the Advocate or its staff. We encourage a diversity of voices and views in our pages.
the clocks by his father, and one of the first things he ordered done was for that practice to cease. To my knowledge, neither Mr. Roberts’s third monarch, His Majesty King George VI, nor his fourth monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, reverted back to the old King’s practice in this regard. Although I do think that our new King, His Majesty King Charles III, in many ways resembles in character and in habits those of his great-grandfather, I would doubt he would engage and replicate this particular odd practice. But that is not to say, and with all due respect and reverence, that he may not adopt others.
Best regards, Michael D. Donison
The only explanation we have for a lack of Grumbles is that we are obviously not writing or printing as many offensive things as we used to. No matter what he does with the clocks, King Charles will most likely not reign as long as his mother did. – Ed.
We are a well-respected, long established law firm in Nanaimo, BC. We have occupied the same location since 1973 and have a large and loyal clientele. We are looking for a family law practitioner or practitioners to join our team. The ideal candidate(s) would have an established practice and be interested in growing it and supplementing it with referrals. We would also consider candidates who do not yet have established practices, but are intent on growing one. We offer a modern, well designed office building which contains a boardroom and newly renovated kitchen/lounge. All IT infrastructure is in place. The atmosphere is collegial and co-operative.
