NOW ROYAL ASCOT COULD SCRAP RULE BRITANNIA!
ROYAL Ascot is to consider axing Rule Britannia! and Land Of Hope And Glory from its world-famous Bandstand celebrations next year.
The Queen’s favourite racing event has a 40-year tradition of singing around the bandstand to celebrate the end of each day.
But festival organisers have confirmed they will consider scrapping the songs from the setlist following this summer’s Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
The move follows the row over the BBC’s decision to perform both patriotic classics without lyrics at this year’s Last Night Of The Proms.
One insider said: “There is a rising level of unease – the organisers do fear a backlash because of their perceived association with colonialism and slavery.
“Despite all the traditions of the past, the feeling is it would be most unwelcome attention for the festival, the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family and a decision to remove them is expected to be ratified.”
Boris Johnson, who on Tuesday attacked the “cringing embarrassment about our history” revealed in the furore, spoke up again during a bit to Leicestershire.
Yesterday, Mr Johnson schoolchildren from Castle told Rock
School, Coalville, where pupils have just returned after the lockdown, that it is “politically acceptable” to sing Rule Britannia!
The Prime Minister insisted the row surrounding the Last Night Of The Proms anthem was a brilliant way of helping pupils learn.
He said: “It’s the single most important way in which we can unite and level up across this whole country and deliver social justice.”
His backing for the disputed anthem came as Lord LloydWebber suggested his musical collaborator Sir Tim Rice could correct any “offending” lyrics.
The multimillionaire composer also claimed the singalong favourite was “ordinary at best” without its words being sung. Critics claimed the corporation shied away from both songs because of their links with British colonialism, slavery and racism after the Black Lives Matter demos.
Stung by the criticism, the BBC announced that both songs will be sung fully next year, in place of this year’s orchestral versions.