Celebrating the impending birth of the future King or Queen of Australia
Today I woke to the joyous news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby.
The offspring will (possibly depending on gender) be the future Head of State of Australia.
Elizabeth R currently fulfils that role.
For my non-Australian readers - who are likely unfamiliar with Australian constitutional arrangements I should note that Australia is - like Great Britain - a monarchy - and we have the Queen's handsome profile on our coins.
Her Majesty the Queen's full title in Australia is "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth".
Similar constitutional arrangements apply in other former colonies of the British Empire including our near neighbour Papua New Guinea. There Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is known in the pidgin language of Tok Pisin as 'Missis Kwin', and as 'Mama belong big family'.
My joy at the birth of our future monarch will (naturally enough) be repeated throughout the world. In Papua for instance the baby will further improve Elizabeth's claim to the title "Mama belong big family".
And that is indeed good news.
John
God Save the Queen, Queen of Australia