Monarchism reduced to this

Monarchism when it comes to the British used to be about reverential distance. At some point, probably the 1960s, that began to change and, dear g*d, it's now at the point that this video is a "tribute".

A relative passed it on, it's a meme with 2.5m+ hits in just this version. It's someone who has discovered a morphing software programme - take a series of pictures and have them dissolve one into another. They discovered the trick and thought 'owh, her maj would love this'.

This is a video tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on achieving 60 years as the constitutional monarch of the Commonwealth realms, and head of the Commonwealth of Nations, head of state of the Crown dependencies and British Overseas Territories, Supreme Governor of the Church of England and in many of her realms she carries the title Defender of the Faith.

But it's not a tribute, it's a creepy distortion of the image, a parody that sits alongside morphs of Elvis and Michael Jackson. An awkward marriage of pop culture ('Chariots of Fire'?!) with language like "in her many realms" ...

Monarchism is so reduced now that the video producer and commentators cannot see what 50 years ago would have been obvious, that it's the definition of disrespectful.

The Thais have the right idea. If you're going to have this sort of constitutional arrangement treat the -- gild the -- gilded inhabitants properly ....

Video after the jump: