Evolving Views
I gave an overview of what I thought was the perfect monarchy in my post My Ideal Monarchy. I stated in the post that my views were subject to change based on age and/or wisdom, and I would like to amend part of my hypothetical monarchy.
I stated that the high council that would act as an advisory board to the king would be elected. I think it best for members of the council to be nobles, passing their seats on the council to their sons (an hereditary council).
Now I would like to speak on a rather more important matter, at least in my view. I stated that the monarchy would be a Catholic monarchy, and that I hold to. But what I no longer believe is that the king and members of the royal family must marry Catholics or face being stripped of their royal prerogatives. As long as the king or any other member of the royal family maintain his Catholic identity and raise all children from a mixed marriage as Catholic, no punitive measures should be taken. If the Holy Catholic Church does not forbid mixed marriages, who am I (or in this case who is the hypothetical monarchy) to forbid what the Church permits?
My views on marriage have changed because I fell in love with a non-Catholic girl. I cannot imagine my life without her, and if I were king and faced with the choice of the crown and her I would gladly pick her. Some things are more important than the crown, in this case love. Edward VIII of England knew that, and now so do I.
