Above, King William III of England, Scotland, Ireland – and France!
Yesterday was the 334th Orangemens’ Day or “The Twelfth” which is when the defeat of the forces of King James II took place on the 1st July 1690 at the Battle of the Boyne, which ensured an Anglican Protestant Ascendancy.
Whilst the world of 2025 would be unrecognisable to a person in 1690, the image of “that” towering bonfire with “that” effigy atop it demonstrates that issues of culture and identity are still very relevant and form a central part of the politics of this kingdom.
We are in the final year of the first quarter of the twenty first century. As the United Kingdom enters the second quarter on New Year’s Day 2026, we will be entering another era when culture and faith (and the lack of) will dictate politics.