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Hereditary head of state Elizabeth Windsor feels "exasperated and frustrated" by the Prime Minister’s ten years in office according to the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. Her concerns ranged from the way the Prime Minister’s wife dressed, through his failure to accord her some undemocratic privileges, to his government’s attempts at democratic reform.

Tony Blair’s offences are said to include rudeness, not visiting Ms Windsor often enough in her castle in Scotland, a disregard for her attempts to lobby him on political issues and his half-hearted attempts to put democratic rights before "heritage".

Ms Windsor was "seriously annoyed", according the monarchist newspaper, that Tony Blair changed the day of his weekly meetings with her from Tuesday to Wednesday. Mr. Blair wanted to prepare on Tuesday for parliamentary questions but Ms Windsor seems to have felt that meeting with her should take precedence over the business of government. Nonetheless, the newspaper reported that Mr. Blair took these "audiences" seriously.

In a revealing, if not surprising, disclosure the Telegraph reported that even half-hearted attempts to make the House of Lords less of an affront to democracy upset Windsor. "Any change to Britain’s heritage, which the Queen considers unnecessary, is very upsetting to her", a source told the Telegraph. Ms. Windsor and the conservative newspaper seem to agree that reform of the House of Lords is a matter of "heritage", not of democracy.

Windsor also tried to persuade the Prime Minister to follow her lead on rural affairs and was "deeply concerned" that on this and other policies he did not give her opinions precedence over others.

Cherie Blair caused offence by wearing a trouser suit and failing to curtsey to Ms Windsor when visiting, and by yawning "while just feet from" the Windsor family head during the Highland Games.

Windsor’s anger seems to have been made public at this time because she is worried that, despite her exasperation with him, the Prime Minister may not host a dinner in her honour when he leaves office. Both Winston Churchill and Harold Wilson did so.

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A Canadian Superior Court judge has ruled that a legal action to overturn the requirement that new citizens swear an oath of loyalty to Elizabeth Windsor should be heard. Justice Belobaba rejected the argument of government lawyers that the case was frivolous and vexatious. Ms Windsor is the hereditary head of state of Canada although she is a British citizen and has never lived in Canada.

In his 17 May ruling the judge said that there was a chance that the class action case initiated by Charles Roach might succeed. He noted that nothing in the Constitution Act required an oath of loyalty to Ms. Windsor. The judge also drew attention to the Australian practice of requiring a pledge of commitment to Australia, its people and its laws, not to the head of state. Ms Windsor is head of state of Australia also.

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The Canadian government seems likely to fail in an attempt to stop a court hearing a claim that it is depriving republicans of a civil right.

The legal action, brought by Citizens for a Canadian Republic member Charles Roach, will seek a ruling that requiring new citizens of Canada swear an oath of allegiance to Elizabeth Windsor, the hereditary head of state, breaches the protection for thought, believe, opinion and expression guaranteed by the country's charter of rights.

A government lawyer told Superior Court Justice Edward Belobaba on 8 May that the attempt to bring a class action suit should not be allowed because it was frivolous and likely to fail. She argued that the case should not be heard as Mr. Roach had lost an appeal to a federal court on a similar case fifteen years ago. She also claimed that the court was not competent to hear the case as citizenship is a federal matter.

Justice Belobaba seemed unimpressed by the government's arguments. He suggested that what might be considered a violation of human rights could have changed in fifteen years. The judge told government counsel Vanita Goela that she faced an "uphill struggle" to convince him that the case should be squashed.

Applicants for Canadian citizenship are required to swear an oath to "be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors". Mr. Roach, a permanent resident of Canada, has not been allowed to become a citizen of Canada as he will not swear the oath, which he believes is undemocratic.

Mr Roach says that it is "coercion of my conscience" to require him to swear the oath. The Canadian resident since 1955 believes "the government should not force people to swear things they don’t believe in to gain citizenship. The symbol of head of state is so integrally identified with the Windsor family and privilege by birth that it offends my lifelong commitment to values of equal dignity and equal liberty."

Another republican who hopes to be included in the class action, Michael McAteer, told the National Post newspaper "In general, I don't like monarchies. If they would require me to take an oath to be faithful to Canada, that would be fine. But as a democrat, I think the monarchy is an undemocratic system that serves no purpose whatsoever." Mr. McAteer said that taking the oath would also amount to giving approval to whatever Windsor or her successor might do in the future, which was unacceptable.

Ashok Charles, 51, who has renounced an oath of loyalty to Windsor that he swore in 2004, said "I feel it was done under duress" .

Justice Belobaba is expected to rule within a few weeks on the Canadian government’s attempt to prevent a full hearing.

Since 2005 Canadian civil servants have not had to swear allegiance to Windsor. Australia no longer requires new citizens to swear allegiance to the hereditary head of state or her successors. Instead they swear loyalty to Australia and its people.

Ms. Windsor is head of state of the United Kingdom, Australia and other former colonies of Britain in addition to Canada.

Acknowledgement. Citizens for a Canadian Republic

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It was difficult to know which nation should have felt more ashamed when queen Windsor dined at the White House on Monday during her Washington trip. According to the New York Times, it was "Texas swagger" meeting "British prim".

White House aides advised citizens of the American republic that they should observe British absurdities by calling the UK’s hereditary head of state "your majesty". Her husband Phil was to be greeted as a mere "royal highness".

American etiquette experts told American women they need not feel ashamed to curtsey to the female Windsor. And to prove that even Americans know their place on occasion, no American citizen was to continue eating after queen Windsor had finished her meal.

According to the Times report, republican President George Bush was not keen on the formalities of a white tail dinner. He did his duty anyway. But Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid seems not to have been impressed. He acted like a true democrat and turned down the opportunity to dine with those who have "royal" pretensions.

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Republican Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce is to be the new Governor of South Australia. He will be sworn in on 8 August.

The Rear Admiral told the press that how and when Australia became a republic was not the most important issue at present but that "When the time comes, I will be supporting Australia becoming a republic".

In Britain republicans are allowed to serve in the navy but are barred from the other armed services.

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