Royal Wedding

Of course we are peasants. Who do you think immigrated to the New World? The European aristocracy? A cross-section of Euro society? No. Peasants from Ireland. From Italy. From Germany and Poland and Greece and Norway and Sweden and even a few from Great Britain. Our peasant ancestors had no land and no prospects in a rigid European caste system. That is why they came here. If you learn nothing else about us 1776ers, know that we are descendants of peasants and before that, serfs. It explains so much: our attitudes toward sex, our work ethic, our eating habits, the fact that we are master builders and tinkerers and inventors.
Sorry to go on a rant, but I'm always amazed that people on the other side of the pond don't understand this about us.

Of course we understand but the point is, do you forgive us? Anyway I thought that most of you went there to escape religious persecution or famine. Well at least you are now free to worship whichever Gods you prefer and judging by the Americans we see over here, famine is the least of their worries!!

Don't forget some of the peasants stayed behind. We are not all nobles and the landed gentry. Although if any of you would like to contribute to the upkeep of my fine wine cellars or the castle moat which needs dredging every so often it would be appreciated!!

Pass. However, it's possible that one of my ancestors was doing those very jobs for one of your ancestors a few hundred years ago!

Well your ancestors would have to have been pretty desperate to work for any of mine!

Actually they weren't all peasants. The Irish overwhelmingly were, because Ireland was mainly a peasant society and because of the potato famine and lack of employment, but settlers included plenty of middling people fleeing religious or political repression (plenty of the English and Germans, for example) plus ambitious or ne'er-do-well sons of families from the gentry to trades and crafts people. Cal does have a point, of course: the Virginian slaveowners had a beloved myth that they were descended from English cavaliers who fled the Roundheads after the English Civil War. Actually about two royalist gentlemen went to Virginia. The Netherlands was much more popular for them. Roundheads who fled to New England after the Restoration, though - a much more significant group.

CrimsonKidCK, I seem to remember reading a newspaper account in the 60s which told of Prince Charles going into a bar and having a drink of whiskey. I believe he was underage at the time, or possibly violated rules of the school he was attending. (Both, perhaps.) The paper mentioned that he would probably get the cane as punishment for this. This would happen at his school, probably at the hands of the headmaster. This happened something like 45 years ago so please forgive me if I have some of the details wrong.

I'm a convict, well not me personally, but I think if I dug deep enough into my family tree I'd turn up some ancestors who were forcibly deported to this country.

Yes, he went to school at Gordonstoun in Scotland. I have heard the same story. Gordonstoun was well known for cross country runs, cold showers, beatings, bullying and all that character building stuff. Prince Charles was apparently badly bullied there. It was founded by a fanatical little chap called Kurt Hahn in the 1930's and amongst it's pupils was the writer, William Boyd. Doubtless his play Good and Bad at Games was based at least loosely on his experiences at Gordonstoun. Some of the schools I went too were grim enough but I am glad I wasn't sent there. Prison without the home comforts apparently according to accounts I have read!

If you live in Australia and are of British (English) descent, I'd agree that there's an excellent chance of that being true in your case... --C.K.

I'm a bit of mongrel background wise, bits of Irish, Scottish, Welsh and English in me. Charles also attended school in Australia, at one of Geelong Grammar's campuses. I think it was called Timbertop. I wouldn't be surprised if they still used the cane back then.