In his article published in The Financial Times, an online magazine, Jeremy Paxman explains how and why the British royal surname was changed one hundred years ago. As a popular British writer known for his wit, he is very qualified. His purpose is to stress the importance of how last names are seen in the public eye and to subtly condemn monarchies as a form of government. To accomplish this, he shares direct quotations from the 1910s and a witty tone. Paxman uses direct quotations from men affected at the time to explain how other people viewed the changing of the name. This is important as it reflects public opinion and/or global outcry. For example, Paxman shares what Prime Minister David Lloyd George said regarding King George V during World War I. He reportedly stated, “I wonder what my little German friend has got to say to me.” This is significant as it shows that there was deep mistrust regarding the Germanic royal family by the British population. This indicated that a grand gesture was needed to regain this trust, which ultimately resulted in the change from the House of Saxe-Coburg to the House of Windsor in 1917. This was intended to demonstrate that the British royal family were dedicated to British interests, despite their continental origins. Another rhetorical device Paxman uses is a witty tone, which establishes the informational yet insightful aspect of his piece. He writes, regarding Queen Elizabeth, “She has no real power and her advisers have been wise enough to see that is how it has to be.” This passage is significant as it asserts a fact while also analyzing the effectiveness of this fact. Clearly, Paxman is anti-monarchical and, during the modern age, this is a common belief. However, it is interesting to find such witty remarks in an information piece. Ultimately, Paxman’s use of direct quotations combined with a witty tone allowed the audience to fully understand the reason for the change as well as account for its consequences.
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