Radicalisms, populisms, extremisms

King Felipe VI, in his annual speech from this palace that infuriates so many, made "an appeal" to preserve"democratic coexistence"in the face of "extremism, radicalism, and populism." Felipe's voice, by the way, is high-pitched and delicate, like Franco's. Very different from Juan Carlos's nasal, snoring tone. If the monarchy weren't a bastion of machismo, this speech would be given by the Queen, who is far more adept at reading the teleprompter as if she weren't, and has a pleasant and, above all, convincing voice.

It's perfectly understandable that she would warn the good man about extremism and radicalism. Extremism and radicalism are what, in the history of old Europe, have severed several monarchs' heads (without the crown on, of course) by the traditional method of the guillotine, which apparently cuts more than those professional knives you were given to cook with. What I mean by this is that only if you are an extremist and a radical do you get a thrill from seeing heads roll, literally.

Now, for him, of all people, to be the one warning about populism is slightly cynical. What is the monarchy if not a blatant case of populism? What is the monarchy if not extreme populism? To survive, the monarchy must avoid extremism, which would replace it with a democratic system of elections that didn't rely on birthright. But it must also feed the people with the full force of populism to gain their aspirational acceptance. Presenting themselves to their subjects as superior beings, showing the heirs to the throne, from a young age, groomed, waxed, dressed, and made up to make them attractive and relatable. Now they don't wear crowns, but tiaras, and they replace carriages with cars and private planes. They don't have tutors, but elite schools. Without populism, there is no monarchy.