A new Republic.
Press Release 24th June 2016.
Back in 2001 Di and I founded the Democratic Republic of Moorland. It was both a protest against the prevailing UK Government policies ( war etc) and a defiant statement that they could no longer harm us. It was an unusual sovereign solution, a Monarchical Republic with two equal Heads of State which extended universal suffrage to citizen animals. It was an independent member state of the United Kingdom and by extension, the EU. Perhaps against the odds the DRM has prospered over the last fifteen years extending further rights and responsibilities to its supplier partners and diverse inhabitants with only moles, who remain defiant that they won’t take responsibility for cleaning up after themselves, still subject to capital punishment.
So it is with great regret that I, the Archduke of Moorland, on behalf of the Grand Duchess, Prince Rufus (the great) and Princess Pheobe (the wise) announce the result of our in/out referendum. We have decided to secede from the UK with immediate effect and have commenced negotiations with Canada (we all like the Mounties uniform, but that’s not the only reason!). It was a close run thing with only Rufus voting to remain as he felt the price of carrots would be negatively impacted. The Grand Duchess and I are now working hard to heal the wounds of division, the sausages are cooked and cooling and Rufus has already re-pledged his allegiance.
And so with a satisfied sigh, the Grand Duke turns now to gaze wistfully over the bucolic panorama of Moorland and, with the strains of Elgar’s Nimrod stirring some curious nameless feeling in his digestive system, looks to the future knowing full well it will be different to the present as it always has been but, the more things change, the more things stay the same. He knew this not to be true but he chose to believe it as it brought him comfort.
End
Press Release 26th August 2017.
As part of our full accession process to become a Canadian Protectorate, we were required to produce a coat of arms. So with glorious fanfare, I am pleased to unveil the Democratic Republic of Moorland Coat of arms.
As with all such things it is laden with symbolism. The keen eyed viewer will recognise the outline of Anglesey matches that of the open heart. This is where Di was born. The open heart also represents that all are welcome here.
The fish embraced within the heart represents Glasgow, where I was born and it also represents the natural environment which surrounds us here.
The head of the dog represents the beating heart of the Republic. Dogs are trusting, loyal, loving and have a thirst for life which is unmatched in the animal world. It also references Di’s charity work, Wag and Company.
The maple leaf as well as honouring our protectors and our love of all things Canadian ( and not just the Mountie uniform!) references the old idiom to turn over a new leaf. This promises a change for the better and to us represents continued growth and Hope.
The colours of red white and blue represent the old Country, good old Blighty to which we owe much and to whom we may return if it finds it’s true soul once again.
Finally, the motto which is in Latin ( no, I don’t know Latin, thank you google translate) because they all seem to be and it makes it a bit more mysterious, works in English as well, Love Lives here!
Anticipating your question, I can confirm we will not be changing the National Anthem. It remains the Tuvan throat singing which still gives me a lump each time I imagine standing on the gold medal podium at the 2028* Toronto Olympics as the DRM flag is slowly raised to this beautiful song. Makes me clutch my synchronised swimming medal so hard my knuckles go white. This is something I imagine strangely often.
*In my dream Los Angeles is stripped of the honour of hosting the games as punishment when, and only after winning his third term in 2024 having changed the Constitution ( “ It was old, so old and quite bad, sad”), it is finally proved that Trump is actually Max Headroom after years of rumours and as such, a computer generated image ( a chatbot) cannot be the Commander in Chief. A Mounty resplendent in that magical uniform sitting astride a white horse, which might be a unicorn, leaps over a cowering Trump and grabs the Olympic flag from his tiny hand and thrusts it triumphantly into the air….and then the Tuvan throat singing builds accompanied, I think, by bagpipes…Oooh!

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